Quote from: McrowI liked:

Gaunts Ghosts for WH40k
Riders of the Dead
Ed Greenwoods stuff
Dragonlance novels

They might not be up there with the better authors, but they are entertaining reads.

If you liked gaunt's ghosts, allow me to recommend the Eisenhorn trilogy, 3 novels about an inquisitor.

Quote from: SosthenesThat goes a long way to prevent pretentiousness... I still wouldn't call them good novels, though Salvatore still is better than the usual Eddings drivel.

Not sure which ones you have read, but I happen to enjoy Eddings myself.  On the other hand I've never been able to get myself to read Salvatore due to my dislike/hatred of the Drowphilia his work has fed and nurtured over the years. (I'm told that I should try it, and one of these days I'm sure that I will, I just think he has a lot to answer for in that area)

Quote from: Sosthenes... Chick-lit horror and baroque satire isn't exactly the first image I get when I think of the WFRP world...

Well, I certainly didn't see the novel as 'chick-lit horror'.  Rather, it was damn good, dark, ironic fun.  And even people who don't like 'game fiction' (including myself) like Yeovil's stuff.

The stories by Jack Yeovil/Kim Newman do a great job of portraying the WFRP IMO.

Quote from: cnath.rmNot sure which ones you have read, but I happen to enjoy Eddings myself.

I managed to get through the Sparhawk stuff, stopped halfway through the Althalus book and browsed through some of the Belgariad saga at a friend's. Some nice ideas, a little too formulaic and gee, do the main guys like each other. Lots of group-hugs and similar shite.

Quote from: cnath.rmOn the other hand I've never been able to get myself to read Salvatore due to my dislike/hatred of the Drowphilia his work has fed and nurtured over the years. (I'm told that I should try it, and one of these days I'm sure that I will, I just think he has a lot to answer for in that area)

Drizzt was meant as a side character and should probably have stayed that way. Some visions from the Drow culture were quite nice, but to black-and-white mostly (which might not even be Salvatore's fault, as this is generally mandated by TSR/WotC). As literature it's not that good, as adventure logs it's decent. The Drizzt trilogy isn't half bad, the group adventures suck, the Cadderly stuff is worse. It even seems he's realizing it himself, as lately he's mostly written books about the bad guys. In the latest offering, I could even detect hings of self-irony...

Most Forgotten Realms stuff is crap, especially when it has Drows. Don't even get me started about the archmage's barbarian-loving daughter or the "war" of the Spider Queen.

I recently read some Eberron novels and kinda liked them. I think they were the first novels by Keith Baker, but at least he was the one who designed the whole setting, so at least the background material was okay. No awards for originality or technical excellence, but I could imagine my group having similar adventures... I don't expect much more from game fiction.

Allegedly some of the WoD stuff descended into Werewolf porn. Which was too be expected...

Quote from: AkrasiaWell, I certainly didn't see the novel as 'chick-lit horror'. Rather, it was damn good, dark, ironic fun. And even people who don't like 'game fiction' (including myself) like Yeovil's stuff.

Oh, if appeals to majority would work for me, I'd be reading Dan Brown right now.
Well, maybe it just didn't resonate with me. That's not the way I imagine the Old World. A few jokes and pop culture references more, and you'd be in Pratchett territory. Some basic chaos-war stuff or more subtle Enemy Within stuff is what I want. I never liked vampires in fantasy literature.

Quote from: SosthenesI managed to get through the Sparhawk stuff, stopped halfway through the Althalus book and browsed through some of the Belgariad saga at a friend's. Some nice ideas, a little too formulaic and gee, do the main guys like each other. Lots of group-hugs and similar shite.

I never got past the first three Sparhawk books, and yeah the Belgariad (and the Melorian (not going to look up the spelling) that follows it) do follow a formula, :shrug: but at least they work to explain why it's a formula by the end.

Quote from: SosthenesDrizzt was meant as a side character and should probably have stayed that way. Some visions from the Drow culture were quite nice, but to black-and-white mostly (which might not even be Salvatore's fault, as this is generally mandated by TSR/WotC).

Good to know, maybe I'll check out the trillogy sometime.  Thanks for the info.

Quote from: SosthenesAllegedly some of the WoD stuff descended into Werewolf porn. Which was too be expected...

I must have missed those ones, a lot of the rest were extremely dark/depressing (as befits the world of dimness).  I enjoyed some of the short stories, but I'm not going to be rereading them anything time soon.

Paul Kidd's "Greyhawk" books published by WotC have been outstanding. They are perhaps too humorous for some, but they also have some kick-ass action.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonPaul Kidd's "Greyhawk" books published by WotC have been outstanding. They are perhaps too humorous for some, but they also have some kick-ass action.

Yes, yes they are.

As are the Commissar Caine 40k novels by Sandy Mitchel. Both are somwhat irreverant takes on their respective gamelines and settings, and both are very good series. I doubt we will see another "Justicar and Faerie" book, but I suspect the Caine novels will continue.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonPaul Kidd's "Greyhawk" books published by WotC have been outstanding. They are perhaps too humorous for some, but they also have some kick-ass action.

I would say that they are 'pretty good', not 'outstanding' (or at least the first two novels; the third one is a bit too over-the-top).  But definitely the only 'D&D novels' that I know of that are worth reading.

Quote from: BalbinusThe GW books written by people who could actually write were good.

The rest, life's too short.  And frankly, if I had a million years left I'd still say that.

There's too much good fiction out there to waste time reading that shit.

I might make an exception for something like say Delta Green, where the guys writing the stories also created the setting (so at least it's their ideas) but even then only if recommended by people I trusted.

Of course I agree with Max. On recommending stuff:

I've only read Denied to the Enemy by Dennis Detwiller, and it's very very good. SOme short stories by John Tynes are also top-notch.

WoD novels usually are a crock of shit. Exception: Greg Stolze books are golden.

Each and every D&D novel (be it FR, DL, generic or whatever) that I've read are mediocre at their best, and a good reason for start burning books again most of the time.

So, usually, I don't read game novels unless the author is one that I trust.

Well, wasn't Ray Feist's Magician almost entirely based on his D&D campaign?

Quote from: Dominus NoxIf you liked gaunt's ghosts, allow me to recommend the Eisenhorn trilogy, 3 novels about an inquisitor.

Nox is very much correct.

Damn, that felt strange to type.

Quote from: WarthurWell, wasn't Ray Feist's Magician almost entirely based on his D&D campaign?

Yes.

Quote from: SosthenesNo Penny Dreadful, but it didn't exactly encourage me to buy more Warhammer novels.

I liked "Penny Dreadful".  It wasn't bad for fanfic

Quote from: Hastur T. FannonI liked "Penny Dreadful".  It wasn't bad for fanfic

Well, an appendectomy isn't bad for an organ removal operation, either.

I tend not to read gaming fiction. I somehow can't get the sound of rolling dice out of my head half the time whilst reading it.

However, Jack Yeovil's (Kim Newman's) warhammer stuff is good. Also for some reason i enjoyed Test of the Twins (Dragonlance) when it came out.