[ SECRET POST #2929 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2929 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 088 secrets from Secret Submission Post #419.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

09. http://i.imgur.com/iYicoMM.png

[cushlamochree]

I definitely get where you're coming from, even if I'll always love WoT.

That said, it might be productive to look outside of the subgenres of fantasy that are basically defined around massive multi-book epic series. I mean there is such a thing as fantasy that's not epic fantasy or urban noir. Even if those are the most popular subgenres of fantasy right now.

[(Anonymous)]

OMG DITTO! Can't anyone tell a good story in one go anymore?

[(Anonymous)]

Of course they can. It's just not what publishers and the majority of readers are pushing for.

[silverr]

I've been picking up a ton of free "Book 1" titles from BookBub, and I've already decided that if the author proves they can wrap up at least 80% of their story arc, I'll poke at Book 2.

[(Anonymous)]

Pretty sure this is because there's a higher chance of a publishing house running with your fantasy book if there's the potential to have a sequel - therefore an audience, therefore more $$. Fantasy one-offs are just not as marketable because of the genre.

Transcript

[(Anonymous)]

Image: covers of a bunch of different fantasy books.

Text: I wish it wasn’t so difficult to find stand-alone fantasy books. It seems like every book I pick up is part of a series.

[(Anonymous)]

Same. I don't want to track down 15 volumes over 20 years.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, I know what you mean, OP. Long series has been a trend for a while now. I'm pretty sure that's because of sales, since a series can gather momentum and more readers... and more sales. For standalone fantasy, you kind of have to go back to the 70s-80s and not all of that stuff appeals to me.

[(Anonymous)]

Same, OP, it annoys the shit out of me.

I guess it's a trend because Tolkien originally did the three-book thing, and then WoT had... what, five, seven books? IDk. And now everyone does it because that's just what you DO in the fantasy genre, apparently.

Stand-alone books are there, they're just a lot less common than all the series.

[just_ann_now]

Tor.com had posts about this last month: here and here.

[(Anonymous)]

lol Kelley Armstrong almost never does stand alone stuff. (Omens was extended to five books now, over the original three)

[(Anonymous)]

And even the ones advertised as a standalone aren't.

Yes, I'm looking at you The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic Fuck you and your no-resolution ending.

[tabaqui]

It *is* annoying, especially when the sequels seem to be there only because the author has a multi-book contract, not a multi-book *idea*.

If you do find series that you like that are older, i've found Better World Books to be an awesome resource for old and out of print stuff.
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/

Plus, they're a green company, and they do good in the world.

Recommendations?

[(Anonymous)]

Can anyone recommend any good stand-alone fantasy novels?

I can think of some, but they're all YA or kids books.

Does Simmons Apply? (And I have recs)

[(Anonymous)]

C'mon, OP, I know the series was a bit dull (and in the case of the entirely peremptory "galactic war" exceeded its reach), but it was way shorter than some of the other covers you've put in your background pic.

As for fantasy one-offs, if you read urban fantasy, you can eradicate your problem forever. I recommend Charles de Lint, though he sets the majority of his books in Ottawa, they're all (AFAIR) standalones, Neil Gaiman, of course, Stardust, Neverwhere, American Gods, Anansi Boys fit your criteria (might not fit your reading taste, though) also fantasy anthologies are a dime a dozen (literally, you can always pick up one or two in the remainders bins), though if you want quality over quantity, John Shirley's "Black Butterflies" is good. Wide range of stories, all compelling, all fantasy, bordering on horror. Let's see, what else, Butler's "Wild Seed" is good as well (very good, I highly recommend it, in fact) also ticks historical fiction box.

Bradbury, there's lots of fantasy one-offs written by the Grand Master
himself. Though, yeah, you've probably read everything by him, soooo....

*eyeballs bookshelf* OK, Atwood's "A Handmaid's Tale" is more SF, but the setting is very fantasy-ish, as well, at least in the descriptions.

Ah! Connie Willis, "Passage" -- though the subject matter might be too heavy for some (NDEs/death). Pretty straight-up contemp. urban fantasy. The book wasn't my thing (I prefer my Willis zany and breakneck, "Passage" wasn't this at all).

I do feel you, OP, I've a copy of The Great Book of Amber that I got about a hundred pages in, and my brain went, "Nah. Just nah."

[(Anonymous)]

If you have any recs can you pass them on to me. I am in search of the same thing.

[(Anonymous)]

I agree. If it's a series where the first book can kind of stand alone, then I don't mind so much. But I have to really, really enjoy the story to read the sequels. If I don't love it, I won't bother.

A recommendation

[xenomantid]

A. Lee Martinez has only ever written stand-alone fantasy and science fiction. His novels, all of which are comical to some degree or another, tend to be fairly lightweight—think YA wearing adult fantasy's robes—but if you're looking for fun, mostly inoffensive fare, he specializes in it. To date, his titles include Gil's All-Fright Diner, In the Company of Ogres, A Nameless Witch, Too Many Curses, The Automatic Detective, Monster, Chasing the Moon, Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain, Divine Misfortune, and Helen and Troy's Epic Road Quest. In addition to sticking to stand-alone stories, Martinez also provides variety in the type of fantasy and science fiction tropes he draws from; some of his books are medieval European fantasy, but others take place in the modern day or the future and use vampires, werewolves, ghosts, robots, space aliens, the Abominable Snowman, etc. Of the Martinez books I've read, Chasing the Moon, which revolves around eldritch abominations of the author's invention, is my standout favorite.

[cbrachyrhynchos]

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/11/standalone-fantasy-novels

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/12/standalone-fantasy-novels-part-2

[(Anonymous)]

I recommend The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Whitechapel Gods and Ghost Ocean by S.M. Peters (same author, 2 standalones), Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn, and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark.

[quantumreality]

There's Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson, which is only one book.

[diet_poison]

Yay a secret with WoT in it! erm.

I think a lot of series start out with a single stand-alone installation and then just get more books because they sell. Many times, the following books aren't as good. I don't have any recs off the top of my head though (I happen to think WoT is pretty good throughout, for example, but then I like series in general).

[(Anonymous)]

OMG I know this feel so much. Mom asked me for new fantasy novels this Christmas, and I was constantly frustrated by how hard it was to find any that weren't part of a series. I couldn't give her only part of the story!

(I ended up picking Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez, and a short story anthology by Patricia C. Wrede. Mom was satisfied.)

[(Anonymous)]

Try some Guy Gavrial Kay. Tigana. Lions of Al Rassan. A Song for Arbonne. The Fionnavar books are a trilogy so you can skip them. Sarantine mosaic is a duology, but I think the first works fine by itself.