Some people bag on Ken Follett for being formulaic and using classic tropes for protagonists and antagonists, but I just love him. I just recently finished The Armor of Light and had a great time; it made me recall my joy when I read The Pillars of the Earth, which is one of my favorite books of all time.
I am looking for Ken Follett’s narrative and literary styles in a science fiction book/series, if such a thing exists. I want fun characters to root for, wretched villains that make you want to pull your hair out, violence, brutality, sexy time, world-building, neat technology, and an epic story. I’ve read a fair amount of science fiction, but can’t say that I’ve ever encountered anything that quite scratches that same itch. As I think about it, I think the one series that has come the closest for me would be the Night’s Dawn Trilogy by Peter Hamilton, but it’s still not the same, and of course, nothing ever will be. Other ones that give me that tickle would be the Hyperion Cantos and the Red Rising series, which couldn’t be more dissimilar to one another. Also enjoyed Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky – I liked how the story with the spiders played out over years and years.
Anyhow, I hope I’m sort of conveying what I’m looking for? On a side note, I’m currently reading Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks and I am finding it to be very pleasing….I love the different alien species and the awesome science fiction technologies.
Thank you in advance!
by SaintCharlie