You guys like books right...

You guys like books right? Let me just lie for a sec and say im looking for books to get inspiration from for my next game.

What are some good fiction recommendations for reading purposes. I have been enjoyed Gibsons cyberspace trilogy and short stories for their curt chapter lengths as i never really get more than 30 mins at a time to sit down and read. What books do you guys enjoy.
I tried asking Veeky Forums but they just sneered at me for reading fiction instead of freud.

Gibsons a hack

It's called The Sprawl Trilogy, but close enough.

Try Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake. Veeky Forums is probably too retarded to know that it's considered one of the best British books of the 20th c. AND it's fantasy fiction.

I'd rather read fanfiction than that pretentious wanker. Fucking literati man, they are so full of themselves. They all think they have something important to say. All I want to do when I sit down and read is be entertained.

If I wanted life-advice or a lecture on sociology I'd ask somebody who actually went outside and experienced life, not some writer who locks themselves in a closet for years on end reinventing the wheel.

Anything in Appendix N, D&D or any other RPG book with and "inspired reading" section at the back.

I've been reading the Sector General Omnibuses recently.
They're all about an intergalactic hospital that treats any and all species, and many "first contact" situations are medical emergencies with aliens incapable of giving the doctors a clear picture of their medical problems.
Since they were written a long time ago, there are a lot of little anachronisms that date it, but it's still a very interesting series with cool aliens and better medical problems.
Basically it's like House M.D. IN SPACE and it would make an awesome TV series if they could get some good special effects/creature design to compliment the medical drama side of it.

is Stainless Steel Rat gud or shit?

I've been enjoying Vernor Vinge recently. A Fire Upon the Deep is one of the best "an ancient evil awakens" storys you are like to read. I sometimes hear Neil Stephenson mentioned for Snow Crash, but never see anyone bring up Anathem, which is in my opinion his best book (maybe tied with bonanza), the rise and fall of DODO, which just came out a few days ago, is also fun. Ian Banks can be enjoyable, although I didn't really like the first two culture books all that much. I could really use fantasy recommendations, people I know mostly read sci fi.

It's a bit dated, but it's a classic for a reason and hasn't aged too poorly. If you like Asimov and Silverberg, or play Traveller, it's a must-read.

The Peripheral is great, and it's also by Gibson. parallel reality neo-reactionaries team up with redneck veterans and trailerpark gamers to stop imperialism and global collapse

>Veeky Forums

Way of Kings is a fairly solid choice.
Try the Sword of Truth series if you're considering adding politics into a game and want an example of how not to do it

>Hannu Rajaneimi
Hard, extremely transhumanist scifi that will have soft-SF readers whinging that "it isn't really hard SF" and begging for a glossary immediately.

>Peter Watts
Grimdark mid-future science fiction, except this time it's so hard it comes with a list of citations.

>John M Harrison
Lavishly written noir-space-opera [the Nova Swing/Light trilogy] and weird fantasy akin to the Dying Earth [Viriconium].

>Yoon Ha Lee
Part of the new space opera trend, except s/he is a military-brat Korean-American tranny instead of a Scottish socialist. A major feature of the setting is the conflict over and with consensus-reality technology, akin to a more rational/manipulable/programmable 40k warp.

Well, yes... isn't that the point of the cyberpunk genre?

Wondering if I should pick up the Black Company books. Does anyone have an opinion on them?

any fiction?
because I just finished the "black company" (series) and they where pretty good
I quite liked "the dark tower"
(but it might be a bit long for what you want)
"the blade itself" in fact I liked all of "The First Law" series

or just science fiction?
"enders game"
"Dune"
"Starship Troopers"

I'm about halfway through "old man's war" and it seems good so far

Like tell me what you're looking for?

>Veeky Forums is all one person
Croaker is a boss, and Glen Cook knows how to name villains.

I especially like how a bunch of normal mercenarys go about dealing with wizards

If you like cyberpunk, you have to rad Snowcrush

If it's short stories you're after, Ballard is your man. You'd be able to pick up at least some of his short stories in a secondhand book store. Otherwise, check Amazon.

Thanks for the legit replies friends.
I did actually just start reading dune, shits pretty bananas. Enjoying it though.
the books werent the best ive ever read but they were pretty fucking cool for shallow reading. Neuromancer has so many cool settings everyone just kind of ignores to focus on the "chiba city" archetype.

Im mostly just looking for shallow fun to dip in and out of on my lunch break while my boss sleeps at work. I get 30 mins before he wakes back up every day.
I have been meaning to read this series but feel it deserves a bit of devotion and respect, not to be picked at over my lunchbreak.

Pick up year's best scifi collections. They're a bunch of shorts usually with good variety, you can find authors you like and branch out from there.

Johnathan Starhan's collections do it for me, but ymmv. People like Vanndermeir's editing/collecting but I can't really stand the guy.

>peter watts
>so hard scifi he has vampires
I like some of his shit, but its not hard. Its hardish pseudoscience to allow for vampires and rants about dawkins.

op wants 30 minute reads. Gormenghast is kind of a long haul.

First 4 books of The Black Company are fantastic. They're also quick, light reads.