First person Scifi/Fantasy books/authors?

[quakerboy]

Ive read an aweful lot, but I never really paid attention to what writing perspective an author chose.

Now I am. and I am wondering what books/authors are written/write in first person, because I cannot think of any, but i know they must be out there. If they are good books, so much the better.

Any suggestions to put on my list?

[Pharaoh]

1. I don't know

But Stephen Kings The Stand or his Gunslinger series are awesome!!!!!!!

[tibbiit]

2. Gateway?

fredrick pohl. Maybe?
tib

[TheWraith]

3. I know a bunch in first person.

Heinlein used it a number of times--"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and "Double Star" off the top of my head, both of which are very worth reading.

There's also at least one good book I can think of from John Varley that does the same, imitating some of the stylings of "Double Star" actually. He's a big Heinlein fan.

"The Icarus Hunt" by Timothy Zahn, which is sort of half SF, half mystery novel. Also his novel "Deadman Switch."

The novella "The Power" by Murray Leinster is written mostly from a first person perspective in the form of several letters to a friend. Also his short story "A Logic Named Joe," which broke ground for basically predicting the modern day version of the internet--and being published in 1946.

The short story "Neutron Star" by Larry Niven.

The entire Amber series by Roger Zelazny, ten books of fantasy starting with "Nine Princes in Amber," is told from the first person, by one character in the first five books and another in the second five. The second five books also mix in a few SF elements in how they handle the technical aspects of magic.

I'd really recommend any and all of the above.

[quakerboy]

13. Thanks

The Niven book definitely goes on the list. I remember not enjoying Zelazney, but with two recommendations here, maybe I will give it another try.

Heinlein, I just cant get into. I loved his books when I was an antisocial teenager with strong leanings toward libertarianism, but rereading them as an adult, they just don't draw me in like they used to. Unfortunately he was the only one that immediately popped into my mind for first person when my wife asked me for some first person SF/fan options.

[TheWraith]

18. Zelazny has his positives and his negatives.

The Amber series is the only thing of his that I've read beyond short fiction. I enjoy it, but it has it's faults too. If you scratch the surface, it has the feeling that he was kind of making it up as he went along. Obviously that's true of a lot of fiction, but I mean it more deeply here. He had difficulty keeping some of the mechanics of time flow straight, and the first part of the first book really doesn't have the same "feel" as the later books, like he was trying to nail down the style, and never went back to rewrite it once he got a firm grasp on the concept.

Still, it's adventurous and entertaining, particularly if you enjoy the snarkily witty commentary by the protagonist. In some ways the latter five books are better, since by then he had the style down, and seemed to have a better grasp on long-term storytelling. Although those books leave a few loose ends, since he intended to have a final five books to complete the story, but died before he could write them.

[ZombieHorde]

4. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Easily one of my favorite fantasy novels. It is more smart than flash, so some may be bored by it, but I think the writing and story more than make up for the lack constant magic, monsters, and fighting. The book has magic, monsters, and fighting, just not as much as most fantasy books.

It is about a man telling his life story to a famous scribe, so it's a fake autobiography.

It's awesome.

[n2doc]

5. Several newer ones come to mind

The sky so big and black by John Barnes

Old Man's War by John Scalzi


One older classic story for some reason comes to mind : I have no Mouth and I must Scream By Harlan Ellison . But there are tons written that way.

[quakerboy]

12. Interesting

Ive noticed both of those authors on the shelf, but never gotten around to actually reading any of their stuff. Thanks

[n2doc]

14. Scalzi is very much in the early Heinlein mode

Barnes is much darker in tone. Don't bother with his latest, he apparently has followed Orson Scott Card off into T-bag land. But I can say his earlier novels are quite good and innovative. "Candle" is another good one from him, but it is god awfully bleak and nasty at times.

[villager]

6. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, the "Danger Boy" time travel books for young readers

(the latter have rotating first person narrators, including a recurring sentient dinosaur)

[Mac1949]

7. The Space Merchants by Pohl and Kornbluth is one...

I think there were also several by Mack Reynolds and many of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Beyond the Farthest Star springs to mind). L. Sprague De Camps Timehunters series (A Gun For Dinosaur, etc) and the excellent Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison. I keep thinking G. C. Edmondson, either The Aluminum Man or The Ship That Sailed The Time Stream, but I'm not certain, and I can't get to my books at the moment to check. Many of Zelazney's also, but they're fantasy as opposed to straight SF. Hope this is at least a little help.

[quakerboy]

11. That is helpful

Do you happen to recall if Burroughs carter of mars stuff is first person? Its been a long time since I read those.

Stainless steel rat, I just re-read the last of that series again about 2 months back and never noticed it was first person.

Im not a huge Zelazney fan. But I may take a look again. I am actually trying to find books for my wife to read. She was hesitant to read books, then found some first person, and realised that that was the only way she could relate to the book and enjoy it, so I am trying to find options that we both can appreciate.

[Mac1949]

15. Yes, the Mars series was first person...

I think most of ERB's stuff was. If you're looking for first-person fiction your wife might enjoy, you might try Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovitch. It's the first of a series heavy on the supernatural-secret society-good versus evil elements. A little too romancey for me, but amusing in spots. My s/o loved it.

Also in SF: Wasp, as well as The Space Willies, both by Erik Frank Russell, the first a serious novel about subversion of a planets war economy, the second very similar, but played more for humor. I'm pretty sure both were first person, but as I mentioned, I can't get to my books anytime soon, so I'm trying to do this from memory.

[bengalherder]

8. Transmigration of Timothy Archer

I think Phil Dick's 'Transmigration of Timothy Archer' is one of the most interesting and lyrical 'SF'novels around and it is first person as well.

[pitohui]

19. Valis as well EOM

.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. I have one of each for you. :^) (links inside)

http://www.watt-evans.com/nightsidecity.html

http://www.mythadventures.net/ (This one is a series. You'll have to find the first one, "Another Fine Myth" to get started.)

[quakerboy]

10. Well now I feel like a dunce

I just finished reading one of the Myth adventures yesterday. And I never even noticed the first person-ness of it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. LOL That's a sign of an engrossing story, I guess?

[pscot]

16. Snow Crash

That book is a rush. Highly recommended.

[skippercollector]

20. celtic novel

One of umpteem Celtic/Irish fantasy novels, Juliet Marrillier's "Son of Shadows," plus her other books in the series.

[fadedrose]

21. Just sent 2 back to the library written in 1st person..

They were by Jeff Shelby (Killer Swell & Wicked Break) and were the first two of a series. I glanced thru and the author's 1st person seemed too knowing and too perfect.

I've only liked a few 1st person books - and they were by authors who disparaged or kidded themselves, admitted mistakes, attractions to the wrong people, regret and other faults. They were human and I was fond of them.

You mentioned Sci-Fi books, but I figured you might not mind remarks about mysteries...

[ForeverFlashy]

23. Lol...

I actually don't hate books written in first person perspective, but I just don't like them either. I really like it when the narrative is done in third person, for reasons I don't know exactly why. I just like them that way. Period.

[Moe Shinola]

22. The Shadow of the Torturer, by Gene Wolfe...

...is written in the first-person, I believe.

[Sabriel]

24. Emergence, by David Palmer

Not only is it first-person, but the author has his protagonist speak in Pittman shorthand.

It's highly unusual, but once you get used to the shorthand, it's amazing.

[krispos42]

25. "The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump" by Harry Turtledove comes to mind

It's pretty funny, with loads of puns and parallels to our universe. :-)


Um... I can think of two more off the top of my head, "Dreadnaught!" and "Battlestations!", both by Diane Carey, both ST:TOS novels.


I feel like Niven wrote something in first person, too, but I can't recall it. Maybe I'm wrong.