Seeking some new reading material!!!!!!

[Cnelso27]

I have a husband who has stalled on good new reads and I want to help him make some new discoveries. Some of his favorite Fantasy writers include Rothfuss, Sanderson, LeGuin, Pratchet, Weeks, Butcher, Tolkein, Nix, Gaiman, Stevenson and Anthony. His Sci fi tends towards the more classical: Clark, Heinlein, Simmons, Herbert, Orson Scott Card.

He tends to appreciate nuanced characters, deep and not predictable plots, ambiguous or thought provoking endings, systems of magic used creatively, beautiful or poetic usage of the language, challenges to genre, larger themes, and wit.

We seem to be the most steeped in the sci fi and fantasy genres within our circle of friends/readers, but are craving a new GREAT read, rather than another "pretty good" but not terribly original one.

[Peat]

*breathes out* Hokay. That could be just about anything (and welcome to the forum).

My first thought is Guy Gavriel Kay. Maybe not the most creative use of magic (but there's some cool moments) but he's got most of the rest of it. I love his characters. Lot of stand alones which makes him easy to dip into as a try out.

Second is Tanith Lee, about whom I could say most of the above. Very fantastical Arabian Nights feel to it all and beautiful language.

Hrm. I shall be back later.

And welcome to the forum.

[The Gem Cutter]

Have you considered Anne McAffrey or Mercedes Lackey? They're contemporaries of Heinlein and the other Oldies but Goodies.

[Lady Ty]

Welcome to F-F. I promise you will get plenty of suggestions here. 

I'll throw in China Mieville for thought provoking and challenging. Perdido Street Station as a fantasy sample and Embassytown for SF.

Gladly second Peat's suggestion of Guy Gavriel Kay for characters and beautiful prose. Maybe Tigana to start with then Sailing to Sarantium or Under Heaven.

New modern fun SF  with diverse characters, Becky Chambers A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.

If you like Butcher you may like Ben Aaronovitch's London based urban fantasy Peter Grant series even more, beginning with Rivers of London.

And an unusual series by Marie Brennan  called The Memoirs of Lady Trent about a dragon hunting lady beautifully written in Victorian Travel Journal style.
 

[cupiscent]

I love Guy Gavriel Kay as well.

I would also recommend Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora for pinging on plot, characters, challenge and wit. (I would also consider the language beautiful and poetic, but I like creative swearing...)

NK Jemisin's new series, starting with The Fifth Season, holds some incredible characters, themes, and big world ideas (including magic). If you're uneasy about starting an unfinished series, the first two are already out and the third is scheduled for next year.

And I've just recommended this elsewhere, so it's fresh in my memory, but also the "beautiful and poetic usage of language" pings this one hard: Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson. As I said in the other thread, in plot, it's an old-school great-warriors-on-merchant-guard-duty-encounter-mystical-threats-and-struggle-with-them. In narrative style, it's Shakespeare meets The Wire.

[Nora]

First recommendation that comes to mind is the fantastic sci-Fi Ancillary Justice.

[Hedin]

He tends to appreciate nuanced characters, deep and not predictable plots, ambiguous or thought provoking endings, systems of magic used creatively, beautiful or poetic usage of the language, challenges to genre, larger themes, and wit.

I feel like Steven Erikson's Malazan series would be a good fit for all of these things.

I will also echo the recommendations for Kay as well.  He tends to be low or no magic but the man can write.

[Moira]

He might enjoy CJ Cherryh and Kim Stanley Robinson (I'm reading the Red Mars series now and am loving it).

For poetic use of language, what springs to mind immediately (beyond Kay, who's been recommended already) is Kushiel's Dart. The subject matter might not appeal, but the language is gorgeous and it's truly epic in scale.

[night_wrtr]

I would also recommend Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora for pinging on plot, characters, challenge and wit. (I would also consider the language beautiful and poetic, but I like creative swearing...)

Also support this one!