Recommendations based on Swords and Deviltryby Fritz Leiber

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Elric of Melniboné

    by Michael Moorcock
    Hero's journey to reclaim his kingdom, encountering powerful allies and foes along the way.

    Elric of Melniboné is a requisite title in the hard fantasy canon, a book no fantasy fan should leave unread. Author Michael Moorcock, already a major player in science fiction, cemented his position ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian

    by Robert E. Howard
    Epic tale of a barbarian warrior on a quest for revenge and conquest.

    Poem and first 13 tales, in order written, plus Miscellanea drafts, notes, maps by author. Cimmeria poem 1 The Phoenix on the Sword 1932 2 The Frost-Giant's Daughter 1976 3 The God in the Bowl 1952 4 ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Black Company

    by Glen Cook
    Mercenary soldiers of a legendary company face the trials and tribulations of war.

    The series follows an elite mercenary unit, The Black Company, last of the Free Companies of Khatovar, through roughly forty years of its approximately four-hundred-year history. Cook mixes fantasy ... (Wikipedia)

  4. A Wizard of Earthsea

    by Ursula K. Le Guin
    A young wizard embarks on a quest to master his own magical powers and battle a mysterious force of evil.

    Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth. Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon ... (Goodreads)

  5. Neuromancer

    by William Gibson
    A hacker's journey through a dystopian cyberpunk world, searching for a way to survive.

    Henry Dorsett Case is a low-level hustler in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City , Japan. Once a talented computer hacker , Case was caught stealing from his employer. As punishment for his theft, ... (Wikipedia)

  6. The Forever War

    by Joe Haldeman
    A soldier's story of the horror of war and its consequences in the far future.

    The monumental Hugo and Nebula award winning SF classic— Featuring a new introduction by John Scalzi,The Earth's leaders have drawn a line in the interstellar sand—despite the fact that the fierce ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Revelation Space

    by Alastair Reynolds
    A space opera that explores the dark side of humanity and the consequences of advanced technology.

    Nine hundred thousand years ago, something annihilated the Amarantin civilization just as it was on the verge of discovering space flight. Now one scientist, Dan Sylveste, will stop at nothing to ... (Goodreads)

  8. Altered Carbon

    by Richard K. Morgan
    A futuristic sci-fi noir set in a world where death is no longer permanent.

    On the colony planet of Harlan’s World, Takeshi Kovacs and his partner Sarah Sachilowski, former Envoys who had returned to a life of crime, are killed by a U.N. colonial commando unit. Kovacs is ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Legend

    by David Gemmell
    Epic fantasy saga of a young leader's quest to protect his kingdom from a powerful enemy.

    The Drenai Empire is under threat. The tribal Nadir people have been united for the first time by the great warleader Ulric, who has forged a massive empire in the North. The Drenai leader Abalayn is ... (Wikipedia)

  10. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    Revolutionary group fight for freedom from an oppressive lunar colony.

    In 2075, the Moon (Luna) is used as a penal colony by Earth's government, with three million inhabitants (called "Loonies") living in underground cities. Most Loonies are criminals, political exiles, ... (Wikipedia)

  11. The Color of Magic

    by Terry Pratchett
    A comedic fantasy adventure full of humor, absurdities, and unexpected turns.

    The story takes place on the Discworld, a planet-sized flat disc carried through space on the backs of four gargantuan elephants – Berilia, Tubul, Great T'Phon and Jerakeen – who themselves stand on ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Memories of Ice

    by Steven Erikson
    A tale of war and magic, as old enemies and new alliances clash in a battle for the fate of the world.

    Memories of Ice takes place simultaneously with the events of, Deadhouse Gates, , beginning about four months after the events of, Gardens of the Moon, . Dujek's 2nd army allegedly goes renegade, ... (Wikipedia)

  13. At the Mountains of Madness and Other Tales of Terror

    by H.P. Lovecraft
    Collection of horror stories about the unknown and unknowable, exploring the deepest fears of mankind.

    Few writers can evoke such nightmarish visions as H. P. Lovecraft—and few of his stories are as chilling as these canonical tales of terror. ,“H. P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the twentieth ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Dragonflight

    by Anne McCaffrey
    A young dragonrider embarks on a mission to save her kingdom from a mysterious threat.

    Dragonflight is the story of Lessa , the sole survivor of the noble ruling family of Ruatha Hold on the northern continent of Pern. When the rest of her family is killed by a cruel usurper, Fax , she ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Red Seas Under Red Skies

    by Scott Lynch
    A daring pair of con-artists set sail on a swashbuckling adventure across the tumultuous seas.

    Two years after Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen fled Camorr, they have created new secret identities for themselves in the island city of Tal Verrar as professional gamblers at an opulent casino called ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Stranger in a Strange Land

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    A human raised by Martians must find his place in a hostile Earth society.

    The story focuses on a human raised on Mars and his adaptation to and understanding of humans and their culture. It is set in a post- Third World War United States, where organized religions are ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The White Rose

    by Glen Cook
    A quest for a legendary artifact, with a ragtag group of heroes fighting against an oppressive empire.

    The Black Company has taken refuge from the Lady in the Plain of Fear. Its magical, non-human denizens are powerful enough to daunt even her. Among them is Old Father Tree, a god manifesting itself ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Hyperion

    by Dan Simmons
    Epic science-fiction story of a journey to the distant planet Hyperion.

    In the 29th century, the Hegemony of Man comprises hundreds of planets connected by farcaster portals. The Hegemony maintains an uneasy alliance with the TechnoCore , a civilisation of AIs . Modified ... (Wikipedia)

  19. The Darkness That Comes Before

    by R. Scott Bakker
    A tale of epic fantasy featuring bold heroes, treacherous villains, and a looming apocalypse.

    The first book in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series creates a world from whole cloth-its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals. It's a world ... (Goodreads)

  20. Monster Hunter International

    by Larry Correia
    A group of mercenaries hunt monsters for a living, but when a powerful entity threatens the world, they must band together to save humanity.

    Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a fourteenth story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer. It turns out ... (Goodreads)

  21. Roadside Picnic

    by Arkady Strugatsky
    Two scientists explore a mysterious, abandoned alien landscape to uncover secrets.

    The novel is set in a post-visitation world where there are now six zones known on Earth that are full of unexplained phenomena and where strange happenings have briefly occurred, assumed to have ... (Wikipedia)

  22. The Fall of Hyperion

    by Dan Simmons
    Epic space opera, exploring the consequences of a universe-shattering event.

    The Hegemony is an interstellar governmental entity formed by many planets, most of which are connected by instantaneous farcaster portals. Some worlds, like Hyperion, have no farcaster portals and ... (Wikipedia)

  23. 2001: A Space Odyssey

    by Arthur C. Clarke
    An interstellar journey of exploration, confronting humanity's place in the universe.

    A mysterious alien civilization uses a tool with the appearance of a large crystalline monolith to investigate worlds across the galaxy and, if possible, to encourage the development of intelligent ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Excession

    by Iain M. Banks
    An interstellar culture encounters an enigmatic, ancient entity and must grapple with its implications.

    The Excession of the title is a perfect black-body sphere that appears mysteriously on the edge of Culture space, appearing to be older than the Universe itself and that resists the attempts of the ... (Wikipedia)

  25. A Canticle for Leibowitz

    by Walter M. Miller Jr.
    A post-apocalyptic tale of a world struggling to rebuild after a devastating nuclear war.

    After 20th century civilization was destroyed by a global nuclear war , known as the "Flame Deluge", there was a violent backlash against the culture of advanced knowledge and technology that had led ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Crown Conspiracy

    by Michael J. Sullivan
    Two thieves are framed for the murder of a king and must clear their names while uncovering a conspiracy. A thrilling fantasy adventure.

    After a successful raid, Royce and Hadrian (together known as Riyria) are approached by a man offering much gold to steal a sword owned by Count Pickering, from the royal palace in Medford, the ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Hard Goodbye

    by Frank Miller
    A brutal and gritty noir tale of revenge, as a man seeks to avenge the death of his one true love.

    Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found, here, The first volume of the crime-comic megahit that introduced the now-infamous character Marv and spawned a blockbuster film returns in a newly ... (Goodreads)

  28. Ringworld

    by Larry Niven
    A sci-fi adventure to an artificial ring-shaped world, full of unexpected challenges.

    On planet Earth in 2850 AD , Louis Gridley Wu is celebrating his 200th birthday. Despite his age, Louis is in perfect physical condition due to the longevity drug boosterspice . He meets Nessus , a ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Gardens of the Moon

    by Steven Erikson
    A complex and epic fantasy novel set in a world of magic, gods, and political intrigue. The Malazan Empire is in turmoil, and various factions are vying for power.

    The novel opens in the 96th year of the Malazan Empire, during the final year of the rule of Emperor Kellanved. Ganoes Paran, age 12, witnesses the sacking of the Mouse Quarter of Malaz City. Paran ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Childhood's End

    by Arthur C. Clarke
    Human race is transformed by an alien presence, leading to the dawn of a new age.

    The novel is divided into three parts, following a third-person omniscient narrative with no main character. , In some editions, the short first chapter is a separate prologue rather than the ... (Wikipedia)