Favorite First Person Novels?

[sc211]

I'd like to learn how to write well with the first person point of view. With that in mind, what are your favorite first person novels?

I'm most interested in sci-fi/fantasy, action/adventure, and young adult, if that'll help narrow down the field.

Thanks.

[michelle217]

I'm partial to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. Urban fantasy. They're first person. The earlier ones more than the latest ones, though.

[evanaharris]

High Fidelity, Nick Hornby

*edit*

Didn't see the "genre" qualification. Still, High Fidelity's a killer book.

For Sci Fi, I nominate the only one that comes immediately to mind: Friday, by Robert Heinlein.

[dblteam]

Fantasy:

_The Black Company_ by Glen Cook

or, for a lighter read, try any of Glen Cook's Garrett books (_Sweet Silver Blues_ is the first in the series)

Science Fiction:

_Heroes Die_ by Matthew Woodring Stover

_Nine Princes in Amber_ by Roger Zelazny (not sure it's really SF... kind of an urban fantasy, really, but I've always heard it refered to as SF.)

Valerie

edited to correct the author's name I botched :rolleyes

[Kate Nepveu]

Ooh! Genre first person novels!

I recommend the following, all of which I really like as books too:

_Agyar_ by Steven Brust. Fantasy in a diary format. It's rigorously written *as* a diary, for the character's memory and musings not for exposition--yet you can still figure out what's going on.

If you only get one, get this one.

Raphael Carter, _The Fortunate Fall_. SF, hard to sum up. Stunningly written and inventive. "You will read my life in phosphors on a screen, or glowing letters scrolling up the inside of your eye. And when you reach the end, you will lie down again in your indifferent dark apartment, with the neon splashing watercolor blues across your face, and you will know a little less about me than you did before."

If you only get two, get this one and _Agyar_.

_Sorcery and Cecelia_ by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. Sparkling Regency-with-magic, republished as YA, which began life as a letter game between the authors. (booklog entry (http://www.steelypips.org/weblog/2003_06_01_archive.php#link_sc))

_The King's Peace_ and _The King's Name_ by Jo Walton. Retrospective fantasy, an old warrior looking back at the end of her long life and writing down the story of King Urdo for future generations. Non-twee revisiting of the Matter of Britain, in a solidly-built alternate universe. (booklog entry (http://www.steelypips.org/weblog/2002_01_01_archive.php#link_9092749))

(And, as a bonus, they were bought out of the slush. Disclaimer: Jo is a friend.)

Emma Bull's _Finder_ (and _Bone Dance_ if you can find it): urban fantasy, retrospective narration but not obviously so until the end, excellent handling of emotions and distance.

_The Innkeeper's Song_, by Peter Beagle. A rare example of the oral tradition. Also a rare example of multiple first-person points of view.

The first five Amber books by Roger Zelazny. A lot of people don't like the second five. Not rigorous about the framing device, but fun.

I think that's enough to be going on with.

[katdad]

Since I write modern American hardboiled private detective, I read this a lot as well. Hardboiled PI is typically first person, as are my novels.

I enjoy Bill Pronzini's "Nameless" detective, and of course Robert Parker's "Spenser". Who can forget Travis McGee, a great "detective" series?

In the classic sense, Raymond Chandler is my favorite. All of his Philip Marlowe books are 1st person.

For mainstream literature, an extraordinary novel is Joseph Heller's "Something Happened", a nightmare of 1st person narrative.

And there's Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum", maybe the greatest conspiracy theory novel ever. It's 1st person too.

[SRHowen]

Sue Grafton and her Kinsey Milhone detective series. Well written first person.

I would say Patrica Cornwell and her Kay Scarpetta series, but the last two books have sucked. She switched from first person to this 3 rd (sorta, I don't know exactly what to call her switch in the last two books other than awful and can't even read the whole book) all knowing present tense.

Shawn

[Kaitiana]

I second the recommendation for Laurell K. Hamilton, and I agree that her earlier Anita Blake books are much better than the latest few. I also personally prefer her Merry Gentry series, which is another urban fantasy series but revolves around the Sidhe/Fae rather than focusing on vampires/wereanimals.

I also HIGHLY recommend Jim Butcher's "The Dresden Files." I haven't enjoyed a series of books this much in awhile. They're just plain fun. Harry Dresden is a moden-day wizard in an alternate earth where magic is real, and things go bump in the night with a vengeance. He's also a smartass who tends to say the wrong things to people who can kick his ass--but that's half of his charm! =) Anyway, check out www.jim-butcher.com to get a complete list of the books.

Those are the main two I can think of atm. If I come up with anymore I'll add to them.

[sfsassenach]

Daiana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' series.

[Dhewco]

Twilight Eyes by Dean Koontz is pretty good. He uses 'was' a good bit, but I didn't even notice them until I started writing seriously.


David

[Jamesaritchie]

Young adult? Huckleberry Finn.

[maestrowork]

House of Sand and Fog -- multiple first POVs.

[sc211]

Thanks, all - I knew this would be the place to ask.:D

I'd heard of Zelazny and was hoping he'd pop up to reaffirm his reputation.

Thanks for the Nick Hornby, too - I'm in the midst of About a Boy right now.

Never thought of detective novels, though Sue Grafton is a classy lady in all her interviews, and Chandler is like the Moses of the form. And hey, Sherlock Holmes is first person, too, thanks to Mr. Watson.

For my own list, I couldn't think of many SF/F or action, but here's a bunch of YA:

Treasure Island, Stevenson
The Outsiders, SE Hinton
Catcher in the Rye, Salinger
Shane, Jack Shaefer
Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson

Now off to amazon to check out the rest...

[MarthaOConnor]

Chiming in late, but for first person narration, you can't do better than TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. One of my favorite books of all time.

[James D Macdonald]

Frankenstein is three nested first-person narratives.

<HR>

If I can briefly advertise myself, my own The Apocalypse Door is first-person.

So, too, are the three books in our Bad Blood series.

[debraji]

The Left Hand of Darkness is told in alternating first person chapters, by characters operating under different sets of assumptions. They constantly misunderstand each other.

[Kida Adelyn]

Airborn by Kenneth oppel

I loved this book. :)

[Takvah]

Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

[Oklahoma Wolf]

I haven't seen this one recommended yet, so I will: "Boy's Life" by Robert McCammon.

[maestrowork]

I'm going to plug my own book, The Pacific Between but alas! it won't be out until later this year. But stay tuned. ;)

[Karen Ranney]

I adore Jim Butcher's work. Love dear Harry, the Chicago wizard. He's such a wonderfully human smart ass.

[cluelessspicycinnamon]

Nothing's funnier than Georgia Nicolson, created by Louise Rennison.

[Hapsburg]

Catcher in the Rye-Salinger

Anthem-Ayn Rand

and my all time favorite sci fi book:

"We" by Evegeny Zamyatin (he inspired rand and orwell)

[maestrowork]

One Flew Over the Cockoo's Nest

The Great Gatzby

Memoir of a Geisha

[macalicious731]

Just finished the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon.

Fantastic.

Working on The Virgin Suicides by Eugendides and it's turning out to be a great work.

[sc211]

How could I have forgotten Gatsby? :rolleyes