Trying to assemble a DIY MFA reading list

[ScottyWriter]

In the vain of Gabriela Pereira's DIY MFA and also The Portable MFA, and the fact that I'm never going to be afford to do a real MFA, I'm going the self-educated route. Breadth and depth. As such, I'd like to construct a basic reading list of say 20 books to read over the next year or two. My main, long term goal is to write a speculative novel, like Matt Haig does. However, I'm very much in the baby steps category at the moment and for the foreseeable future.

So, can you please recommend you're absolute favourite novels in the following categories and my plan is to pick 5 for each of the 4 categories initially, coming back for more if it all goes well:

1.classic Sci-fi/magic realism
2.works in translation, any genre
3.modern sci-fi/magic realism
4.classic lit, any genre

I'm guessing Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has to be included under 1 due to its importance.

But what else would you recommend? Many thanks in advance!

 

[Farnham]

Not sure how to answer that. If you mean Masters of Fine Arts, it depends greatly on what's considered examples of different aspects of that particular art. Since you mentioned Frankenstein, that brought to mind The Machine Stops by E.M. Foster. The Scarlet Plague by Jack London is the next. But neither may have been particularly influential in SF&F. The Skylark of Space by Doc Smith is likely more influential but I found it not as well written as contemporaries. Going from G.K. Chesterton to Doc Smith felt jarring. There's also Conan the Barbarian by Robert Howard.

The only reason I haven't mentioned H.G. Wells so far is that his works are well known. Isn't there another War of the Worlds adaptation coming out? It's when I find SF by someone you wouldn't expect, like Rudyard Kipling, that makes me go "Huh?" But the very obscurity of the works is an indication that they weren't very influential. Kipling also did some fine horror and mild fantasy, but maybe the best of the latter is The Finest Story in the World. This is in addition to his The Jungle Book, of course.

 

[ScottyWriter]

Not sure how to answer that. If you mean Masters of Fine Arts, it depends greatly on what's considered examples of different aspects of that particular art. Since you mentioned Frankenstein, that brought to mind The Machine Stops by E.M. Foster. The Scarlet Plague by Jack London is the next. But neither may have been particularly influential in SF&F. The Skylark of Space by Doc Smith is likely more influential but I found it not as well written as contemporaries. Going from G.K. Chesterton to Doc Smith felt jarring. There's also Conan the Barbarian by Robert Howard.

The only reason I haven't mentioned H.G. Wells so far is that his works are well known. Isn't there another War of the Worlds adaptation coming out? It's when I find SF by someone you wouldn't expect, like Rudyard Kipling, that makes me go "Huh?" But the very obscurity of the works is an indication that they weren't very influential. Kipling also did some fine horror and mild fantasy, but maybe the best of the latter is The Finest Story in the World. This is in addition to his The Jungle Book, of course.

Thank you. This is exactly what I'm after- recommendations that go well beyond my feeble knowledge. Particularly your Kipling recommendation. I'd never have guessed about Kipling. He's definitely going on my list now.

 

[Unimportant]

Oh, gosh, you're probably going to get everyone listing their favourite authors. (though hopefully not outside of your genres, e.g. Georgette Heyer/Regency romance).

Spec Fic = Joanna Russ. Nicola Griffith. Lois McMaster Bujold. Octavia Butler. N. K. Jemison. Ursula la Guin (sp?). Cecilia Tan. Tanith Lee.

Not sure if this wanders into spec fic/magic realism, but Mary Renault is well worth reading for any number of reasons.

 

[ScottyWriter]

Oh, gosh, you're probably going to get everyone listing their favourite authors. (though hopefully not outside of your genres, e.g. Georgette Heyer/Regency romance).

Spec Fic = Joanna Russ. Nicola Griffith. Lois McMaster Bujold. Octavia Butler. N. K. Jemison. Ursula la Guin (sp?). Cecilia Tan. Tanith Lee.

Not sure if this wanders into spec fic/magic realism, but Mary Renault is well worth reading for any number of reasons.

Fab. Ursula La Guin is the only one I've heard of- had to read her for a children's lit module in uni many years ago.

This is really helpful- new names for me to look into. Many thanks!

 

[Unimportant]

(but if you want to read Regency romance, Georgette Heyer FOR THE WIN!!!!!)

 

[Unimportant]

Ooooh, also, Mary Stewart. Magic realism that was super awesome in its day. (And fantasy of the Arthurian legends, and mysteries that were contemporary for their time, but that's probably not what you're after.) "Touch Not The Cat" I purely loved.

 

[Farnham]

Thank you. This is exactly what I'm after- recommendations that go well beyond my feeble knowledge. Particularly your Kipling recommendation. I'd never have guessed about Kipling. He's definitely going on my list now.

Thank you. The Kipling horror story is The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Classic SF... for memorable writing style, probably I'd go with Ray Bradbury, though my reading of classics has been a bit spotty.

Modern SF is seeing a real explosion of great stuff, new voices, and interesting ideas, so I don't know that I could narrow it down. Becky Chambers writes "hopepunk"; for a standalone, try the novella To Be Taught, If Fortunate. For a refreshingly updated take on Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with Eurovision, try Catherynne M. Valente's Space Opera. The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey is a solid read with a nice, long arc. (For a reasonably standalone novella in the series, try "Strange Dogs".) For an interesting alt-world story, Brooke Bolander's novella The Only Harmless Great Thing is a retelling of the radium girls tragedy with an interesting twist.

I'm wondering why you're doing "magic realism" instead of fantasy, though... Magic realism is a particular subset, and IIRC more associated with Latin American writers (I thought there was some question of cultural appropriation with broad-brush applying the term to all stories with minor magical elements in ordinary settings). Do you mean anything under the "speculative fiction" umbrella, that covers SF, fantasy, and also "magic realism" and horror? 'Cause there's a lot of great fantasy coming out recently, too...

 

[ScottyWriter]

Classic SF... for memorable writing style, probably I'd go with Ray Bradbury, though my reading of classics has been a bit spotty.

Modern SF is seeing a real explosion of great stuff, new voices, and interesting ideas, so I don't know that I could narrow it down. Becky Chambers writes "hopepunk"; for a standalone, try the novella To Be Taught, If Fortunate. For a refreshingly updated take on Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with Eurovision, try Catherynne M. Valente's Space Opera. The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey is a solid read with a nice, long arc. (For a reasonably standalone novella in the series, try "Strange Dogs".) For an interesting alt-world story, Brooke Bolander's novella The Only Harmless Great Thing is a retelling of the radium girls tragedy with an interesting twist.

I'm wondering why you're doing "magic realism" instead of fantasy, though... Magic realism is a particular subset, and IIRC more associated with Latin American writers (I thought there was some question of cultural appropriation with broad-brush applying the term to all stories with minor magical elements in ordinary settings). Do you mean anything under the "speculative fiction" umbrella, that covers SF, fantasy, and also "magic realism" and horror? 'Cause there's a lot of great fantasy coming out recently, too...

Yes- speculative fiction. Sorry, I'm really new at this and it was the first term that came to mind. I've never really fancied fantasy tbh. I thought it was all elves and fairies. I've seen fantasy films and I just don't engage with them. I'm very happy to be proved wrong. I guess I'm thinking speculative because I love a 'what if'. A philosophical idea explored. Like in Matt Haig's 'The Midnight Library' has, on your death, a library of books, each book containing a possible version of your life. I love that sort of idea.

 

[Brightdreamer]

Yes- speculative fiction. Sorry, I'm really new at this and it was the first term that came to mind. I've never really fancied fantasy tbh. I thought it was all elves and fairies. I've seen fantasy films and I just don't engage with them. I'm very happy to be proved wrong. I guess I'm thinking speculative because I love a 'what if'. A philosophical idea explored. Like in Matt Haig's 'The Midnight Library' has, on your death, a library of books, each book containing a possible version of your life. I love that sort of idea.

It's been a long time since fantasy was "all elves and fairies"...

Off the top of my head...

Jade City, Fonda Lee. The Godfather meets martial arts in a modernish world where special jade grants addictive power.

Promise of Blood, Brian McClellan. French Revolution-inspired epic with magic.

Wayward Children series, Seanan McGuire. Deconstruction of portal fantasies.

At work, will add more later...

And back after work, to throw a few more random recs on the pile:

Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose (the Band series), Nicholas Eames. A mashup of fantasy adventure tropes with rock band culture in a world of monster-hunting "bands" of adventurers. (Might work better if you're familiar with D&D/classic sword and sorcery tropes, and also some passing familiarity with popular music groups, as there are a lot of winks and nods and Easter eggs - nothing to derail the plot if you don't get them, but fun if you do. And they're great books, by turns hilarious and heart-wrenching, showing that even familiar tropes can read fresh and interesting in the right hands.)

Light From Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki. This one's very hard to classify, as it has elements of SF and F. Classical music, deals with the Devil, Asian diaspora, culture clashes, trans issues, fugitive aliens hiding out in a popular L.A. donut shop, and more. (This one took me about halfway through to really click, but builds to a powerful and memorable climax and is one of the most unique tales I've read in ages, if you want to push your ideas of what speculative fiction can do.)

Nnedi Okorafor. Her Akata Witch series has been described as "African Harry Potter", but only in the broadest sense is there resemblance. African magic is not nearly so bubble-wrapped as life at Hogwarts... Her Binti trilogy of novellas, set in a distant future of almost-casual planet hopping and tech yet where tribal traditions and roots still run deep, is a refreshingly non-White perspective on SF, as is her novel Lagoon, about first contact that happens off the coast of Nigeria.

The Dandelion Dynasty series, Ken Liu. Epic "silkpunk" fantasy in an Asian-flavored fantasy world, inspired by the fall of the first Chinese emperor and the scramble for power that ensued. The magic tends to be low-key, but there are meddling gods and fantastic creatures and more.

P. Djeli Clark. I have not been disappointed yet. The Dead Djinn series is alt-historical 1910'sish Cairo in a world where magic and magical beings - such as djinn and beings that call themselves angels and more - have returned. Ring Shout is a horror/fantasy novella in a 1920's Deep South where demons hide in plain sight under KKK hoods.

The Temeraire series, Naomi Novik. No magic, but an alt-history where sentient dragons exist alongside humans. It starts as "Napoleonic Wars with dragons as living airships", and then the second book onward kicks that door wide open to explore an entire world re-imagined with dragons.

 

[Thecla]

1, Classic sci-fi/magical realism
(going back a bit and tending to the latter rather than the former): James Hogg The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
(Going way, way back): Lucian of Samasata: A True Story (2nd century CE sci-fi, Yes, really.)

2. Works in translation (any genre)
Pierre Choderlos de Laclos: Les Liaisons dangereuses
Homer: The Iliad

3. Modern sci-fi/magical realism
Gene Wolfe: The Book of the New Sun (sci-fi)
James Robertson: The Testament of Gideon Mack (magical realism; works well with Hogg!)

4. Classic literature (any genre)
Jane Austen: Persuasion
Unknown: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (try Simon Armitage's translation)

 

[lizmonster]

Yes- speculative fiction. Sorry, I'm really new at this and it was the first term that came to mind. I've never really fancied fantasy tbh. I thought it was all elves and fairies. I've seen fantasy films and I just don't engage with them. I'm very happy to be proved wrong. I guess I'm thinking speculative because I love a 'what if'. A philosophical idea explored. Like in Matt Haig's 'The Midnight Library' has, on your death, a library of books, each book containing a possible version of your life. I love that sort of idea.

I am also not a big fantasy fan. But Martha Wells' Raksura series (starting with The Cloud Roads) is great reading, and not Tolkein-derived. Also: Joe Abercrombie writes solid, cinematic, character-driven (if violent) fantasy - humans and a wee bit of magic, but mostly vivid, flawed, relatable characters.

And I'll probably get pilloried for this, but if you're going for modern classics: The Name of the Wind. I had some issues with the book (and it's been suggested to me I skip the sequel), but some of Rothfuss' writing was so lovely I felt like lying down and quitting the business entirely. It's an imperfect book, but I took great pleasure in his craft.

 

[ElaineB]

Matt Haig's 'The Midnight Library

Ooh, this looks good. Reminds me of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. I recommend everything by him. Do read widely, and currently. Not just the dead white guy classics. I also suggest nonfiction. I get some of my best ideas from science articles and books.

 

[mccardey]

Thank you. This is exactly what I'm after- recommendations that go well beyond my feeble knowledge. Particularly your Kipling recommendation. I'd never have guessed about Kipling. He's definitely going on my list now.

If you're reading Kipling, he also did some beautifully literary historical fantasy for children. "Rewards and Fairies" and "Puck of Pook's Hill" are still on my annual re-reads, after 50-odd years.

I do agree with Elaine though - it's important to look towards new, non-white, non-male voices as well, for a richer experience. You can save Rewards and Fairies for fireside reading...

 

[Brightdreamer]

I am also not a big fantasy fan. But Martha Wells' Raksura series (starting with The Cloud Roads) is great reading, and not Tolkein-derived. Also: Joe Abercrombie writes solid, cinematic, character-driven (if violent) fantasy - humans and a wee bit of magic, but mostly vivid, flawed, relatable characters.

And I'll probably get pilloried for this, but if you're going for modern classics: The Name of the Wind. I had some issues with the book (and it's been suggested to me I skip the sequel), but some of Rothfuss' writing was so lovely I felt like lying down and quitting the business entirely. It's an imperfect book, but I took great pleasure in his craft.

Raksura is one of the most original fantasy worlds I've read in some time. (Also Wells's Murderbot stories are fun, if dark and violent at times, reads, with one of the best characters in recent SF.)

As for Name of the Wind... I agree, the first book is definitely top tier with some great writing. The second... I've heard enough about to be wary of, especially when there's no indication that the series will be concluded. It's this lack of conclusion/progress, I think, that's done the most to frustrate the readership and sully the reputation of the book. (I totally get that writing blocks and Life being Life happen, of course.)

 

[ScottyWriter]

Ooh, this looks good. Reminds me of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. I recommend everything by him. Do read widely, and currently. Not just the dead white guy classics. I also suggest nonfiction. I get some of my best ideas from science articles and books.

Exactly. I'm glad you said non-fiction as I've traditionally been a big non-fiction reader - to the detriment of fiction. I just got a copy of DK's 'The Philosophy Book' as I thought it might give me some new ways of looking at life and inform my writing.

 

[Meg]

A philosophical idea explored.

You might try some of Jorge Luis Borges's work.

 

[ScottyWriter]

You might try some of Jorge Luis Borges's work.

Thanks- he'd come up when I was looking into Latin American writers. I shall put him down as a 'must' for my work in translation.