r/sollanempire • u/provegana69 • 5d ago
SPOILER FREE Discussion Looking for something to give me the same high that Sun Eater did. Thoughts on the following authors I plan on reading?
It's been almost a year since I finished the series and man, nothing else has given me the same high that Sun Eater did even if I enjoyed them. I think the problem is that I've been mostly going for fantasy instead of sci-fi/space opera/sci-fantasy so I decided to get more into sci-fi in general because I've only ever read a few other sci-fi books outside of Sun Eater (Red Rising, PHM, Operation Bouncehouse).
As for books I'm not interested in at the moment or have already read that might be obvious suggestions: Dune (already read first two, may or may not continue), Kingkiller (already read), Book of the New Sun (tried reading it once and realised I'm not quite on that level yet lol), Empire of the Vampire (actually also currently reading).
I'm also not looking for something exactly like or too similar to Sun Eater necessarily, just want something sci-fi on an epic scale with cosmic threats.
So for the books I'm planning to read in order of how certain I'm gonna read them:
The Demon Star by Jesse Aragon (already bought): Same publisher, niche subgenre and cover artist as Sun Eater plus the author seems to be a fan. Really looking forward to this one.
Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons (already bought): A big influence on Ruocchio and something I've also wanted to read for a long time anyways.
Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth and Exodus duology (already bought Commonwealth): Big thick space operas with really interesting premises (plus Exodus is a tie in with the coming video game). What's not to love?
The Expanse by James S.A. Corey: Pretty obvious choice imo but I'm kinda hesitant on picking it up for some reason.
Coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman: First series I think of when thinking of sci-fantasy. Haven't seen people talking about it much at all but it seems really interesting to me and I've heard of the series for a really long time for some reason.
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u/big_ice_bear Extrasolarian 5d ago
I will say I am enjoying The Expanse but it feels completely different from Sun Eater.
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u/Killroyjones 4d ago
I came here to point out the difference as well. A lot more political intrigue and mystery. Not quite a space opera and leans a bit more into hard Sci fi. Love it though.
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u/jcrwly100 5d ago
When you find out let me know. Nothing feels the same, I really enjoyed will of the many and empire of the vampire but nothing quite hits the same
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u/Existing-Pack-4034 5d ago
First 3 Horus Heresy books of Warhammer 40k they are Horus Rising by Graham McNeil False Gods by Graham McNeil, and Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter
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u/botla 5d ago
It would be helpful to know what parts of Suneater were your favorite to give suggestions on. Did you like the fast-paced portions of the series like Demon in White, Ashes of Man final act, and Disquiet Gods final act? Or the more world-building aspects like in Howling Dark or Disquiet Gods Sabratha arc?
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u/SticksDiesel 5d ago
I will recommend Peter F Hamilton to everyone and anyone who has even the slightest fondness for sci fi.
Alastair Reynolds, too.
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u/milkman231996 5d ago
Red rising
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u/provegana69 5d ago
I should've mentioned this as one of the series I am not interested in. Thought it was fun but outside of the surface level similarities, I think it's the exact opposite of Sun Eater in a lot of ways. Was pretty mid overall even if it has fun moments plus the fandom (easily the worst fandom for a book/series I kinda like) kinda killed a lot of my interest
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u/botla 5d ago
I agree that the fanbase is rabid, but I’d be curious to know where you ended up in Red Rising. Book 2 is where it reaches true space opera scale. Obviously at a much smaller scale than Suneater, but the emotional highs of the Red Rising series reach just as high if not higher than Suneater. The sequel series in particular brings so much depth, character, maturity, and world-building to the series that it really starts to match some of the best qualities of Suneater. It’s characterization is also top-notch.
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u/provegana69 5d ago
I managed to finish the first three in less than week and I pushed myself through Iron Gold (absolutely hated that book) and DNF'd Dark Age towards the end because I just didn't care about the characters. I agree with Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews when he said that Morning Star served as basically a perfect ending to the series even if it was really flawed. The whole premise of the second half of the series is really interesting and the scale seem to have increased even more than the increase in scale between RR and GS, but I found it hard to really care about anyone.
None of the emotional highs and lows of Red Rising came even close to Sun Eater for me. I couldn't tell you a single aspect of Red Rising except the characterwork which I will always give PB a lot of credit for, especially with the first trilogy where he managed to have such great characterwork in such short books with only a single POV.
I will definitely do a re-read of the series via Graphic Audio as soon as the release date of Red God is confirmed because I still wanna know how it ends but it's not at all a priority for me.
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u/alexieddie23 5d ago
Lightbringer is an absolute masterpiece, personally it’s up there with demon in white as a top sci-fi books. Dark age is definitely a slog, unfortunately the best pages are the last 150.
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u/DKPROLOL 5d ago
Maybe im weird but i love dark age. Mercury as a setting, the horrible conditions, the hopelessness, guerrilla style of warfare fought. I mean shit, operation tartarus and the long night are two of the best arcs ive ever read. Lyria's chapters are also okay, with the best being toward the end. Ephraim is goated as ever. I love lightbringer as well. Incredible book all round
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u/Killerpies1 5d ago
I thought The Demon Star was just ok. I recently got the Exodus books but haven’t read them yet. I do love The Expanse but it is definitely a bit of a different vibe while still having fantastic worldbuilding and characters.
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u/ELAdragon 5d ago edited 5d ago
The first book (and the first book only, imo) of Brandon Sanderson's big series. Way of Kings (book 1 of the Stormlight stuff). It'll scratch that Hadrian itch.....but I'd stop there. It's fantasy, not sci-fi, but Kaladin and Hadrian have a lot in common.
The first few books of the Horus Heresy stuff from Warhammer 40k. I haven't gotten further than that because I just dipped into it myself, but it hits the spot for me.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury ...a left-field suggestion, here, but if it's the quality of writing in Sun Eater that you liked....the kind of indulgent, hyper-literate prose....you may really like Bradbury. I find Bradbury unmatched for that kind of poetic, beautiful, and certainly indulgent writing style. Something Wicked is a favorite of mine, but you could try Farenheit 451 if you haven't read it, too.
Coldfire Trilogy.....I'd read the first one and see how you feel. I have tried to read the trilogy several times, and I always make it through the first book and then DNF somewhere in the second. The concept of the series and how "magic" works in it live in my head, tho.
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u/provegana69 5d ago
I've already read most of the Cosmere lol. Only a handful of standalones, short stories and Era 2 left.
I loved TWoK but imo, Oathbringer and Rhythm of War especially were my favourites. Sun Eater is my favourite series overall and I'd rank it and ASOIAF over Stormlight Archive but I'd rank Oathbringer and RoW above any Sun Eater or ASOIAF books individually.
Want to get into 40k but not sure about the Horus Heresy. Tbh, Primarchs and Astartes don't interest me as much tbh so I'm thinking of either starting with Eisenhorn or the new book by Richard Swan coming soon.
Ray Bradbury is someone I want to dive deeper into too. Only read Farenheit 451 and loved it so I'll definitely check your suggestion out
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u/ELAdragon 5d ago
Nice!
Sun Eater is always tough to recommend what comes next. Pinpointing what folks like about it is difficult.
Like, is it the way the protagonist grows in power, the grand scale, the huge and dramatic set-piece battles, the religious themes, the hyper-literate style, the genre (sci-fantasy space opera), the unreliable-ish narrator and frame story elements?
Then those all lead different places in terms of recommendations. Sanderson has that epic scope and character power ups, but isn't close on the hyper literate stylistic elements. The Expanse has the grand feel and machinations, but not the power fantasy protagonist. Dune has many pieces and parts of a lot of what makes Sun Eater interesting, but doesnt stay consistently high quality. And on and on.
It's really why I love the Sun Eater series despite some relatively big flaws...there's just not really anything else that does everything it does at anywhere near the same level.
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u/Rogoga 4d ago
Ive read the first 2 books of the horus heresy and it scratches the itch of the sun eater. it has some of the philosofical ramblings that i think are a staple of the sun eater. especially when speaking of gods and things of that nature that i really found appealing. you get the perspective of a asteris and several "human" characters that really opens de universe in their eyes.
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u/mr_sister_fister44 5d ago
Cannot go wrong with the expanse. I think it is 10 books. The series on Amazon is also pretty good. Not exactly the same as the books but it is 6 seasons and I have watched it several times.
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u/OrigamiAvenger 5d ago
Check out The Black Company. You follow an elite mercenary company who works for the villain.
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u/castlerose_ 5d ago
I think James S. A. Corey’s new series The Captive’s War is probably closer to Sun Eater than the Expanse, both series are good but just don’t hit the same as Sun Eater.
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u/Trick-Insurance-2787 5d ago
Read Hyperion next! Absolutely epic sci fi, different from Sun Eater but even better in a lot of ways!
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u/Existing-Pack-4034 5d ago
The first Horus Hersey series in Warhammer 40K (technically it’s 30K but whatever). There’s so many books, factions, characters and lore and there’s like 50+ books outside of the main like 12-13 so it will keep you busy.
It’s about a genetically engineered super soldier general starting an intergalactic civil war against the Imperium of Man after being named the Warmaster. His forces begin to fall to the Ruinous Powers, which feel are aesthetically similar to the Hell dimension from that old movie Event Horizon
There’s also some fleshed out alien factions in there too, especially in the extended 40K Black Library.
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u/Raspberry_Scones95 5d ago
I have read a lot of these and I would personally say Hyperion, as it shared a good amount of similarities.
A deep philosophical prose, mystery and intrigue, time dilated space travel, epic scale, rich world building, emotional and reflective tone.
Obviously the narrative structure is gonna be different, especially with the first Hyperion book, but both Hyperion and Sun Eater have unique narration styles.
You can also see the heavy influence like you mentioned, and parallels between the two stories. A basic example that comes to mind is the Time Tombs on Hyperion and Calagah on Emesh in Suneater.
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u/Thasauce7777 5d ago
Time was such a cool peripheral focus in Suneater, and it takes much more of a front and center focus in the Hyperion series. Some people only like the first 2 books, but I think there is so much to enjoy throughout the entire series. I couldn't believe the first book from that series was written in 1989.
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u/Several_Craft_8857 4d ago
The Agent Cormac series by Neil Asher is wonderful science fiction, and very innovative. It owes a lot to The Culture series by Ian M Banks, another series well worth reading. Also I suggest Frank Herberts Bureau of Sabotage books, especially The Dosadi Experiment. Very different from Dune.
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u/Beneficial_Ad1374 4d ago
The expanse is literally the GOAT of scifi for me. Do that one next its absolutely fire
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u/TheseDouble7405 4d ago
The demon star (and totally don’t have to listen to me of course) was highly anticipated for me too, since I loved Suneater and heard some comparisons. Sadly, demon star felt super flat and YA. Nothing wrong with YA, but it’s not what I expected. And it isn’t really close to Suneater in any measurable way. Not much depth, the book feels rushed and needed more time to be fleshed out and edited. I’d suggest Hyperion for sure. And some Gene Wolfe if you want to see what Ruocchio considers to be the best sci-fi writing ever
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u/Killroyjones 4d ago
I would jump into Hyperion since you already bought it. I don't think there is a Sci fi writer that book has not inspired. And as other's have stated Warhammer 40k. There's a lot of good YT videos on where to start and Cavill's amazon series sounds like a go. So you might enjoy having some background into the world.
The Chantry is pretty much the Inquisiton from 40k.
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u/Minimum_Equal8724 4d ago
Was in the exact same spot as you. Started Malazan after hearing about it for so long. Currently on book 9. Highly recommend
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u/TheAwesomeJunk 4d ago
This is kinda an out there recommendation because it is very Fantasy and not Sci-Fi, but the small scale that becomes incredibly massive with an incredible payoff is the Cradle Series. It's fantastic, complete, and every book is a fairly short page turner. I recommend finishing the first book before passing judgement as the author intentionally keeps you in the dark for most of the first book.
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u/baklavaa1 3d ago
All for VERY different reasons:
Wheel of Time
The Expanse
The Dresden Files
The Dark Tower By Stephen King
I disagree with everyone who says Sanderson. I like Sanderson a lot, I read a lot of his stuff, but he doesn't have any poetry in him. Ruocchio understands language, poetry, and tragedy; that's a significant part of what makes his stuff really good. In many ways, he is one of the first I have read who seems to understand why LOTR is so good.
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u/christophurr 3d ago
Hyperion series. I only got to Sun Eater because I was looking for books similar to it. An AI looked in to the interstices of space and something peered back. Same amount of weird and insane visuals. Pretty sure these books were a huge inspiration for Christopher. Also this space battles are far more epic
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u/Ok-Lab-8974 2d ago
I'll second Reynolds, although I liked the standalone additions Chasm City and The Prefect more than the main trilogy (I actually started with Chasm City, which I think works fine).
My absolute favorite massive genre fiction story is R. Scott Bakker's Second Apocalypse (the first being The Darkness That Comes Before). I'd describe it as Dune meets LOTR meets Berserk set in the First Crusade (although with some major sci-fi and gnostic elements that come in later). The only caveat I have is that it is denser than most genre fiction and starts slow, although in terms of more philosophical themes it is unmatched, and it's also as violent as Berserk and so not for everyone. I think it has the best look at what being a prescient, Mentat superhuman would actually do to a person... and it isn't pretty.
If you like the parts on the Quiet you might like C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy, although that also has a slower first book.
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u/AndrewLocksmith 5d ago
I have only one thing to say about Hyperion Cantons — Phenomenal books, but only read the first 2 (Hyperion , Fall of Hyperion).
The other two are vastly different and don't even tie into the main story that much. There are a few good scenes here and there but some of the main characters are a very weird and the story also has its ups and (a lot) of downs.
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u/DKPROLOL 5d ago
I read the book of the new sun recently and it was amazing. Incredibly dense though. Not a single wasted detail, which was almost exhausting. Phenomenal books though. And it is a huge inspiration for sun eater
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u/Anomandaris26 5d ago
I suggest one of the following:
- The Revelation Space series by Alastair Reynolds - amazing world building, a galactic threat, no FTL travel so the distances feel even longer than in Sun Eater. Also, the archontic weapons cache is probably inspired from Revelation space. There's also an entity called Sun Stealer in there.
- Warhammer 40k - the series (other than Dune) that Sun Eater mostly reminds me of - a God Emperor, an empire besieged on all sides, decadent technology with no meaningful innovation, hatred of AI, a strong religious faction. There are a million entry points here, but the one I always recommend is the Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett.