Coming back to Fantasy and Science Fiction and wondering what to read

[Sailor Stone]

I used to be a reader of science and fantasy fiction but stopped reading it about ten or twelve years ago as I moved on to read books in other genres. I'm getting a hankering to come back to these genres and read some new books but I don't know where to start. There is just so much out there now. To give three series that I enjoyed, the Dune series, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Harry Potter, all obvious classics from the past, as a guide, but not so much for the books themselves as literature but for reading works by authors in the last ten years whose books will be considered popular classics like these in the near future, does anybody have any suggestions? (Although not Game of Thrones as I spent years watching that and I've had enough for a while.)
Also, if somebody might throw out some indie authors to read along with the trad authors (that I'm sure dominate the charts) would be great. Thanks.

[German Translator]

Well I am not exactly impartial (as the German translator), but the Cradle series by Will Wight is free in Kindle format right now, up to book 6:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0753FP6SP?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks


Here is a review of the series:
https://fanfiaddict.com/2020/06/19/why-you-should-read-the-cradle-series-by-will-wight/

Enjoy!

[TimothyEllis]

Also, if somebody might throw out some indie authors to read along with the trad authors (that I'm sure dominate the charts) would be great. Thanks.

Glynn Stewart is the big Indie name these days. He started with Starship Mage written in 4 parts, put it together as a novel, and now makes mid six figures at least. He has a number of good space based series, and several urban series. If you like Starship Mage, binge reading him is going to take you a while.

Annie Bellet is worth reading for shifter urban fantasy. The twenty sided Sorceress series in particular.

Illona Andrews is a couple who write fantasy. The Innkeeper Chronicle series in particular is worth reading.

Nathan Lowell writes Space Opera without the big stakes, but it's compelling life in space anyway.

If you like middle aged settings, then Modessitt Jr.'s Imager Portfolio. The first trilogy is in sort of Victorian times, and the next 5 are 700 years earlier. Then 4 more in between. A different take on magic.

And then there's me.    My universe is now into its 6th series, with over 50 books, mainly novel length. If you like Space Opera with a merging of lots of other genres, including merging magic with high tech, then there is plenty to binge on. I write serial though, so everything is linked somehow.

[jaxonreed]

Visit The Wandering Inn. The web version will keep you busy for a while.

https://wanderinginn.com

[Pemry Janes]

I recommend Cradle as well.

If you're looking for something faster to read and more science fiction, I was very taken by the Murderbot Diaries.

And if you're looking for self published works, past winners of Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off are a good start. I myself very much enjoyed Orconomics but I haven't read the sequel yet.

[Sailor Stone]

To everybody kind enough to respond:
A big thanks. There is plenty here to keep me busy for at least a couple of days...hehe ...years. I can't wait to get started. I will come back with thoughts and comments as I dig into them all. And one comment now: This is what I like about this forum; one quick request cast out for suggestions to everyone here and I have been able to save hours of perusing Amazon and other sites and I can now dig into one of the best parts of being alive on this earth. That being the opening of a book that an author has busted their ass writing, for perhaps years, so that I can leave my space and escape into their (created) space and live another life. Writers deserve every penny they get. 

[Lynn]

I second Modesitt Jr. His stuff always entertains me and I have yet to figure out why. It should be boring as dirt based on what I know I like, but his books are just really good. :D

[TimothyEllis]

I second Modesitt Jr. His stuff always entertains me and I have yet to figure out why. It should be boring as dirt based on what I know I like, but his books are just really good. :D

Which reminded me.... The Parafaith War and The Ethos Effect are well worth reading. The first is basically a prequel for the second. So you can read them in any order.

[Hopscotch]

In addition to the recommendations here, I think anyone returning to F&SF ought to "return" to the classics too - A Canticle for Leibowitz, War with the Newts, Left Hand of Darkness, Ringworld, Demolished Man, Last and First Men, Calvino's "The Distance of the Moon," etc.

[LilyBLily]

Plus, you can work your way through recent Hugo and Nebula winners and nominees.

[Luke Everhart]

The Invisible Library series  by Genevieve Cogman is thoroughly entertaining and rather brilliant. There are 7 books in it currently, with an 8th coming out this December.
It's a bit of a mashup of detectival adventures in the vein of Amelia Peabody plus steampunk plus urban fantasy. The protag is a Librarian, an agent for a transdimensional secret organization that obtains books from various alternate realities for reasons both big and small. It has a Sherlock Holmes-like character (Not the protag), dragons, Fae, zeppelins, vampires, mechanical creatures, werewolves, magic, fencing, fighting, revenge, chases, escapes, true love, miracles ... ok, maybe not true love but it's a rich adventure

EDITED to take out the misleading Princess Bride stuff that seemed funny at the time 😏 Well, took out the links anyway. The list stands

[PJ Post]

We should give out literary/book/story awards. It would boost the site's engagement, but more importantly, it would be a lot of fun.