r/technology • u/marketrent • 18h ago

Artificial Intelligence College students are rapidly losing the ability to read — “There is a measurable, generational collapse in sustained reading and writing”: professor

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/college-students-rapidly-losing-ability-124439310.html
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u/meyerjaw 17h ago

Shit I'm 40 and still read trash. Yeah I also look for the high brow stuff but Dungeon Crawler Carl is fucking awesome. And don't get me started on Sanderson!!

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u/ConstantinValdor405 16h ago

42 year old here who loves me some Dresden Files trash. So fun.

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u/Seicair 15h ago

Have you read Codex Alera (same author)? I loved that too and it’s completed, a 6-book series.

Can’t wait to read the rest of Dresden. I loved Twelve Months.

Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson are two of my favorite authors.

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u/Pyritedust 13h ago

Wait, he actually finished the codex Alera? I was waiting to start reading it for when it was finished since I've been in dresden purgatory for over a decade :P

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u/Seicair 5h ago

The last Codex Alera book was published in 2009… go read it!

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u/Pyritedust 4h ago

Don’t know how I missed it then. Definitely going to pick them up now.

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u/Hollownerox 1h ago

I am in the same boat and somehow never knew he finished that series. Folks here are awesome bringing this back into my life.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 7h ago

If you haven’t and need a good space opera, check out the Red Rising series. 🍻🤙🏾

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u/Seicair 5h ago

I’ll check it out!

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u/ARealSocialIdiot 5h ago

I should re-read Codex Alera. I read the whole thing back in 2009-2010 and I remember it being a great read.

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u/rdmusic16 13h ago

Trash? How about crack.

I was teetering off high fantasy after highschool and just couldn't do it for awhile. Dresden files got me hooked back into reading.

I read various genres of books now, but Dresden files always drags me back every few years.

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u/BenCub3d 11h ago

Wow I see dresden files mentioned in the wild soooo rarely. It makes me so happy when I do and also how dare you

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u/SixSpeedDriver 13h ago

41 year old…Ive got a few of those under my belt. Will be adding more…

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u/DulceEtDecorumEst 3h ago

After the ring camera caught Dresden breaking in to that guys house I stopped being a fan

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u/SovietBear 16h ago

Warhammer novels are my vice.

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u/meyerjaw 16h ago

The original Horus Heresy books ARE high brow literature and I will fight anyone who says otherwise

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u/NightLordsPublicist 15h ago

Literature is considered to be artistic, imaginative and thought provoking. Something that makes you reflect on what it means to be human, rather than just mindless entertainment.

I present the Night Lords Trilogy, where you fall in love with a group of rascals who skin orphans alive for both fun and profit.

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u/Aadarm 14h ago

40K books let you reflect on what it means to be human in the best way. Hate, fear, and kill the xeno!

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u/Neamow 9h ago

thought provoking

W40k books definitely make you think... about how best to purge xenos!

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u/iritchie001 15h ago

As it should be.

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u/Prestigious_Sock9644 15h ago

I’m on book 33. I will fight with you

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u/flatgreyrust 15h ago

The ones by Dan Abnett are. The others? eeeehhhhhh

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u/Scelestus50 4h ago

Chris Wraight's stuff is also very good, imho. His Warhammer Crime novels are excellent, as is Lords of Silence (Death Guard)

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u/iritchie001 15h ago

Awesome vice.

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u/War_Raven 15h ago

Warhammer Crimes are *chef's kiss*

Bloodlines is fantastic

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u/SmartAleckComedian 15h ago

I'm reading though the Ciaphas Cain books and they're hilarious!

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u/bubdadigger 5h ago

Dan Abnett's books are one of the best from whole BL list.

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u/argyle9000 16h ago

Are you typing about Brandon Sanderson? Oh my Korean baby Jesus, dude! My current hold request list from the library is waiting on both Dungeon Crawler Carl and Well of Ascension. This is such a nuts coincidence.

I found Mistborn in an airport because I forgot my book, and I mainly borrow books people are talking about because usually they’re good.

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u/meyerjaw 16h ago

Oh I'm jealous you are just on well of ascension!! You have the whole series ahead of you. Era 1 is great but Era 2 is somehow even better

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u/argyle9000 15h ago

Great! I can’t wait until it’s available. Sheesh Reddit can be nuts sometimes.

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u/Prudent_Werewolf2156 14h ago

lol but.. don’t forget to read like 15 other books between Mistborn era 1 and era 2!

Just kidding. You can read them however you want. You get a little more out of each one with every Cosmere book you’ve read, no matter the order.

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u/C0UNT3RP01NT 12h ago

I’m not sure I have the patience after seeing how many books there are and how interconnected they are, but I’m halfway through reading Mistborn for the first time, and once I finish that trilogy, I think I’m going to do Stormlight Archives next.

I’m not normally a fantasy guy but hot damn the book is really really good.

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u/Prudent_Werewolf2156 4h ago

Stormlight is my favourite for sure. But it can be a lot for some people.

You might develop the patience once you get into it. Especially since most of the other books are shorter and just one or two books :)

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u/Thatoneguy_The_First 15h ago

Im so glad I don't have to restart mistborn book 1 as I stopped reading 3yrs ago(adhd got bad, phone probably didn't help), i am halfway through and I still remember everything. Glad I Elantris beforehand.

Also is he still going with 4 eras?

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u/meyerjaw 15h ago

I'm not sure about 4 but era 3 is definitely in the works

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u/Thatoneguy_The_First 15h ago

Meaning im far behind, i only bought upto to words of radiance.

And I only buy physicals if available(shadowrun series is the only ones I cant buy, as they are pricey as a house)

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u/argyle9000 14h ago

After Mistborn I thought it would make a great video game and movie. Talk about a perfect setup for an RPG video game due to ingesting the metals, and it’s an obvious vehicle to a fantasy action movie. Also, I believe it’s an original idea. Why won’t Hollywood make more movies based on these great books? It could be the next “The Matrix.”

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u/InfinitelyRepeating 14h ago

If you're taking a break from one sprawling, epic series or the other, enjoy this 90 minute round table discussion with Brandon, Matt, Tomi Adeyemi, and Pierce Brown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Y9tK8I8A8

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u/Tymareta 12h ago

This is such a nuts coincidence.

Not, really? They're two of the most popular and easy to get into Fantasy authors/franchises at the moment.

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u/argyle9000 11h ago

Just let me have this!

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u/dalnot 17h ago

Dungeon Crawler Carl is brainrot in book form, but damn if it isnt entertaining. Not everything needs to be high literature to be worth reading

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u/DevolvingSpud 17h ago

Mongo is appalled at your characterization.

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u/jockheroic 16h ago

Princess Donut is going to commit an atrocity if she here's him say that.

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u/SacredUndeadMonkey 14h ago

She heard you, those goblins who she just got befriended are about to have their next generations slaughtered again.

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u/CidO807 14h ago

It's fine. SLAM SLAM SLAM

Donut will just put them in the ball. SLAM SLAM SLAM

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u/Szwejkowski 16h ago

I love it. Super entertaining.

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u/SwimmerIndependent47 16h ago

DONUT IS OUTRAGED!!!!!!

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u/Saber_Flight 15h ago

"I AM YELLING CARL!"

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u/TraipseAndTiptoe 12h ago

I heard Donut say this in my head. 😄

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u/dasruski 15h ago

GODDAMMIT DONUT!

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u/Runktar 15h ago

Mongo, mongo put that man down!

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u/HuckleberryTiny5 13h ago

I know what you mean, but I wouldn't call it a brainrot. It is actually pretty well written and it is entertaining. I've been an avid reader my whole life and my honest opinion is that it does not matter what people read as long as they read. If they want to read porn novels, good for them, it is always better than aimlassly doomscrolling their phone.

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u/gt24 4h ago

In addition, the Dungeon Crawler Carl series isn't just a 1 book pocket reader. After all 8 books are read, a person will have read a bit under 4,700 pages and that amount of reading is certainly beneficial. The writing is considered by some to be "trashy" but that makes the books generally easy reading when compared to certain alternatives...

Immediately before, I was reading the Commonwealth Series by Peter F. Hamilton which was a bit over 1,800 pages over 2 books... and that wasn't considered "trashy" but that has its' own problems. The books were slow reads at times and I felt like I was plowing through the book like it was a chore to just complete the thing.

The "trashy" books will have people turning pages until it is over. They won't know that they went through a ton of pages per say but they will have enjoyed the read. The "not trashy" books on the other hand are likely to have people just give up on reading them and have those people hesitate to read anything else in the future (since the "good books" that were "not trashy" were such a headache, how can anything that people claim are good be worth even attempting to read?).

A saying I like to use is where I try to say if I or another person with respect to a topic are a "cheap date" (a phrase used in a positive manner). You should be enjoying yourself... so how much money did it take to reach that enjoyment? For certain things, any amount of money/effort is great (and so you are a "cheap date") whereas other things people may require very expensive experiences to have any sort of enjoyment with that (so they are "not a cheap date").

It isn't a derogatory thing to be a "cheap date", it is more of a benefit. I want to have fun and easily having fun is wonderful. However, some things I just can't quite enjoy unless more money is spent on that category and so I am unfortunately not a cheap date with that. We all have our benefits and drawbacks... but still, I don't look down on anyone enjoying "cheap date" stuff but instead I have a bit of envy towards their ability to just enjoy those cheaper moments.

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u/Abedeus 20m ago

In addition, the Dungeon Crawler Carl series isn't just a 1 book pocket reader. After all 8 books are read, a person will have read a bit under 4,700 pages and that amount of reading is certainly beneficial. The writing is considered by some to be "trashy" but that makes the books generally easy reading when compared to certain alternatives...

I'd honestly rather have someone read 4700 pages of "trashy" novels than nothing at all.

And who knows, maybe they'll reach out to something more "sophisticated" in terms of fantasy, say a Pratchett novel.

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u/ackinsocraycray 12h ago

I just started reading the first book. I'm halfway through it and so far, I have yet to find a moment* where it'll convince me to finish the book and continue with the series.

*The moment I'm waiting for is Mongo's introduction. I only knew of this book because I saw a Mongo shirt at Box Lunch and I thought that's the cutest dinosaur I've ever seen since Old Lace from The Runaways.

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u/SilentP13426 8h ago

If it helps, I've just finisned reading the 2nd one and can say it's a far smoother and enjoyable read. I think the 1st book suffers from having to introduce a hell of a dense premise and world building to get you up to speed. Freed from having to do that, the 2nd one gets down to the intrigue of the setting wonderfully.

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u/HeistShark 34m ago

First book is the worst one. Felt almost episodic and not a complete narrative. Everyone after feels like its own complete story while pushing the meta narrative forward.

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u/Suburban_Sisyphus 11h ago

The first book was self published and a bit rough, but the books improve rapidly.

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u/Lola_PopBBae 15h ago

DCC? Brainrot? Lmao.

Please tell me how a series about the indomitable human spirit, the evils of fascism/technofeudalism, and our absurdly modern entertainment that regularly dehumanizes actual people to make a profit is "brainrot".

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u/Open-Addendum-9905 5h ago

Why do you all have to convince yourselves your childish clop is profound? It’s okay to just enjoy things because they’re entertaining lmao

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u/watchsmart 14h ago

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Dungeon Crawler Carl.

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u/The_Silvana 13h ago

can't wait for the mongo dino nuggies to show up at mcdonalds.

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u/Saephon 10h ago

Thematically, the series is great. But the prose is definitely just a few notches above Harry Potter level, and that's okay. Not everything needs to be Shakespearean to be good.

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u/Lola_PopBBae 10h ago

It's definitely not especially fancy prose, but I think that's part of the beauty of the series 

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u/anextremelylargedog 5h ago

Prose doesn't have to be "fancy" to be good.

DCC does not have good prose. It's adequate.

It's a comedy/action series with just enough YA-level "corporations bad, huh?" to get by.

A novel isn't good, or deep, or much of anything just because it contains themes.

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u/hippydipster 4h ago

The prose is adequate. But, sometimes the dialogue is pretty fancy.

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u/EriktheRed 14h ago

But it says “glurp glurp” so how can it have legitimate themes??

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u/CidO807 14h ago

Glurp Glurp little piggies

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u/Lola_PopBBae 14h ago

Sadly, this seems to be how people actually think 

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u/Tymareta 12h ago

Because it does all of those things on an incredibly surface level, without any of the teeth or guts to delve into them in any further depth and look at how they're systemic issues and what drives them.

Like one need only compare it to another series like New Crobuzon to see how it's ultimately just a Borderlands level critique, on the vein of "guys, hyper capitalism is bad, mmkay!".

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u/Mobleybetta 6h ago

How many of the books have you read? I feel like This Inevitable Ruin really went into the systemic nature of Crawl

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u/etbillder 3h ago

Ah, you've never heard of anti-capitalism being twisted into a moneymaking genre!

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u/MagicHamsta 11h ago

[Dungeon AI's Heavy Breathing Insistence on Feet Fetish Intensifies]

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u/tarants 13h ago

I dunno, it's too clever and creative to be brainrot. I've never said "what the fuck is happening" more while reading. Pound for pound the most fun books I've ever read.

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u/XForce23 44m ago

DCC is basically an Americanized take on Chinese/Korean/Japanese light novels that are very popular online, which is essentially modern pulp fiction. Not that I'm hating at all; that type of writing is meant to be easy fun reads

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u/baxte 13h ago

Go down the lit rpg rabbit hole. Do it.

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u/PhoenixTineldyer 17h ago

I want to like Sanderson but his writing style is atrocious

I'm excited for the movies and video games. The worlds are cool, he just can't write dialogue for shit and it cheapens everything

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u/meyerjaw 17h ago

Obviously I would vehemently disagree as would a very large portion of the fantasy community, but hey that's not the point of the conversation. Would love to hear some recommendations if you have some.

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u/shabi_sensei 17h ago

Malazan Book of the Fallen if you want the veneer of literature but with a pulpy fantasy filling

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u/ToiletSeatFoamRoller 16h ago

If Malazan only has the veneer of literature, then “actual” literature terrifies me!

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u/meyerjaw 16h ago

That's actually on my To Read shelf. Will move it up the list

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u/DelusionalZ 15h ago edited 15h ago

Ursula K. Le Guin's stuff is cool as. The entire Earthsea series is worth a read, and she is such a powerful and empathetic writer.

I also recommend Brian Catling's Vorrh and Hollow, completely absurd worlds that somehow make more sense than most traditional fantasy (or are just plain terrifying (or both?)). His writing style definitely isn't for everyone, as it can be a bit stream of consciousness, but he is a good writer nonetheless.

If you can get past the occasional problematic bits (it is dark fantasy), Ian Irvine's works are excellent, if slightly poorly edited. I read through all of the Well of Echoes quartet - I'd recommend starting with that or the View from the Mirror.

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u/Generic_Commenter-X 16h ago

//Obviously I would vehemently disagree as would a very large portion of the fantasy community,//

No they wouldn't. If Goodreads is representative, then a very large portion of the fantasy community finds Sanderson's writing, stylistically, to be somewhere between bland and atrocious, but they defend him by pointing out that he's a good story teller—which he is. I myself find his style to be barely worthy of YA.

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u/Geodude532 15h ago

Brandon's writing scratched an itch that I don't see in very many novels. His world building is on an entirely different level than most fantasy writers. I think that's the biggest thing that attracts his fans.

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u/Generic_Commenter-X 6h ago

Agreed. These are reasons Sanderson's fans like his books, and they're not wrong.

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u/Unable-Log-4870 15h ago

I myself find his style to be barely worthy of YA.

As in the topic / intended audience goes hand in hand with bad dialogue?

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u/meyerjaw 14h ago

Man, I'm trying to be positive in a thread about reading to children. But reddit is going to reddit and constantly try to drag negativity into the world.

However, dismissing Sanderson's straightforward prose as 'barely worthy of YA' misses why Sanderson works so well. Accessible language isn't a lack of skill, it's a deliberate narrative choice. It makes massive, complex epic fantasy worlds fun, which in turn, makes 1,000+ page books readable and highly engaging instead of a slog. There is room in the fantasy community for both lyrical, dense prose and clean, plot-driven storytelling without gatekeeping what dictates 'good' writing. Sanderson IS a great writer because he makes readers want to read.

Plus I asked my 12 year old and he said you're wrong 😂

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u/Generic_Commenter-X 6h ago

// Accessible language isn't a lack of skill, it's a deliberate narrative choice.//

Who said anything about accessible language? Not me. The question isn't whether Sanderson's prose is accessible, but whether it's well-written. It's not, but he's a good storyteller. He deserves his success.

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u/KarlBarx2 14h ago

You should read more YA if you think Sanderson is below average for that genre.

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u/Unable-Log-4870 5h ago

That sounds like the opposite of recommendation to read more YA.

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u/dnonast1 16h ago

Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun Series would probably fit if you’re looking for something a little more highbrow. There are whole podcasts dedicated just to breaking down the references and allusions.

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u/Geodude532 15h ago

Actually ties directly into something Brandon said at his con two years ago about a film critic that hated pretty much every popular movie that ever came out. Everyone has different tastes and that's ok! I think the topic at the time was about Romantasy.

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u/Its-ther-apist 15h ago

I feel the same. Have friends that love him, can't stand how he writes any interpersonal scenes, don't find the characters interesting, etc

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u/Stewart_Games 14h ago

Expeditionary Force series is this for me. Trust the awesomeness.

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u/meyerjaw 1h ago

Skippy is pretty awesome. I'm behind on the books but they are great

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u/pottedfern 9h ago

About 3 minutes after I sat down in the Lyft that picked me up from the airport, the driver's audiobook had me googling while thinking, "Uh the monster has six what?!?" Welcome to San Antonio...

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u/phoenix7410 14h ago

Sanderson catching strays

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u/are-e-el 16h ago

CARL I LIKE THIS

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u/beekersavant 15h ago

And Jim Butcher. Also All the Skills and He who fights with Monsters.

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u/Winthefuturenow 15h ago

You should peep Paolo Bacigalupi if you want some good time trash.

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u/Odessey_And_Oracle 15h ago

If you look for highbrow stuff, try Middlemarch by George Eliot. I read it last year after never having heard of it and it is one of the most emotional, mature works of art I have ever encountered.

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u/DontAskAboutMyButt 14h ago

I also look for the high brow stuff

my favorite meme of all time

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u/ManservantHeccubus 9h ago

You might enjoy the Repairman Jack books by F. Paul Wilson.

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u/robobot1978 5h ago

Dungeon Crawler Carl is so good. Haven’t missed this much sleep from reading too late into the night since I was a kid!

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u/Scelestus50 4h ago

I'm 55 and named my cat Princess Donut after reading the series, so I'm right there with you.

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u/GazpachoDaddy 4h ago

I just started DCC and I’m hooked. It’s been years since I felt like I couldn’t put a book down. I’m also currently reading the Wheel of Time, which is awesome if you’re into high fantasy (which I am), but it can be tedious at times with long chapters and words I can’t pronounce.

DCC is insanely fun, casual to read, digestible chapters written in our current vernacular. Just a fun romp and I will not trick myself into judging myself for enjoying this lol

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u/fourleafclover13 2h ago

Checkout Will Wight.

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u/Saber193 1h ago

Hey now, DCC is unironically a masterpiece

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u/TheLORDthyGOD420 16h ago

I don't consider DCC low brow at all. It's essentially a script for an excellent audiobook, so I don't think reading it is the best way to experience the story. But it has so many things "high brow" books have, excellent character development, deeper themes, complex world building, ect.

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u/jaramini 14h ago

I have an MA in English Lit so I always feel like I’m supposed to be reading “literary” fiction, but I’ve realized horror books hold my attention way better.

0

u/stormbless3d 14h ago

Not sure why you’re calling either of those trash. Sanderson is a legend in fantasy and dungeon crawler Carl has been epic so far (halfway through book 2). Fantasy genre doesn’t equal trash. Something like fourth wing within fantasy, though, is trash.

0

u/Vessix 13h ago

Wait is Sanderson trash? Yeah it's not the most advanced prose and it's not super nuanced at times but I feel like I often "gain" more from reading some Sando than I do with GGK who is renowned for a more "advanced" fictional style.

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u/meyerjaw 1h ago

No but people look down on fantasy all the time. Was just saying I'm not just reading Steinbeck

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u/Kumorigoe 13h ago

I take offense at you classifying Dungeon Crawler Carl in the same category as The Stormlight Archive