There doesn't seem to be one

Science Fiction but not so far off and futuristic
I would read Crichton books

Jurassic Park
Prey

I enjoy his books much better than any of the movies that they made about them, and I probably learned more about Dinosaurs, Cloning technology, and Nanotechnology theorys from him than I normally would from casual reading :)

There doesn't seem to be one [/b][/quote]
Really? There should be an appendix, with a list of the most important members of the main houses. Which version did you get (although the list should be in all versions, AFAIK)? I have the bantam paperback myself.

Perhaps a book made by Patricia Cornwell or Tony Hillarman? Of course, this is if you like crime(homicide) solving material.

I can dig up some more authors in a little bit... The NAMES only :bleh:

Have you read any of the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, Stroggy? The first 4 are definetely good fantasy. After that the story tends to drag a little, with some good parts though. The only downside is, that after 10 books, the end is still nog in sight... Still a good read though.

And it's not fantasy but fantastic SF: Peter Hamilton's 'Nights Dawn'-trilogy is a guaranteed page-turner.

And, though I'm not familiar with his works, someone recommended the Dutch fantasy-writer Peter Schaap to me. 'De schrijvenaar van Thyll' is supposed to be an excellent book... I'm going to try that one myself somewhere in the near future...

I read all the Michael Crichton books already, he used to be my favourite author.

The Wheel of Time books were good, but as you said they tend to drag on a bit, which is why I gave up halfway through the 4th book (don't worry i'll pick it up again some day, just as I eventually finished reading Dune Messiah, which had a pretty slow story for such a small book)

The HarperCollins paperback version, and there is no appendix, it just ends with a list of recommended books. Perhaps you could scan it, it sounds crucial.

That's very strange. I don't have a scanner unfortunately, but I'm a passive member on the asoiaf board, and I'll try asking them if they can help. You do have the maps right? Otherwise you can get them here (the maps of the north and south are the only ones included in the first book). Be careful what else you read on that page, though, as it can contain major spoilers.

And you're absolutely, one hundred percent sure that you don't have the appendix. My version of the book ends with a preview chapter of the next book, and the appendix comes before that, so maybe you just didn't look thoroughly enough? Anyway, I'll let you know what the dudes on asoiaf says.

Ah, thanks but no need, I found it online (It begins with House Baratheon, right?)

Hm - seems like it's the rather popular sci-fi and fantasy books that are at rage here. However, I'd like to recommend the excellent, yet fairly unknown "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes. It's a touching one with excellent storytelling, and no one I know has regretted reading it.

Of course, my suggestions from the previous thread still stand.

Yeah, it does. Great! But beware plot spoilers when surfing for asoiaf info, as the plot takes some major twists, and trying to figure out what happens next is one of the things I enjoyed the most while reading them.

Anyway, when you're done with the books that are out now, there are two short stories as well, which take place about 100 years before A Gane of Thrones, and the first one of those has even been adapted as a comic book (very successfully, I might add).