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I know epic is a word that is terribly overused nowadays. All I know is that all of my favorite books seem to be, as I would describe them, Epics.

These would be books covering huge swaths of time or space. They are complex, intricate, and well thought out. Many include some sort of internal or external journey.

For me, it doesn't really matter what genre a book might be in. It could be historical, sci-fi, mystery, romance, even non-fiction.

I would love to hear what you guys think of when you think of an epic novel. If anyone has reading suggestions, those would also be welcome.

Thanks everybody!

In the historical fiction arena, there's Ken Follett's Century Trilogy, which leads you through several families, several countries and the 20th century. Sigrid Undset won a Nobel prize for her novel Kristen Lavransdatter, which I read in my teens but still have fond memories of 50 years later. Thomas Pynchon's works tend to be epic-like, although perhaps shorter and covering less breadth in time than a true epic. You have probably already been guided toward the Red Mars, Blue Mars and Green Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. The other science fiction series that I followed obsessively is C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner books. Good luck - I always think that there's little better than a wood stove and a large unread epic novel.

You said time and space and I'm taking you literally. Have you read Dune? The Hobbit (and extended family)? Foundation? Oh, you can read The Shannara series or Earthsea series. All of these are individual worlds that are created with love and complexity. Prepare for new worlds and new times.

If you haven't read it, I would strongly recommend The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. It's an fantasy series, telling the story of an inkeeper who tells the story of his life to a travelling scribe, a life full adventure, magic, romance, and loss, the truth behind the legend that sometimes paints him as a hero and sometimes as a villain. The writing in this series is very poetic and absolutely beautiful, the world is unbelievably complex and intricate and the magic system is very unique, almost scientific. The main character is amazing - exceptionally smart, talented, and slightly proud. This series is epic - in every sense of the word. I have re-read it many time and each time it is as if I discover a new "layer", and my love for it increases.
Don't be daunted by it's length, though, the beginning might seem a bit slow to some people, but once the story picks up you fly through it. It is worth every page.

A Dance to the Music of Time is a wonderful series that I am flying through at the moment, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time is a decent fantasy series but suffers a bit from repetitive phrasing and pacing. Baudolino by Umberto Eco is a journey and a half as well.

This is the most memorable book I read in 2016. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

"When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever."




You can also try Edward Rutherfurd whose books were recommended to me today.
New York
"Edward Rutherfurd celebrates America’s greatest city in a rich, engrossing saga, weaving together tales of families rich and poor, native-born and immigrant—a cast of fictional and true characters whose fates rise and fall and rise again with the city’s fortunes. From this intimate perspective we see New York’s humble beginnings as a tiny Indian fishing village, the arrival of Dutch and British merchants, the Revolutionary War, the emergence of the city as a great trading and financial center, the convulsions of the Civil War, the excesses of the Gilded Age, the explosion of immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the trials of World War II, the near demise of New York in the 1970s and its roaring rebirth in the 1990s, and the attack on the World Trade Center. A stirring mix of battle, romance, family struggles, and personal triumphs, New York: The Novel gloriously captures the search for freedom and opportunity at the heart of our nation’s history."



and
Sarum: The Novel of England
"A masterpiece that is breathtaking in its scope, SARUM is an epic novel that traces the entire turbulent course of English history. This rich tapesty weaves a compelling saga of five families who preserve their own particular characteristics over the centuries, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the future."



and others!!

Gormenghast - Mervyn Peake
This is a trilogy, but the first two are absolutely the best of the lot. This is an epic read in all definitions of the word. Peake writes as if he is painting a detailed image, setting the scene meticulously. If, when you read, you experience a sort of mind-movie, this would be a great series for you.

I am loving all of the replies this is getting! I tend towards nonfiction when selecting things to read. I think this is why I love epics. They require a lot of time spent to create a world to house all the awesome stuff that is about to go down. There are a lot of nonfiction aspects to world-building, things like environmental effects, SES, politics, economic setups, language parameters, popular opinion, and of course TONS of history. And that is all before you even get to the story taking place in it all.

I am excited to here more suggestions, and I am definitely going to try and read as many of these books as I can. Thanks and keep the posts coming!

A book I am always willing to recommend is the fantasy novel, Watership Down by Richard Adams. Though it is a story personifying a community of rabbits it satisfies all of the classic requirements of an "epic" with the exception of an introductory divine invocation.

As a fantasy reader, hearing the word 'epic' brings to mind Brandon Sanderson.
Not only has Sanderson written books/series set in several different fantasy 'worlds', he has also connected many of these worlds into the same 'cosmere' (universe) with overarching story lines and characters that pop up in several worlds. Epic!

My favourite of his is the unfinished 'Stormlight Archive' series (2 books so far of a possible 10). History, religion, politics, magic, diverse characters and creatures (plus a great story of course); if this sounds like your cup of tea I would highly recommend having a look.

Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series is another epic fantasy with deep world-building that really sucks you in. Though some people feel it is a little wordy in some books of the series (14 books in total!).

Anyhow, good luck and I hope you find something you enjoy!

When I think of epic I think two ways.

Length, complexity and character amount. World building, creating cultures, religion, races, history. For me you can't get this without a lengthy novel like Redemption of Althalus by David and Lee Eddings and those close to, or pushing over, 1000 pages.

The second is multiple stories set within the same world over a series of books. Not always focusing on one, or a group of, characters but have stories set within the timeline of the fictional world. A different kingdom, a different side to war, past and present and future. Examples being David Gemmel's Drenai series and Reganti series. I love to see old characters being mentioned or make appearances along the way.

Eddings Belgariad series is a great set of books too if you are looking for something older. That is really an epic timeline, from young boy to teen to adult to aged. Truly brilliant work.

This can be any genre I guess but I mainly associate epic with Fantasy, Sci fi, Historical, YA fantasy

I find it hard to see romances as 'epic' unfortunately. Maybe epically written with great talent but not the way I use the word in this sense.

My Epic recommendation is hands down a massive series of 10 (individually massive as well) books along with several spinoffs by another author who is good friends of the original. I am talking about the "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series. This takes you on a wild rid of a fictional world of war, campaigns, death, magic, and the ultimate battles of good vs. evil (but who is which?) I love how Steven Erikson writes and doesn't tend to hold your hand throughout the series. An activity, war, dialogue, etc, carries on without any regard to the background knowledge of the reader, who in fact, learns as they go along.