this post was submitted on
26 points (82% like it)
33 up votes 7 down votes
all 71 comments

[–]Brian 8 points9 points ago

There's Barry Hughart's Master Li and Number Ten Ox books, set in "An Ancient China that never was". The first is Bridge of Birds, and it's excellent.

[–]megazver 4 points5 points ago

This is the best recommendation here. Bridge of Birds is brilliant.

Also, The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones is an excellent swords-and-sorcery story set in the eighth-century Baghdad. One of the best debuts of the last year.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

That second one sounds amazing; I will investigate.

[–]MetalSpider 0 points1 point ago

Desert of Souls looks fantastic. I've added it to my Wishlist. Will definitely give it a read in the near future.

[–]astragal 14 points15 points ago

Empire series by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts. It has more of generic oriental feel rather than actually based on an actual region I think.

[–]flyingnomad 2 points3 points ago

I love these books. They remind me of Shogun by James Clavell, in that they capture the sense of the highly political battles of ancient Asian civilisations, as well as showing how imposing cultural constraints influences plot.

[–]angryundead 1 point2 points ago

I came here just to mention Shogun as a worthwhile read even if is more historical fiction than fantasy,

It was a bit long for my tastes and the ending was... abrupt. But overall very satisfying.

[–]flyingnomad 0 points1 point ago

It is an epic read - as are all Clavell's books!

[–]Prestian 1 point2 points ago

Really enjoyed these books. Especially the politics in the first and the second book.

Note: If you want to read these books, you'd better read Magician first (which is more in a medieval European setting)

[–]jbphysreddit 1 point2 points ago

Magician is one of my favourite books!

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

I have read this one; the culture was very obviously Japanese inspired, I think; at least as far as the personalities and the way the families worked, plus the general hierarchy of society (though there seemed to be parallels with ancient China, too).

[–]unconundrumWorldbuilders 7 points8 points ago

Middle-Eastern wise, there's Saladin Ahmed's Throne of the Crescent Moon (mentioned in another recent post) and The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones.

Asia-wise, there's Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven which is based off China.

[–]Wolke 4 points5 points ago

Guy Gavriel Kay's The Lions of Al-Rashan is based in a Spanish/Moorish setting too, with strong links to the Middle-East.

[–]exNihlio 8 points9 points ago

Journey to the West is set in China. Of course this loosely based on Chinese History. Not sure if you want to count it.

1001 Arabian Nights are a great read and are set completely in the Middle East or fictionalized areas thereof.

The Wheel of Time has numerous Eastern influences prevalent throughout. Several of the countries within are ostensibly analogues of Persia and Japan. Much of the philosophy is influenced by Buhdism and Taoism.

Robert E. Howards Conan takes place in a prehistory era and has areas reminiscent of South America and ancient Egypt.

Legend of the Five Rings has several novels set in its universe. I would also suggest picking up a copy of the Oriental Adventures. This is sourcebook for D&D that includes the setting for Rokugan, the world that Legend of the Five rings is set in. It has numerous references in there that may help you flesh out your ideas.

Rifts is a terribly confusing and all around frustrating pen and paper RPG. But its sourcebooks detail numerous non Western settings including, Japan, China, South American, Africa and Russia. If you are looking for more inspiration you should search around for some of them online.

[–]eremiticjude 0 points1 point ago

The l5r novels are increasingly hard to find, but specifically any of the ones written by sauer or carman are good. Both do short fiction set in Rokugan on l5r.com

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

A very good response, thank you kindly.

WoT had some eastern references, like the Aiel, but I didn't notice any nations that were Persian inspired; which one were you thinking of? Saldaea and Shienar certainly did seem Japanese, though, good point.

Conan I've always avoided; not sure why, it just seemed notorious rather than famous. Maybe I should rectify that.

[–]nerga 0 points1 point ago

With the exception of Andor they were almost all eastern influenced to some degree.

[–]nowonmai666 3 points4 points ago

Barry Hughart's series set in "A China That Never Was" has been mentioned.

Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven is also set in a fantasy version of China.

What I've read of Brandon Sanderson's work strikes me as not particularly European. The Mistborn trilogy sort of feels a bit Chinesey to me, although it's not explicitly so and people's mileage varies. The societies in The Way of Kings are for the most part just alien.

[–]unsubscribeFROM 0 points1 point ago

Mistborn really didn't feel Chinese to me at all.

Not only though is Under Heaven a fantastic story, Guy Gavriel Kay spends years researching the culture he chooses to write about. He went over to China to a university or something academic and presented his book I learned from his blog.

As such I really recommend this book foremost in my mind.

[–]1point618 4 points5 points ago*

I posted about this ages ago and got a bunch of really good recommendations so I'll leave this here for you: http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/ca0ub/fantasy_minus_europe_what_is_your_favorite/

Also from that thread I'd specifically recommend Lord of Light by Zelazny (Hindu / Buddhist fantasy).

[–]CatoCensorius 1 point2 points ago

Lord of Light is a fantastic book - definitely agree.

[–]1point618 1 point2 points ago

One of my favorite specfic books of any kind.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

Fantastic, thank you very much.

[–]1point618 0 points1 point ago

No problem.

If you do read Lord of Light, drop by r/SF_Book_Club to chat about it, it was this last month's book.

[–]MindCanaries 2 points3 points ago

The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham has definite oriental leanings, without being cribbed straight from Japanese culture.

[–]ninjacello 3 points4 points ago

I asked a similar question a few months ago- "What are some good fantasy stories in an Asian setting?" and got some pretty good responses.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

Awesome, thanks. I noticed that when it first appeared, and paid attention to it. My focus is mostly the middle eastern, hence the new thread, but your one helped, too.

[–]StrawhatPirate 1 point2 points ago

Well seems it bugged out...writing again.

Rose of the Prophet trilogy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_of_the_Prophet) by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. Middle-Eastern world with Djinn's etc. Been a while since I read it but I liked how the gods were done in that one.

[–]wicksy 1 point2 points ago

Saladin ahmed

[–]robot-rollcall 1 point2 points ago

Juuni Kokki, also called Chronicle of the 12 Countries or just The Twelve Kingdoms, by Fuyumi Ono.

It's a series of Japanese novels based on Chinese mythology. Four of the novels, comprising the first story set in this world, have been translated and released in English. Here's an Amazon link to novel 1.

[–]Professor_Layton 0 points1 point ago

I used to love this show. Glad to see the story is novelized. Problem is, so darn expensive.

Do you know any cheaper places to get them as a ebook? Searches are not pulling up much and physical copies of the first book are $40 at the cheapest.

[–]robot-rollcall 1 point2 points ago

Sorry, took me a while to find this. It's not the official translation, but it is good and free:

Shadow of the Moon, a Sea of Shadows

[–]Professor_Layton 0 points1 point ago

Thank you so much!

[–]kelloish 1 point2 points ago

Assassins of Tamurin is one of my favorites. By S.D. Tower.

[–]ridiculouspony 0 points1 point ago

I picked this book up on a whim and it's now one of my favorites - I'm rereading it for like the 9th time or so. Lale cracks me up.

[–]kelloish 1 point2 points ago

I picked it up in grade 11. We had to read Canadian authors for an assignment, and I managed to find the only two fantasy books by Canadians in the school library. Since then I've read it at least 5 times.

[–]ncbose 0 points1 point ago

The Emperor's Knife - Mazarkis Williams has got a mix of asian influences.great reviews so far.

http://thefoundingfields.com/2011/12/the-emperors-knife-bane-of-kings/

[–]Accelerator 0 points1 point ago

The Prince of Nothing Trilogy - It's set in a "Middle Eastern" style fantasy world with warring tribes, kingdoms and religions... oh and a healthy dose of Mages and what appears to be Space Demons.

[–]candygram4mongo 1 point2 points ago

TPoN is actually pretty clearly based on the Crusades -- the Fanim are Muslim, the Inrithi are Christian, and the Nansur are the Byzantine Empire.

[–]FireNova 0 points1 point ago

Trudi Canavan includes some main characters from a very eastern style part of her world in The Magicians Apprentice and her Black Magician Trilogy.

[–]sblinn 0 points1 point ago

Kij Johnson's The Fox Woman and Fudoki.

Also, check out the fantasy titles from Haikasoru.

Also, Half World by Hiromi Goto.

Also, Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, or 1Q84, or Kafka on the Shore. It's modern set, not feudal/classical/ancient Japan, though. And for some the magical realism isn't "enough" to be "fantasy" or whatever.

[–]clockworklycanthrope 0 points1 point ago

As I noted in another recent thread, "The Book on Fire" by Keith Miller would be a good option. The setting and story culture is Egyptian, as the book takes place in a sort of alternate past, magical Egypt. It's largely centered around the library of Alexandria.

YA author Tamora Pierce has also written some books that fit this bill. Although she usually establishes her main characters in a vaguely European culture, they never stay there for long. The second "Circle of Magic" quartet and the two books that follow it ("Melting Stones," and "The Will of the Empress") take place in a variety of different cultures resembling India, the Middle East, China, and others respectively. Her Trickster books take place on some quasi Indonesian/Malaysian islands. Similarly, one book from her "Immortals" series takes place in Carthak, which is quite non-Western despite not seeming to have any particular real world counterpart country. Even her "Song of the Lioness" books contain some multi-cultural, non-European segments; in several of them, Alanna (the main character) lives among a vaguely Middle-Eastern tribe of desert nomads called the Bazhir.

I hope this helps!

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

This does indeed, thank you.

My gf has suggested Tamora Pierce, but I haven't got round to them just yet, so this more elaborate explanation gives me some motivation.

[–]greenskyx 0 points1 point ago

This series is a historical fiction about Genghis Khan and it's awesome.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_of_the_Plains

[–]undergarden 0 points1 point ago

Barry Hughart--Bridge of Birds. My favorite fantasy novel, period.

[–]AdamVen 0 points1 point ago

Interesting Times - Terry Pratchett

[–]WillPhillips 1 point2 points ago

I have to admit that I'm really, really disappointed in myself because my first thoughts were the Sopranos or Jersey Shores with elves and dwarves and battleaxes.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points ago

We've all been there. Snooki with an axe would be pretty fun to read, actually.

[–]Wavemanns 0 points1 point ago

Sword Dancer series by Jennifer Roberson has very middle east setting.

Sunset Warrior cycle by Eric Van Lustbader is samurai meets fallout.

Both well worth reading series. Might be hard to find in local bookstores but online stores solve that issue :)

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

Excellent, the first one sounds particularly relevant to my interests. Thank you!

[–]causa_est_licentia 1 point2 points ago

Easily the best oriental fantasy I have read. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_Otori

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

I was going to suggest this. Pretty good series.

[–]DigitalHeadSet 1 point2 points ago

Shogun - not fantasy per se, but required reading for all.

[–]Fourwinds 0 points1 point ago

Here's a free audio novella set in a far east with fantasy elements, "Moon viewing at Shijo Bridge".

http://podcastle.org/2008/09/02/pc023-moon-viewing-at-shijo-bridge-podcastle-giant/

The author, Richard Parks has a few short story collections, and is planning one for 2013 all featuring the protagonist of "moon viewing", Lord Yamada.

[–]Januaryf 0 points1 point ago

Fiona McIntosh's "Percheron" series (first book is "Odalisque") is set in a Turkey-like country - harems, sultans, etc. Great series!

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

Thanks, that sounds excellent!

[–]iHobbit 0 points1 point ago

Empire trilogy by Feist and Wurts is a culture with a more Asian feel.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

Yep, I read that when I was a teenager and I'm planning to read it again because I thought they did a really excellent job.

[–]woadgrrl 0 points1 point ago

Most of the suggestions appear to be for pretty straight-up, high-fantasy type novels or series, and that's great, but if I can throw a bit of a curveball...

there are a few books in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series that are set, at least in part, in West- or East-Asian inspired cultures.

Of course, being Discworld novels, the settings are generally use to satirize modern foreign relations, and provide contrast to the very western setting of Ankh-Morpork. And, also, they are only loosely based on these cultures. But, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to recommend Pratchett. So, if you're in the mood for something completely different, and highly entertaining, check them out.

Specifically, Interesting Times is a Chinese/Japanese style setting. Jingo has a middle east/Arabian style setting. Nation, not really part of the larger Discworld series, has a South Pacific/Oceania setting. Small Gods is a bit harder to pin down; there's certainly middle-eastern influence, but it's also clearly Mediterranean/Vatican inspired.

[–]mmm_burrito 1 point2 points ago

Sean Russel's Initiate Brother books. It's only two novels. The fantasy elements are very low-key, with the focus kept on politics and warring factions, à la Game of Thrones (though I'm pretty sure Russell came first). What "magic" exists in the world is actually an extension of the kung-fu/Buddhist religion within Russel's universe.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

This could be a good transitional work, given what I've just been reading. Thanks!

[–]mmm_burrito 0 points1 point ago

I really enjoy them. Word of warning: if you can't stand a lot of internal dialog and contemplation, I'd stay away. The novels aren't slow, exactly, but I don't know of any other novel in which the main character agonizes over the sound of a brook in his garden, or writes a haiku when inspired by a battlefield tableau. The action and adventure is there too, but Russell definitely sets a more contemplative tone than many other authors in the "down time". Personally, I enjoyed this change in pace, but I can see where some would not.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

I like internal dialogue a lot; one of the things I'm hoping to move away from in my work is the semi-slavish bonds of action-heavy material that can be so prevalent in fantasy. As I get older I'm starting to enjoy the works that diverge from this formula more and more.

[–]mmm_burrito 0 points1 point ago

If you remember, you'll have to let me know what you think. I am never sure if I'm properly describing a book to a prospective reader. I often feel like I'm that guy having his friends listen to a new song that he LOVES, but still finds himself saying, "Hang on, I swear it gets good in just a few more seconds...just a few more seconds...."

[–]lasercow 0 points1 point ago

The Iron Ring is a young adult fantasy book with an Asian cultural feel.

[–]atrasicarius 1 point2 points ago

The Initiate Brother/Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russel and The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley P. Beaulieu.

[–]greentangent 0 points1 point ago

The latter books in Glen Cook's "The Black Company" novels; the Books of the South, are rather Indian in the culture and mythology.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

This is such a good question. Almost all fantasy series I've read have been firmly European sounding.

I would like to recommend The Prince Of Nothing by R Scott Bakkar. It's set in both a European and Middle Eastern setting, sort of mirroring the crusades. Plus, it's an amazing series with positively staggering characterizations. Very violent, so be careful with that.

Malazan too has different settings for different continents.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

Cool, glad to hear you say that - I have The Darkness That Comes Before sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.

[–]johny5w 1 point2 points ago

I read this book and absolutely loved it. I bought the rest of the series but have not been able to get to them yet. One of the things I actually liked was it really felt like a [mid] eastern setting.

[–]zootie1973 0 points1 point ago

Chung Kuo by David Wingrove