Recommend a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book I haven’t read…?

[max]

...that isn't on the top 100 iTunes, Amazon, or NYTimes best seller's list.

I've read far too many books to even venture a guess, but I know for certain that I've either read or at least previewed every book on the top lists. Maybe I'm asking too much, but I'm desperate to find an exceptional series or even a stand alone book that will knock my socks off. Maybe a hidden gem that I missed or something that might grow on me after a few chapters - I need something great, not just readable. Here's a list of some of my [random] favorites.

Ender's Game (Whole series was very good)
A Song of Ice and Fire Series (Until book 4 when it run's out of steam)
Dune Series (Not interested in add-on books - read a few and don't like them)
Name of the Wind Series
Foundation Series
Wheel of Time Series (Until Book 9 where I got sick of the series)
Dresden Files
A Space Odyssey (Not too interested in Clarke's other books)
Rama Series (Great because they are quick reads and very interesting)
Stormlight Archive (Grrrrrr, he has way too much on his plate. He'll probably die, leaving it unfinished.)
Sphere
Ann Rices Vampire Series
Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony
Codex Alera Series
Old Man's War

These are some books that I have issues with, even though they are probably very good reads:

Mistborne Series - The first book was OK, but it just didn't grab me in book two.
JRR Tolkien's Books - I tried to read several of his books but the rhythm and mode of speech bothers me; don't know why.
Ann Rice's other works are fine, but reading get's to be a chore - she's far too in love with her own writing and it shows in books like Lasher).
Spider-Man by Jim Butcher - It was like reading Dresden. Spoils my favorite superhero.
John Carter Mars Series - Again, I cannot get past the mode of speech. I hate westerns for the same reason - I keep getting knocked out of the story by the southern/western speaking. Otherwise, series was OK.
Warhammer/40K - Many of these books are hit or miss with me. Have no idea which is which until 1/3 into the book so I stopped even trying.
Star Wars, Star Trek, Forgotten Realms, etc... These books are OK, but far too established and lets face it, mostly bland by now.

Please, someone point to a great read....
Already read most, if not all, the popular classics like i,Robot. I have a problem reading books written by women with male lead characters. I can spot them almost immediately and again, it knocks me out of the story every time. I'm going to try Neverwhere and see what happens. Question will remain open for now.

 

[Clarkie]

I often feel as you do. I was going to recommend Name of the Wind (one of my favorites, which I'm currently rereading) but I see you've already got it on your list. I guess I then have two suggestions, the first better than the second unfortunately (though of course, both are very good, the first is simply better.)

Poison Study by Maria Snyder. I couldn't find a better description, but trust me, it's good! It has some mature stuff though, just a warning. I mean seriously mature stuff, I wouldn't suggest you take it on unless you're 18, otherwise you should probably wait. (Though it has some tough stuff, it's worth the read eventually.) Here is a description:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered a reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace, and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust, and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and she develops magical powers she can't control. Her life’s at stake again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear! A romance blossoms, a power grows, and villians plot. Will Yelena be able to save her friends, and herself?
...............

I always love finding a good fantasy written for adults, for a mature audience, and Poison Study definitely counts as one. The second book I'm suggesting is not without its flaws, but it has an interesting concept and I enjoyed reading it.
'..............

Graceling by Kristen Cashore.
Here's a description (I hand typed it because I couldn't find it online, so any typo's are mine. Without further ado, the description:

His eyes. Kasta had never seen such eyes. One was silver and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and strange. She was surprised that they hadn’t shown in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn’t seem human…
Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell. Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join he would be disappointed.
In a world where people born with an extreme skill --- called a grace --- are feared and exploited, Kasta carries the burden of a grace that even she despises: the grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him. Until one day, when she rebels.
....................................

Additionally, ANYTHING by Tamora Pierce is a good bet. Much like JK Rowling with Harry Potter, Pierce's writing aged with her readers, so (while all of her books are enjoyable to me, a 21 year old) her more recent books are targeted at an older audience than her first novels.
......................................
I truely hope I helped, but if you don't like the sound of any of those then I don't want to leave you suggestion-less and with nothing to read (a terrible fate)

These links take the guess work out of choosing a book; they will match you and your preferences to a book that covers what you like to read about.

Enter a book you like and the site will analyse its database of real readers' favourite books (over 32,000 and growing) to suggest what you could read next.

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

http://tastekid.com/

http://goodreads.com/

http://www.gnod.net/

http://www.allconsuming.net/

Good luck finding a book, and happy reading!

 

[doggoneit]

Anything by Mike Resnick (sci-fi) and Sara Douglass (fantasy). They know their genres all right-- I haven't read a lot of sci-fi books but I'm an avid fantasy fan and I'd say Sara Douglass is queen of fantasy and worldbuilding.

 

[bgsonify]

I, Robot

 

[RoseD]

The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
The Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (they're borderline, but have some fantasy elements)
Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere is a good place to start
14 by Peter Clines
The Fall of Ile-Rien series by Martha Wells
Sheri S Tepper - I personally like Grass, but most of her work is good

 

[CameliKoi]

I don't pay too much attention to Top 100, Best Sellers, etc... So, I hope not too many of my suggestions are off of those types of lists. I also hope you find at least one thing on my list that you can enjoy!

I agree with the user above that mentioned Neil Gaiman (if you haven't read any of his work already.) I would suggest starting with the book American Gods, though.

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett (1st book in the Demon Cycle series)
Green Rider by Kristen Britain (1st book in the Green Rider series)
Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe (1st book in the Winds of the Forelands series)
The Iron Tree by Cecilia Dart-Thornton (1st book in the Crowthistle Chronicles)
Maledicte by Lane Robins (1st book in the Antyre series)
The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock
The Warlock in Spite of Himself by Christopher Stasheff (1st book in the Warlock of Gramarye)
Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan (1st book in the Riyria Revelations)
The River Kings' Road by Laine Merciel (1st book in the Ithelas series)
Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon (1st book in the Matthew Corbett series. Fantasy/Mystery/Historical Fiction all rolled into one.)
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flangan (1st book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. Young Adult, but a great/fun series)
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (1st book in the Gentleman Bastard series)
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub (1st book in the Talisman series)
The Gunslinger by Stephen King (1st book in the Dark Tower series)
The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (1st book in the Watch series)
The Wayfarer Redemption by Sara Douglass (1st book in the Wayfarer Redemption seres.)
Brooklyn Knight by C.J. Henderson (1st book in the Piers Knight series. - The Dresden files is one of my favorite series, at least in my top 10, I enjoyed this series, but it's too close to the Dresden files for some.)
Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (1st book in the The Sword of Truth series. It's VERY similar to The Wheel of time series, not only in the subject, but also in the fact that after a handful of books it goes down hill, but the first 5 or 6 are good reads!)


Also worth checking out:
Faerie Tale by Raymond Elias Feist
The Mammoth Book of Fantasy All-Time Greats - Anthology by Martin H Greenberg and Robert Silverberg
The Mammoth Book of Fantasy - Anthology by Mike Ashley