Books with themes akin to the Thief universe

Tej on 5/1/2008 at 22:06

I have just finished reading The Virtu, the second book in the series of the Sarah Monette's works. The story is set in a world not very much different from the one Garett is taffing in, and we follow two characters, a wizard and a cat thief. Reading certain passages reminded me a lot about the atmosphere of the Thief games. The author has her own (http://www.sarahmonette.com/) web page, and if you would like to get a taste of them, there are also the first four chapters of the books, but make sure you start with Mélusine.

I was wondering whether there are any other books out there with similar stories.

Zillameth on 5/1/2008 at 22:29

"Perdido Street Station" by China Mieville has some great concepts and descriptions of a huge city ruled by corrupted elite, and terrorised by a very well organised and devoted militia. It's set in a world of industrial revolution, rather than medium ages, and it doesn't revolve around the conflict of order and chaos, nor does it feature a master thief. But I think you might find it just as dark and socially gritty as the game is, with fair amount of spookiness.

jtr7 on 6/1/2008 at 00:11

Terry Pratchett's a Thief fan, and Thiefy bits are worked in, but I haven't read his books to know more than that.

Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy has elements that bring a smile to a Thief fan's face, though the books are different than you are led to think going in.

A Canticle for Leibowitz, William M. Miller, Jr., post-apocalyptic monks rebuilding civilization and technology from scraps found in collapsed city structures. And that's just act one, "Fiat Homo" (Let There Be Man).

There are the books that inspired some maps and story elements of the games, listed here a couple times a year:
The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco. The feel, the puzzles, the time period, the unfolding mystery, the monks, the Inquisitor, and the buildings. Hammerite and Keeper inspiration.
The Dying Earth stories, particularly Cugel's Saga, by Jack Vance. The Trickster's demise, for one, and a blending of science and magic.
Lewis Carroll's writings.
Fritz Leiber's stories, particularly any adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.

Beleg Cúthalion on 6/1/2008 at 19:33

I thought of Eco, too, and this book is really worth reading. It gives an interesting history lesson about heretics and is also an intelligent crime novel. It's not entirely thievy, though, but I guess no book will be like that. Personally I also like Arsène-Lupin-series of Maurice Leblanc, but it is 19th/20th century France and more like Sherlock Holmes (who is, by the way, featured as Herlock Sholmes) than the dystopic atmosphere of Thief.

Zillameth, I found some good Amazon reviews about the Perdido Street Station and think about having a closer look. Thanks. ;)

Zillameth on 6/1/2008 at 23:33

"Perdido Street Station" is kind of famous among fantasy/science-fiction fans, although a bit overhyped in my opinion. The flow of the story could be better, and I'm not quite delighted with how characters are developed. But Mieville is definitely a talented worldbuilder with a lot of imagination. Buying his books is a relatively safe bet.

There are two follow-ups: "The Scar" and "Iron Council". I've read the former and enjoyed it. It's more mature than "Perdido Street Station", if a little slow paced (which is something I personally don't mind).

"The Name of the Rose" is a book I recall as some very, very good reading. I can see how it could inspire the guys at Looking Glass, but I'm not sure if it really has that much to do with Thief. There is the Library, of course, but not much else. It's in large part a book about the nature of faith, something that Thief only mentions in passing.

Since we're already talking about Eco, his "Foucault's Pendulum" is compulsory reading for all fans of Deus Ex. :D But I feel obliged to warn potential readers, that it doesn't offer much in terms of "action".

Melan on 7/1/2008 at 07:39

Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar stories, featuring two rogues named Ffahrd and The Grey Mouser, are probably the original source of the kind of sinful metropolis the Thief games are set in, and of the characters which populate it. I highly recommend them, starting with Ill Met in Lankhmar.

CheeseshireCat on 7/1/2008 at 10:30

"Sanctuary" series written in collaboration by different authors and IIRC orchestrated by R. Asprin spring to mind. Same kind of everything piled together, all hells breaking loose and stuff of power jumpin in and out of everyone's possessions with ease

Beleg Cúthalion on 7/1/2008 at 12:02

Quote Posted by Zillameth

Since we're already talking about Eco, his "Foucault's Pendulum" is compulsory reading for all fans of Deus Ex. :D But I feel obliged to warn potential readers, that it doesn't offer much in terms of "action".

The major thing about this one is that it made a joke of Dan-Brown-bore books even twenty years before he entered the stage.

But I think the link between Name of the Rose and LG was rather constructed via the movie, which has an intelligent way of rising tension and is – that would be close to The City – rather dark, dangerous and pessimistic.

Flux on 7/1/2008 at 12:49

Quote:

The major thing about this one is that it made a joke of Dan-Brown-bore books even twenty years before he entered the stage.

So true...try to tell it to Dan Brown fans, they will butcher you up:weird:

Beleg Cúthalion on 8/1/2008 at 11:42

Something else: Kafka and authors from the (black-) romanticism period wrote rather dark, melancholic and - in the case of Kafka - quite nightmarish pieces, if I may say so. I cannot recall any of his stories with a clear city element at the moment, but in fact you could place them everywhere.

Concerning the black-romanticisim authors, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._T._A._Hoffmann) ETA Hoffmann wrote some stuff like the "Sandman(n)" (don't know about good English translations, though), even with small steampunk elements (a robot lady), and overall rather mystical. If there was not so much fervidness, it would be a little bit close to Poe or something. Again, this is not really thief-like, but the high quality should even this out.