Finished reading.

I'm trying to organize a listing of my entire finished reading-catalogue, with the appropriate RMS grade listed. If there are reviews, I'll put up a link to them as well. The list will be filed from highest RMS to lowest.

Perdido Street Station (9.5)
Written by China Miéville
Published by Tor Books
Total page count of 880 pages

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville is, to date, the finest work I've read by any author featured on this blog. The scope, the detail, the world-building, everything is simply as close to perfection as you could ask for. The story starts off close and personal and then erupts wildly and furiously into an almost all-encompassing crescendo where you kind of just barely hang on until Miéville ties everything together beautifully. Tragically and triumphantly all at the same time.

Deadhouse Gates (9.2)
Written by Steven Erikson
Published by Bantam
Total page count of 960 pages

Deadhouse Gates is the second book in Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. For a long period of time in my life, starting out nearly eleven years ago (june 2001) with Gardens of the Moon, Steven Erikson was my house god. I still can't find many faults with his earlier novels, the sheer scope and the ease with which he drew fantastic vistas and amazing prose is apparent nowhere better than in Deadhouse Gates. This is where we see Coltaine's Chain of Dogs and the Wickans as well as being the first time we meet the timeless duo of Mappo Trell and Icarium. The grandness hinted at in Gardens of the Moon was fulfilled and elaborated upon in this the second, and the greatest, book in the series.

Lankhmar: Tales of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (8.8)
Written by Fritz Leiber
Published by White Wolf Publishing
Total page count of 300 pages

With Fritz Leiber you get mostly each and every essential part of a fantastic adventure in abundance. I often cite Glen Cook as one of the greatest authors active now for his outstanding ability to consequently put out quality writing with both elaborate characters, grand world-building as well as extraordinary storytelling. Fritz Leiber is his given predecessor.
The world of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and specifically the city of Lankhmar, has inspired so many of today's writers it's almost uncanny. From a city richly veined in history and flavour, fantastically realized characters as well as adventures (long and short) ranging from an eerie rendevouz with faith to a swashbuckling adventure at the bottom of the sea.
In his work you'll find where Steven Erikson found the inspiration for his K'ell Hunters of the K'Chain Che'Malle.

The Black Company (8.5)
Written by Glen Cook
Published by Tor Books
Total page count of 320 pages

While I couldn't make room for Glen Cook at the top of this list, he was certain to feature somewhere close to the top as soon as I finished the Black Company for the first time. Cited as one of the main inspirations for Bungie's Myth: the Fallen Lords I was never going to pass up the opportunity once I found them in bookstores. The Black Company is Cook's first novel about the dark and gruesome mercenary company fighting for the highest bidder without questioning the moral rights.
Cook is extraordinary in his ability to flesh out a world, dozens of characters and a story that refuses to release it's hold. Croaker, the Lady and the rest of the cast are people that will be with you for a long time, even if Cook might have a habit of dealing rather cold-heartedly with them.
You will see him touted as the father of the now oh so popular dark and gritty fantasy with heroes and villains both treading a narrow line of right and wrong.