I really enjoy books that delve deeply into lore, specifically in almost a textbook style. I don’t really have to read the original book/series to enjoy it, as long as it’s in a chapter form instead of an encyclopedia/appendix form.
I have read and enjoyed some books that are more akin to lore novels, like Fire and Blood by George RR Martin, but I much prefer informational text about the world rather than a focus on characters, such as The World of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. I don’t mind if they’re written from a character’s pov, though, such as a character writing a book in canon.
A short list of books like this that I’ve enjoyed:
– Miss Peregrine’s Museum of Wonders by Random Riggs (MPHFPC)
– The World of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin (ASOIAF/GOT)
– The Essential Guide series of Star Wars (Star Wars Legends)
– The Silmarillion (LOTR)
– DnD 5e campaign books, specifically Ravenloft (DnD 5e)
– The Twilight Illustrated Guide (Twilight)
I also do like looking into theories in lore. One of my favorite YouTube channels, David Lightbringer, tears ASOIAF/GOT to shreds and always surprises me with how well some of his theories work out despite only a few lines of evidence (best example is that the Doom was an inside job). The books I’ve read previously may touch on a theory here and there, but don’t typically go into detail. A good example is Miss Peregrine briefly touches on a theory about hollowgasts, but doesn’t share anymore than the basis of the theory.
Let me know if you have any recommendations! And again, I truly don’t care if I haven’t read the source material. I actually think it would be kind of funny if I didn’t.
by improbablyoutofdata