> By China Mieville. <br>> <br>> Then go back to Brooks and try his most recent series, which is post-apocalyptic, starting with Armageddon's Children. <br>> <br>> Then, to toss in a bit of cyberpunk, I'd suggest Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson is a good one, too. <br>> <br>> Now, to answer your first question about better fantasy in general, see my post below.