# Any Good Fantasy?



## K-P

When I was younger I loved the Dragonlance books. I gobbled them up like chocolate icecream. But, now when I look at one I can only think: God, someone got paid to write this crap?

This sucks, because I like the whole idea of fantasy. I really want to read a good sword and sorcery story. Every time I try, though, I nearly throw up (exaggeration) at all the feeble attempts at new languages and names that are simply three or four syllables pulled randomly from a hat and tossed on the page.

Are there any solid fantasy books out there?

And, before you ask, I _didn't_ like the Lord of the Rings (the books). Well, that's not entirely true; I _did_ like the series, except when Tolkien would go off on a tangest every two pages describing all the blades of grass and the trees and the hills and the lake, and where the waters of the lake flowed too, and what the Dwarves were doing and how they so enjoyed their picnicks with their bologna sandwiches and their flag-football games against the trolls. By the time he'd finished I had already forgotten what the hell was going on.


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## Mike C

I have the book for you;

The Malacian Tapestry by Brian Aldiss. It takes the familiar fantasy elements but uses them to tell a real story. Literate fantasy. It's so damn good that if you lived nearby I'd be on your doorstep shouting through the letterbox at you, offering to lend my copy. Possibly (definitley in my own humble opinion) the best fantasy novel ever written.

Second on the list is Gloriana, by Michael Moorcock. Taking Elizabeth 1 as a starting point and weaving the faery queen into the mix he comes up with a tale of suspense, intrigue and political machinations that is totally awesome. Not quite historical fiction, not standard fantasy, it's totally unique.


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## BeL

I was thinking about this yesterday, fantasy book standards are very very low  There's Tolkien, there's Moorcock (elrick is fantastic) and afaik, that's pretty much it. I've read a multitude of other fantasy books ,(the list ending with The Wheel of Time, which is *SO* very bad) and I must say that I'm quite disapointed.

I'm looking forward to see recomendations...

That's all, 
MG


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## Stewart

Mike C said:
			
		

> Second on the list is Gloriana, by Michael Moorcock. Taking Elizabeth 1 as a starting point and weaving the faery queen into the mix he comes up with a tale of suspense, intrigue and political machinations that is totally awesome. Not quite historical fiction, not standard fantasy, it's totally unique.


 
Although I've never read it, I don't know about it being unique. Umberto Eco's _Baudolino_ mixed the history of the Holy Roman Empire with the myth of Prester John. The story brought in all manner of fantasy creatures, as written by such historical figures as Sir John Mandeville: blemmyae, cynocephaloids, giants, satyrs, and more. For some reason, many seem to think it's Eco's worst, but they are usually the ones who expect it to be some serious piece of historical fiction with contemporary leanings. They also are the ones who rarely read it to the end. It's a great work.


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## Stewart

Bel, while not my cup of tea, have you tried China Mieville?


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## Beardedtroll

Well, there's the Earthsea books by Le Guin, Mieville's steam-industrial fantasy, Leiber's books about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, "The Once and Future King" by White,  Howard's sword and sorcery books (Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane), Zelazny's Amber books (at least the earliest), Beagle's "The Last Unicorn", Lewis' Narnia books, Gavriel Kay's "Tigana" and Theis' "The Eye of Argon" (I'm kidding, I'm kidding!). Not everything is likely to be to your liking, but you should find something there you like.

Personally, I'm partial to Cherryh's Morgaine books and Glen Cook's Garret books and the first half of his Black Company series.


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## A_MacLaren

There's always the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, starting with Gardens of the Moon. Complex, but mostly believable and very well written.


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## Dephere

Here is many, many choices for you to choose from:

Fantasy


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## Wisp

Shade's Children- Is my absolute fantasy book. It's by Garth Nix. Everyone should read it.


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## Pawn

Dephere's link is a good point of call. To recap what I almost certainly said there:

George R. R. Martin spins an excellent epic. Grander in scale than the God forsaken Wheel of Time and solidly, if not luminously, written. Robin Hobb is, of the many fantasy authors I have sampled, the best _writer_. Her stories are character driven, as well constructed and written as any work of common fiction, set in a unique fantasy environment.


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## Dephere

Oh, yes, I second George R.R. Martin....His books are thoroughly fantastic, definitely one of the best....!!!! His character development is simply sublime!


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## Anguirus2005

Try something by George RR. Martin, China Mieville, or Robin Hobb.


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## Rory

I recommend very highly Steven Erikson..of course if you don't like epic fantasy that uses very complex language and is over a thousand pages per book then you won't like him. If you're into that sort of stuff, then start with Gardens Of The Moon

Raymond E. Feist is a personal favourite of mine...awesome writer, one of the best fantasy worlds out there. Start with Magician.


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## Pawn

Rory said:
			
		

> Raymond E. Feist is a personal favourite of mine...awesome writer, one of the best fantasy worlds out there. Start with Magician.



I'd hardly describe him as an 'awesome writer'. His books are more plain good fun.


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## Rory

Pawn said:
			
		

> I'd hardly describe him as an 'awesome writer'. His books are more plain good fun.



He's one of my personal favourites, and yes, while he is not the greatest technical writer, his books are, as you said, fun, but he's also created an excellent world. I don't know, I just really like him. To me he's awesome.


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## blademasterzzz

He's alright. Fun. 
As for great worlds, read Roger Zhelazny's Amber series. Now there's an amazing world. Pity the books are hard to find.


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## Beardedtroll

blademasterzzz said:
			
		

> He's alright. Fun.
> As for great worlds, read Roger Zhelazny's Amber series. Now there's an amazing world. Pity the books are hard to find.



The Amber books were republished in an omnibus volume some years ago, and is still available.

(Personally, I didn't much care for the latter books in the series. They just seemed rather pointless and not really going anywhere.)


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## FollowingShadow

My question is rather off topic, but relevant (I think):

What does everyone think of Robert Jordan? I read the whole series up til the last book before he wrote the prequel and I really enjoyed it, other than the fact that he left the entire series up in the air by the last issue. It seems like no one enjoys him very much.

(I'd recommend some of my favorite fantasy, but the last one I've read was actually Robert Jordan's book. I've tried to pick up some others, but in vain. They were just stupid.)


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## Pawn

Jordan is perhaps the worst contemporary fantasy writer.


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## BeL

> Jordan is perhaps the worst contemporary fantasy writer.


 Ever.


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## Walker Pierce

Erase the perhaps and I'll third that with vigor.

I would recommend Quicksilver. I can't remember who it's by at the moment, as I borrowed it from a friend. But it is, in my opinion, an extrememly enjoyable read.


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## The Space Cowboy

I've always been a fan of Terry Brooks fantasy series. He has several out and they're all pretty entertaining. I havent read any recently enough to give an honest opinion about his method of writing. I do recall him being a good read however. *Thumbs up*


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## petitions author

*Magical Kingdom For Sale. By Terry Brooks. CO 1986*

Hi, Believe it or not, this is a really strange, but fantastic read. 
The story starts out with a guy in New York reading ads in a magazine.
I can't believe how they pulled off this book.
It's really cool. The guy really ends up buying a Magical Kingdom, in modern days. There are all kinds of magical creatures in this book.You might be able to find it at a Library, not sure.

Have a great day! p.a.  :flower:


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## Walker Pierce

I think they hold it in practically every market bookstore country-wide, at least. I've read it, and enjoyed it. An odd read, but still quite enjoyable. I second that recommedation.


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## Hodge

The Landover series was one of my favorites when I was younger. Far better than the Shannara series, I think (although the earlier books in that series are pretty good, too).


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## crash

Walker Pierce said:
			
		

> Erase the perhaps and I'll third that with vigor.
> 
> I would recommend Quicksilver. I can't remember who it's by at the moment, as I borrowed it from a friend. But it is, in my opinion, an extrememly enjoyable read.



Neal Stephenson.  I haven't read _The Baroque Cycle_, but I can vouch for his ability as an author based on _The Diamond Age_ and _Cryptonomicon_.  The former is firmly science fiction, the latter... I can't remember anything science fictiony about it, but it's a ripping good book just the same.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Philip Pullman's _His Dark Materials_ trilogy.  It's usually regarded as a YA series, but I still manage to pick new things out of it every time I give it a read.  It's solid, the prose is a joy to read, and the whole story moves so easily it's like butter.  People often compare it to Harry Potter, but it's much darker and older.


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## The Hooded One

*Well...*

One of my personal sword and sorcery favorites would have to be The Sword The Ring and The Challice. Though altogether I prefer high fantasy(iv read the Wheel of Time series around 7 times).


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## Lucifiel

Wheel of the times? More like Filth of the times. I never made it past the first page! >>;; I've been reading the 2nd book of the Dresden files and I've been utterly bored. I'm going to check out some of the authors in this page instead and also read some Jack Vance(if I can find his books).


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## Endless River

K-P said:
			
		

> And, before you ask, I _didn't_ like the Lord of the Rings (the books). Well, that's not entirely true; I _did_ like the series, except when Tolkien would go off on a tangest every two pages describing all the blades of grass and the trees and the hills and the lake, and where the waters of the lake flowed too, and what the Dwarves were doing and how they so enjoyed their picnicks with their bologna sandwiches and their flag-football games against the trolls. By the time he'd finished I had already forgotten what the hell was going on.


 
That in-depth analysis of the most minute details of each race's lifestyles is what makes The Lord of the Rings so powerful, because you feel like you truely understand the characters and what they're fighting for.  You feel like one of them.  I love the Hobbit, by the way.


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## Endless River

Also, Stephen King's The Dark Tower series and The Eyes of the Dragon are all phenominal fantasy reads.  I haven't finished the Tower series yet, buy I'm starting to get close.  The seven novel series is well worth the investment.


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## KeineAngst

3I think my personal favorite would have to be the Wheel of Time series byr Robert Jordan. I am a series junkie. Theese are pretty solid books with GREAT charecterization and history development, no messy details about physical relationships either, which i like. Also, theres something like 10,000 pages so they will keep you ocupied for a while.


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## FollowingShadow

Whoever suggested Terry Brooks and R.A. Salvatore, I have this to say:

I checked those books out of the library a couple days ago and tried earnestly to read them. I struggled and pondered and concentrated and objected and finally capitulated. I put them down, and IMO they were pure literary poison. I couldn't read those books because I feared that I might get the ridiculous idea that they were good. They were not. So cliche! There was no immediacy, no reality. The fantasy presented to me in both books stuttered and spat surreal bits of narrative that I couldn't wrap my mind around to save my life.

And it bothered me; I actually read another Terry Brooks book, but my tastes must have changed. Fitzgerald once said that the human mind has a good filter of good quality and drivel. I'm starting to believe him.


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## Titania

FollowingShadow, _which_ Terry Brooks book? The first Shannara (Sword of Shannara) is a terrible rip-off of LotR, but there's a couple good ones and the Landover books are rather fun. I agree with you on R.A. Salvatore though.

I'd recommend Landover, and a series I read rather recently which I liked (to my surprise) was the Seven Sons Trilogy by Jennifer Fallon; some interesting political machinations, although it doesn't really have the sorcery half of sword and sorcery.


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## The Hooded One

Lucifiel said:
			
		

> Wheel of the times? More like Filth of the times. I never made it past the first page! >>;; I've been reading the 2nd book of the Dresden files and I've been utterly bored. I'm going to check out some of the authors in this page instead and also read some Jack Vance(if I can find his books).


 
If you didnt make it past the first page then you shouldnt be making any comments. However thats just my opinion.

Sincerely - J.C


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## TheReMonstor

I think it's funny how this keeps working out: First, someone suggests an author and some books, then someone comes along and says "The Wheel of Time".  Then they get yelled at b/c the books suck.  I've only read the first one and I thought _that_ (as well as Shannara like Titania said) was a terrible LotR ripoff.  Whoa, this dagger is like the Ring...Whoa, these Halfmen are like Wraiths...Whoa, this Tree God is like Tree Beard...I could go on forever.  The only thing I did like was the Wolf Brother thing...cuz I'm partial to wolves.

But as far as R.A.Salvatore goes, I started out reading fantasy through him, and yes I read prolly like 20 something of his books.  I think they're good for younger readers (I can't stomach his writing anymore either, got The Highwayman and somehow drudged through it).  But once you sample something like George RR Martin and you've matured as a reader, then you've got to get away from that stuff, i.e., The Forgotten Realms/Dragon Lance/Countless Other Crap Novels Based off 'worlds'.

One of my favorite writers is Mel Odom.  He's not going to blow you away by any means (especially this tough crowd), but I like his style.  He's got a trilogy that starts with *The Rover*, then *The Destruction of the Books*, then *The Lord of the Libraries*.  They follow a Hobbit-esque character named Wick who just wants to be a librarian, but gets caught up in a world-altering plot.  But Odom hits gold in my opinion with this novel:



​
Also, not fantasy, but it's fantastic: Shogun by James Clavell


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## Lucifiel

The Hooded One said:
			
		

> If you didnt make it past the first page then you shouldnt be making any comments. However thats just my opinion.
> 
> Sincerely - J.C


Very well then, I shall take upon your challenge and read it till the end!!!!!


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## J. Bryan Shoup

Read Lord Dunsany before all else.


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## Setreal

Apparently people are quite split about Robert Jordan. He's personally one of my favorite authors but I could understand that some people may not like his work.

I also recommend George R. R. Martin's books as have a few others. I'm also fond of Jacqueline Carey's work, but her Kushiel series may be a bit too sexualy oriented for some.


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## IJS

I've heard great things about Robin Hobb's 'Assassin' series.


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## imrhati

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan is emmacualte, and the Corean Chronicles by... damn can't remember. He wrote Echo and Flash as well he is really good.


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## TheReMonstor

imrhati said:
			
		

> The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan is emmacualte



Lol, see.  Can't wait to see what happens....(Immaculate, btw)


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## Lucifiel

J. Bryan Shoup said:
			
		

> Read Lord Dunsany before all else.


Ahh yessss!!!! My father has some of his books, Jack Vance's and god knows what else. The only thing I have to do is beg him, so I can dig them out.


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## pride.in.introspection

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. No doubt many others have recommended the same. 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553573403/sr=8-1/qid=1143514167/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-2275266-3854230?%5Fencoding=UTF8
That will definitely convince you.
Go read it.


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## stereomuse

looking at my book shelf right now, i see three series worth mentioning.Phillip Pulman's _His Dark Materials_, Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, and tawny man trilogy (i haven't read the liveship traders trilogy yet but i plan on doing it after i finish the Tawny man series, i just wanted to see what happened to fitz, haha), and my favorite series of all time, George rr martin's _A Song of Ice and Fire_ series., Pure genious, the man knows how towrite a god damn story.


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## Anarachysjustpeachy

I'm reading Gifts by Ursula Le' Gynn now, I think. It's really good.


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## wowzer77

The Shannara Series by Terry Brooks is the best fantasy series I have ever read.  You've got everything in those books.  Civilizations like the gnomes, elves, humans, dwarves, trolls...Huge armies battling and sieging walled kingdoms...druids who teach the magic of old...and lot's of twists in the storyline and surprises about the origins of the setting, which is plainly called "The Four Lands"--a breath of fresh air after so many fantasy books naming their worlds "blah-blah-ia".  If you are looking for fantasy that's a little less cliche though, I'd recommend the Redwall books by Brian Jacques..They may come across as a little childish at first but are very good, moving books nevertheless.


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## XandrilZaax

Yeah, I really liked the Redwall books when I was younger. They got a little unoriginal about six or seven books in though...same plot as the last one, etc, but nevertheless good reads if you're looking for something easy and generally well-written.


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## mierkan

I will put in my word for Feist. Mostly due to the fact that he knows his world, and his characters, but he doesn't force feed the details to you. Yes, his latter books are starting to fall off, however, if you really get into the characters, then you can find the enjoyable in them. Either Start with Magician: Master/Apprentice (sometimes two books, or you can find it in one book as he originally meant it to be) *or* with King's Buccanneer. That is the book that drew me into him (found in a Waldenbooks discount stack many years ago now).

As for the offering of Quicksilver: I have read the entire Baroque Cycle by Stephenson, after having read Cryptonomicon. I enjoyed all immensely, but I find it hard to place those books into "fantasy". They are historical fiction, and have a bit of the mystical in them, but I can't quite managed to dip them into this realm. However, still, very good reads if you can follow the 3 to 4 story lines at a time angle.

mierkan


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## Santa

Lord of the Rings

Greatest piece of fantasy ever written.


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## Sephiroth

TheReMonstor said:
			
		

> I think it's funny how this keeps working out: First, someone suggests an author and some books, then someone comes along and says "The Wheel of Time".  Then they get yelled at b/c the books suck.  I've only read the first one and I thought _that_ (as well as Shannara like Titania said) was a terrible LotR ripoff.  Whoa, this dagger is like the Ring...Whoa, these Halfmen are like Wraiths...Whoa, this Tree God is like Tree Beard...I could go on forever.  The only thing I did like was the Wolf Brother thing...cuz I'm partial to wolves.



Robert Jordan admitted that the Lord of the Rings was a big influence, yes Halfmen are like wraiths...the dagger is like the Ring, but its not a major focus point of the story. many other books follow the same structure...with uncrowned kings and what not and all that jazz.
If you actually bother to read the rest of the books, you'll see how wrong you are when you say its just a Tolkein rip off.

Actually, no, you're right the entire Wheel of Time rips off Tolkein
Ishamael is a rip off Sauron
Bella the Horse is a rip off of Shadowfax
The grass in Andor is a rip off of the grass in Gondor
They use swords in the WHeel of TIme...Jordan must have ripped of Tolkein with that too.


Stop complaining and read the whole series before you bash it for being a rip off.


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## CZ

Sephiroth said:
			
		

> Stop complaining and read the whole series before you bash it for being a rip off.



That's impossible. The author is not done with the series, and since Robert Jordan's got a terminal illness now, there's questions as to whether he'll be able to wrap it all up.

I mostly agree with you in principle, however: I think fantasy is a pretty narrow genre, so there's bound to be similar aspects... I don't think it can be said that Ishamael = Sauron or Loial = Treebeard... they're not carbon copies of each other.  Still, there's going to be comparisons to Tolkien with just about everything.


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## kalibantre

surely they shouldn't have to read the whole series to like/judge something.

You judge books based on what their blurbs say because thats what they're designed to do. If you don't want to read the next in the series because of the first one then you shouldn't have to to know you odn't like the book for whatever reason.

Tolkien made fantasy the genre it is today, not singlehandedly but he put it on the map. So there re similarities and if you see that and it puts you off so what? Sephiroth, original name by the way, why should you judge people for judging book when that is partially what they are designed to do.

Elves were not the elves likelegolas before the 1950's because tolkien and I think one other author who;s name has escaped me both wrote about them around the same time and the world lapped it up. That is the only definition of an elf people will except now. Tolkien affect fantasy in a way very few writers have done with any other genre, it's just the way if it so of course we will draw comparisons. Just as people draw comparisons between other works of literature.

If it make you think the second booj is unorignal you wont want to read it. Who in the world stands in a bookshop and reads a blurb thinks, "hmm this sounds very familair to another book i've read.. could it be a rip off? oh well I should read all 3/7/ hoever may before I judge it" no one, because it's ridiculous.

You took a very personal response to that comment and it reflects badly upon you. maybe you should have just pointed out the books qualities...


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## TheReMonstor

Sephiroth said:
			
		

> Actually, no, you're right the entire Wheel of Time rips off Tolkein.  Ishamael is a rip off Sauron.  Bella the Horse is a rip off of Shadowfax.  The grass in Andor is a rip off of the grass in Gondor.  They use swords in the WHeel of TIme...Jordan must have ripped of Tolkein with that too.
> 
> Stop complaining and read the whole series before you bash it for being a rip off.


Listen.  We all know that Tolkien has more or less laid the ground work for the fantasy genre as it exists today.  Naturally, Tolkien has influenced anyone interested in writing the genre, so of course there'll be similarities, and inevitably comparisons to works of fantasy to Tolkien's world.  But, these "similiarities" you point out are more than just that.

Wraiths/Half-Men: Um, okay, both shrouded in black, both once humans, both in the service of a dark lord, both can feel/sense their prey, both are very hard to be killed.  Similar?  I'd say there's a little more than that.  It feels like Jordan thought, "Hey, I need an antagonist kinda like the Wraiths," but instead of trying to be original, he more or less copied.  How can you dispute that?

Ring/Dagger: Both items of great power/enhanced magically, both have a negative effect on the possesor, both wearers of the items are warped/changed mentally and physically, both wearers refuse to let go of the item.  Yeah, you said the difference between the two is the dagger isn't a main focus, and yeah, you're right, but the only difference it seems is that ones a knife ones a ring.  Okay, Mat needed a storyline of his own for some reason, but why have it so closely resemble that of Frodo's?

Lan/Aragorn: both the main warriors, both uncrowned kings.  'Nuff said.  I mean c'mon!  It's downright ridiculous.  Yeah, they're character's different.  Lan is more-or-less flat and shrouded in mystery and very gruff which makes him different, but why have the mirror storyline of Strider?

There's so many different, smaller, less similar things in the first book that just scream, "Hey!  I made a shitload of money by using unoriginal ideas!".  Don't get me wrong.  I think he's a decent author as far as telling a story, but I guess that's not hard when you don't have to think as hard.  As far as original, the only thing I thought was original was Perrin's storyline w/ the Wolfbrother.  I really liked that part, and one of the main reason's was b/c it wasn't a rip-off (at least that I know of).

Bottom line, the first book isn't a good enough groundwork for me to pick up the rest of the series.  It's just not.  And there's no denying that not only are the bulk of Jordan's elements similar, at the core, they're nearly identical.  Look at R.R. Martin for instance.  You'd be hard-pressed to find anything like Tolkien's stuff in his books, especially as blanant as in WoT.



			
				kalibantre said:
			
		

> Sephiroth, original name by the way...


LOL!  Good call, not a huge surprise you're a fan of WoT.


			
				kalibantre said:
			
		

> maybe you should have just pointed out the books qualities...


Which are few and far between for a series of what, 9, 10 books?  Personally, I don't see the need for so many books.  If it takes you that long to tell a frickin' story, somethings wrong.


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## Sephiroth

yes, yes everyone is entitled to their opinions, but why do people seem to use the Wheel of Time as a focus when they talk about unoriginality....it's a sad fact that most of the whole fantasy genre is unoriginal. I will agree with you  TheReMonstor on the comment about the number of books...because theres so many it's just damn silly, with book 10 being completely redundant in my mind.
In my opinion, one of the truely original authors in the genre is Ian Irvine; his stories don't even revolve around the fantasy cliche of good vs. evil

And back to the actual thread....I don't know if this is the kind of 'fantasy' you want but 'American Gods' by Neil Gaimann is fantastic.


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## kalibantre

Gaiman only has one n, but he is a fantastic author...  You should check out his graphic novels aswell.


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## Sephiroth

kalibantre said:
			
		

> Gaiman only has one n, but he is a fantastic author...  You should check out his graphic novels aswell.



Yeah I've read the Books of Magic, it was amazing. It's odd how we got onto that after us...well me making a fuss about unoriginality; does anyone else notice similarities between a certain Mrs. Rowlings character and errr..whats his name...Tim Hunter I think from the Books of Magic


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## kalibantre

I havent read it so I can't comment. but I'm fairly sure Gaiman will have written a much better character as harry potter is an appalling series of books. but we'll not discuss that here.


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## Syren

I really dug American Gods, but Neverwhere was even better. Sandman of course was his best work 

GRR is a great read, WoT was yummy but a bit on the long side for me... good stuff in it though. Eddings will always be a favorite, the Mallorean is way up on my list. Weis, Hickman, Hobbs, McCaffrey - too many good ones to name.

Elminster is a great series, Ed Greenwood. Richard Baker has a series called "Last Mythal" which I enjoyed a lot, last book forthcoming. Salvatore has some of the best action sequences written... Philip Athans did well on his Baldurs Gate series.... tons of good stuff out there.. too much to list!

//Sy


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## kalibantre

I'm learning so much from this thread, I stopped reading fantasy a long time ago, I think I'll raid my sisters shelves, after i've read dorian gray.. again!

Sandman was by far Gaiman's best creation. Just read anansi boys which is extremely entertaining. he has a special mind.. need to get my hands on american gods.. I think this summer i will spend reading in parks


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## Sephiroth

I read the preview of Anansai Boys at the end of American Gods, it looks good...my cousin keeps trying to make me read it...so I think I will finally do so.

Oh, and I don't know if this has been mentioned before...by Eddings' 'The Dreamers' series seems to be good. I say 'seems to' because I'm still on the first book...it's a bit simplistic, but it's easy to read.


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## Non Serviam

Non Serviam's Best and Worst Fantasies of All Time list:


_Elric of Melnibone_ et. al., Michael Moorcock
_Imajica_, Clive Barker
_Perdido Street Station_, China Mieville
_The Book of the New Sun_, Gene Wolfe
_The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant_, Stephen Donaldson
_Rats and Gargoyles_, Mary Gentle
_A Wizard of Earthsea_ et. al., Ursula Le Guin
Anything by Terry Pratchett
.
.
.
_The Dark Tower_, Stephen King
(Below this point I'd rather read pre-teen Star Trek fanfiction)
_The Xanth series_, Piers Anthony
Anything by Tad Williams
_The Redemption of Althalus_, David Eddings
(Below this point I'd rather read pre-teen erotic Star Trek fanfiction about furries in which the author writes himself as one of the characters)
_The Wheel of Time_, Robert Jordan
_The Who-Gives-A-Damn of Shannara_, Terry Brooks


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## perseph1ne

So far no one's mentioned a few of my favorites. First there's the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust it starts with the book Jhereg. This series chronicles the life of an assassin. It's pretty well written and often darkly funny. I enjoyed the Magic trilogy by Lackey, Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, Magic's Price. Lackey writes good characters, though I admit I think she gets rather sentimental in places, which I like sometimes, but some people I'm sure don't. I also liked her book It takes a Thief. Both this book and the trilogy are part of her world Valdamir. Some of the books from the Dragonriders of Pern were good, though I sometimes had a hard time getting into Mccaffery's style. Elizabeth Moon writes a good fantasy series that starts with Sheepfarmer's Daughter, but it is heavily into the military. There's a trilogy by Lynn Flewelling that starts with Luck in the Shadows that's pretty entertaining, though admittedly not overly deep. And I'll admit to my guilty pleasure of the Myth series by Asprin that I find funny. 

Perseph1ne


----------



## New Moon

I thought "Tricksters Choice" by Tamora pierce was alright. but not for everyone. and it's a teen book so I don't know if that would suit you. But it might, who knows? you don't like LOTR, so what else can I recomend? er.... "The Hobbit?" hehehe.  it really is a good book, even if it is a childrens book.   People talk about unoriginality in fantasy, but it's pretty rampant in every genre.


----------



## Bika

Clearly, he hasn't been mentioned enough on this thread so allow me to echo Rory's comment - Steven Erikson's Malazan Books of the Fallen - simply amazing.


----------



## Savia

For original fantasy, I of late have been impressed by Gene Wolfe's 'The Wizard Knight' (in some editions subdivided into 'The Knight' and 'The Wizard').  Mythology and epic quest done like no other and with a narrator who is truly endearing and admirable.


----------



## starryskybc

Not sure if someone's written this already, but I LOVE _The Princess Bride_.


----------



## shadowseer

IF nobody's metioned it yet, DAvid and Leigh Edding's the Belgariad and Malloreon series are an awesome read.


----------



## TheReMonstor

Savia said:
			
		

> For *original fantasy*, I of late have been impressed by Gene Wolfe's 'The Wizard Knight' (in some editions subdivided into 'The Knight' and 'The Wizard').  Mythology and *epic quest* done like no other and with a narrator who is truly endearing and admirable.


Couldn't help but notice, but the epic quest is far from original.  Anyways, I've been looking into getting _The Wizard Knight_, it does look awesome.  I read the blurb on the book, and it sounds very adventurous, spanning quite a few places.  The only reason I haven't got it is b/c I have Wolfe's _Shadow & Claw_ book, I guess a sci-fi/fantasy thing, and  I couldn't get past the first 50 pages.  It was very weird and it's not likely I'll ever try to read it again.  So can anyone compare the two to make _The Wizard Knight_ a little more inviting?


----------



## Nichole

Wisp said:
			
		

> Shade's Children- Is my absolute fantasy book. It's by Garth Nix. Everyone should read it.



I personally love almost everything Garth  Nix has written. I would also recommend his Abhorsen series.


----------



## bob rulz

I'm glad some people suggested the Shannara series, although I can see that some people absolutely abhore it. While I can agree that the original _The Sword of Shannara_ is a rip-off of Lord of the Rings, it's still decently well-written and contains tons of adventure, which is what I look for in most books.

The second series though, the Heritage of Shannara series (_The Scions of Shannara, The Druid of Shannara, The Elf Queen of Shannara, The Talisman of Shannara)_ and also the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara series (_Ilse Witch, Antrax, Morgawr)_ are just plain awesome. The latest series, the High Druid of Shannara series, was weak compared to the other ones, and he's mostly lost his storytelling ability. It may be cliched, and I can understand how some people don't like him, but I think the adventure and storytelling is great. The two series that I mentioned are far better than the original _The Sword of Shannara _(_The Elfstones of Shannara _and _The Wishsong of Shannara_ are also better_)._

I also second whoever said the Landover series. That fantasy series is just plain awesome and fairly original (at least, pretty original compared to a lot of fantasy). Terry Brooks is one of my favorite authors, so I'd suggest trying out what I said. If you find him too cliched, that's okay, but if you can overlook that he's a great storyteller and makes some great characters. I would also suggest his Word & the Void series. That's a pretty good series, but I'm not sure if it could really be considered fantasy (been a long time since I read them).

As one of my friends said: "Terry Brooks is a bad writer, but a great storyteller." Well, I don't agree that he's a bad writer. He's certainly not the greatest, but he's not bad, although he did nail the storyteller part. He's a great storyteller.


----------



## Hodge

Landover rocks. I do love the original Shannara series, too, which is only a ripoff insofar as it uses a similar formula to LOTR... The Shannara series takes place far in the future, though, which is just so cool when you think about where it really takes place (where it would be in the present).

I read Knight of the Word series and I thought it was pretty good, but not all THAT good. It just didn't do it for me, although I've never been a fan of urban fantasy.


----------



## bob rulz

Hodge said:
			
		

> Landover rocks.


 
Indeed it does.



			
				Hodge said:
			
		

> I do love the original Shannara series, too, which is only a ripoff insofar as it uses a similar formula to LOTR...


 
True. The original _series_ expands upon the LotR formula, although the original _Sword of Shannara_ does copy the LotR, although I've always liked the sword itself. It's not just some superweapon that makes them all-powerful or invincible or whatever. You've gotta give Terry Brooks credit for that.



			
				Hodge said:
			
		

> The Shannara series takes place far in the future, though, which is just so cool when you think about where it really takes place (where it would be in the present).


 
Yeah, I've always loved that. How many of the Shannara books have you read?



			
				Hodge said:
			
		

> I read Knight of the Word series and I thought it was pretty good, but not all THAT good. It just didn't do it for me, although I've never been a fan of urban fantasy.


 
I'm honestly not sure how much I'd like them if I read them now; like I said, it's been a long time since I read them. From what I remember it was pretty good, though. Present-day "hidden" fantasy (but nothing like Harry Potter).


----------



## Hodge

I've read the original series, the Heritage series, and _The First King of Shannara_. I think my favorite was actually _The Elfstones of Shannara_ because of Death... But to tell the truth, I don't remember much of the series.


----------



## Jheppeto

Well I'm afraid I have to admit that I liked the Wheel Of Time series, I can appreciate that some of you really, really don't like it. Everyone has their own opinions. 

I see no-one has mentioned Trudi Canavan so I though she was worth a mention, I enjoyed reading her Black Magicain Trilogy, and am enjoying the beginning of the next. Orson Scott Card is another author I like, I've read Ender's Game a few times now. 

Darren Shan is another one, I think these books are for the younger person but I found them really enjoyable, but I did read them last year so I was only 16. However I will recomend them.

So far I have read up to the Wolves Of Calla in Stephen King' The Dark Tower series, and I have found them to be god books. Another book from Stephen King I enjoyed was Hearts in Altantis.

I could go on but I'll restrain myself from writing about every author I've read so far.


----------



## TheReMonstor

Ender's Game is more of a Sci-Fi book, but it is great none-the-less.


----------



## Savia

TheReMonstor said:
			
		

> Couldn't help but notice, but the epic quest is far from original.  Anyways, I've been looking into getting _The Wizard Knight_, it does look awesome.  I read the blurb on the book, and it sounds very adventurous, spanning quite a few places.  The only reason I haven't got it is b/c I have Wolfe's _Shadow & Claw_ book, I guess a sci-fi/fantasy thing, and  I couldn't get past the first 50 pages.  It was very weird and it's not likely I'll ever try to read it again.  So can anyone compare the two to make _The Wizard Knight_ a little more inviting?



Sorry for the confusion; what I mean from my statement is that his take on the epic quest is very original, and that he makes it feel like the first time you've read the genre all over again.  Although I've not read the other book you mention, but I can at least say that the sci-fi element isn't present in 'The Wizard Knight'.  The seven-tiered world is rich and well-mixed, with a great feel and variety of races, beliefs, and mythology.

Also, it's a great book for imagination- both the author's and also for the reader's, as it conjures up in minimal description a whole plethora of fantastic vistas, cultures, people, and events.

Sufficed to say, I'm a fan : p


----------



## Mike C

Non Serviam said:
			
		

> Non Serviam's Best and Worst Fantasies of All Time list:
> 
> 
> _Elric of Melnibone_ et. al., Michael Moorcock
> _Imajica_, Clive Barker
> _Perdido Street Station_, China Mieville
> _The Book of the New Sun_, Gene Wolfe
> _The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant_, Stephen Donaldson
> _Rats and Gargoyles_, Mary Gentle
> _A Wizard of Earthsea_ et. al., Ursula Le Guin
> Anything by Terry Pratchett






I'd mostlu agree, although I'd move The book of the new sun up, and Thos Covenant out (The guy is so fucking MISERABLE!).

If you like those, let me heartily recommend:

West of Eden, Harry Harrison - a million miles away from the Stainless Steel rat, and truly epic and

The Malacian Tapestry, Brian Aldiss (I keep mentioning it, and will until everyone's read it and acknowledged it's brilliance)


----------



## Polartch

I think that _any_, well, almost any, of R.A.Salvatore's works are wonderful. Just my opinion on this.


----------



## Dark Empress Zerai

BeL said:
			
		

> I was thinking about this yesterday, fantasy book standards are very very low  There's Tolkien, there's Moorcock (elrick is fantastic) and afaik, that's pretty much it. I've read a multitude of other fantasy books ,(the list ending with The Wheel of Time, which is *SO* very bad) and I must say that I'm quite disapointed.
> 
> I'm looking forward to see recomendations...
> 
> That's all,
> MG


 



Well, i don't know if anyone has brought this up, but if you're looking for humorous fantasy, look for Patricia C. wrede and Tamora Pierce.


----------



## Leyline

Brilliant non-heroic, non-epic modern fantasy: 

Magic For Beginners

Stranger Things Happen

Both by Kelly Link. One of the most talented and original voices in short fiction today, and both available for free download under Creative Commons license.

In Magic, make sure you read "The Hortlak", "Lull" and "Catskin". In Stranger, standouts include "Flying Lessons", "Travels With The Snow Queen" and "Most Of My Friends Are Two Thirds Water".

Weird, beautiful, usually funny, sometimes tragic. The real stuff.


----------



## Ungood

Well what may or may not be good is up in the air. 

However, here are some bad: 

"Orc's" simply put, it sucked. 

Empress starts strong, but, by the final chapters it cringed down into, "Oh god learn where to end a story lady!" The other books might be better, but I just haven't got the heart to read them.


----------



## moderan

Lord Dunsany, Arthur Machen, Robert W Chambers, Clark Ashton Smith. If you like fantasy, you owe it to yourself to get acquainted with these seminal authors. Dunsany and Smith especially have many volumes of spectacular writings, of Pegana, of Zothique...


----------



## Non Serviam

I can't believe that I wrote a list of the best fantasies and I failed to mention Zelazny.

*hangs his head in shame*


----------



## moderan

It's Ok, Serv...even if Roger Zelazny has Chuck Norrislike powers for the literary set, he passed some time ago
I forgot Robert Holdstock, who has a nice line of fantasies out.


----------



## esquedublieu

*You want good fantasy?*

That depends on your definition of good. I've read most of the books that people have listed, and the assessments are pretty accurate, because unless the books are all crap, they all appeal to different tastes.

My taste is: I prefer female writers because they tend to add more character psychology and kick-ass female characters. I like male writers who seriously redefine and expand the genre they write in. I believe first books are like first loves, kind of shallow, but a really good jumping off point for the creation of a world and sequels. You know how first movies kick ass and the sequels suck? The reverse is usually true for the book world. I read juvenile, teen, romance, and "serious" literature. Now that all of that is out of the way, and you know my tastes... Here are my favorite authors in fantasy:

Tamora Pierce: Her Circle of Magics need to be read like you're 12. Alanna series was her first, and you can tell because it's pretty rough... still interesting, but not "catching". The Immortals series you need to read like you're 15.  Very catching. Her First Page series expands from a 10/12 year old to an 18 year old P.O.V. read. Very good. Fun violence. Her Tricksters couplet should be read as an 18 year old, great fiction, in-depth politics, but still centering around a girl's mindset. My favorites are definitely her Beka Cooper series... reads like a diary AND is fictionally 1. realistic, and 2. in-depth. Great stuff, her best works, though Bloodhound is a bit dry since it's about colemongering a.k.a. fake money.

Michelle Sagara: I don't like her early stuff. She also writes as Michelle West. It's too confusing and jumps around. I lose interest towards the middle... I no longer care. Her later stuff, though... I absolutely adore her Cast In series. Sure, the first one is rough, but as you go through them all, you catch onto her style, and get immersed in her world.  They're like police procedurals mixed with middle fantasy (not high fantasy like Lotr, but not urban fantasy like charlaine harris). Again, female protagonist, kicks ass. And there is one book I like under her West name. The House War Series, The Hidden City.  I look forward to the sequels of this book. Messed up things happen to both the strong male and female protagonists, but the world they inhabit and the relationships they create kept me moving through the entire tome.

Terry Pratchett: Again, don't like the early stuff, specifically, his first 3 books. But from Wyrd Sisters on, I adore him.  When you read him, though, you have to blend a fantasy lover with a satire lover. He's one of the premier satirists of our time, I think, the way that Jonathan Swift was for his. People pick up his books thinking they'll be all Dungeons and Dragons... and they're right, for the first 3. Then, after the Discworld is built, you get some seriously tongue-in-cheek commentary about US and our history, and what's happening currently. Take "The Truth", about newspapers, their rights, and the printing press, or "Going Postal" about the redundancy of federal mail offices and the technological takeover of phones, or "Making Money" about our current economic crisis, or...my favorite... "Interesting Times" about a western incursion into China/Japan... only it's all Discworld, so you can laugh about it instead of cry. Love him.  Tragic about his Alzheimers. Early stages yet, though.

His children's books you need to read as kids, of course. I especially enjoy his new Tiffany Aching series. Great. The gnomes were interesting and cute (Diggers, Wings, etc.) 

Anne McCaffery: This science fiction/fantasy hybridist will completely lose you if you haven't read all of her from the beginning of each series. All the characters are linked to other characters, and she's got families and families of people that rival romance novelists that specialize in familial series. Not only that, her technology is realistic and technical enough to bore you senseless, if you aren't into it. But she's worth it, because she's got a few gems that are... simply wonderful. Again, sci-fi/fantasy mishmash. I recommend: To Ride Pegasus, Pegasus in Flight, The Rowan, Dragonsinger, Dragonsong. Those are my favorites. The rest just fill in the history of all these books... All of them but Dragonsinger/song are for maturer audiences. Those two are for teens. It's actually a trilogy with Dragondrums, but I didn't like that book, really. She's aged now, so her son, Todd McCaffery, is taking over her series.

Mercedes Lackey: See above, only straight fantasy. She's got some really phenomenal fantasy/fairy tale type stories in singlets. I'm not so crazy about her series- except, again, as back story to the worlds that she builds. But her series are still interesting. My recommends for her books are Valdemar - To take a Thief, Brightly Burning. Retold fairy tale - The Black Swan. A couple of the Elementals tales, which take place in Victorian London, but I forget their names. 

Brandon Sanderson: Okay, I'll admit that I haven't read all of his stuff yet. But this is because he's SERIOUS. I mean, an investment of time, of gray matter, he's just plain SERIOUS. And I'm usually an escapist type of gal. But he really impressed me. One: Elantris. A good read. A good singlet. Dark, with a hint of "It's never going to come out right!" But it does. Nice and diseasy with dark fantasy, not Lotr, not urban. Just the right balance. Two: The first of the Mistborn trilogy. This book really blew me away. Sure, there were parts when I wanted to set it down... but again, too serious for me. That's why I'll admit to not reading the other two. BUT his world creation is superb, his characters are interesting, and the introduction of a NEW type of "magic" was freaking awesome. Allomancy. So he's a big recommend, even though he's not my speed.

Gail Dayton - The Compass Rose series. "Meh." Interesting enough, but I read through it mostly to get to her smutilicious orgy-atic scenes. That's right, I said it. Being bound through magical sex can be a plot device.

Gail Z. Martin - The Summoner - Okay, I read this book in a rushed way. I'll get back and re-read it. But what I remember is... I was pulled in, the necromancy was interesting, but it was convoluted. Again, I rushed through it, so it needs a re-read. Part of a series, if you like it.

Charlaine Harris - Light reads. Romance novels with supernatural happenstances, but better than the television show. Fairly interesting, but sometimes I can sense she wants to make her plots complicated but doesn't quite succeed. Still, Sookie Stackhouse is a character you can pull for, if you don't stop reading because all the other characters are so exasperating. Lots of girl/boy drama, made more complicated by supernatural factors. Urban fantasy.

PATRICIA BRIGGS! - I can't believe I put her so far down the list. Okay, I adore adore this writer. My favorite 2 books by her feature, Oh lord, a MALE protagonist. Dragon Blood and Dragon Bones. AWESOME books. Just light enough to draw you in, just dark enough to keep you there. The world's uncomplicated, but the stories are interesting and fully developed. Her Raven couplet is interesting, and has good world development, but the stories don't have the fantastic pacing she develops later. Same is true for the Hob's Bargain. Steal the Dragon is really good... um, the other one that's got a similar name is okay... Alright. She exploded into the collective conscious with her urban fantasy, starring Mercy Thompson. Some of these stories I like better than the others, but her take on the urban fantasy collective is more put-together than ALOT of other writers out there. She mixes the different supernatural mythologies together well, and plays with the double mumbo-jumbo rule. (You can't have different magics mixing.) Her Alpha and Omega series should be looked at as romance novels with great fantasy action by werewolves. Nice werewolf building society, but the same world as Mercy Thompson. Patricia Briggs protagonists are her best appeal, I think, in the world of overly leathered-up she-vixens with mad skills that is Urban Fantasy.

I like Patricia C. Wrede as well. Read as a teenager, enjoy the mild satire. Dealing with Dragons is my favorite.

Jane Yolen, her first Heart's Blood book, read as a teenager.  It's a different take on dragons. Really about slavery and freedom, though.

Lloyd Alexander - The Prydain Chronicles. ALWAYS a classic! Too much Celtic mythology mixed in to allow the Lotr syndrome to occur. These books just get better as they go along. Taran's one of the few male protagonists I enjoy, especially his development as a worthwhile person. Read as a 12 year old to teenager. Great stuff.

Susan Cooper - The Dark Is Rising series. Another classic! Again, Welsh mythology mixed throughout, some Arthurian references. Read as a 6th grader-8th grader. (All of this stuff I've read as an adult and a kid, but I had to read like a kid both times to enjoy it...)

Lois McMaster Bujold - Okay, this author I simultaneously love and am indifferent to. She has 3 books that I consider to be her best works, even though I haven't read her sci-fi stuff. My FAVORITE of her books, and one I LOVE to re-read is "Curse of Chalion." The world is fantastic. The main character (a male again!) is so FREAKING awesome, I don't even have words to describe why. He's not stereotypical, and you love him for it!  Everything is fleshed out, from the politics, to the characters, to the religious system... I adore this book. Same world, second favorite, completely unrelated to the first, though - "The Hallowed Hunt." Again, fantastic male and female protagonists. Fantastic magic, and great world-building and political follow-through. Third favorite, and strongly related to the first novel, "Paladin of Souls." The main character is good, for an aging woman who used to be insane, but the plot was a bit to scattered for me. Still, it was good, and I do re-read and enjoy it still.  As for the "The Sharing Knife" series, meh. I really liked the concept of the magic, but I don't really like the characters or the plot. Picky picky me. And again, sci-fi stuff, Vorkosigan Saga, I haven't read, but it's got prizes and awards.

Okay, I'm tired of writing. I have other opinions on authors that I like and don't like, but this is my distilled list of what I read or look for on the shelves of the bookstore. (Please note: I also love fantasy manga, but I figure you weren't looking for that, so I didn't include any of my favorite authors.)


----------



## Supergeek

It's impossible to recommend novels people will enjoy based on their current tastes without getting a detailed sampling of what the reader really likes.

For example, 20 years ago I would have recommended (among others) the Shannara and Dragonlance series, but now as a more mature reader, I can see in retrospect that they were really very trite exploits of the fantasy genre.

There are many attributes about a novel that you can pull out and use to categorize a novel:
- World-building (filling a unique world with imaginatively-made creatures and characters)
- The system of Magic that makes the novel Fantasy (traditional black and white magic, bard songs, psionically manipulated lines of force, etc)
- Many things we lump under "writing style":
  - Character development (cardboard cutouts going through the motions, or deep antiheroes and sympathetic villains)
  - Vocabulary (Young Adult 6th grade words?  Unabridged Oxford?)
  - Humor (clever puns, witty repartee between characters)
  - Gore (combat, death)
  - Sex (romantic fantasy is its whole genre)
  - Philosophy (Does the novel have an agenda to persuade you for/against something? Does it make you think/Is it challenging?)

That said, I enjoy things that are more gritty, less juvenile, have a decent vocabulary (although not necessarily), aren't just Generic Fantasy #29835.  

Here are some of my favorites:

George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series is very mature, gory, adult-oriented, with complex political machinations.

Zelazny has some very philosophical works, almost poetic prose, and unique, fascinating fantasy elements (dimensions, magic systems, worlds.)

Orson Scott Card has an easygoing writing style that is very engaging, along with unique worlds, although his philosophies and proselytizing can be tiring.

Donaldson's Covenant series is uniquely complex, with a bitter, anti-hero as the main character and a beautiful world with a unique system of magic that has continual surprises.

Barbara Hambly has some great meat-and-potatoes novels that have quirky, interesting characters.  It's a step above Shannara et al, and great books to snuggle up with on a rainy, tired day, like comfort food.

Goodkind's Sword of Truth series is similar to Game of Thrones but without the vulgarity, and more magic (but not a lot more.)

Rothfuss's Kingkiller novel, The Name of the Wind (first in a series) was very impressive.  I read it very recently.  Unique magic system, eloquent writing, realistic and witty dialogue.

That's all I have time for at the moment.


----------



## VinrAlfakyn

I'm not surprised he hasn't been mentioned, but that just gives me the honor of recommending my favorite author. His name's Charles de Lint and he mostly writes urban fantasy, with a few high fantasy books thrown in. He's written at least fifty books, so it can be hard to decide where to start. The first of his I read was Someplace to Be Flying, and it remains one of my favorites today. Another really good one is Spirits in the Wires. I think his best are his Newford series, which can be read in any order as each book has its own separate plot, but uses roughly the same characters and setting. If you go to his website you can see a full list of his books, and if you click on them you can see if they're set in Newford or not.

Another I recommend is Anne Bishop. I've only read her Black Jewels series, but she has two others as well. The Black Jewels is simply fantastic, with an intriguing plot and realistic characters. The world she structured is also just amazing.

A final recommendation: Elizabeth Haydon's Symphony of Ages series, which starts with Rhapsody. The only downfall with this is the most recent book came out in 2006, and there's no indication of when she will publish the next one (and the books definitely aren't over at the end of the most recent.) There are six books so far, and I just have to say that they are awesome. The characters were written brilliantly, and there's plenty of humor, war, romance, sorrow, and world-building. I feel bad for anyone who misses these books.


----------



## Steerpike

Steven Erikson has what is probably the best fantasy series currently going.  His Malazan books.  Gritty. A level of detail in the world that is almost astonishing (I don't think anyone comes close to him here). Interesting and memorable characters.

George R. R. Martin's series is good as well.

And if you want a fun, down and dirty fantasy novel, I'm reading BEST SERVED COLD, by Joe Abercrombie, and it's a blast.


----------



## zeebadrawy

for sword fantasy, i recommend percy jackson and the olympians series by rick riordan
for sorcery, i recommend the black magician trilogy by trudi canavan. (requires someone over 16 to enjoy it since it lacks many magic fights)
i also recommend artemis fowl


----------



## Olly Buckle

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series are a romp, come to think of it that sergeant in the lower people's recon echelon (Leprechons) reminds me of a certain antipodean bovine some how.


----------



## The Backward OX

Olly Buckle said:


> Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series are a romp, come to think of it that sergeant in the lower people's recon echelon (Leprechons) reminds me of a certain antipodean bovine some how.



I thought you didn't read fantasy?


----------



## Olly Buckle

These were kids books I read to the daughter, and not standard dragons and heroes stuff either.


----------



## kumyri

i would gladly say brent week's "the night angel trilogy." they are the best books i've ever read


----------



## Hawk

The Night Angel trilogy is an amazing work of fantasy.  You should check those out.


----------



## Denverkr

I'm a fan of "Of Gods and Mortals" by Lauren T. Hart. Lauren T. Hart


----------



## Joonas

I'm stunned to see Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn fantasy is not listed on this thread, it's the absolute best I ever read.


----------



## Asaji

Try the Chronicles of Narnia.


----------



## Lord Reecingale

Peter V. Brett's "The Painted Man" is a fantastic read. I highly recommend it


----------



## Vertigo

High fantasy for me has to be topped by GRR Martin's ultra-realistic (so long as you discount the dragons and zombies) Song of Ice and Fire. I wouldn't include Erikson's Malazan works in my short list though. I found them a bit too complicated, tedious really, in a genre that is built mostly around straightforward fun.

Low fantasy is headlined by Zelazny's Amber Chronicles and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. Amber is just one of the most freakishly creative bunches of stories I can say I've ever read, and Butcher seems to have more fun with his stuff than anyone else in the buisness of writing. And there's no way I could leave this thread without mentioning Neil Gaiman. If you've never read American Gods, you need to. Now. It's harsh, disturbing, and utterly enthralling.


----------



## KaitlinMorrow

The Narnia Series is the best Christian fantasy read. I'm on the second book, _The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe_. Yes, this is the second book, C.S. Lewis's first Narnia-based book was _The Magician's Nephew_.  I recommend this if nobody else already has!


----------



## QueenBee2015

I picked up the first three books of the _Inda_ series by Sherwood Smith, and I really enjoyed them.  They had some poor moments - pointless love affairs and the like - but they're good for a quick light read.


----------



## Olly Buckle

KaitlinMorrow said:


> The Narnia Series is the best Christian fantasy read. I'm on the second book, _The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe_. Yes, this is the second book, C.S. Lewis's first Narnia-based book was _The Magician's Nephew_.  I recommend this if nobody else already has!


The first books are excellent, but it is all wearing thin by the time you reach "The last battle", in fact I think I finished reading that to myself, my daughter had given up by then and was on to other things but I don't like giving up on a book.


----------



## columbo1977

Lord Reecingale said:


> Peter V. Brett's "The Painted Man" is a fantastic read. I highly recommend it


 
Seconded  

Also Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth series beginning with Wizards First Rule is fantastic, and I know someone has mentioned it already but Raymond Fiests Riftwar books are excellent.

Graham


----------



## Vertigo

columbo1977 said:


> Seconded
> Also Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth series beginning with Wizards First Rule is fantastic.


 
Goodkind stole liberally from Jordan and neither of them are too masterful of their art. If it's swords and horses HF your looking for, try David Eddings.

Also, Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun (actually four books- the first two can be found in a package titled _Shadow and Claw_) should definitely be looked at by any prospective sci-fi/fantasy authors. It's incredibly bizzare (transcripts of plays and such appear in the text and Wolfe makes up words to help him describe his world), psychologically dense, and perhaps the single most imaginative thing I've ever read.


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## Narnian

I recommend the Xanth series  by Piers Anthony  which starts with  A Spell for a Camealon   and if you can take the humor and satire and it has every thing from folklore and mythology  like Centaurs, Nymphs, and Demons.

and of course the Chronicles of Narnia  by C.S Lewis

any thing  that is Arthurian   like the Merlien Triology  by Mary Stewart


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## aesir22

Robert Jordans Wheel of time. Its a series of about a million books (closer to 14 I guess) and I am absolutely enthralled by them. I'm obsessed with them. Far and away my favourite!


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## White Chocolate Frog

Gosh. Where to start? I'l try to forego the obvious [Tolkein/Lewis etc]

For a long time Fantasy as a  genre became quite generic. Too much of it is cloned from Robert E Howard or  Tolkein and almost every story is your basic "On a Quest/Kill The Dark Lord"  ramble straight off the conveyor belt. It's so difficult to find something both  original and a little deeper than the standard garbage that rolls  out.

Stephen Donaldson has some good ideas. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant are  superb in many ways. The First Chronicle is an incredible work, though the  second lost me along the way. Donaldson has a tendency to ramble on a bit and  over examine every thought and emotion. It can interfere with the storytelling  and make things drag. By the second Chronicle he had turned this introspection  into a form of OCD, and really I had to liken The One Tree to Waiting for Godot  in that nothing happened. For a Very Long Time. Lord Foul's Bane, The Illearth  War and The Power that Preserves are three of the best novels in fantasy.  Wholeheartedly recommended.

Terry Brooks is prolific. Ridiculously so.  However he has flogged the Shannara horse to death. Read The Sword of Shannara  because it's alot of fun [if a wee bit generic] and in Panamon Creel he has  created one of the most compelling characters in this genre of fiction. The  Elfstones is very simply a marvelous story fantastically told. It is a stunning  book that everyone who enjoys fantasy should read. Why it has not been turned  into a movie is beyond me. Romantic, adventurous and horrific. The Reaper is a  character straight out of everyone's darkest nightmares. This is Brooks' best  work by far.
If you can be bothered with the rest you won't feel you've  wasted life reading them, but none will change your life either.
He has  another set called "Landover" that starts with Magic Kingdom for Sale...  SOLD!"
Read them. Nuff said.

Has anyone bothered to mention Terry  Pratchett? If not, why not?
Start with The Colour of Magic and The Light  Fantastic, work your way through, and don't stop till you get to the end. Not  only are his books hilarious, they are also philosophical, shrewdly observed,  sha rply written and utterly brilliant. Pratchett is masterful and to my mind the best satirist since Keith Waterhouse.

William  Horwood is best known for the Duncton Tales. They're kind of like Watership Down  with badgers and are a good set of stories. He has another less well known book  called Skallagrig. It's tough to find now, but worth the effort. Few stories are  lifechanging. This one can claim to be so. You will never look at some things in  the same way. 

Robin Hobb. What can I say? I read Assassin's Apprentice  and was hooked. Few authors understand people well enough to be able to create  truly three dimensional characters nor have the courage to paint them honestly  enough that you find yourself hating some aspects of even the protagonists. Hobb  does all this and more. Her stories are rich, full, deep, compelling,  wonderfully thoughtful, keenly observed and fantastically imaginative. her latest stories concerning dragons have somethign of Jane Austen and Emily Bronte about them
Robin  Hobb is very good indeed.

There are many stories classed as "children's"  books that should be read. Classic like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland go  without saying, but look out too works by John Masefield - especially The Box of  Delights - E. Nesbitt - Especially The Phoenix and the Carpet and Alan Garner  esp. Elidor and The Owl Service.
Of the modern group I'd point you to Neil  Gaiman, esp Stardust, Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia [not really fantasy, but lovely], and Brian  Jaques' superb Redwall.

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock.
Every  author, every artist, no matter how average, has a brief bright moment of glory,  when they do what they do and produce something truly special. This is  Holdstock's. The single book was so good it spawned a series that is still going  I think. DO NOT READ THE REST. Ever. They are loose arsewater of the most  stagnent order.
Read Mythago Wood. If you read no other story in your whole  life, Read Mythago Wood. It's not brilliantly written, but it is the single most  original and beautiful fantasy novel I have ever read.

Honourable mentions to:
David Gemmel for Legend
Peter Morwood for The Horse Lord 

Some classics you must read:

The King of Elfland's Daughter - Lord Dunsanay

The Wood Beyond the World - William Morris

The Worm Ouroboros Eric Rucker Eddison

That should get you started. Sing out if you want more.

Oh yes. Dragonlance. The novelising of a bunch of games played by people who really should have gone out more, or at the very least read something other than the Dungeons and Dragons manuals. I read them after they were given as a present. I was being polite. It's a week I'd love to have back.
I class them as cruel and unusual punishment.


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## Sir Roberts

The most recent (and by recent I mean recently-written) fantasy author is Brent Weeks. I have read, and enjoyed, both the night angel trilogy and The Black Prism, the first book in his up-an-coming Lightbringer series. His writing is glorious, witty, charming, very clever and tragic. His protagonists are well written, too, ranging from the anti-hero Kyler Stern to the completely insane Dorian Ursuul.

However, having read the Black Prism (currently in my third reading) I can only say that his writing is getting better. And the way 'magic' is portrayed in the series is elegantly brilliant. Some sort of innate ability to control light... makes me squirm with delight.

So I would recommend Brent Weeks as an author, but his best work is by far The Black Prism. Go get it. Now.


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## SeverinR

I like Mercedes Lackey's books, have not found one I did not like.

Currently reading Dragon jouster series. (Joust, Alta, Sanctuary, Aerie)

Several people that do not llike fantasy have read her books and liked them.


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## Bachelorette

I see no one has mentioned the Gormenghast trilogy, by Mervyn Peake.

Read the first two only. The third in the trilogy was published after the author died and before he completed it, so it doesn't stand up nearly as well; it's essentially only a draft. I guess there's also a fourth unfinished book floating around somewhere now, too, but I haven't read that one yet so I can't comment.

A note to the curious: I can almost guarantee you've never read anything like these books. I would classify them as "gothic fantasy." Sort of. They aren't fantasy in the strictest sense: no magic, no wizards, no elves or other races other than humans, no great quest, no saving the world. In fact, the whole of the first two books all take place solely in the Castle Gormenghast. The main character, Titus Groan, is a baby throughout the entirety of the first book. The characters are weird to the point of being grotesque, and (spoiler):


> the hero of the story, Steerpike, is also the villain.



One other thing: the writing is very, very dense. Tolkien-ish. If you don't like Tolkien's style, you probably won't be able to get through Gormenghast. But I urge you to try, for the sheer novelty of the experience.


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## driftglass

"Pandemonium" by Darryl Gregory.

Meta-physical cross-genre postmodern fantasy.

Very impressive debut. A self-conscious type of speculative fiction.


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## Kel Sicarius

Patrick Rothfuss' books "Name of the Wind" and "Wise Man's Fear" are amazing books. They're long, have an intricate plot - both a story "backbone" and mini plots that go on alongside it. It has well developed and original characters.


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## Pariah

I enjoyed Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time Series for the most part.  That first 4 books were fantastic.  The series started to drop of in the middle and by the time Brandon Sanderson took the reins I had almost lost interest in the series. I just have to know what happens to Rand...

The latest fantasy author to completely enthrall me was Steven Erikson. His epic fantasy 'Malazan book of the fallen' blew my mind.


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## procrastin8or

Prospero's Children by Jan Siegel. I'm very fussy about fantasy but this had me hooked from the first page. An amazing writing style with a superb story.


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## J.R. Morin

A series I would recommend if you want a fantasy-sci-fi-medieval-western-genre bender would be Stephen King's Dark Tower books. They are extremely well written (duh) and can really take over your life.


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## Syren

Chronicles of the Black Company. Great stuff. Read the reviews.


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## anisha_astrologer

you can try reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians. it is a book based on Greek mythology and a great blend of fantasy too.


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## Steamship

Tigana by Guy Gavrial Kay
My favourite Fantasy, probably followed by the series a song of Fire and Ice.


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## Toadling

I haven't seen George MacDonald mentioned, which surprises me. I consider his masterpiece to be 'The Lost Princess', but some of his best works include: 
-Phantastes
- Lilith, a romance
- The Princess and the Goblin; The Princess and Curdie
- At the Back of the North Wind

He wrote many novels, and most of them are suitable for nearly any age. 'The Lost Princess', for instance, is wonderful to read as a child, and perhaps even better to read as a young adult or parent. MacDonald was credited by the likes of Tolkien and Lewis as an inspiration to their own writing.

As a few others have mentioned, Mercedes Lackey has written some good fantasy; I was fond of the Tarma and Kethry stories compiled in the Oathbound series. 

I don't know if anyone mentioned her, but Ursula K. Le Guin's series of 'Earthsea' books was also very good. 

Cheers and good reading;

- Toadling


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## Canis

I second Toadling in his opinion of the "Earthsea" trilogy, I read them as a boy and still love them 10 years later.

I recommend the "Inheritance" cycle by Christopher Paolini. The series has received some negative reviews but I love all four of them anyways. There's my two cents. Cheers.


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## Lalaley

Kel Sicarius said:


> Patrick Rothfuss' books "Name of the Wind" and "Wise Man's Fear" are amazing books. They're long, have an intricate plot - both a story "backbone" and mini plots that go on alongside it. It has well developed and original characters.



I've been reading "Name of the Wind" for a while now. I'm only a 100 or so pages in, I'm really liking it, but I've not much time to read. It bought it on a bit of leap of faith, so it's good to see others have enjoyed it.


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## Chaeronia

Steamship said:


> Tigana by Guy Gavrial Kay



The kind of book that saps my confidence and makes me want never to bother.  I mean, honestly, why?  I'll never get close.  Kay is excellent and Tigana is his best.  Sumptuous.  

Another is the one I'm re-reading for the third time: Iron Council by China Miéville.  

Bah. 

The complete and utter successful bastards.


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## Archetype

I'm reading The Wheel of Time series right now. I gotta say I'm enjoying it. While at times the author seems to loose track of the main plot he paints a picture of this massively detailed world he's created. 

Terry Brooks' Word and the Void series is also a favorite of mine. It's not a typical fantasy given it's set in the modern world but a refreshing change of pace in my opinion. 

RA Salvatore's Legend of Drizzt series is an old favorite of mine. One thing I think Salvatore is good at is describing combat. Swordplay is a large part of most fantasy and I haven't read anyone better at writing out a duel or a battle in detail.


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## VagabondSam

I'll second Terry Brooks.

He is a very simple writer, however if you start with his first few books, Sword of Shanarra, Elfstones of Shanarra, Wishsong of Shanarra they are pretty atypical high fantasy.

Fun to read but no a lot of depth. What he did well though was continue to extend the world with series 'The Scions of Shanarra' and 'The Voyage of the Jeriee Shanarra'. These refer to the first three books as the history and ancestors of the new characters.

As mentioned, the Word and the Void is a fantasy novel in modern day, however in the series 'Genisis of Shanarra' he links his Word and the Void series to his Shanarra series which I thought was fantastic.

Like I said, not a master wordsmith but entertaining none the less.


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## Michaelj

Really love a song of ice and fire


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## Chaeronia

China Miéville's latest, Railsea, out tomorrow.

Super duper.


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## Walter F.

My favorite author of all time is definitely Bryan Davis. 
He wrote the fantasy series Dragons in our Midst, and its sequel series, Oracles of Fire and (currently being written) Children of the Bard. He has also written the Echoes from the Edge series, the Dragons of Starlight series, and I Know Why the Angels Dance. 
All of them are definitely worthwhile books!


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## LadyofRohan

Robert Jordan, J.R.R Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson for Fantasy are my favorite and looking to read more authors.


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## mrpartybox

Cassandra Clare wrote two great series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices. They are great for fantasy and romance.


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## dan10107

any one mentioned the black magician trilogy by Trudi Canavan? One of my favourites. Trudi Canavan | The Books


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## KevinMckie

Patrick Rothfuss The name of the Wind is a book i'd recommend also following the life of Kvothe


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## Aesmind

My favourite so far are 'The Books of Pellinor' by Alison Croggon, or Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori Trilogy.
Had me captivated .


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