Fantasy Books

[TragicMonkey]

I can´t believe I´m the first to recommend the works of David Eddings. The quality of his novels varies - the latest series is terribly lame, but his earlier works are really good. I´d rate the Belgariad series with a straight A, all the other novels involving Belgarion and those with Sparhawk with a B, and "Redemption of Althalus" is somewhere between B and C.

I think with Eddings you just have to pick one of his first two series and ignore the other. They are all the same characters, repackaged under new names. I prefer the series with Sparhawk simply because that was the one I read first. The other one seemed a copy.

The last one was horrible. I rarely give up and don't finish a book, but it was so lame. All the characters did was stand around being agreeing with each other and being likeable. I'm afraid the man has lost it.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Nobody's mentioned Terry Brooks yet. He's not great, but he certainly evolved well over time. His first book was pretty much a blatant rip-off of Tolkien, but his second was actually original and interesting. He's the most up-and-down author I've ever read, in that one book will stink howlingly, but the next is quite good. I've found that with him, the second book of any trilogy is the best, while the other two disappoint.

Like Raymond E. Feist, his work is getting darker over time, which I enjoy, because it makes it more interesting, as well as making the characters more human (even when they're not human).

The other thing about Brooks is that he's really very good at making up names for people and places and things that just seem so right for them. Some fantasy writers seem to have trouble with that, and just throw out some odd syllables and hope they stick.

 

[Cleon]

Nobody's mentioned Terry Brooks yet. He's not great, but he certainly evolved well over time. His first book was pretty much a blatant rip-off of Tolkien, but his second was actually original and interesting. He's the most up-and-down author I've ever read, in that one book will stink howlingly, but the next is quite good. I've found that with him, the second book of any trilogy is the best, while the other two disappoint.

Like Raymond E. Feist, his work is getting darker over time, which I enjoy, because it makes it more interesting, as well as making the characters more human (even when they're not human).

The other thing about Brooks is that he's really very good at making up names for people and places and things that just seem so right for them. Some fantasy writers seem to have trouble with that, and just throw out some odd syllables and hope they stick.

Yeah...I've read his stuff. I've even met the guy. To be honest, though, there's just nothing there I can get interested in. I stopped reading after the third book--mostly out of lack of interest.

 

[LW]

R. E. Howard.

The most consistently good fantasy author of the late 20s and early 30s. Even his worst stories are readable (excepting the Cormac Mac Art series, don't touch that one with a ten foot pole, and the Solomon Kane series should also be approached with care) and at his best he wrote some of the best fantasy of the Sword and Sorcrery genre (such as the Bran Mak Morn story Worms of the Earth).

 

[Odin]

All of these have been mentioned but anyway-

Terry Pratchett- Discworld is a great series. His other books are worth reading too.

Robert Jordan- Great in places but the series is spred through too many books so there are boring bits connecting the good, also nothing of interest happens in the latest book.

Earthsea- I've read as far as book three. I found the first book to be the best.

David Eddings- I've only read the latest series and Redemption of Althalus. Althalus was better, though the new series isn't that bad (probably because I haven't read the early ones yet.) I think its problem is in having characters that don't seem to fit well with the enemy. Also, so far each book has had a similar plot.

 

[LW]

Robert Jordan- Great in places but the series is spred through too many books so there are boring bits connecting the good, also nothing of interest happens in the latest book.

And here's an important public notice concerning Robert Jordan: Stay Away From His Conan Books. Thank you for your attention.

 

[Jorghnassen]

And here's an important public notice concerning Robert Jordan: Stay Away From His Conan Books. Thank you for your attention.

How about stay away from his books altogether. I think he invented the concept of 'filler novel" in his Waste of Time series...

 

[Chanileslie]

I'm going to throw it in because nobody else has:

Anne McCaffery's Dragon Riders of Pern - excellent series. Although, I think the series has run its course and should be allowed to find its death as peacefully as Master Robinton and Aivas did. I am also particularly fond of her Crystal Singer series. The Ship Who Sang isn't bad, but Dinosaur Planet was awful and appears to have been re-released with a new name.

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series was quite good, but alas, he has carried it on way to far with no resolutions and unfortunately, he has too many foreshadowings that I think he forgot about or are completely ignored in his plot line. And could he just kill of Faile and Perrin? His two most boring characters that really do nothing to drive the plot. He needs to bring down his character count and just end the damn series already.

I will second the Earthsea trilogy - excellent series. The second book, The Tombs of Atuan, was my favorite of the series.

I read The Thomas Covenent series as a kid, and hated it - found it to be quite dull.

Paolini's Eragon is highly recommended by my kids. I haven't read it yet. But the sequel to Eragon, Eldest, is coming out in August.

I really liked The Women of the Underworld series by Kelly Armstrong, but it may be geared more towards women. I think she had an interesting take on the supernatural in modern days, and it didn't read like Buffy.

Mercedes Lackey's Joust and Alta were very good, enjoyable reads. Unique setting of a fantasy within an ancient Egyptian setting as opposed to a mideviel European setting.

Piers Anthony's Xanth is always a fun read, but don't read any further than Ogre, Ogre - it becomes too pun filled after that to be interesting or fun. I really like his Splint Infinity also. Bio of a Space Tyrant was utter and complete crap.

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens - excellent read. Really enjoyed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere also - I've heard very good things about Gaiman's American Gods. Pratchett's Discworld novels have already been mentioned.

 

[IllegalArgument]

Second the Leiber and the Zelazny series...also Gordon R. Dickson's Dorsai books if you don't mind a few space suits in the plot.

Zelazny's "Lord of Light" is very good.

 

[Bikewer]

Zelazney is one of the great ones; died way too young. We have read the Amber series many times.


I may be the only person who actually liked the Thomas Covenant books. (I only read the first three) May have been because of his decidedly anti-hero character, or the fact that the thing was just so different from most of the other fantasy I'd read.

Not true fantasy (there's a solid sci-fi underpinning), but a great read are Julian May's Saga of the Pliestocene Exile books.
Very inventive, with interesting, likeable characters (even the bad ones!). With each of the four books, she threw in new and surprising elements that kept you intensely interested.

I remember when the series was coming out for the first time, a local bookstore got a bunch of copies of the last book from England, months before the US release. We snapped them up pronto!

 

[hgc]

About the only "fantasy" I've read in the last 20 years is the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, by Philip Pullman. Quite excellent.

Oh yeah, I've re-read LOTR and some Harry Potter too.

 

[TragicMonkey]

About the only "fantasy" I've read in the last 20 years is the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, by Philip Pullman. Quite excellent.

Oh yeah, I've re-read LOTR and some Harry Potter too.

I really can't over-recommend George RR Martin. Unlike most fantasies, his characters are not overshadowed by their world. And there aren't the very tired trifecta of elves, dwarves, and goblins. (Well, there's one dwarf, but he's the real kind that resulted from chromosomes, not some freaky race of axe-murdering miners.)

 

[balrog666]

Everybody's tastes are different and I would like nothing more than to tell you a hundred authors to avoid but ... I'll just name Terry Brooks and Anne McCaffery. So ...

My Fantasy picks for best of breed are J R R Tolkien, Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny, James H Schmitz, George R R Martin, Dave Duncan, Raymond E Feist, Steven Brust, L E Modesitt Jr, Patricia A McKillip, L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt, and, maybe, sometimes, Lawrence Watt-Evans. They vary wildly in style and technique, so I will leave it to you to determine what you might like.

And I will add in Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin, and Douglas Adams for laugh-out-loud humor.

And before you buy blindly, you should take note that most of them write, or wrote, SF as well as Fantasy.

My specific suggestion would be to start with Vance's high fantasy Lyonesse trilogy or GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire (starting with A Game of Thrones).

And if you like anybody picks, come back for more.

 

[RSLancastr]

Everybody, please avoid "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" like the plague. It is easily the dullest trilogy I ever read.

Sorry Chaos, gotta disagree.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first trilogy. At times you want to hit the protagonist with a brick, but you're supposed to feel that way.

I was sorely disappointed in the second trilogy, and haven't started on the third series, which I believe just started.

Someone already mentioned Tad Williams. I am a big fan of his Tailchaser's Song. A "quest" book with cats as the major characters. Others have tried to copy it, but unsuccessfully. It's a book that I read aloud to my kids (although it is not written for children), and they all remember it fondly to this day. The copy I read to them was re-read by each until the cover fell off.

 

[Vagabond]

I read The Thomas Covenent series as a kid, and hated it - found it to be quite dull<<<<<

Thomas Covenant is a very adult read. The series begins with a rape and the consequences of this echo throughout the entire series. Also you need to be able to grasp how having a serious illness like leprosy can effect a human's psyche and behavior. These aren't things that can be grasped by a child. Given you can grasp these however, the first 3 of the series are some of the finest fantasy ever. I think it is superior to lord of the rings and I am hopeful it might find it's way to the screen someday.

 

[Vagabond]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Harry Turtledove. His misplaced legion quadrology is awesome literature, as well as just being good fantasy.

Summer tree trilogy and Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. Both excellent.

Vlad Taltos books by Steven Brust. The main character is an assassin in a world in which resurrection is as commonplace as going to the dentist. Just that should be enough to interest you but the world itself is rich with house rivalries, codes of honor. The one where he says I met the woman I am going to marry today, she killed me is epic.

The dragonlance saga is great

Frank Frazzeta's death dealer if you can find them.

Edgar Rice Burrough's John carter of mars. The princess of mars is about to be a movie. If done right it could be awesome. Would bring this series the kind of attention lord of the rings got.

Jack Chalker's Well of souls books.

Hyperion is usually classified as Sci Fi, but I would consider it a fantasy. One of the best books ever written, all the sequels suck tho.

All of Heinlein's stuff is usually classified as Sci Fi as well but most of it is more fantasy. They are supposed to be making Moon is Harsh Mistress as a movie which could be awesome done properly. Besides Stranger in a strange land that was mentioned, I would add Time enough for love and I will fear no evil.

The swords books by Fred Saberhagen are pretty good.

 

[Vagabond]

And here's an important public notice concerning Robert Jordan: Stay Away From His Conan Books. Thank you for your attention.

The best of the post RE howard conan books is Conan the Fearless by Steve Perry. There are a few others worth reading, most of them are mediocre at best. But, Conan the Fearless is quite good.

 

[Cleon]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Harry Turtledove. His misplaced legion quadrology is awesome literature, as well as just being good fantasy.

I've never read his fantasy stuff before, actually, though I keep meaning to. I love his alternate history/sci-fi books.

 

[Vagabond]

The misplaced legion is just great. But, his Krispos series is only mediocre. I just read Thessalonica which was worth reading but not great. I am the opposite been meaning to try his alternate histories and have never got around to it.

 

[Chanileslie]

I read The Thomas Covenent series as a kid, and hated it - found it to be quite dull<<<<<

Thomas Covenant is a very adult read. The series begins with a rape and the consequences of this echo throughout the entire series. Also you need to be able to grasp how having a serious illness like leprosy can effect a human's psyche and behavior. These aren't things that can be grasped by a child. Given you can grasp these however, the first 3 of the series are some of the finest fantasy ever. I think it is superior to lord of the rings and I am hopeful it might find it's way to the screen someday.

While I agree that the Thomas Covenant books are an adult read, I was not your average child who read nothing more than comic books or Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy Mysteries. I found no merit in the books, and still find no merit in them - they were dull then and that estimation has not changed.

Please do not insult me. I can accept that people have different views and enjoyments, and I can accept that you enjoyed the books, but that was not my experience, but I would not insult your enjoyment of the books.