Tips on good Fantasy books

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Has nobody read the Deathgate series by Weis and Hickman? I for one liked these books.

 

try G.R.R.Martin "A song of Ice and Fire". The only really good that can be compared to Tolkien and not feel second grade.

also some may want to give a try to Joan Vinge "The Snow Queen" and its 2 seqwels.

as military sf Luis Bujold's series about Miles Vorkosigan cant be compared even to Honor Harrington's by David Weber.

 

Skipped Robert Jordan and bought a copy of lord of the rings and started that over again...

 

Good thinking Batman!

Still think you could do a whole lot worse than trying Steven Donaldson's "First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant". Excellent trillogy.



[This message has been edited by Viking (edited May 10, 2001).]

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend Sara Douglass. I don't know if anyone else has heard of her as she's an Australian author. The Axis and Wayfarer Redemption series are really good.

Another author I like is Tamora Pierce. If you liked Harry Potter and aren't ashamed to be seen reading "children's" books, you should check her books out. So far she's written 2 series set in the same world, Alanna and Daine, and she's working on another set there as well, Keladry, and 1 other series, the Circle of Magic series, (4 books per series). They're relatively short books but well written and a lot of fun.

I'll also suggest:
Kate Forsyth (Witches of Eileanan)
Simon R. Green (Hawk and Fischer, not the Deathstalker)
Anne Bishop (Black Jewels)
Lynn Flewelling (Nightrunner)
and of course L. E. Modesitt Jr. (Recluce)

 

I didn't really care for the Donaldson trilogy. His books got too depressing. Even "Mirror of Her Dreams" and its sequel (don't remember its name) were dreary. And they got a little...let's just say they're not for the kiddies.

BTW, anyone read Tad William's "Otherland" series? I read his Sword trilogy, but never got through the "Otherland" books.

 

I would recommend:

David Eddings (most of his work, but especially 'The Belgariad Series' & 'The Mallorean Series'
Michael Moorcock
David Gemmell
Tad Williams

 

No one's mentioned George Lucas!

I consider Star Wars to be fantasy, but aside from that, read his Shadow War trilogy. It continues from the movie Willow (the only really good fantasy movie to date, although we expect LOTR to change that). He collaborated with Chris Claremont on the trilogy. I am in the third book and enjoying it greatly.

In order, here is my list of authors:
*****Tolkien (none better for pure epic fantasy)
*****Jordan (yes he drags it out, but NO ONE writes anything NEARLY as complex and interwoven as he does. You can go crazy trying to figure out what is going to happen next, and you will never fail to be surprised by some major plot development in each book. Ok, enough ranting.
****Terry Brooks
****David Eddings
****George Lucas (sadly, not much of his to read)
***George Dickinson (not the most-well written, but somehow incredibly entertaining. He is actually a major sci-fi writer, but his Dragon tales are worth the read)
***Terry Goodkind (unfortunately, I have not had the chance to read through this author's books yet, altho I like what I've seen so far)

Can't think of the others right now. I have not read Williams however; thanks for the name.

 

Marion Zimmer Bradley has written a couple of excellent books.

Katherine Kerr's series has been nothing short of brilliant. She used to submit to Dragon magazine and I believe had a lot to say about the developement of the barbarian sub-class of fighter.

To the guy who mentioned Fritz Leiber; awesome, I'd almost forgotten those books.

How about the Thieves' World series and for that matter the Magic in Ithkar series? Has anyone read them?

I get a kick out of the guys slamming Brooks because he isn't a brilliant writer. Fantasy is about telling a story, I mean most of them are firing out books for cash as much as anything. You ain't gonna find many pulitzer prize winners there but you can have some good ol' fashion escapism. To all you pseudo intellectuals reviewing fantasy like some Harvard prof; gimme a break.

 

Hah!! Well put, Ellesar. Reading through this thread, I could only picture the fat comic book guy from The Simpsons, or the Trekkie losers complaining about new Klingons compared to old ones.

I've read all of the Shannara books, a few times apiece. I thought they were pretty damn good. I was surprised to see Terry Brooks bashed. But, then again, there has been quite the influx of idiocy around here, as of late...

 

Quote:
I get a kick out of the guys slamming Brooks because he isn't a brilliant writer. Fantasy is about telling a story, I mean most of them are firing out books for cash as much as anything. You ain't gonna find many pulitzer prize winners there but you can have some good ol' fashion escapism. To all you pseudo intellectuals reviewing fantasy like some Harvard prof; gimme a break.
End Quote

Elessar, perhaps you can enjoy a poorly written book, but some of us prefer a modicum of intelligence and originality. I cannot escape into a novel that is predictable, or trite. And when even the grammar and sentence structure are bad, how can I enjoy the tale?

Just because fantasy is telling a story doesn't mean it should be held to lower standards than any other piece of creative art. I expect high quality from every book I read, whether it be fantasy, non-fiction, erotica, or the TV Guide. Just because your standards are wallowing somewhere around my knees, don't criticize the rest of us for holding our own up high.



[This message has been edited by Darien Noella (edited May 16, 2001).]

 

Darwood, relax. I expect you spend a lot of your time disappointed by what you read. There is a lot more crap written out there than there is quality. TV Guide, c'mon. erotica, what are you joking?

I think what divides the good from the bad in a field such as fantasy, is there ability to captivate you with the story. They are all English majors so they know how to write. Some may write to a younger audience (most fantasy). Terry Brooks accomplished writing some intersting and entertaining books but will never win a Noble Peace prize for literature does that make you superior because I liked it? I hear most of the people out there raving about Robert Jordan, he bored me to tears after/during the fourth book when I realized there was no end in sight. Does it make him a bad writer? No, just a guy riding the cash cow.

So...sit back in your favourite chair, crack open your thesaurus, look up the word pompous and write me a thousand word essay. We will submit it for an award.

"Those who can do, those who can't just sit around and bitch about those who can."

PS: As for your comment about "some of us need a modicum of intelligence and originality", I think you are looking at the wrong field of writing. Try Gabriel Garcia Marquez's books if you want original.



[This message has been edited by Elessar (edited May 16, 2001).]

 

hey, U R starting a vendetta or what? Harsh words between us R unexuseable. FUN is the word.

as for T.Brooks - I used to like Shannara, but it went too long and I get bored. I enjoy "The Magic Kingdom" series lately. Was some fun.

Wrote above and will try again - if U want really good reading - try G.R.R.Martin. Even if U dont want to start his epic "A Song of Ice and Fire", give a try to " A Fevre Dream".

Other good reading might be Jonathan Caroll. The most popular is "The Land of Laughs".

and Terry Pratchet is worth the time if U enjoy humor. (is he - fantasy?)

Brian Aldiss "Helliconia" is classic at the field of fantasy.
Joan Vinge's "The Snow Queen" and the 2 sequels are very good.
Silverberg's "The Castle of Lord Valantine" doesn't neet introduction.
Frank Herbert's "Dune" also.

 

The best book i have read (apart from Tolkein of course) is the Earthsea Quartet by Ursula le Guinn.........or i think i spelt it right........anyway this book is brill and ful of Dragons......brill!

 

*smacks Elessar in the back of the head with her thesaurus*

Smarten up! Who told you that all fantasy writers are English majors? You stoopid? I believe you made my point for me when you said that the mark of good book is its ability to captivate a reader. A simplistic plot, and a predictable storyline just don't cut it. Yes, there is a lot of crap out there, and my comment was meant as an example, not a suggested reading list.

I happen to agree with you about Jordan, as well as several other authors who seem to have jumped on that wagon. That's why I rarely waste my money buying something I can pick up from a friend, a library, or at worst a used book store.

And if you don't think you can find intelligence and originality in this field, I think your reading the wrong authors yourself. (or maybe you just don't recognize quality fantasy literature when it smacks you in the back of the head)

And btw, thanks for the tip. I'll be checking out Marquez in more detail this weekend.

 

Alright Darien you win . I got a good chuckle from your last post. Sorry for being rude. I agree with the last guy that posted. Brooks started great and then ended writing for money. Who can blame him?

As for me beeing "stoopid", name me some authors that don't have a strong background in English and or literature.

I think I've been smacked in the back of the head by a few good stories over the years . And I'm now forever on careful watch to avoid being hit upside the head with a thesaurus. You were supposed to use the said book to write an essay not commit felonious assault .

I really don't think there are many original writers in fantasy. The "unlikely hero" thing was done and done and done. I'm sure there are some good original writers out there but I don't have the time to find out who they are anymore unless I stumble on them. I think Katherine Kerr is the best there is right now, what do you think?

 

Usually whomever I'm reading at the moment. Lately it's been George RR Martin which was thrust on me by a couple of friends. Another favorite is Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, the earliest ones like World Wreckers and Heritage of the Hasturs. Outside of Fantasy, some favorites are Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches and the earliest Vampire novels. One day I need to go to New Orleans to feel the setting she so vividly describes in her books. *wistful sigh* Ah well...

And for the record, I never said I didn't like Terry Brooks. I enjoyed the first Shannara Trilogy, it's just the rest that got silly.