Any Fantasy Recommendations?

SuperTed · Post by **SuperTed** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 5:36 pm

Hey guys,

I've read the Narnia Chronicles countless times and LOTR is a given but does anyone have any recommendations on fantasy novels as I'm getting tired of reading non-fiction and want a good old yarn for a change.

The trouble is I go into the bookshop and all I can see is "Book Seven of the UnderPants Cycle" or "Another Gruff HairyBum Adventure" and then the back of the book goes "...and beyond the Blasted Crag, the unspeakable Seth-Nomoth waited, his crimson wings folded....the SpellChild foresaw his unspeakable destiny...blah..blah"

There must be some good ones out there so I'm sending out the call. Is there anything worth passing coin over for?

Cheers,

Eddie

DruidsGlass · Post by **DruidsGlass** » Tue Jul 06, 2004 8:29 pm

a series that i am particularly fond of is Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption trilogy (also called the Axis trilogy). it's 3 books approximately 600-700 pages each i think. i'll provide a rough plot outline on request only (dont want to ruin the books if u decide to go after em)

here are the titles for each one:
The Wayfarer Redemption
Enchanter
Starman

hope you'll like em...

Post by **MayorOfLongview** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 9:03 am

SuperTed wrote:Hey guys,

I've read the Narnia Chronicles countless times and LOTR is a given but does anyone have any recommendations on fantasy novels as I'm getting tired of reading non-fiction and want a good old yarn for a change.

The trouble is I go into the bookshop and all I can see is "Book Seven of the UnderPants Cycle" or "Another Gruff HairyBum Adventure" and then the back of the book goes "...and beyond the Blasted Crag, the unspeakable Seth-Nomoth waited, his crimson wings folded....the SpellChild foresaw his unspeakable destiny...blah..blah"

There must be some good ones out there so I'm sending out the call. Is there anything worth passing coin over for?

I like your quote there. I think a modern day publisher might ask you to spin it into an 8 or 9 volume 'epic' though. Think you could pad it out a bit? lol
Heroic Fantasy - highly reccomended: David Gemmel "Drenai Series" starting with "Legend"
Light fantasy, excellent prose - Lord Dunsany "King Of Elflands Daughter"
High fantasy, difficult prose - E.R. Eddison "Wurm Oroborus"
Sword and Sorcery - poorly written, but the tales are great- Robert Howard "Coming of Conan" volume one

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 7:18 pm

C.J. Cherryh is one of my favorite authors. Although she is well-known for her sci-fi novels, she has written some good fantasy also. Her website is www.cherryh.com.

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Post by **Sam Gamgee** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:57 pm

Go for George MacDonald!!

CanarioAB · Post by **CanarioAB** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 4:41 am

One of my favorites is a series of 4 volumes by Mary Stewart. They are centered around King Arthur, and are entitled The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, and The Wicked Day.

April
http://theprogpalace.com

Post by **FredProgGH** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 10:39 am

I'm reading Steinbeck's "Acts Of King Arthur And His Knights" right now. It's allegedly based on additional manuscripts by Mallory and others found in Winchester in the 50's. However much of it is so different, and occasionally contrary, to the original Mallory/Caxton version (The Lady Of The Lake gets her head cut off in Arthur's court in the second chapter!!!), not to mention seeming a tad anachronistic in spots I became convinced it was an original work of Steinbeck, merely in the style of the original. But, a little web checking showed that apparently it is actually a valid translation of old stories. It's quite interesting and enjoyable overall.

Elrabin · Post by **Elrabin** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 2:33 pm

Admittedly, I don't read as much as I would like to, but...

I think that Ursula K. LeGuin has some pretty decent works out there. Not exactly high fantasy or anything, but I think she tells a good story. Her Earthsea cycle, which starts with A Wizard of Earthsea, is pretty nice, and I believe she's won both the Hugo and Nebula awards simultaneously for The Dispossessed and for The Left Hand of Darkness each, both of which are also pretty good, though they cut closer to sci-fi than fantasy.

And, if you like the sort of book that has appeal to both the younger and older set, I enjoyed Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which kicks off with The Golden Compass.

And for a classic heroic epic, ye can't beat Beowulf. Hwæt!

Post by **FredProgGH** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 9:50 pm

The Earthsea books are teriffic. I just re-read the first one recently but I can't find the other two. I'm sure the used bookstore has about 50 copies though, if I could remember to go. Other than that, I remember seeing Lathe Of Heaven as a(n awful) PBS show once but I never read it.

Sammael · Post by **Sammael** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 2:41 am

Another recommendation for the Earthsea books, now up to five. You can't go wrong with Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. Rooted in ancient British mythology, the five novels that make up the series are all excellent with my favorites being The Dark is Rising and The Grey King.

Among recent books, I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan, especially Neverwhere and American Gods. Great stuff.

Post by **Sam Gamgee** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 9:22 am

Ooh, The Dark is Rising? Those are good. With the exception of the last book. I don't know what's with that one, but... :-p I mean, I get that the point of fantasy is to eventually bring us deeper into our own world, not to escape it, but I just thought the conclusion was poorly done. Other than that though, great books.

esteban · Post by **esteban** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:13 pm

For unknown reasons, I recently veered away from SF/fantasy and toward the better authors in the detective fiction/espionage line (Dorothy Sayers, John LeCarre) but one fantasy series did grab my attention: The Merlin Codex by Robert Holdstock. It's rather different though, and may not be what you'd expect; in particular, it's set many years before Arthur. It travels from ancient Celtic myth to ancient Greek myth and back again, then beyond.

The first book is The Iron Grail. Only two of the three have been completed yet.

I'm acquainted with fantasy author David Coe but the blurbs on the back of his books sound a bit like what Ted parodied in the first post. Anybody have a comment on his stuff?

Post by **MayorOfLongview** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:18 pm

David Gemmel - Drenai (Legend) series

Alatar · Post by **Alatar** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:37 pm

I'll (belatedly) agree with the suggestions for Usula LeGuin and The Dark is Rising series.

For juvenile fiction that adults can read the "His Dark Materials" series by Phillip Pullman is really good.

For a top quality fantasy author who usually releases stand alone novels Guy Gavriel Kay is an absolute must. Apart from his debut trilogy he writes books set in a fantasy world inspired by specific historical places. He also worked with Christopher Tolkein on "The Silmarillion".

Post by **MayorOfLongview** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 7:09 pm

Alatar - Did you catch any anti-Christian slant to "His Dark Materials"? I've read some critisicm of that book, and not by the anti Potter Christians. It seemed legit. Thoughts?
Steve

Glass Hammer

Any Fantasy Recommendations?

Any Fantasy Recommendations?

Re: Any Fantasy Recommendations?

A Few Meager Suggestions