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ChrisC
12-04-2009, 05:35 PM
I've been feeling for awhile that I want to read some fantasy books. What would you suggest? I was thinking Raymond E. Feist. I don't like the look of David Eddings. Basically I have been an SF reader for some time so I'm not sure where to start when it comes to fantasy.

Who's good? Who's not?

Recommendation's please!
BeckyH
13-04-2009, 12:59 AM
In fantasy, as in SF there are stories to fit all preferences. What kind of stories do you like? Quests, thrillers, romances, tragedy, magic, no magic, etc. can all be found in fantasy. Tell me your favorite type of story and I'll have a title or two for you.
disrepdog
13-04-2009, 08:54 AM
Hi, yep ditto Becky. Do you want urban fantasy set in our world with a twist or swords and sorcery in a completely made up world?

For the former:

Try Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - A bloke in London helps an injured girl and so gets drawn into an alternative London full of mystery and danger and rats - very good fun.

Or Age of Misrule by Mark Chadbourn - 5 flawed people are drawn together and go on a quest to find four objects of power required to stop the Nightwalkers returning. Lots of celtic and Arthurian links in this book, which is the first trilogy in a trilogy of trilogies. Multi-layered and some of my very fav books.

For the latter:

Dawnthief by James Barclay -the first in a seven books series, all hugely fun high fantasy sort of magnificent seven meets Indiana Jones. Again some of my all time favs.

Or Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd - first in a quartet, again high fantasy. Isac is a white eye, massive, strong and with a bit of a temper. He turns out to be the next rightful heir, but lots of political battles and war going on.

With all the above books that are part of a series, each is a book in it's own right so you aren't left with a cliffhanger ending meaning you have to read the next to find out the real end.

I have many more suggestions as I've read more fantasy than SF :)
RedKing
13-04-2009, 11:55 AM
I second Neverwhere, or any other Gaiman book, for that matter.

I also recommend the ARDNEH series by Fred Saberhagen, Empire Of The East, Book Of Swords and The Book Of Lost Swords. Plenty there to read, 4 books, 3 books and 8 books in the respective series!
ChrisC
14-04-2009, 01:44 PM
In fantasy, as in SF there are stories to fit all preferences. What kind of stories do you like? Quests, thrillers, romances, tragedy, magic, no magic, etc. can all be found in fantasy. Tell me your favorite type of story and I'll have a title or two for you.

Well I guess it's Swords and Sorcery. I don't want epic's like Robert Jordan, preferably stand alone works or trilogies. Also I like stuff like Stardust, so I guess other Neil Gaiman books would be good.
RedKing
14-04-2009, 05:06 PM
Epic Swords & Sorcery = Early Moorcock, Elric, Second Corum Trilogy, Hawkmoon, et al.
ChrisC
17-04-2009, 05:16 PM
Well I have Magician on order from the library. So I'll see how I get on with that.
Deep Black
22-04-2009, 02:26 PM
Ok, I'm not hugely into Fantasy, but here's my penny's worth:

Lord of the Rings is an obvious choice
Dan Simmons - Song of Kali (he also writes SF & other stuff)
Tad Williams - Shadowmarch (I've not read it but it's supposed to be good)
Mervyn Peakes - Gormenghast trilogy
Garth Nix - Keys to the Kingdom series (sort of yound adult stuff, but I've read the 1st one & enjoyes it)
Robin Hobb's - Farseer Trilogy (again not read it but I have the first 2 on the shelf & it's supposed to be fantastic)
Tom Holt - all decent humorous stuff
Stephen Donaldson's - Thomas Covenant books (highly regarded, but I wasn't impressed)
Piers Anthony - Xanth books (there's about 1,000,000 of them)
rac
22-04-2009, 03:17 PM
Weaveworld- Clive Barker.
rac
22-04-2009, 04:37 PM
I've been told that George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire books are good- anybody here read them?
disrepdog
22-04-2009, 04:42 PM
Deep, if you like Nix's Keys to the Kingdom check out his Abhorsen trilogy starting with Sabriel - very very good.
Deep Black
22-04-2009, 08:02 PM
Yep, will prob get around to them sometime too.

Why weren't there any books like that around when I was younger? I may have got into reading earlier than I did.

Ohh & I've also remembered:
David Gemmell - Knights of Dark Renown (was decent)
&
Susanna Clarke - Johathan Strange & Mr Norrell (another one that's highly regarded, but I found rather tedious)
RedKing
22-04-2009, 08:34 PM
Why weren't there any books like that around when I was younger? I may have got into reading earlier than I did.

Like what?
edash
22-04-2009, 08:43 PM
I've been told that George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire books are good- anybody here read them?

I've read the first three volumes (4 books as the third one was split into two for the paperbacks) and they are all excellent. Loads of political machinations, rivalries, pitch battles etc. Actually very restrained on the magic aspect of things, it's there but not at the forefront of events. Technology, weapon and armour wise it's more like a middle ages, War of the Roses period.

I'd refrained from recommending it, and Steven Erikson's Malazan Books of the Dead series too, as Chris had indicated he didn't want epics.
rac
22-04-2009, 09:09 PM
Cheers, Ed. I might track them down in that case...
edash
22-04-2009, 10:17 PM
The first book is A Game of Thrones.

HBO secured the rights to adapt the first book for TV, with the option of adapting all the books (even though George hasn't finished writing the last 3 yet). It's just been confirmed that a pilot episode will be going ahead and will start filming in October at Paint Hall Studios in Belfast :).
Deep Black
23-04-2009, 11:05 AM
Like what?
Not sure I understand your question there RK:confused:
I'm suggesting there weren't many decent young adult fantasy/SF books around 20 years ago
RedKing
23-04-2009, 07:23 PM
I must disagree with you there, Deep. I read the Earthsea Triliogy, The Wierdstone of Brasingamen, The Owl Service more than 20 years ago and copies remain on my shelf to this day.

I also read an absolute shed load of SF, Blish, Niven, van Vogt, Norton. Did you not encounter the Tripods stuff or the Changes Trilogy?
Deep Black
23-04-2009, 08:29 PM
Ahhh I see what you saying now.

I guess much for that stuff was just unknown to me then. Even now the only ones I know of are Earthsea.

I did watch the Tripods TV series, but was not aware (at the time) that they were based on books.

What was Changes?
RedKing
23-04-2009, 11:18 PM
The Changes (http://www.bilderberg.org/changes.htm) also got made into a scary TV series back in the day (1975!)

The books are a very good child / young adult read and the series did a kind of mash-up of the trilogy.
Deep Black
24-04-2009, 10:15 AM
Hmmm looks interesting, that one definatly got passed me.

I'm gonna start a thread on child / young adult books...