Fantasy Recommendations for the Unenlightened 2

[AE35Unit]

Any readers of the Clan of the Cave Bear books by Jean M Auiel? Might try them next!

 

[murphy]

Any readers of the Clan of the Cave Bear books by Jean M Auiel? Might try them next!

The first book was very good, the rest, not so much.

I would definintely not recommend Thomas Covenant to AE35Unit, it is long winded epic fantasy that is not going to do anything for most SF fans who are skeptical to start with of the fantasy genre.

I read the first four books and then lost interest. Not my favorite either, but OTOH, not as long as say Jordan or GRRM.

 

[murphy]

Hmmm possible. Just wish fantasies were singletons!

There are some fantasies that are singletons. Guy Gavriel Kay's works come to mind such as Tigana and The Lions of Al Rassan. Charles de Lint also writes many stand alone novels. I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now.

Also, Jim Butcher's Dresden files books are all stand alones in that he completes a story arc in each book. They're not very long but should be read in order. The first book is Storm Front, but each book after gets better and better.

 

[j d worthington]

Hmmm possible. Just wish fantasies were singletons!

There are some fantasies that are singletons.

Prior to the popularity in LotR, the bulk of fantasy -- save for pulp series -- were stand-alone novels or stories. And even in cases where several novels were connected, you didn't have to read the others in order to understand or appreciate what went on in each individual piece. True, you may have seen levels, when read together, which you would otherwise not have seen, or you may have seen the development of themes in more richness and detail... but the stories themselves stood alone quite well. (This latter, of course, was also something kept by the pulp series, as no writer could count on a reader having seen any of the other tales in the series....)

 

[AE35Unit]

I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now.

I'd have to add Jack Vance's Emphyrio that list. Quite good too!

 

[Connavar]

You want a real Jack Vance fantasy go and read Dying Earth or Lyonesse.

The Lyonesse Trilogy is a group of three fantasy novels by Jack Vance, set in the European Dark Ages, in the mythical Elder Isles west of France and southwest of Britain,

Emphyrio is one of his sf books. They do say about him that he wrote his SF like fantasy and his fantasy like SF

 

[nj1]

After hearing so much about Vance, I bought a copy of Lyonese (pb) the other week, haven't read it yet but i thought it was a one off, hopefully now its the complete story though it didn't seem that big for a trilogy

 

[Connavar]

After hearing so much about Vance, I bought a copy of Lyonese (pb) the other week, haven't read it yet but i thought it was a one off, hopefully now its the complete story though it didn't seem that big for a trilogy

Its a finished series from late 80s who have won World Fantasy award. My new fantasy masterworks copy of Lyonesse is very big for a paperback.

 

[Joey Sixknuckles]

Ooh I read Lyonesse years ago and loved it, it's definately an imaginative take on fantasy tropes.

 

[Connavar]

Ooh I read Lyonesse years ago and loved it, it's definately an imaginative take on fantasy tropes.

Why i read that type of fantasy.

Have you read anything else by the same author ?

 

[Kamagate]

I would welcome some recommendations. I'm currently reading the last book in the sharing knife trilogy by Louis McMaster Bujold. I like the way magic and the supernatural is handled in her books, it's subtle and has limitations. I have a hard time with books where the "rules" seem to change all the time and everything is possible with magic. Other good examples of what I like would be Robin Hobb and Jacqueline Carey. I also saw that someone recommended Bernard Cornwells Warlord trilogy which defenitely would make my top ten list.

 

[Joey Sixknuckles]

Why i read that type of fantasy.

Have you read anything else by the same author ?

Not that I remember, but I think my mum has more by him, I shall have to seek it out...

 

[Yahzi]

I would welcome some recommendations.

Jack Vance - Lyonnesse if you want epic fantasy, The Dying Earth and related books if you want sardonic black humour.

Dave Duncan - A Man of His Word, or my personal favorite, The Hunter's Haunt (but read Reaver Road first). Also the King's Blades.

Ursula Le Guin - A Wizard of Earthsea. Can't recommend it enough.

 

[Kamagate]

Thank you for the recommendations.

Le Guin is a favorite of mine as well, great books.

I've heard good things about Lyonnesse before so I think I'll give it a try next. It will have to wait a little while though since I found out that there is a fourth book in the sharing knife series. I don't know why I thought it was only three, probably because trilogies are so common.

 

[uhtiger]

The two best authors ive read are David Gemmell (any of his books will do) and Sara Douglas (specifically The Axis Trilogy).

 

[Sparrow]

A name I'm not seeing is Clive Barker!


If you want pure fantasy with an American twist written by an Englishman, then try Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War.

 

[dwndrgn]

I would welcome some recommendations. I'm currently reading the last book in the sharing knife trilogy by Louis McMaster Bujold. I like the way magic and the supernatural is handled in her books, it's subtle and has limitations. I have a hard time with books where the "rules" seem to change all the time and everything is possible with magic. Other good examples of what I like would be Robin Hobb and Jacqueline Carey. I also saw that someone recommended Bernard Cornwells Warlord trilogy which defenitely would make my top ten list.

I think you should also try Sarah Monette, Lynn Flewelling and Elizabeth Hayden (Rhapsody).

 

[Lord Soth]

I think you should also try Sarah Monette, Lynn Flewelling and Elizabeth Hayden (Rhapsody).

Ergh, my one foray into reading Lynn Flewelling ended up with the books in the bin - hated it with a passion...

Not my cup of tea at all, but dont that stop you!

 

[murphy]

Ergh, my one foray into reading Lynn Flewelling ended up with the books in the bin - hated it with a passion...

Not my cup of tea at all, but dont that stop you!

Which Flewelling books did you try? I didn't like the Tamir books all that much, but really enjoyed the Nightrunner series.

 

[Lord Soth]

I 'think' it was the nightrunner series actually... Thought it really was 'fantasy by numbers' with the gay relationship thrown in to add spice to a petty bland character list.