Recommendations for non medieval europe type fantasy?

Primitius

Primitius

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does such a thing even exist? Like eastern influenced fantasy for example?
I'm particularly interested in fantasy that deals with gods and so forth, and I distinctly remember reading about a book that had buddha as a god, although it may have been science-fiction and not fantasy...
I know this is rather vague, but any suggestions atall?
 
Try Returning My Sister's Face and other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice by Eugie Foster. For stories literally filled with gods and old-world style fantasy, see the Fantasy Masterworks collection of tales by Lord Dunsany entitled Time and the Gods; it's number two in the series.
 
This is about the third time I've recommended this since I read it last month...:)

The Night Watch Trilogy by Sergei Lukyanenko


Walking the streets of Moscow, indistinguishable from the rest of its population, are the Others. Possessors of supernatural powers and capable of entering the Twilight, a shadowy parallel world existing in parallel to our own, each Other owes allegiance either to the Dark or the Light.
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Definitely non-mediæval, and very Russian.
 
Primitius said:
...I distinctly remember reading about a book that had buddha as a god, although it may have been science-fiction and not fantasy...
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Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny - perhaps? (and its Sci-Fi)

Otherwise the following spring to mind:

Daughter of the Empire and sequels by Janny Wurts and Ray Feist - setting influenced by fuedal Japan.

Bridge of Birds and sequels by Barry Hugart - ancient China.

Imaro by Charles Saunders - African influenced fantasy (have it but not read yet)

Temeraire - Naomi Novik - Nepeoleonic war fantasy

Cry of the Newnorn - James Barclay - Roman inspired (maybe a bit too european :) )

For Sci-Fi The River of Gods by Ian McDonald - India
 
I think the Buddha one was definitely science fiction - I was thinking of putting up a query on book search. Seem to remember a pantheon of fake Hindu gods who were first generation humans with regeneration treatment and the Buddha was another of said humans who was trying to provide an alternative to his colleagues.

Non-european fantasy. Would you consider Shaman type in a modern setting. If so, look at Charles de Lint.
 
Tales of the Flat Earth* by Tanith Lee -- the atmosphere, although impossible to quite pin down, is more Arabian Nights than anything else.

Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake -- impossible of classification in any way



Do you mean non-medieval AND non-European? Because there are a lot of books I could recommend (for instance the entire sub-genre of Steampunk) which tend to be European in flavor but definitely not medieval. Also books that might, at a stretch, be considered medieval but in which the setting is so otherworldly it would be an even bigger stretch to consider it European.





*This is a series of loosely related books, beginning with Night's Master.
 
Some of Tim Powers' books might fit what you're looking for, such as On Stranger Tides (set in the 18th Century Caribbean) or Declare (which is partially set in mid-20th Century Europe but the most important bits of the tale are in the Middle East).

Montero said:
I think the Buddha one was definitely science fiction - I was thinking of putting up a query on book search. Seem to remember a pantheon of fake Hindu gods who were first generation humans with regeneration treatment and the Buddha was another of said humans who was trying to provide an alternative to his colleagues.
Click to expand...

That's definitely Lord of Light you're describing. It's an excellent book, one of the best Science Fiction books I've read.
 
Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori are set in old Japan. They are well-researched and I thought they were a wonderful read. The titles are - Across the Nightingale Floor; Grass for His Pillow; Brilliance of the Moon; The Harsh Cry of the Heron; Heaven's Net is Wide.

There's also Two Pearls of Wisdom and Eon - Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman. This one is based on Chinese myth.
 
Try the duology Initiate Brother and Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell

A China that never was, a young monk who might be the perfect master, and barbarian hordes. What more could you want?
 
How about David Gemmell's Jon Shannow series, a fantasy type trilogy set in the wild west, Shannow is The Jeruselum Man and is trying to find God
 
Actually I find it now even more common. The biggest example that comes quickly to mind (though it has failed to live up to it's potential) is Jordan's (Sanderson's) Wheel of Time it's heavily eastern influenced. There have been several series to show up recently with an eastern influence. There are also some with what I suppose would be called New Age or possibly "Pagan" influenced. I wasn't into the them and can't remember the titles, but there is a series where modern power fails. There is a heavy Wiccan influence.
 
You might try Acacia by David Durham. It has elements from all over, including Mesopotamian, African, Polynesian, Greek, and seafaring. It is anything but a stereotypical medieval Europe fantasy (which I love, btw). There are elements of Viking in one people (only elements though. To call them Viking is misleading. More like Viking Klingons, who worship ancestors, if that makes any sense). A fairly well received book, but I found the characterization a bit lacking. Good story though.
 
Liz Williams' Detective Inspector Chen novels are a mix of fantasy/sci fi including gods, demons and definitely not medieval Europe as they are in another world based on Chinese mythology.
 
maybe try the semi fantasy/science fiction

Timegod's World - L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
 
ahh thanks for all the recommendations folks! Lots of books to look into now..
 
For fantasy that is influenced by traditions from the Arab world, I would definitely recommend Juliet E McKenna's, The Aldabreshin Compass

  • Southern Fire
  • Northern Storm
  • Western Shore
  • Eastern Tide

These are based in a feudal archipelago where the magical tradition is linked to divination and omens rather than the overt use of magical power. Very atmospheric, it has a very different feel to pseudo-medieval type fantasy.
 
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