Favorite fantasy author - Page 6

PhilD · #51 January 24th, 2004, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Teraswaerto:
Sorry to say, but Eddings is quite possibly the worst fantasy writer in existence (though I've heard that Mercedes Lackey is even worse, I've not had the displeasure of reading her stuff myself). The same (not particularly good & horribly cliched to boot) plot and identical characters only with new names in book after another.

I rather enjoyed the Belgariad (I didn't have the courage to go through much of the rest of their writing, though - he does write in tandem with his wife). It was rather fun, in a parodic, ultra-stereotyped way. Kind of like Pratchett, only I'm not too sure it's intended in the Eddings' case.

Voted for Martin; would have added more if I had noticed one could go "more than one"

Jasper · #52 January 24th, 2004, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by officer_jenny:
hi everybody, not a real big fantasy fan here, but im wondering why no one has mentioned Gene Wolfe/Book of the New Sun?

Gene Wolf is excellent! I imagine nobody has mentioned him because his famous works are more science fiction. Once you include him, there's a long list of sci-fi authors to include...

Catquiet · #53 January 25th, 2004, 09:14 AM

P.C. Hodgell - God Stalk series

diamondspider · #54 January 26th, 2004, 12:55 PM

For me, great fantasy is less about specific authors and more about specific *works*.

I can't think of many authors that are consistant enough for me to rate them apart from specific books.

That said, here are my top 10 all time favorite fantasy books/series segments (strictly excluding sci-fi and horror):

1. Lord of the Rings : Tolkien
2. The Hobbit : Tolkien
3. Paksenarrion trilogy : Moon
4. A Song of Fire and Ice trilogy : Martin
5. The Sword of Truth series (first 3) : Goodkind
6. Dying Earth : Vance
7. Cugel's Saga : Vance
8. Lankhmar Series (first 3) : Leiber
9. Jack of Shadows : Zelazny
10. A Wizard of Earthsea : Le Guin

[ January 26, 2004, 10:57: Message edited by: diamondspider ]

Teraswaerto · #55 January 26th, 2004, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by diamondspider:

4. A Song of Fire and Ice trilogy : Martin

Except it isn't a trilogy.

diamondspider · #56 January 26th, 2004, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Teraswaerto:

quote:
Originally posted by diamondspider:

4. A Song of Fire and Ice trilogy : Martin

Except it isn't a trilogy.

It is until at least April

We'll see if the new book makes my list. My guess is: yes.

edit: regarding release date as per PhilD.

[ January 26, 2004, 17:00: Message edited by: diamondspider ]

PhilD · #57 January 26th, 2004, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by diamondspider:

quote:
Originally posted by Teraswaerto:

quote:
Originally posted by diamondspider:

4. A Song of Fire and Ice trilogy : Martin

Except it isn't a trilogy.
It is until April

We'll see if the new book makes my list. My guess is: yes.

Not to sound pessimistic, but... GRR Martin promises to post about A Feast for Crows on his homepage as soon as it is done, and he still hasn't. Until he does, any street date his publisher may have announced is pure speculation, and, at the moment, April seems... optimistic.

taterbill · #58 January 26th, 2004, 07:27 PM

Here's another vote for George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. IMHO, second only to Tolkein. As a magnum opus and a genre-creator, LOTR is unbeatable, but for a pure enjoyable read and characters you truly care about, Martin 's trilogy (so far) is the best ever.

LordArioch · #59 January 26th, 2004, 07:45 PM

Hurray! Somebody mentioned Vance. Call me a madman, but I find his obscure choice of words very enjoyable. Cugel in particular is a very enjoyable character, even if I never want to meet him personally. The Lyonesse trilogy was good too.

Oh, and PhilD, if you haven't noticed yet, you can find a couple of Egan's short stories on his webpage along with entertaining java applets and background science at varying levels of techicality. I would have to agree that at least some level of understanding of science is necessary. Honestly I'm not really sure what happens during the second half of Schild's Ladder myself. Sometime I'll have to educate myself about spin networks and read it again.

PhilD · #60 January 26th, 2004, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LordArioch:

Oh, and PhilD, if you haven't noticed yet, you can find a couple of Egan's short stories on his webpage along with entertaining java applets and background science at varying levels of techicality. I would have to agree that at least some level of understanding of science is necessary. Honestly I'm not really sure what happens during the second half of Schild's Ladder myself. Sometime I'll have to educate myself about spin networks and read it again.

Oh, usually by the second half of Egan's books, nothing makes much sense anyway. The first third of each book is absolutely brilliant, then it's a series of "huh?", and the end, while enjoyable, is usually so far in pure speculation that it doesn't help anymore to have a decent science education (or maybe I just don't have enough, but between my own PhD in CS, my girlfriend's in statistical physics, and our general mathematical background, I'd say we're somewhat ahead of his general target readership, or he would have a very hard time making a living out of his books).