OT: Any reccomendations for good fanatasy books

[chrispedersen]

Originally Posted by Mojo the Avenger

A song of ice and fire puts all other serious fantasy to shame.

Really?
Tolkien was voted the most important work of fiction of the 20th century by the people who rate those things. More or less popularized the genre - up until Piers Anthony's A spell for Chameleon.

There are several series I would put way ahead of "A song.."

Anyways sundry other
Erewhon
We all died at breakaway station
John Carter, War Lord of Mars.

Of course, the lovecrafts Cthulus books...

[theenemy]

Oh, and how could I possibly forget "The first law" series by Joe Abercrombie?!
Read it, love it!

[Zeldor]

I'd call Tolkien works children stories. It's best to read them around 10-12, later they are well... too naive and childish to enjoy them fully.

Oh, there is also good recommendation for all fantasy lovers - with success of The Witcher it seems they translated some books the game was based on. Check amazon for Andrzej Sapkowski, I see at least "The Last Wish" there, the first tome of the saga. He is the best Polish fantasy write, so if translation is good, it's really worth it. Mature fantasy

[Mojo the Avenger]

Tolkein was a world builder, not a writer. His work was so influential because it was genre defining. His writing is dry and arduous to read, not to mention jam packed with deus ex machinas.

I'm a tolkein fan, but first does not equal best. I say Martin's work is head and shoulders above the rest because it doesn't solve every problem with wizards, and he isn't afraid to let main characters die if it makes the most sense. Most fantasy literature coddles the reader.

[thejeff]

Obviously there's a difference of opinion there. Or you're thinking of the Hobbit, which is very much a children's book, but charming in it's way.

I'm not sure what you mean by naive? I'll grant they may not be sufficiently grim and gritty for some and he leaves out the sex and the swearing, if that's what you mean by "mature fantasy". That's a product of his times as much as anything.

He also had a fundamentally optimistic outlook that's not much in favor now, based in his Catholic faith. That may pass for naive to the casual observer.

Tolkein's writing style is an older style, which may be why it seems dry and arduous to some. I find it elegant and at times poetic, but I like a lot of older works.

I enjoyed the first of the Song of Fire & Ice books, but it went downhill after that to my tastes. He takes his reaction to "fantasy literature coddles the reader" almost to a parody of the other extreme. By the time I gave up reading, he'd killed off most of the characters I had any interest in.
If Tolkein is naive, I prefer that to the "no good deed goes unpunished" cynicism of Martin's books.

[djo]

I've just come across Joe Abercrombie's name in a positive review of "The Blade Itself" and its sequels. Could some of the posters above give their impression not so much in terms of how much they like his work, but rather a general impression of the kind of books they are? What they're like, their strong points?

[WraithLord]

Wow. So many good suggestions. It may take years to read all the good stuff brought here.
Thank you all!

As for me, I figure I could cover some "holes", starting by going back to the Conan series. Is there a one paper book compilation of Conan BTW (like the one for Amber)?

Oh and I've read song of ice&fire. I think it kind of lost momentum towards the end and it kinda reminds me of lost series - with mysteries that would probably never get solved. I don't like this approach all that much...

Oh, and if I were to put something on the table I'd recommend Dan Simmons - Hypperion series is good SF while carrion comfort for example is good horror fantasy.

Forgotten realms is usually childish and not well written but one series that rose above that usually low level is war of the spider queen. It actually makes for a fun read, not deep or taxing, just fun pass time.

Last good read is dom-III manual

[Omnirizon]

Originally Posted by Zeldor

I'd call Tolkien works children stories. It's best to read them around 10-12, later they are well... too naive and childish to enjoy them fully.

trollin

[chrispedersen]

Originally Posted by Mojo the Avenger

Tolkein was a world builder, not a writer. His work was so influential because it was genre defining. His writing is dry and arduous to read, not to mention jam packed with deus ex machinas.

I'm a tolkein fan, but first does not equal best. I say Martin's work is head and shoulders above the rest because it doesn't solve every problem with wizards, and he isn't afraid to let main characters die if it makes the most sense. Most fantasy literature coddles the reader.

Shows that people are different. I love tolkiens attention to detail - his philology. If I had to pick 100 books I'd already read for a desert island - tolkiens lotr would definitely make the cut.

Whereas I've picked up a variety of Martins books and found them eminently forgetable.

Asprins first 6 Myth books are pretty funny.
Donaldson's first trilogy - pretty good.
Robert Jordan was widely followed. Too many words for my taste.
Bersercker- by cook was Ok.
Web of the Chosen - by Jack Chalker
Cugel the Clever - which sort of chicken and egged DnD magic.

[Aethyr]

Michelle West's Sun Sword series, and the duology that preceeded it, can't quite recall the names at the moment, is the best series I've read in many a year.