Other Fanasy Series

[CUBAREY]

Quote:

 

How many people honestly think that, though? Crossroads of Twilight was a dreadful novel, whilst Winter's Heart and Path of Daggers were not much better, and the novel version of New Spring was an utter waste of time. The earlier WoT books were excellent and Knife of Dreams showed signs of a return to form, but I think the overall quality of the series has been substantially damaged by its sub-par latter third.

 

Heresy, heresy I say! :o :o

 

I could make the same comment about Shakespeare's plays or the Bible. You write ling enough and you will write something the "critics" will be disappointed in.  RJ may not be in the same league with Shakespeare or my favourite "dead white guys" but in fantasy few have even equaled his vision.

[Doyn]

While my reading progress is like a sloth running a marathon, my wife really enjoyed Robin Hobb's writing as well Dave Duncan. I don't have anything to add outside of what I probably posted in this thread much earlier, that while not the most complex writer, I do enjoy Terry Brooks.

[aeonsim]

Here are a few authors that don't seem to have been mentioned yet but are definitely well worth reading!

 

Lois McMasters Bujold

Chalion series - Fantasy at it's best, very very good, also the only book with a comment from RJ on it (Curse of Chalion)

Miles Vorkosigan series - Space Opera/Adventure also very good

 

Elizabeth Moon

The Deed of Paksenarrion - Epic Fantasy rather brilliant well worth reading

Heris Serrano Trilogy, Esmay Suiza Trilogy and Vatta's War series - Excellent Science fiction well worth reading!

 

P. C. Hodgell

Godstalker series - Well worth reading, brilliant epic fantasy!

 

CJ Cherryh

Another excellent all round author, writes both SF and Fant. Her various SF series range from space opera to Military SF or hard Sci-Fi and amazingly good author. Recommend Downbelow Station, Cyteen, The Pride of Chanur, Fortress in the Eye of Time for an idea of the range of sub genre and styles she writes 60+ books nearly all worth reading!

 

Michelle Saga west/Michelle Saga

Excellent Epic fantasy - Can be a little hard to find though

 

David Weber

Honor Harrington series - Well worth reading military SF at it's best.

 

John Ringo

A wide range of very impressive Military SF, though his Ghost series is definitely aimed at an 18+ audience

 

Neal Asher

Polarity Universe - Epic Science fiction up there with Iain M. Banks culture series.

 

Alistair Reynolds

Previously mentioned hard SF, very very well done.

 

Peter F. Hamilton

Hard SF all worth reading!

 

Glen Cooks Black company is quite good (not so keen on the rest of his stuff though). Jim Butcher is also worth reading for both his urban fantasy and semi epic fantasy.

 

If any one has suggestions for any authors similar to the above please let me know! Though I've probably read most of them ;). By the way http://www.gnooks.com/ Literature Map is a good tool for finding authors similar to those you like.

[GoodGrief]

Seven pages of recommendations and only passing mention of Terry Pratchett? Shame!

 

Pratchett's magnum opus, the Discworld, could be described as a world of standalones, but most fans like to clump them into series based on their protagonist(s), most of whom are recurring. You don't really need to read them in order, though. On one occasion he decided that understanding a story required some knowledge of previous books, and this event was so significant that he made a note of it at the front of the book.

His style is clever and unfailingly hilarious. He started out spoofing fantasy as a genre in his meandering earlier works and then moves on to everything else in the multiverse, including religion, newpapers, celebrity, the apocolyse, Shakespeare, quantum physics, racism, show dogs, tourism, Australia and caffeine addiction. Oh, and he makes Death seem like a likeable fellow. How can you beat that?

 

It's a great series, jump in anywhere that looks interesting.

 

I would also recommend...

 

Jasper Fforde

His Thursday Next series is up there with Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. It defies classification as well. I'm not sure it's even fantasy, even though it has werewolves, jumping into books and a villain with demonic lineage. It also features time travel, a malevolent global corporation and mad scientists. It's set in 1984 with an alternate history. The eponymous character is a Crimean War veteran (you heard me) turned literary detective. The world is very, very different from ours, in so many messed up ways, and that's before it veers off into various works of fiction and the world behind them. I can't get enough.

 

All the others I like have been mentioned, I believe. There's a few I'm reading at the moment that I'd like to share thoughts on, though.

 

Stephen Donaldson: Lord Foul's Bane

The first Thomas Covenant book. I really enjoyed the beginning. What can I say? I respect the author for tackling a condition like leprosy. I liked the way he took the time to show how the paranoia and the isolation left Covenant hollow, mechanical and cynical before it jumped headlong into the fantasy/dreamworld. His reaction to his previously cherished novel was powerful. Then something happened in chapter seven that caused me to put the book down very carefully and go for a long, long walk before even looking at it again. I'd like to see it through because the author's skill is apparent, but I'm not sure I can stick around for the redemption when I hate the protagonist to the core.

 

Robert E Howard: Conan the Barbarian

Picked up a collection at the Lifeline Booksale (if you're ever in Brisbane when it's on, GO. TWICE). I like it, even if the map makes me cringe and there are inescapable racist overtones in places. In particular I like the fact that there isn't a great, over-arching quest. Just this guy going around beating people up and stealing their stuff. Kind of refreshing. Never let it be said that I don't like anti-heroes.

 

George R R Martin: A Game of Thrones

Because you can't hang around this place for very long without hearing about it. I thought I'd give it a go. I love his world and his characters, bar one. Sansa needs to have all her hair pulled out by enraged baboons and then be thrown to the Sarlacc in the Great Pit of Carkoon. Apart from that, I love it and want more.

 

Kate Elliot: A Crown of Stars

I'm up to the second book, Prince of Dogs. I'm not sure where it's going yet, but I'm enjoying the ride. There's no lack of things going on, but the Terribly Significant Prophecy is not really in evidence as yet. I only know that there is one. The major religion in this series seems to be an analog of Christianity in most aspects, but several ideas that are integral to Christianity are considered heretical. Not sure if there is a Point behind this.

 

David Wong: John Dies At The End

*Griefy's vocabulary whines piteously, convulses, and offers up a single word* ... demented.

*Griefy's vocabulary rallies valiantly to expand on its previous effort* ... utterly demented.

 

Go here: http://www.johndiesattheend.com/

 

Stuff I'd like to read in the future:

 

Ursula Le Guin

H.P. Lovecraft

China Mieville (spelling?)

Piers Anthony

Patrick Rothfuss

Brandon Sanderson (mostly because he impressed Harriet enough that she chose him to do AMoL)

 

There's some others, but those names are the ones floating on top of my head right now so I'll probably get to them first.