recommended authors or series?

[Msnformd]

Having read most of the fantasy series people are talking about' date=' I wonder. Do you too find that you are looking for anything that's more than one book?? Knowing that if you like the first you've instantly got more?[/quote']

 

I've flip-flopped on this. 20 years ago, I stopped reading fantasy, becuase it was so very "serialized". It seemed like such a marketing ploy to me - get 'em with book one, and lock in that recurring revenue...

 

Then a few years ago, I did get hooked on several very good series, (GRRM, and of course, WoT), and decided, "heck with the marketing". It's all about submersing myself in someone else's universe. I read for entertainment, to releive stress, to escape reality. What better way to leave this world behind, than to travel and explore the complex worlds of great authors? For me, the more complex and comprehensive the story, the more I can get lost in it. I especially value stories that weave elements of religion, politics, culture and well defined characters together. Creating a religion or a culture out of nothing is a difficult thing, an author who can do it well - yeah, I'll happily surrender my entertainment dollars for that.

 

So, yes, I do look for series, now.

[Guest Egwene]

Anyone here read David Drake? I just found out that there is a new book in the Lord of the Isles series and wondered if anyone has read it.

[Logain Ablar]

My favorite behind RJ is R.A. Salvatore and all of his Drizzt books.

[Asgard Thorin]

I thought I was alone!! HallelujaH!!!!!! I hated The Dune series; Dune, great, next ones okay, sort of, God Emperor, no,Heretics Loved it! Chapterhouse? (treason, betrayal, plotlessness, pointlessness, Icould go on longer than Treebeard talking about orcs) So I do not recommend it, as a whole. But Dune itself? Every major fiction reader should read it at least once.

 

ArggHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Majsju(how IS that pronounced?)was right!!!!!!!!!! All the obvious ones have been taken. Niven and Porunelle's A Mote in God's Eye cannot be missed. The sequel to it is not quite as original, but is still interesting. I do not recommend Hubbard's Battlefield Earth as it makes Herbert's Dune look terse, but some of it is interesting. Do not, I type again, do not try to read his Mission Earth series(shudder).

 

Richard Knaak, author of Dragonrealm series, very good. Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game exxxxcellent, and his spin-off of it Ender's Shadow and the rest of the shadow series. Heinlen, Starship Troopers, muy bien, jeffe. Farenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Martian Chronicles, you really can't go wrong with Ray Bradbury, even if much of it is dated. (A flaw to which sci-fi is very vulnerable) Arthur C. Clarke, another Founding Father of Fiction, up there with Asimov, Tolkien, Verne, Bradbury, Lewis[/b]

[Asgard Thorin]

Oh, yeah. Michael Crichton........very good

[spiralx]

Stephen Erikson's Malazan Book Of The Fallen series is simply the best fantasy out there at the moment. As much as I love RJ, I've come to prefer MBOF overall; perhaps the fact that he has a dislike of cliffhangers helps some ;)

 

100% recommend the books - the first one is a bit confusing to begin with because it drops into an ongoing story with lots of characters who know each other well. Stick with it, totally worth the effort.

[loki redfern]

mickey zucker reichert any thing by her- renshaie draws heavily on norse and nightfall is good(sp)

[Asgard Thorin]

But I must notrecommend Eragon. The writing is poor, the story is mildly interesting but cliche's? No one is as cliche happy as this story's author. Basically, the story wasn't edited at all: a rough draft gone amok. No disrespect to his former age, he's old enough to drink now, but he needs more practice to write well. He shows some promise, but he is actually being hindered by his fluke success.

 

This is what is truly painful about this post: I can no longer endorse R A Salvatore. As much as I loved those books when I was young, I realize now that they are not well written. I stopped reading them at Sea of Swords which I infact returned to the place from which I bought it. All the characters were becoming(perhaps had always been) the same thing, just different versions of each other. In fact, recently, I even took the painful step of actually selling all of his books except the Icewind Dale Trilogy, which I kept for sentimental reasons. No I must not recommend them, not as great reading.

[Guest Egwene]

Maybe you are being too harsh, Asgard. The fact that you really enjoyed the Salvatore books when you were young, means they were good. What is great literature. If you are looking for something that uses perfect english, you don't neccessarily end up with something that is fun to read.

 

We do grow out of books... sometimes it's just that we can't identify with the characters anymore. I think that does not make a book bad. Having had a rant earlier on this thread about my 'not recommend' I agree there are some books out there that are pretty bad. But if you really enjoyed a book at some stage in your life, it should never be a total not recommend as you have had a good time reading it once.

 

Just reading another book by Philip Pullman and it actually struck me during the first few pages how well this guy writes. If no others by him, read the 'Dark Materials' trilogy.

[Asgard Thorin]

Thank you for your condolence on that(that is your opinion) It was painful to say that I could not recommend them. My decision to say I could not recommend them was long thought out and considered. I abandoned reading that series when Sea of Swords came out in hardcover. I read the book, and found that I could skip chapters without missing anything. Also, I found myself rooting for some of the villains. When a story has gone so far in the wrong direction that you are wanting innocents to die.....it is time to let it go.

That was three, four years ago. My feeling of betrayal at how far the author has gone astray has long since diminished. I have this year gone back through and started reading some of his books again. I found that I did not like them any more, at least I did not like reading them anymore. I have outgrown them. It may seem harsh, Egwene, but I made this lack of recommendation after careful, deliberate thought. I wish I had not felt I had to not recommend the Wulfgar books; they were old friends, but if I express mine opinion, it should be honest. Thanks for your concern and opinion, though.

[Asgard Thorin]

Thanks for the author recommend

[Guest Egwene]

no problem Asgard...

 

I have just finished Eldest, the follow up from Eragon.. You are right in you assessment that he uses every cliche going. I still enjoyed the storyline though. Not sure I'd read them again... but they gave me a couple of hours undemanding reading....

 

Different books suit different moods at times...

[Asgard Thorin]

True, true(the moods thing). When I want light reading, I go with Eddings. Stereotyped characters with humorous dialogue, and well-written, usually. At least Belgariad/Mallorean were. Some of those lines still make me laugh after reading them dozens of times

[Guest Egwene]

I do like the 'Belgareth' and 'Polgara' books. By getting the same story seen through different eyes, the picture we get of them is really 3D. And as for humour in Eddings... My all time favourite is probably when Garion goes off without telling Polgara or his wife. The scene when they both find out.... had me totally in stitches...

[Guest Emperor]

Like I am going to read thru this and see if someone has mentioned this author.

 

Jim Butcher.. Dresden Files books. There are 7 of them so far and they are great. First one is called Storm Front.

[teehee]

i reread a few eddings books recently. I swear i remember there being a little more depth to them.. But yeah, i gotta agree his humour really grows on you.

[Asgard Thorin]

Niven's Ringworld and Brook's Magic Kingdom For Sale-sold! I recommend them both. Not great literature but very satisfying light-medium fantasy.

[Asgard Thorin]

Niven's Ringworld and Brook's Magic Kingdom For Sale-sold! I recommend them both. Not great literature but very satisfying light-medium fantasy.

[kbundy]

Wow. lot of the same stuff out there. I will give some of my favs. Not all sf/fantasy, though.

 

The Mists of Avalon

Empire Series by Feist/Wurts

Stranger in a Strange Land-Heinlein

Dune was good. Noticed the similarities.

 

Ender's Game series sf, but I can't believe so many have missed these.

 

I've never been one for whatever's new, but some new and old ones:

The Time Traveler's Wife by AudreyNiffenegger. Interesting premise.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The First Man in Rome series by Colleen McCullough

Earth's Children by Jean Auel

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

 

btw, these are all adult titles, NOT for kids under 18, with the exception of the Ender Series.

 

After reading all the posts, I am excited about the recommendations. I have not read about half of what has been posted. I'll have to put them in my to "read when I'm retired" list.

[Hugh]

So many good books out there.....

 

Pretty much anything by Tolkein - I've read all the Middle Earth books (including Unfinished Tales)

Harry Potter (still haven't read book 6, though)

The first 3 Dune books (didn't like the last 3. Enjoyed all 6 prequels, although they weren't as deep as the originals)

Ender's Game series (and Ender's Shadow series) - Orson Scott Card

Anything by Terry Pratchett

The Black Magician Trilogy - Trudi Canavan

 

I recently read Myrren's Gift, by Fiona McIntosh. They were good, but, I felt a little patronising in places.... She, I felt, explained things that I'd already figured out a while before.... Still, enjoyable...

 

I enjoyed the Eddings' books (Belgariad, Mallorean), but, as someone said earlier, they were relatively bland and didn't introduce anything new. There was none of the political stuff or sense of a whole world that other series' have.

 

In terms of Sci-Fi....

Most Asimov... I haven't read any Foundation books for a long time, but I love the Robots short stories.

Iain M Banks - really involved 'pure' sci-fi. Less personal, more political. Very worth reading.

[Akenzar]

Well, i'll stay away from books that have been mentioned (although, some of them were great).

 

My first recommendation would be Michael Moorcock, you'd have to do some digging to get the books (most are currently out of print, though, maybe sometime soon we'll see em again, i hope). He's been writing for fourty years, truly terrific writing. I'd suggest his "Eternal CHampion" cycle to begin wiht... which has a ton of books of different incarnations. SPecifically i'd suggest you start with either the books of Corum, or the books of Elric. (A warning... some of Moorcock's writing is rather dark, i've read few that were dirty, but there is a good deal of torture and dark magic).

 

Secondly I'd recommend the Rai-Kirah trilogy by Carol Berg, another great author. One of my favorites (Both of these writers definately rival Jordan in my opinion). It starts with "Transformation", the cover is rather tacky on that one, but, great book none the less. (Seyonne takes you on an emotional joyride that might rival that of FitzChivalry!)

 

Thirdly, Robert E. Howard. I'd recommend his Conan novels (there are some nice new editions out). They are somewhat simplistic in plot compared to some things now-a-days. But the righting itself is astounding.

 

____________________________________________________

 

And speaking of Salvatore, I would say that it's not necessarily his fault, from my understanding (at least, according to a good friend of mine who's read em for years and years), his contract changed with Wizards of the Coast took over. He is contractually obliged to keep writing them, and if he doesn't other people will. So, pretty much, Salvatore is just in a bad situation. Ask any D&D enthuist, WotC is the devil. (I can't verify that this is true, but i've never heard him exaggerate before, and well, WotC is the vilest thing that ever graced this planet)

[Taymist]

Hmm ok had a quick glance through this... couple of recommendations:

 

Louise Cooper (The Indigo Saga and Shadow Star Trilogy)

 

Ursula Le Guin (any and all, she's fabulous but the Earthsea books are great for younger readers)

 

Patricia Kennealy Morrison (The first two Keltiad trilogies)

 

Greg Keyes (The Waterborn & The Blackgod and The Briar King & The Charnel Prince)

 

Michael Scott Rohan (The Winter of the World series - I have the first 5 but don't know if there are more now)

 

Sean Russell (The Swan's War trilogy)

 

Mary Stewart (Arthurian legend books - starting with The Crystal Cave)

[Valorian]

I would have to say read the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey probably the best series next to WoT that I have read.

 

Also David Eddings Belgariad and Mallorean series are also good.

 

I've picked up a new series by Jim Butcher..about a the only openly practicing wizard in san francisco..its hilarious as well as a good read.

[dagwall]

Personally I love Sci-fi more than Fantasy but enjoy both.

 

Orson Scott Cards is great for both sci-fi and fantasy

 

Alvin Maker series (fantasy)

Homecoming series (sci-fi fantasy mix)

Ender's Game series and the Shadow series (sci-fi)

(really I love most of his non-religous books but will recommend these)

 

For the sci-fi lover check out Robert Heinlein

Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land, To Sail Beyond the Sunset, Time Enough for Love

 

Stephen King's Dark Tower series was excellent, and if you love inter-related stories for more background most of his other books are related.

[Swani]

As I don't really feel like reading through all these pages, I don't know if this has been mentioned.

 

I can recommend Trudi Canavan's 'The Black Magician Trilogy'

Book one is OK, book two a bit better and I adore the third book :-)

 

Priestess of the White (also by Trudi Canavan) is a good book too, and is book one of another trilogy.

 

And of course there's Marion Zimmer Bradley and her books about Avalon.