fantasy books/novels

wheresmybacon

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2004
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I'd like to start reading some Fantasy stuff but I really don't have any idea of where to begin. Who's a good author? What's a good book or series?
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,925
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1. Lord of the Rings
2. A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin

Those should keep you busy for a while!

Edit: Forgot to mention the Assassin trilogy by Robin Hobb. Also Terry Goodkind's books are good (although people tend to diss them).
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
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81
read the chronicles of thomas convent: the unbealiver (3 books) by Stephen R Donaldson. Thjere is also a 2nd and 3rd set in the series. i have'nt read the 3rd series yet. but the first two are grea.t

one of the best fantasy series i have read.

also a series by Melanie Rawn called the dragon prince.

oih and the death gate series are good.



oh and fred saberhagen (sp?)has a cool series on swords (cant remember the name but i have them in a box hehe) that are short and easy to read.

just started reading the left behind series..but just cna't get into them.
 

wheresmybacon

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2004
3,899
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Oops....I forgot to add that I have read the LOTR books, as well as The Hobbit. Other than that I'm a total noob.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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I'm not into hardcore fantasy, but I do enjoy fun stuff like Harry Potter and LOTR. Here are some good ones to get you started:

Chronicles of Narnia
Harry Potter
Eragon
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Magic Kingdom for Sale
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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I like RA Salvatore, but his writing style is more combat/action oriented than character and world descriptive.

Check out the Dark Elf Trilogy and Icewind Dale Trilogy. They revolve around Drizzt, probably one of the most "well known" names in the Forgotten Realms world.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
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Originally posted by: Kaido
I'm not into hardcore fantasy, but I do enjoy fun stuff like Harry Potter and LOTR. Here are some good ones to get you started:

Chronicles of Narnia
Harry Potter
Eragon
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Magic Kingdom for Sale

hmm what is Eragon?

Magic kindom for sale is great. kinda funny and not a hard core fantasy.

Myth adventures are good also.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: vi_edit
I like RA Salvatore, but his writing style is more combat/action oriented than character and world descriptive.

Check out the Dark Elf Trilogy and Icewind Dale Trilogy. They revolve around Drizzt, probably one of the most "well known" names in the Forgotten Realms world.

yeap i have the icewind dale trilogy. its in a stack of books i have yet to read.



i hate these threads. people recomend some good books. i go buy them. stick them in a stack and takes me foreever to read them all. heh righ tnow i haveabout 15 books to read!

 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,320
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Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: Kaido
I'm not into hardcore fantasy, but I do enjoy fun stuff like Harry Potter and LOTR. Here are some good ones to get you started:

Chronicles of Narnia
Harry Potter
Eragon
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Magic Kingdom for Sale

hmm what is Eragon?

Magic kindom for sale is great. kinda funny and not a hard core fantasy.

Myth adventures are good also.

Eragon is like LOTR meets Harry Potter - it's a fun, light fantasy series. It starts out like LOTR - similar characters and names - but develops into it's own story pretty quickly. If you liked Magic Kingdom, I'd highly recommend it.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: Kaido
Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: Kaido
I'm not into hardcore fantasy, but I do enjoy fun stuff like Harry Potter and LOTR. Here are some good ones to get you started:

Chronicles of Narnia
Harry Potter
Eragon
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Magic Kingdom for Sale

hmm what is Eragon?

Magic kindom for sale is great. kinda funny and not a hard core fantasy.

Myth adventures are good also.

Eragon is like LOTR meets Harry Potter - it's a fun, light fantasy series. It starts out like LOTR - similar characters and names - but develops into it's own story pretty quickly. If you liked Magic Kingdom, I'd highly recommend it.


great. thanks. another series to add to my stack LOL. its a good thing im retired or i wouldn't have time to nef, play games and read all these books!


oh yeah who is the author?
 

z42

Senior member
Apr 22, 2006
465
0
0
Originally posted by: hungfarover
I'd like to start reading some Fantasy stuff but I really don't have any idea of where to begin. Who's a good author? What's a good book or series?

How old are you? I would definitely recommend most of the books listed by others above. I do find that people tend to have different tastes depending on age.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,320
7,096
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Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: Kaido
Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: Kaido
I'm not into hardcore fantasy, but I do enjoy fun stuff like Harry Potter and LOTR. Here are some good ones to get you started:

Chronicles of Narnia
Harry Potter
Eragon
The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Magic Kingdom for Sale

hmm what is Eragon?

Magic kindom for sale is great. kinda funny and not a hard core fantasy.

Myth adventures are good also.

Eragon is like LOTR meets Harry Potter - it's a fun, light fantasy series. It starts out like LOTR - similar characters and names - but develops into it's own story pretty quickly. If you liked Magic Kingdom, I'd highly recommend it.


great. thanks. another series to add to my stack LOL. its a good thing im retired or i wouldn't have time to nef, play games and read all these books!


oh yeah who is the author?

Christopher Paolini. He started writing the first book in the series in '98 when he was 15 years old. The story is a tad rough compared to traditional fantasy writers, but it gets really good. It's going to be a trilogy; the first two books are out already and a movie is going to be released soon.
 

morkman100

Senior member
Jun 2, 2003
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The first few D&D series are cool. I also liked Fred Saberhagen's Book of Swords series. Piers Anthony's Xanth series were good, more of a comedy/fantasy type.
 

Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
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The Hobbit should be first, it was one of the first modern fantasy books. I like The Fellowship of the ring better and I was halfway finished with The Two Towers before I got side tracked with The Chronicles of Narnia.

Chronicles of Narnia are hit or miss. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a great book, but you have to get through Prince Caspian to know what is really going on and I did not like that book. The Silver Chair is so far my 2nd favorite, but I am not finished with it yet. I have not read The Last Battle.
 

bleeb

Lifer
Feb 3, 2000
10,868
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I recommend:

The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings

Conan by Robert E. Howard

Conan & Wheel of Time..... by Robert Jordan.
 

Tobolo

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2005
3,697
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How old are you? There is a youth fantasy series that is awesome, even for an adult, called The Dark Is Rising sequence (Susan Cooper). Also, the Dragonriders of Pern series (Ann McCaferry) is my all time favorite!!!
 

blazerazor

Golden Member
Aug 28, 2003
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I dont see how ppl can read that many books, like Robert Jordan ... H.F.C.!!! there is like a whole book shelf for him at B&N. I dont have the time for that and everytime I try, I just fall asleep after no more than 10pages.
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
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Originally posted by: Turfzilla
The Somerilian. (sp?)

the Silmarillion? i think thats how its spelled. for a noobie? no fvcking way. do you want to bore the guy to death and keep him from fantasy forever?


if you want some comedy with your fantasy, look into the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett. The guy is pure genius.

Robert E. Howard is awesome as well. ANything by him is good, whether its Conan, El Borak, or his western stories.

Fritz Leiber's (or maybe Lieber, I can never remember) Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series is awesome as well.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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I understand that Tolkien was the grandfather of fantasy, but I really can't stand his writing. I find it boring beyond belief.

I made it through the Hobbit and Fellowship and just couldn't bring myself to finish the rest. I appreciate what he has accomplished - it's no small feat to basically create an entire world complete with it's own languages and go in to the detail he does, but it's just too much for me.

I just need better pacing to keep my attention.
 

Super56K

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2004
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Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

The Plague Dogs, Watership Down, and Shardik all by Richard Adams

These are a nice change of pace when you think you can't stomache another fantasy epic. On that note...I can't recommend G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series enough. The author needs to start writing a little bit faster though. :D
 

z42

Senior member
Apr 22, 2006
465
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Originally posted by: vi_edit
I understand that Tolkien was the grandfather of fantasy, but I really can't stand his writing. I find it boring beyond belief.

I made it through the Hobbit and Fellowship and just couldn't bring myself to finish the rest. I appreciate what he has accomplished - it's no small feat to basically create an entire world complete with it's own languages and go in to the detail he does, but it's just too much for me.

I just need better pacing to keep my attention.

You'd probably like Raymond Feist's books a lot. Start with Magician.