WOT/LotR...now what?
Discussion
A few epic fantasy series I have enjoyed (omitting any that have already been mentioned)
Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin
Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
Lyonesse Trilogy By Jack Vance
Finovar Tapestry By Guy Gavriel Kay
Swords Trilogy By Michael Moorcock
Elric Saga By Michael Moorcock
Chronicles Of Amber by Rodger Zelazny
Inheritance Trilogy Christopher Paolini
The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton
Riddle Master series by Patricia McKillip
Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin
Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
Lyonesse Trilogy By Jack Vance
Finovar Tapestry By Guy Gavriel Kay
Swords Trilogy By Michael Moorcock
Elric Saga By Michael Moorcock
Chronicles Of Amber by Rodger Zelazny
Inheritance Trilogy Christopher Paolini
The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton
Riddle Master series by Patricia McKillip
Can't believe none of us had recommended any Moorcock before! Definitely the Elric, Coruum or Hawkmoon series. I found a lot of the rest of his eternal champion stuff pretty dense......though always fairly entertaining!
Never got on with Earthsea, and I really think Robin Hobbs trilogy is pretty average at best - but lots of people cite it as their favourite fantasy series ever.
Never got on with Earthsea, and I really think Robin Hobbs trilogy is pretty average at best - but lots of people cite it as their favourite fantasy series ever.
I like Moorcock. I prefer a lot of the 60's - 80's fantasy books over the more recently established authors. Authors like Moorcock and Zelazny can write a really good story in a couple of hundred pages. The whole collected Amber series is only around 1200 pages which is 10 books. I find I really can't face some of the modern stuff with 800 to 900 pages per book of a trilogy.
Einion Yrth said:
Gargamel said:
Stephen Donaldson Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
Ye gods, no! Awful, badly written, whiney drivel. 
te. The first is one of a select handful of books I have put down unfinished and thrown out.OP, consider David Eddings' Belgariad.
grumbledoak said:
^^^ It would be worth resurrecting the thread just to bump that comment. Annoyingly ste. The first is one of a select handful of books I have put down unfinished and thrown out.
OP, consider David Eddings' Belgariad.
If you enjoy easy reading; light fluffy wuffy fantasy then by all means go ahead. I enjoyed the Belgariad as a 13 year old but tried to read it again a couple of years ago and quickly discovered that either my tastes had changed or I wasn't a very discerning reader at 13; or both. There is lots of far better written stuff out there.te. The first is one of a select handful of books I have put down unfinished and thrown out.OP, consider David Eddings' Belgariad.
Amazingly it seems tastes vary.
Quite a lot of fantasy fiction is fairly easy reading really. Raymond E Feist isn't exactly Dostoevsky. However that the stories work, avoid too much "argh it's the magic spoon of closneouggghren, that we mas seek" prose and general have characters about which you care.
In the afore mentioned Game of Thrones, In the end there was only Arya who I really cared about and she barely features in the last book.
Quite a lot of fantasy fiction is fairly easy reading really. Raymond E Feist isn't exactly Dostoevsky. However that the stories work, avoid too much "argh it's the magic spoon of closneouggghren, that we mas seek" prose and general have characters about which you care.
In the afore mentioned Game of Thrones, In the end there was only Arya who I really cared about and she barely features in the last book.
Gargamel said:
Einion Yrth said:
Ye gods, no! Awful, badly written, whiney drivel.
Ok so a bit dated now, and the last few are really not great, but the first six books are pretty good. Maybe best for the more intellectual reader
Another series that hasn't yet been mentioned is Julian May's 'Saga of the Exiles'; read most of it years ago although looking at the synopsis on Wikipedia, I barely remember any of it!
Edited by Halmyre on Thursday 12th June 10:08
Gargamel said:
Amazingly it seems tastes vary.
Quite a lot of fantasy fiction is fairly easy reading really. Raymond E Feist isn't exactly Dostoevsky. However that the stories work, avoid too much "argh it's the magic spoon of closneouggghren, that we mas seek" prose and general have characters about which you care.
In the afore mentioned Game of Thrones, In the end there was only Arya who I really cared about and she barely features in the last book.
Feist might avoid complex prose, but he also avoids complex development. I can't remember the last magic-based showdown of his which didn't end with victory going to the stronger character, simply because they're stronger.Quite a lot of fantasy fiction is fairly easy reading really. Raymond E Feist isn't exactly Dostoevsky. However that the stories work, avoid too much "argh it's the magic spoon of closneouggghren, that we mas seek" prose and general have characters about which you care.
In the afore mentioned Game of Thrones, In the end there was only Arya who I really cared about and she barely features in the last book.
It's all a bit samey after the first couple.
towser said:
You could try some Joe Abercrombie stuff.....I enjoyed the Blade Itself and the other books in that trilogy....or....
The Name of The Wind series by Patrick Rothfuss.
I was going to suggest both these, very different from one another but brilliantly crafted works.The Name of The Wind series by Patrick Rothfuss.
If you try Joe's Stuff also have a look at Brent Week's "night angel" trilogy, it's also brilliant.
Paul Hoffman's "Left Hand of God" trilogy is great and in a similar 'gritty' genre. Quite unlike Tolkien.
plasticpig said:
Chronicles Of Amber by Rodger Zelazny
Kinda hard to get hold of in full but I did find a word doc of the entire lot in one big book a couple of years ago. Amazon allowed it to be uploaded and translated to my Kindle with no fuss.Only some of the series seems available currently.
IainT said:
plasticpig said:
Chronicles Of Amber by Rodger Zelazny
Kinda hard to get hold of in full but I did find a word doc of the entire lot in one big book a couple of years ago. Amazon allowed it to be uploaded and translated to my Kindle with no fuss.Only some of the series seems available currently.
Keep checking the newsgroups, it comes up occasionally.
IainT said:
Kinda hard to get hold of in full but I did find a word doc of the entire lot in one big book a couple of years ago. Amazon allowed it to be uploaded and translated to my Kindle with no fuss.
Only some of the series seems available currently.
Amazon have the whole lot in one book in stock. I have the first five novels in hardback but some are first editions so I bought the all in one book a few years back to re read it.Only some of the series seems available currently.
IainT said:
I was going to suggest both these, very different from one another but brilliantly crafted works.
If you try Joe's Stuff also have a look at Brent Week's "night angel" trilogy, it's also brilliant.
Paul Hoffman's "Left Hand of God" trilogy is great and in a similar 'gritty' genre. Quite unlike Tolkien.
Have to admit to being a bit lazy with both of these. I've "read" them during my daily commute on audiobook ( thanks audible!! ) - both are brilliantly narrated if you're that way inclined.If you try Joe's Stuff also have a look at Brent Week's "night angel" trilogy, it's also brilliant.
Paul Hoffman's "Left Hand of God" trilogy is great and in a similar 'gritty' genre. Quite unlike Tolkien.
plasticpig said:
Amazon have the whole lot in one book in stock. I have the first five novels in hardback but some are first editions so I bought the all in one book a few years back to re read it.
I still have the first one of these I picked up at some random seaside destination back in teh late 70s, probably 32 years ago or so - The Guns of Avalon. Was hooked on the series from then on but, pre interweb, access was limited. Managed to pick up a few here and there over the years.Shame the whole thing isn't available in Kindle from Avon.
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