Fantasy novels worth reading as an adult?

[Full Canvas]

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[landho]

Originally Posted by dusty

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'll bring this list with me to the library later. I was especially curious about Wheel of Time -- I know it's incredibly popular but I wanted to hear opinions from people who uh, don't read only fantasy novels.
I read the first eight or nine books of the Wheel of Time and then I said enough was enough. The series really began to drag, and my friend who continued to plug away at it said the same. The first five books, though, gripped me like no other books had, but it's been maybe a dozen years since I read them. So I can't accurately say how they compare with some of the best fiction I've read in recent years. But they are huge and fun and read quickly, so that should be enough. Recently, I had a case of both nostalgia and the desire to study genre more deeply, so I went and picked up a bunch of books I read years ago from used-book stores and read them some of them. They held up pretty well. While I am a more discerning reader right now, I'm also more broad-minded (I think) and better able to take books, movies, and music "for what they are"; that is to say, I don't think Robert Jordan was trying to channel Proust when he was writing the Wheel of Time. So if my response to the books is any indication, I'm sure the Wheel of Time will hold up very well. He is very good at creating suspense and wonder.

 

[dusty]

That is exactly the sort of guidance I'm looking for, thanks.

 

[Jumbie]

A friend of mine recommends David Gemmell.

I haven't read much of his stuff except for Lion of Macedon and its sequel Dark Prince but I really enjoyed them. I'd call it a historical fantasy as it takes Greek history/mythology and spins a pretty awesome tale out of it.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by NorCal

Have you ever read the Corneliuls Chronicles, also by Moorcock? They're a bit fractured, but its basically Elric multiverse strangeness meets 1970's rocking London, pretty goofy really, but kind of stylish and fun.
yes I have, back when I was reading Elric I got really caught up in his various "Eternal Champion incarnations" and read most of the tangent series, tho I hardly remember them now I do know that I loved them back in the day

 

[Jumbie]

Originally Posted by landho

I read the first eight or nine books of the Wheel of Time and then I said enough was enough. The series really began to drag, and my friend who continued to plug away at it said the same. The first five books, though, gripped me like no other books had, but it's been maybe a dozen years since I read them. So I can't accurately say how they compare with some of the best fiction I've read in recent years. But they are huge and fun and read quickly, so that should be enough.

Recently, I had a case of both nostalgia and the desire to study genre more deeply, so I went and picked up a bunch of books I read years ago from used-book stores and read them some of them. They held up pretty well. While I am a more discerning reader right now, I'm also more broad-minded (I think) and better able to take books, movies, and music "for what they are"; that is to say, I don't think Robert Jordan was trying to channel Proust when he was writing the Wheel of Time. So if my response to the books is any indication, I'm sure the Wheel of Time will hold up very well. He is very good at creating suspense and wonder.

Like others, I really enjoyed this series initially. Jordan creates an extremely detailed world; sometimes too detailed. However, they really do drag on with pretty much the same formula in every book. Nothing for the first 550 pages culminating in a big event/battle.

I also dislike the "boys against the girls" attitude in the books. It's very juvenile IMO.

I still read the series because I want to know how it ends. The last book was really quite fast-paced and advanced the plot quite a bit. However, as another posted said, Jordan died and while he left enough notes to finish the story (in addition to telling it), it's not going to be the same as it's his world and I don't think anyone is going to be able to capture his vision. The plot is also a convoluted mess at this point. There are too many loose ends for me to envision a satisfactory resolution.

 

[Jekyll]

+1 on both Pratchett and Gaiman. Good Omens is a good place to start with both of them.

+1 on The Man Who was Thursday.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is really good.

If you like Douglas Adams, his Dirk Gently books are good.

Lewis Carroll's books, obviously, and maybe his epic poem, The Hunting of the Snark, too.

Maybe Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz as well.

 

[Tangfastic]

I'd advise against wheel of time too - very generic, not very well written and way too long.

There was a review on Amazon listing the number of classic books you could read in the time you were wasting reading that junk, and that made me stop.

I like Moorcock's ideas a lot - I've not read him since I was a kid and they all blend into each other a lot - I think I remember liking Von Bek, Hawkmoon, Elric and the end of time stories best though.

With Neil Gaiman I'd say read Sandman which is one of the best things I've ever read. His novels don't nearly live up to this in my opinion.

Full canvas's mention of Illuminatus! is a great suggestion, if not exactly sword and sorcery stuff... by quite a long long way. I've not heard of Steven Millhauser, but will look into that seeing your other recommendations.

David Gemmel is pretty good - most of his books are in the Conan mold and he has a definite formula, but its a good one, and again he can write fairly well.

 

[Mute]

My personal favorite after Lord of the Rings:

Roger Zelazny - Chronicles of Amber. The first five books starting with Nine Princes in Amber and ending with The Courts of Chaos.

 

[The Deacon]

for Arthurian legend:
The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead
1.Taliesin
2. Merlin
etc.
Also Mysts of Avalon from Marion Zimmer Bradley

 

[GQgeek]

You guys are such nerds, and I say that as a g33k (not a compliment).

 

[Garfieldthecat]

Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook.

Great trilogy.

 

[dfagdfsh]

A Song of Ice and Fire is probably the 'best' as far as modern Fantasy series go, and that's not saying much.

Sadly too much of modern fantasy is just masturbatory fanfiction/Lord of the Ring rip offs.

Also, Mists of Avalon ******* sucks. Ughhh. Anyway, just read science fiction instead! Is there a better book than Neuromancer?!

 

[dusty]

Originally Posted by Teger

A Song of Ice and Fire is probably the 'best' as far as modern Fantasy series go, and that's not saying much. Sadly too much of modern fantasy is just masturbatory fanfiction/Lord of the Ring rip offs. Also, Mists of Avalon ******* sucks. Ughhh. Anyway, just read science fiction instead! Is there a better book than Neuromancer?!
Neuromancer is good but certainly overrated. It probably read better back in 84. Anyway, the last four or so genre novels I've read have been sci-fi. No more sci-fi.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Teger

A Song of Ice and Fire is probably the 'best' as far as modern Fantasy series go, and that's not saying much.

Sadly too much of modern fantasy is just masturbatory fanfiction/Lord of the Ring rip offs.

Also, Mists of Avalon ******* sucks. Ughhh. Anyway, just read science fiction instead! Is there a better book than Neuromancer?!

Yeah, its called Idoru.