Fantasy novels worth reading as an adult?

Piobaire · Nov 28, 2008

Glen Cook, the original three or four Black Company books. There were a ton more, some not bad books, but the franchise got worn out.

Brandon Sanderson has invented a new "magic" in Mystborn. The first book was fantastic IMO. It has been a long time since a new type of "magic" has been introduced. The second book it out, but I have yet to pick it up.

This is sci-fi, but Dune. IMO, one of the ten greatest pieces of fiction ever written.

Edit: Oh, +1 on the Dave Duncan books mentioned.

dusty · Nov 28, 2008

Alright I guess I'll start with A Song of Fire and Ice.

King Francis · Nov 28, 2008

Originally Posted by dusty

Alright I guess I'll start with A Song of Fire and Ice.

If I were you, I'd start with a standalone novel or completed series, since Martin has yet to finish A Song of Ice and Fire.

Connemara · Nov 29, 2008

Originally Posted by Garfieldthecat

Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook. Great trilogy.
Wow, thanks for posting this. My uncle recommended me the series YEARS ago and this just jogged my memory.

Connemara · Nov 29, 2008

I'd recommend all the books in the Forgotten Realms world.

...but only if you're 11 years old.

dfagdfsh · Nov 29, 2008

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

That doesn't necessarily mean his books are bad though.

He went totally insane. Anything he's written lately is total garbage.

Gradstudent78 · Nov 29, 2008

Originally Posted by Teger

He went totally insane. Anything he's written lately is total garbage.

They might be true, I haven't read any of his more recent work. But I enjoyed all of his early ender's game related books. I wouldn't discount those based upon what he is doing now

dfagdfsh · Nov 29, 2008

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

They might be true, I haven't read any of his more recent work. But I enjoyed all of his early ender's game related books. I wouldn't discount those based upon what he is doing now

I liked Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, A Planet Called Treason, The Worthing Saga and Wyrm. Anything after his early starving-author-publishing-wherever-he-can-phase is pretty much junk. All of the Ender offshoots were just retellings of the first books, and the sequels to Speaker of the Dead made no sense and had nothing to do with the themes of the first two books.

Whaterver you do don't read that dumb civil war book he wrote.

Oh god flashbacks...

Zandros · Nov 29, 2008

Originally Posted by King Francis

If I were you, I'd start with a standalone novel or completed series, since Martin has yet to finish A Song of Ice and Fire.

That would be insane. Why wait probably ten years to read some of the best fantasy books written?

King Francis · Nov 29, 2008

Originally Posted by Zandros

That would be insane. Why wait probably ten years to read some of the best fantasy books written?
I didn't say the OP should wait until Martin is completely done. But neither does it make perfect sense to dive headlong into an unfinished series when other completed works beckon. I was suggesting that he read one or two other books first. But if he chose, he could easily fill a few years reading speculative fiction novels more ambitious, original, and aesthetically rewarding than the Song of Ice and Fire series, engaging as it is.

Fulcannelli · Nov 29, 2008

debbie does darlicks

changed my life brother.

Jumbie · Nov 30, 2008

Originally Posted by King Francis

I didn't say the OP should wait until Martin is completely done. But neither does it make perfect sense to dive headlong into an unfinished series when other completed works beckon.

I would agree. I didn't start reading Jordan till book 6 was out and only because I didn't realize that the series wasn't finished. Look what happened.

Classically · Nov 30, 2008

In case someone hasn't mentioned it yet, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is always a good read. You don't even have to start at the first novel!

lefty · Nov 30, 2008

Originally Posted by rdawson808

There's an author named Barry Hughart who wrote a series of three books set in "an ancient China that never was." They are very fun reads.

The first is Bridge of Birds, followed by Story of the Stone, and finally there is Eight Skilled Gentlemen.

Oh, and I just checked Amazon.com and there was supposed to be a new omnibus edition out on Oct. 31. But it still says it's not yet out. Don't know what's up with that.

b

I loved Bridge of Birds when I first read it 25 years ago. Thanks for reminding me of it. I'll pick up the other two now.

Originally Posted by Johnny Amiga

Guy Gavriel Kay - Tigana. A wonderful, single-volume epic. Really one of the best in it's genre, and the reasonable lenght (for a fantasy book anyways) def works in it's favour.

Kay is fantastic. That Christopher Tolkien asked him to help edit The Silmarillion has to count for something. Tigana is great, A Song for Arbonne is better, but The Fionavar Tapestry is a classic.

Couple of big fantasy novels not mentioned:

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson. Out Tolkiens Tolkien. Notable for it's asshole protagonist, who happens to be a modern day leper.

Riverworld by Philip JosÃ

Farmer. Hard to dislike a story that throws together Sir Richard Burton (the explorer), Alice Hargreaves, Samuel Clemens, King John of England, Nero, Tom Mix, Mozart, Jack London, Lothar von Richthofen and Hermann GÃ¶ring.

A little known book:

Fool on a Hill by Matt Ruff. Absolute page turner. In fact, you just may re-read it once you turn that last page.

lefty

injung · Nov 30, 2008

The first two Shannara series (by Terry Brooks) were pretty good.

The first 10 or so Xanth books are good for some laughs and an interesting take on a fantasy world. His later books...are a completely different story.

David Eddings, who someone mentioned earlier, is pretty much pure fluff. Enjoyable, but fluff nonetheless.

Anne Mccaffrey's PERN series is a bit more SF oriented than fantasy, but still a good read (at least the earlier ones...)

A common theme overall seems to be that the longer a writer keeps writing about the same stuff the worse the quality gets.

Fantasy novels worth reading as an adult?

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