# Fantasy Novel Recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2001, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010 "2001-10-12T09:58:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ded\_Jester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Ded\_Jester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ded_Jester)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/1 "2001-10-12T09:58:00Z")
Evidently, you all seem to read quite a bit, and have deep opinions on the subject, but I’m a lazy man, and I have to sleep sometime. Who are some of the favorites for Fantasy Novels? I’ve read all of Jordan’s Wheel of Time so far, and I am in the midst of Weis and Hickman’s Deathgate cycle. I have enjoyed all of them, though my standing favorite is Michael Stackpole, even though he killed me with a rather jarring ending of his latest, and now I’m sitting on end waiting for the next installment. I suppose that’s a good thing, at least for his book sales. Anyway, I have a secondary stack of authors that I can’t seem to get into as well, and after 40-50 pages, I just decide that I don’t care what happens, and start a different author. I try to pick longer sagas, so if I do get involved with the story, I have thousands and thousands of pages to go before I have to say goodbye to the characters. Does anyone have any favorites to recommend? I prefer fantasy over Sci-fi, but I enjoy Sci-fi as well, particularly Larry Niven. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/2 "2001-10-12T10:19:59Z")
I enjoyed the story of King Arthur, as told in T.H. White’s _The Once and Future King_ and its continuation, _The Book of Merlyn_. I have met many who would heartily recommend J.R.R. Tolkein’s _The Hobbit_ and _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy. Mark Twain’s _A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court_ is another. Good reading. ---
**Author:** ![Ded\_Jester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Ded\_Jester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ded_Jester)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/3 "2001-10-12T10:39:06Z")
Never read T.H. White, I’ll have to look into it. I’ve read Tolkein and Twain, though it was a long time ago. I definitely enjoyed them, and they probably started me into the fantasy books. I probably prefer Tolkein’s alternate worlds fashion to Twain’s medieval times storytelling, but hey, it’s Tolkein and Twain, how could I pick? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/4 "2001-10-12T11:13:40Z")
I’ve never considered myself a “fantasy” fan, but picked up a book by Terry Brooks called “Wizard at Large” a few months ago. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/5 "2001-10-12T11:25:12Z")
T.H. White is wonderful; if you enjoy him, you would likely enjoy Stewart. My all-time favorite author of Arthurian fantasy is Mary Stewart. She brings medieval Britain, and the legendary characters, completely to life. Also, there is Jack Whyte’s collection, the Camolud Chronicles, which offers a more feasible, realistic version of King Arthur’s story. I enjoyed the first 2 but got a bit bogged down as they went on, it gets a bit complicated and technical, the characters in the beginning of the saga are more compelling than the later ones. Other favorite fantasy authors: Ray Bradbury, Orson Scott Card, Robert Heinlein,Connie Willis. Willis’ ‘The Doomsday Book’ (in paperback!) is a splendid read, but with today’s possible bioterrorism goings-on, it is almost too close to truth rather than fiction. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/6 "2001-10-12T13:05:46Z")
Tad William’s **Memory, Thorn and Sorrow** is probably one of the most well-constructed fantasy novels I’ve ever read. I highly recommend it. Williams has a talent for incorporating traditional fantasy archetypes (dragon-slaying protagonist, magic sword, “elves,” and so on) without them being cliche or feeling “samey” or unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/7 "2001-10-12T13:36:17Z")
Personal favourites:- E.R. Eddison, _The Worm Ouroborus_ and the Zimiamvian trilogy. David Lindsay, _A Voyage to Arcturus_. (I think I recommend those to people, on average, about every six weeks. Oh, well.) John Bellairs, _The Face in the Frost_. James Branch Cabell, _The Silver Stallion_. (Yes, most Cabell readers would recommend _Jurgen_, I said these were _personal_ favourites, didn’t I?) Ranging a bit further afield, John Crowley’s _Little, Big_. Not any sort of traditional fantasy, but what other way can you classify it? John Gardner’s _Grendel_ and _Freddy’s Book_. ---
**Author:** ![Phoebestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Phoebestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phoebestar)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/8 "2001-10-12T13:41:24Z")
I recommend anything in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Although you could try to read them chronologically (beginning with _The Colour of Magic_), I wouldn’t. Some of his later stuff is better. _Mort_, _Small Gods_, _Lords and Ladies_, _Feet of Clay_, or _Soul Music_ are all books that can be read individually and be quite enjoyable. I would also recommend Neil Gaiman. He only has three novels out, but they are all three quite excellent. _Neverwhere_, _Stardust_, and his recent book, _American Gods_, are wonderful reads. I saw him read from _American Gods_ in June, and was quite entertained. Not only does he have an awesome British accent, he’s also pretty cute, and very funny. But I digress. And of course, you have to read the result of the partnership of these two authors, _Good Omens_. All this reminds me that I need to read more. Since September 11th, I’ve read very little (which is unusual for me.) It’s time to get back in the swing of things, and turn off the bleeping TV. ---
**Author:** ![dlb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@dlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlb)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/9 "2001-10-12T13:47:15Z")
Patricia McKillip, _The Riddlemaster of Hed_. This is a wonderful novel, and a wonderful trilogy. It is also one of the few books that have made me cry. ---
**Author:** ![bourbonstew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@bourbonstew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bourbonstew)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/10 "2001-10-12T14:04:24Z")
I’ve read, and mostly enjoyed, most of the fantasy series mentioned here. Thanks for the recommendations on the more obscure stuff, especially from **Steven Wright**. One author I stumbled on rather late is Guy Gavriel Kay. His fantasy novels have the richest, most well-developed characters and some of the best plots and settings of anything I’ve read. The man is an artist with a story, and is rarely if ever derivative, unless trying to adapt mythology or historical basis - which isn’t the same thing. That’s my biggest complaint with some authors, btw. All of his books are great, I’d start with _ **Tigana** _ (and did so). _ **The Lions of Al-Rassan** _ would be the next choice. Amazingly good. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/11 "2001-10-12T14:37:05Z")
Ken Grimwood’s “Replay” (it won a World Fantasy Award, so it must be fantasy). Tim Powers has written some truly great fantasy novels, like “The Anubis Gates” and “Last Call.” There’s also Jim Morrow if you like something that’s both hilarious and philosophically challenging. Try “Only Begotten Daughter” or “Towing Jehovah.” You might also try Esther Friesner. Niven wrote some fantasy stories, BTW; they’re collected in “The Flight of the Horse.” ---
**Author:** ![KeithB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KeithB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithB)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/12 "2001-10-12T14:45:53Z")
If you want a dark fantasy you might try the “Thomas Covenant” series by Donaldson. I do not remember the first one off the top of my head but there are nine books in total. He also wrote a much more accessible 2 parter called “Mordant’s Need”, the first book being “Mirror of her Dreams”. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/13 "2001-10-12T15:08:50Z")
_Daughter of the Forest_ by Juliet Marillier, a retelling – or rather expansion – of the fairy tale about the girl whose brothers were turned into swans. Really well written. Not so much a sword and sorcery tale, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/14 "2001-10-12T15:17:45Z")
I like a lot of Guy Kay’s stuff too. Another great one, that I’m reading for the third or fourth time as we speak, is Richard Adams’s _Maia_. It’s got surprisingly little obvious magic for a fantasy novel (no Gandalf-esque wizards or dragons etc.) but it’s a wonderful book all the same, and one of my favorites. The fantasy is in the setting, I’d say, and the fact that Adams built this world (the Beklan empire) from the ground up. I’ve heard that it’s based loosely on ancient Greece, but I can’t remember where I read that. And talk about sagas… it’s _long_, over 1000 pages I think. _Maia_ is actually a prequel to Adams’s _Shardik_, which I haven’t yet read. Check libraries or used book stores for both; I think they’re out of print. Also try P.C. Hodgell’s _Dark of the Moon_. I saw it mentioned a couple of times here, by **magdalene** and others, and it’s great. Not your usual fantasy at all. ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/15 "2001-10-12T16:06:05Z")
The best fantasy series currently being published (because I _say so_, that’s why!) is George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire.” It will be six books long when it’s completed; three are already out. The first is **A Game of Thrones**. His world is loosely based on England during the Wars of the Roses, and features literally dozens of speaking characters – but, remarkably, it’s not at all difficult to tell them apart or to remember their names. It’s an absolutely stunning achievement. I’ll second the recommendation of Terry Pratchett – he’s funny _and_ thought-provoking. His first few books are very jokey (and more specifically parodies than his later books became), so there are differences of opinion as to where to start. Some possibilities: **The Colour of Magic** (the first novel), **Wyrd Sisters** (the first really good one, which also introduces the small kingdom of Lancre and its witches), **Small Gods** (quite a bit later, but stands alone – much less humorous than most) and **The Truth** (very recent, also more or less stands alone, and shows Pratchett at his modern best). Seconds also to Guy Gavriel Kay and Tim Powers (I particularly recommend his most recent novel, **Declare** , the secret magical history of the Cold War). Morrow’s really cool, too – **Towing Jehovah** is a powerful (and powerfully funny) book on many levels. China Mieville has written an absolutely magnificent novel called **Perdido Street Station** that’s more fantasy than it is anything else. It’s set in a semi-industrial city (dirty and vibrant as London in Dickens’s day) and has an amazing array of characters, situations and activities. But it’s not for the faint of heart. Neal Gaiman’s new novel **American Gods** is also very good – it’s one of the very few “Brit tries to explain all of American society and culture through fiction” pieces that I actually liked. Steven Brust has a fast-paced and tongue in cheek series of novels about an assassin named Vlad Taltos – the first three novels are now available in an omnibus called **The Book of Jhereg**. Sean Stewart has done some books I really loved (like **Nobody’s Son** – what happens _after_ the low-born boy saves the kingdom and marries the princess – and **Mockingbird** – magical realism in Texas), and some that I found a tedious slog, like **The Night Watch**. Most of his books are very well-written at least; when he fails (in my opinion), it’s only through reaching too far. Barry Hughart wrote three very funny novels set in mythic China, which were collected as **The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox**. It’s out of print now, but may be findable; it’s well worth searching for. And Sean Russell has written three two-book series that are fantasy mostly by courtesy (very little magic is done in them). The first was set in something like mythic China, and had great military maneuvering and tactics, and the other two had a world something like Georgian England, where magic was ebbing. His most recent book is a big epic fantasy in the George Martin mode, **The One Kingdom** , and it’s very good, too. That’s probably too many already, so I’ll stop there. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/16 "2001-10-12T20:43:15Z")
Do a search on the board in the IMHO forum using the word “fantasy” in the thread title. You’ll find a bunch of threads with recommendations for good fantasy novels. Here’s my 20 favorite fantasy novels: 1. Lewis Carroll _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_ and _Through the Looking Glass_ 2. J. R. R. Tolkien _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ 3. Peter Beagle _The Last Unicorn_ 4. Mervyn Peake _The Gormenghast Trilogy_ 5. C. S. Lewis _Till We Have Faces_ 6. Ursula K. LeGuin The Earthsea Books 7. G. K. Chesterton _The Man Who Was Thursday_ 8. Madeleine L’Engle The Time Quartet (_A Wrinkle in Time_, _The Wind in the Door_, _A Swiftly Tilting Planet_, _Many Waters_) 9. Ray Bradbury _Dandelion Wine_ 10. John Fowles _The Magus_ 11. T. H. White _The Once and Future King_ 12. Patricia McKillip _Stepping from the Shadows_ 13. C. S. Lewis The Ransom Trilogy (_Out of the Silent Planet_, _Perelandra_, and _That Hideous Strength_) 14. R. A. McAvoy _Tea with the Black Dragon_ 15. H. P. Lovecraft _The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath_ 16. John Myers Myers _Silverlock_ 17. Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman _Good Omens_ 18. L. Frank Baum _The Wizard of Oz_ 19. Daniel Pinkwater _Borgel_ 20. Mark Twain _The Mysterious Stranger_ ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/17 "2001-10-12T21:10:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*Tad William’s **Memory, Thorn and Sorrow** is probably one of the most well-constructed fantasy novels I’ve ever read. I highly recommend it. Williams has a talent for incorporating traditional fantasy archetypes (dragon-slaying protagonist, magic sword, “elves,” and so on) without them being cliche or feeling “samey” or unrealistic. \*\* I was going to recommend this trilogy myself. Since I can’t be the first to mention it, I’ll at least let you know that the first book is called “The Dragonbone Chair”. The series is long (the last book had to be two volumes when it went to paperback, since it just wasn’t possible to bind as one), but they are really worth it. I’d also like to second Steven Brust. After you’ve dug into the Vlad Taltos books, be sure to check out the other books he wrote in the same world, such as “The Phoenix Guards” and “Brokedown Palace”. If you want a good one-shot, Stephen King did one called “The Eyes of the Dragon” that was good. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/18 "2001-10-12T21:36:10Z")
I’ve read the following, which I highly recommend (these include science fiction): J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion Ursula K. LeGuin The Earthsea Books T. H. White The Once and Future King The Book of Merlyn C. S. Lewis Narnia Chronicles (mostly for children) Walter Miller, A Canticle for Leibowitz Frank Herbert Dune series Bram Stoker, Dracula Stephen Donaldson, the first three Chronicles of Thomas Covenant anything by C.H. Cherryh, this woman (I presume the author is a woman deserves a Nobel prize for literature. The stuff is that good. Really interesting characters.) anything by Larry Niven Solaris by Stanislaw Lem Foundation books by Issac Asimov (fun but not great literature) ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/19 "2001-10-12T22:45:55Z")
David Eddings- “Belgariad” and “Mallorean” series Stephen King- “Dark Tower” series (it’s not traditional fantasy but that seems to be the only genre it fits into. Raymond E. Feist- “The Serpentwar Saga” Kurt Vonnegut- “Slaughterhouse Five” and “Timequake” (the firsts thought-provoking and the second’s emotion-provoking) ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010/20 "2001-10-12T22:55:32Z")
I would add Raymond Feist’s **Riftwar** books, and the companion series written another author (I’m forgetting her name and not at home–but one of the books is called **Daughter of the Empire** ) are good reads. Feist also has a modern story–similar to Stephen King’s good stuff–called **Fairie Tale** , whis is also quite good. If you like modern fantasy, there is no better author than **Charles DeLint**. It’s not sword and sorcery fantasy, more like the magic realism of some of the South American writers. Some of his characters show up in several books, check out his short stories to get an overview of his world and characters. However, **Somewhere To Be Flying** can be read without any introduction to his world, and, in my opinion, is one of the best books, in any genre, ever written. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fantasy-novel-recommendations/87010.md?page=2)