Not all children’s books. Not picture books, or board books. But children’s fantasy, or YA fantasy. They just seem to capture what I want out of fantasy better than fantasy for adults does.
Narnia, Prydain, Pullman’s His Dark Materials, Harry Potter, Diana Wynne Jones.
So many adult fantasy books try to make the characters more complex, and by doing they often make those characters completely unlikable. I want to root for the protagonists! I want to feel that their goals are worthwhile! I don’t want to read about exploding body parts!
Yes, sometimes things are too simplistic. The books are often too short. But many of them are compulsively readable, and I’m hooked like a trout.
Am I alone in my obsession? And if I want to break free, recommend me some fantasy books (series are even better) with characters I can root for and no exploding heads, please!
I think you have a good point about some adult fantasy getting a little serious. That’s exactly what many people are looking for, but I think that fantasy in the purest sense is more free-spirited and exuberant. Just pure escapism without as many worries.
Not to call the books you listed shallow. Not at all. I haven’t read all of them, but those I have have been great works that anyone with the intended mindset can enjoy immensely, but just happened to be written for a younger audience.
I loved the Chronicles of Prydain as a kid, and I’ve been wanting to go back to them.
I’m also enjoying the Series Of Unfortunate Events books. The first couple I thought were pretty dull after all the talk I’d heard. But then I realized, the stories aren’t great because of the plot, or characters, or dialogue. It’s the narration. Lemony Snicket is the greatest character in the book and he’s not even part of the story. I’m in book 7 and just dying to find out what happened to his beloved Beatrice (although he seems to tying his story in with the story of the Baudelairs, and I can’t wait to see how they intersect.)
Do you think The Belgariad by David Eddings falls into this category? I read it in high school and loved it. And of course, the Madeleine L’Engle “Wrinkle in Time” series was a staple in middle school. I think I read that three times at least.
I agree with you on Narnia, and am really looking forward to the next Harry Potter.
And for the same reasons you listed, I love fantasy short stories. I was hooked on the magazine Fantasy and Science Fiction in my early twenties.
I’m fond of YA books as well–quick reads but often poignant or funny. Tamara Pierce has a couple of series about a young girl disguising herself to get training in the martial arts (sorry I can’t remember the names), and David Edding’s Belgarian series (the first one) is more YA than adult. Susan Cooper’s Dark Is Rising books are fantastic. I remember Yolan’s (what is her first name?) books as being very good, although it’s been years since I read her. Rosemary Sutcliff wrote at least one book about King Arthur–more historical than fantasy, but the legend is there, and it’s a great take on the story. The name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can’t find it. She has several books set in Britain during Roman times, not fantasy exactly, but very good books. You mentioned Prydain, but of course you know everything by Lloyd Alexander is worth reading.
You’re definitely not alone. Diana Wynne Jones (my favorite author) has a mailing list–it’s full of people who agree with you about YA fantasy and most of them are really nice, as well. There’s some info here, if you’re interested.
My personal favorites (besides the ones you’ve mentioned!):
Tanith Lee. She writes a lot of dark fantasy for adults, but her Unicorn series (Black Unicorn/Red Unicorn/Gold Unicorn) and the Claidi Journals are all wonderful–she has this absolutely amazing imagination and is a very talented writer.
Patricia Wrede. In particular, the Enchanted Forest chronicles and the Mairelon books (Mairelon the Magician/Magician’s Ward.) They never, ever fail to cheer me up.
Will Shetterly & Emma Bull. They are married and have written some wonderful fantasy books for YA’s, both together and separately. In particular, the Bordertown books. Emma Bull also wrote the wonderful War for the Oaks–not really a children’s book, but great just the same.
Sherwood Smith. I recommend the Wren books in particular. Your basic quest fantasy for YA’s, but high quality.
Kara Dalkey. She wrote a brief series (2 books) set in a mythical ancient Japan. Little Sister/The Heavenward Path. They are comfort reading for me.
I also recommend the Pointsman “series” (hopefully it will be a series some day) by Melissa Smith and Lisa Barnett. They are more “comfort books” for me, mystery/fantasy books set in a world where astrology works.
Keep in mind I am unusual in some ways: I can’t stand CS Lewis, Susan Cooper, Madeleine L’engle, or Diane Duane.
I’m a sucker for that genre too. Along with Harry Potter, Narnia and the Lemony Snicket books, I have also enjoyed pretty much anything by Roald Dahl or John Wyndham, as well as The Phantom Tollbooth and The Compleet Molesworth (not fantasy… but really entertaining).
I like children’s and YA fantasy as well – I usually find “adult” fantasy a little too adult for my tastes, with either too much violence, or too much sex with mythological creatures.
Here are some titles/authors you might want to check out:
So You Want To Be A Wizard series, by Diane Duane
Juniper, Gentian and Rosemary by Pamela Dean. Her Tam Lin is one of my favorites, although it’s not a children’s book nor is it typical fantasy, it kind of goes along with this type of book. It’s very earnest.
Beauty and other titles by Robin McKinley, many of her books are reworkings of classic fairy tales, some have more fantasy elements than others.
On Fortune’s Wheel by Cynthia Voight
Sorcery and Cecelia, the latest (I think) by Patricia Wrede
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Lizard Music and other titles by Daniel Pinkwater – not exactly fantasy, more like “quirky” if quirky was its own genre, but very entertaining.
I think it’s Tamora Pierce. I haven’t read her books, but I keep looking at them, thinking I should.
**
Jane Yolen, absolutely outstanding in her field.
For something a little different (i.e., has fantastic elements without being a “fantasy”) try Skellig by David Almond.
I like a lot of YA fantasies too. Of course, I like a lot of kids’ picture books as well.
The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland is the first book in a new trilogy on the King Arthur story. I’ve read the first book, and liked it a lot. (This from a person who thinks that the whole King Arthur story has been done to death.) I plan on reading the rest of the series as it comes out.
Wow, that was a pretty spot-on sig line, Lisa-go-Blind. Now don’t ever change it! Not ever!
As for me, I’m not so hugely fond of fantasy (not that there’s anything wrong with it). Has anyone ever heard of the writer Vivian Alcock? She wrote a book called The Trial of Anna Cotman, which is a children’s book, about a secret society. It’s actually pretty good, though, and not quite so facile as you’d think. I’ve read some of her other stuff. It’s quite mature.
And I must confess to liking Ann M. Martin’s Babysitter’s Club books when I was younger. Now I enjoy pointing out the flaws to the books and reminiscing about the characters’ idiosyncrasies with a collegiate friend.
Oh, and of course, Roald Dahl was a good children’s book writer. Even better adult book writer, though.
I’m about 2.5 months from age 30, and I love YA fantasy/science fiction novels. One of my classes this summer is Resources for Young Adults and we have to read 2 YA fantasy/science fiction novels…such torture ;).
Beyond the ones mentioned so far, I recommend Garth Nix, particularly the Abhorsen Trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Excellent books. And I always recommend Tamora Pierce.
Some of the authors (some write fantasy/science fiction and ‘regular’ novels - I can list titles if they’re desired) listed on our fantasy/science fiction list for the summer are:
Lloyd Alexander
David Almond
T.A. Barron
Franny Billingsley
Francesca Lia Block
Melvin Burgess
Susan Cooper
Robert Cormier
Peter Dickinson
Susan Fletcher
Nancy Farmer
Annette Curtis Krause
Tanith Lee
Gail Carson Levine
David Lubar
Margaret Mahy
Donna Jo Napoli
Susan Price
William Sleator
Megan Whelan Turner
Vivian Vande Velde
Walter Wangarin
Jane Yolen
There are a lot more on the list - this is less than half the names on the list, but these are some of the names I really hadn’t heard of before.
Oh, and for you Tamora Pierce fans out there, she’s one admin of a message board located at http://www.sheroescentral.com . It’s mainly populated by young adults (and mostly girls), though there are a few adults there, and some interesting book suggestions come up in the “books in general” forum.
This has been one bizarre day. Out of nowhere, two observations on the appropriateness (if that’s a word) of my sig line. I had considered changing it, but I think I’ll hang on to it for a while. Thanks, Zoggie.
As for me, I don’t read much sci-fi or fantasy, although I did read a couple books each by Madeline L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time, definitely, and I’m pretty sure the book after it, at least), Lloyd Alexander (The Black Cauldron and The High King, I think), and an Isaac Asimov or two. I would have to say all of those were in elementary school, in between Nancy Drew books, so I don’t remember so much anymore. I’m like Zoggie–the books I read (by middle school) were more “regular”–lots of Avi, Robert Cormier, Robert Newton Peck, and Paul Zindel. I read the odd book or two that took place in the future (like Brave New World, but I was pretty much done with sci-fi and fantasy. Although I love the Harry Potter books.
That has to make me some sort of freak, eh? The person who disregards fantasy yet loves “Harry Potter”.
One that hasn’t been mentioned yet is The Children of Green Knowe, which I love to death. I haven’t read any of the others in that series, so I don’t know if they are as good, though.
I love a couple of Anne McCaffrey’s serries. The first three books of the draggon singer set and the first three of the dragonflight serries. I still read the followup ones when they come out but they are mostly kind of milking it. the Redwall series by Brian Jacques is fun.
I loved Skellig, it is a beautiful book:) There is also “Kit’s Wilderness” by the same author, which is very thought provoking.
Each time you read it you pick up a different meaning.
I hear ya on two of those. I love Lewis, and Duane is okay. But Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising was a huge disappointment to me. I didn’t care about the character (Will?) at all, and he had absolutely no risk, no growth, no nuthin’!
As for L’Engle, I loved her books when I first read them, but in returning to them I wasn’t thrilled at all.