# it's been too long - recommend me some fantasy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 16, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199 "2007-06-16T00:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/21 "2007-06-16T11:48:26Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] I came here to mention Mieville’s Bas Lag books. Without engaging in hyperbole, I think that they’re probably the best fantasy novels of the past 30 years or so, if not longer. [/QUOTE] Ha ha, you’re good at these ‘non-hyperbolic’ endorsments. Given that Crowley’s ‘Little Big’ was written in 1981, and Wolfe’s ‘Book of the New Sun’ came out 1980ish, maybe amend to past 25 years and she’ll be right. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/22 "2007-06-16T12:19:08Z")
I really liked [The Name Of The Wind](http://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle-Day/dp/075640407X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4071462-4793634?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181996152&sr=1-1) but it is the first of a trilogy and I hate waiting! [Prince Ombra](http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Ombra-Roderick-MacLeish/dp/0765342448/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4071462-4793634?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181996224&sr=1-1) is a fantastic read and one of my favorite books. Jim Butcher’s [Fury Series](http://www.amazon.com/Furies-Calderon-Codex-Alera-Butcher/dp/044101268X/ref=sr_1_11/002-4071462-4793634?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181996264&sr=1-11) has been great so far. I can’t wait for the next one. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/23 "2007-06-16T12:33:07Z")
You’ve gotten a lot of good suggestions, but let me touch on Donaldson since you only had that one line response. Donaldson is a decent writer but his stuff does a harsh edge that makes it rough for some people. In particular, the Thomas Covenant books feature the most unpleasant, most whiny “protagonist” you’re going to find. It’s intentional so it works in the context of the books and I appreciated it when I was younger but I suspect he might get on my nerves a lot faster now. The standard rules of massive fantasy series applies: each book is going to be worse than the last so stop reading when you realize you don’t like it any more. The first trilogy was good, the second less so, and I haven’t started on the third even though I have an “autographed” copy sitting around (autographed in quotes since I got it off a Wal-Mart clearance rack which had a sticker saying “Signed Copy!” on the front; I’m dubious on if it is legitimate). On the other hand he had a pretty good pair of novels: **A Man Rides Through** and **The Mirror Through Her Dreams**. It’s a bit more standard in plotting than the Covenant books but Donaldson wrote well enough to make them enjoyable. If you don’t think you can tolerate Thomas Covenant then you might want to try them to see if Donaldson is someone you want to read more of. To toss out a suggestion of my own, Zelazny’s Amber series was mentioned up thread but I’d recommend **Lord of Light**. I may set off a debate over Science Fiction vs. Fantasy on it, but while the action takes place on an alien world and most of the major characters are survivors of a colony ship the structure and trappings resonate more deeply with the fantasy side of things than SF. For example, there’s a lot of technology sufficiently advanced to be indistinguishable from magic; in fact that’s central to the plot of the book. Zelazny has great prose that got hampered in later years because he could only write one protagonist and switched up the name from book to book. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/24 "2007-06-16T13:04:05Z")
[QUOTE=The Cocky Watchman] Ha ha, you’re good at these ‘non-hyperbolic’ endorsments. Given that Crowley’s ‘Little Big’ was written in 1981, and Wolfe’s ‘Book of the New Sun’ came out 1980ish, maybe amend to past 25 years and she’ll be right. [/QUOTE] Ok, you’re right. “Little, Big” is probably my favorite novel of all time, but I don’t really call it a capital-F Fantasy novel. ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/25 "2007-06-16T13:31:35Z")
Fantasy’s not usually my thing: generally prefer hard-SF, but tried _The Lies of Locke Lamora_ by Scott Lynch, and can’t put it down. Think heist story in renaissance Venice with a bit of gladatorial ancient Rome thrown in. Plus, incredibly, it’s well written! ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/26 "2007-06-16T14:05:26Z")
_The Mirror of Her Dreams_ is fun. Another Diana Wynne Jones suggestion: I really like _Fire and Hemlock_. It’s dark YA fantasy, a modern retelling of Thomas the Rhymer. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/27 "2007-06-16T16:03:08Z")
I’ve read _Dark Lord of Denethor_, and _The Year of the Griffin_ by Jones - I’ve also read _Howl’s Moving Castle_ and the sequel. I love her books but I was wary of the series about cats because, er, it’s about cats (I’m not a fan of talking animals). I was thinking about Stephen King, but have heard so many mixed reviews about the Dark Tower series. Maybe I’ll try the first book to see what the fuss is all about. At this rate I’ll have stuff to read till the end of the year. This is good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/28 "2007-06-16T16:15:18Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] I’m enjoying Steven Erikson’s “Malazan Book of the Fallen” series. The first book is Gardens of the Moon. I just looked at the Wiki entry, hoping for an enticing summary. Nope. There’s a summary, but it makes the series look hopelessly, unnecessarily complicated. It **is** complicated, but since there are no tests at the end of each book, I’m reading them anyway. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I second this. Great series. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/29 "2007-06-16T16:25:37Z")
Which Bujold books did you read? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/30 "2007-06-16T22:01:58Z")
I’m currently reading the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. Based on what you’ve listed as likes, I’d bet you’d like this. I’m also currently reading the third Temeraire book by… uh… Naomi Novik (had to go look it up). Very enjoyable. I’d highly recommend the Barbara Hambly pair of _Sisters of the Raven_ and _Circle of the Moon_. And the Septimus Heap books by Angie Sage are adorable. Edited to add: Oh, I don’t tend to recommend Thomas Covenant to people. I recommend Mordant’s Need (the pair mentioned above). Then, if you like his writing, tackle Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero most in need of a good slapping. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/31 "2007-06-20T05:25:38Z")
[QUOTE=Helena] Which Bujold books did you read? [/QUOTE] Ooops, late reply. I read **Paladin of Souls** and **The Hallowed Hunt**. I liked them both, but they seem to follow a pattern, much in the way Feist’s books do. Again, thanks for all the recs, guys. I have enough to get me through the summer, at least. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/32 "2007-06-20T05:31:41Z")
What about the trilogy by [Octavia E. Butler](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_Butler)? She also died semi-recently (last year?) so I’ve got guilt working for me here. The trilogy starts with _Parable of the Sower_. I read it for a class and enjoyed it a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/33 "2007-06-20T05:35:44Z")
[QUOTE=Tamerlane] Jack Vance’s classic _Dying Earth_ works have been collected into a single volume. [/QUOTE] And if you like the Dying Earth stories, you should read the _Nifft_ books by Michael Shea. I think there are two volumes in print–_The Complete Nifft_ (or something to that effect) and _The Ar’ak_. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/34 "2007-06-20T06:21:59Z")
[QUOTE=Tamerlane] You can always go for Tim Powers, for more modern fantasy. His pirate classic ( complete with Ponce De Leon’s Fountain of Youth and functional Voudun ) _On Stranger Tides_ was just recently reprinted: > **[On Stranger Tides: Powers, Tim: 9781930235328: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Tides-Tim-Powers/dp/1930235321)** > > On Stranger Tides \[Powers, Tim\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. On Stranger Tides - Tamerlane [/QUOTE] I’ll second Tim Powers. Love him. My favorite is [Last Call](http://www.amazon.com/Last-Call-Tim-Powers/dp/038072846X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7663698-0791120?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182319826&sr=8-1). Bugsy Siegel as the Fisher King, supernatural poker using Tarot cards, T.S. Elliot…Vegas will never look the same. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/35 "2007-06-20T09:19:12Z")
Glen Cook’s Garret series, beginning with _Sweet Silver Blues_ ( all the books have a metal in their names ). Basically, a tough guy white knight private eye in a fantasy world. Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos books, beginning with _Jhereg_; the story of a human assassin in an empire of Draegerans, who are basically elves. Elves of the arrogant racist kind, not the sweetness and light variety; in no small part Vlad becomes an assassin just because he likes killing the bastards. Adventure, intrigue, humor. The Castle Perilous series by John DeChancie, begging with _Castle Perilous_. A generally funny with some seriousness series mostly set in a castle with 144,000 doors into other universes, where everyone who lives there develops a magic talent. Ranging from being able to levitate an inch or two to whipping up a hotel resort complete with staff or an army of flying animated giant chainsaws. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/36 "2007-06-20T13:42:10Z")
I’m working my way through Gene Wolfe’s “Sun” epics. However, his two book series _The Knight_ & _The Wizard_ is a bit lighter. Greg Keyes (AKA J Gregory Keyes) does some interesting sfuff. His _Age of Unreason_ tetralogy is set in the early 18th century–a less well-worn era for fantasy fans. His earlier series consisting of _Waterborn_ & _Blackgod_ is set in a highly original fantasy world. Keyes gets into more familiar fantasy territory in his latest series, starting with _The Briar King_–but does it his own way. Warning: The fourth & final book in this series is due next January. Mark Frost’s _The List of Seven_ takes place at the turn of the last century. Young doctor & student of the occult Arthur Conan Doyle investigates some arcane occurrences that become progressively darker. No more details here–but it’s one of my favorite ripping yarns. S M Stirling has written some heavyweight alternate history series. Quite a bit lighter is _The Peshawar Lancers_; do you like Kipling? _The Sky People_ is set on Venus–but an “alternate” Venus–lush jungles peopled by odd assortments of animals (& some humans) extinct on Earth–not the blasted hellhole we now know. The sequel, _In the Halls of the Crimson Kings_, will be set on The Red Planet. Another hearty vote for Tim Powers. He writes very fine modern fantasies, but the “historical” ones may be even better. Check out _The Anubis Gates_. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/37 "2007-06-20T14:13:05Z")
_The Spellsong Cycle_ by L.E Modesitt Jr. A woman of our world is transported into another world ( she makes the mistake of thinking “I’d rather be **anywhere** than Ames, Iowa” at just the wrong moment, and boy does she get her wish 😃 ). She’s summoned by people who want a “great sorceress”; as a professionally trained singer and Assistant Professor of Music she qualifies, because in the world of Erde, song and music make magic. In fact, with her training and modern scientific knowledge, she is the most powerful sorceress or sorcerer anywhere; literally of near-nuclear power. And it’s only “near” because she never actually sung that song she wrote about nuclear fusion . . . Basically, she’s stuck in an unstable land ( named Defalk ), under threat from all sides. Most of Erde’s rulers and factions are either misogynists who hate her because she’s a woman; matriarchical radicals who hate her because she doesn’t kill all the male rulers and put women in power; hate her because she’s a sorceress; or hate her because she’s a threat to their plans. She tries to make it a better place, while trying to stay alive and find ways of killing as few people as possible; difficult when your enemies send army after army after you. _Drinking Midnight Wine_ by Simon Green. A man follows a fascinating woman into a different world; Mysterie, magical counterpart to our world of Veritie. He finds out that he’s a “focal point”, destined to make or affect a world changing decision; unfortunately neither he nor anyone else knows what. Conatains a wide variety of interesting characters, including such folk as Jimmy Thunder God for Hire, ( a distant descendent of Thor ), Angel the fallen angel ( not the pretty light show kind; the kill-the-firstborn-and-level-the-city kind ), and Hob the Serpent’s Son. Simon Green’s Nightside books are also very good; set in the Nightside; the square mile of London where it’s always night, magic works and there’s every dark creature you can imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/38 "2007-06-20T14:30:22Z")
[QUOTE=The Cocky Watchman] Ha ha, you’re good at these ‘non-hyperbolic’ endorsments. Given that Crowley’s ‘Little Big’ was written in 1981, and Wolfe’s ‘Book of the New Sun’ came out 1980ish, maybe amend to past 25 years and she’ll be right. [/QUOTE] Wow, I loathed “Little Big,” and have never figured out why it gets such acclaim. De gustibus, I suppose. Mieville and Powers are both superb, IMO; I agree that _Last Call_ is his best. It’s the only book I’ve ever put down because it was physically affecting me: during the last hundred pages, my heart started racing and my hands started sweating, and I thought, “What the hell is this?” It’s great, and it’s changed the way I think about gambling. The one addition I’ll make is one you could guess by my username: Ursula Le Guin, especially her Earthsea books. The fourth one isn’t all that great, IMO, but the others are wonderful. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/39 "2007-06-20T14:49:11Z")
I recommend Robert Silverberg’s _Majipoor Cycle_ which starts with _Lord Valentine’s Castle_. _The Mists of Avalon_ by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and the others in that series, definitely. I love love love Arthurian legend and read any/all “historic” fantasy I can in that genre. Jack Whyte also wrote _The Camulod Chronicles_ which was good. (I couldn’t really get into his writing, but it’s well written, if that makes sense.) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199/40 "2007-06-20T21:17:05Z")
[QUOTE=Rasa] I recommend Robert Silverberg’s _Majipoor Cycle_ which starts with _Lord Valentine’s Castle_. [/QUOTE] An excellent series, but science fiction, not fantasy. It does have a somewhat fantasy feel to it I’ll admit, and the technology is mostly “off screen”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-been-too-long-recommend-me-some-fantasy/408199.md?page=3)