# Remind me of some good teen SF/fantasy books from my childhood **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655 "2011-12-18T18:38:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/21 "2011-12-19T14:55:10Z")
At that age I LOVED David Eddings Belgariad sereis of books Pawn Of Prophecy Queen of Sorcery Magician’s Gambit Castle of Wizardry Enchanters’ End Game ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/22 "2011-12-19T15:05:24Z")
[The Tripods trilogy by John Christopher](http://www.amazon.com/Tripods-Trilogy-White-Mountains-City/dp/0020425716) [House of Stairs](http://www.amazon.com/House-Stairs-William-Sleator/dp/0140345809/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324306956&sr=1-1) and [Singularity](http://www.amazon.com/Singularity-William-Sleator/dp/0140375988/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3) by William Sleator I’m so glad you got the Bellairs book, they ought to love that! ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/23 "2011-12-19T15:05:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Jack Chalker’s _Four Lords of the Diamond_ series kept me interested and entertained, as did his _And The Devil May Drag You Under_. But for me it was his Nathan Brazil/Well World books that really fascinated me. Good lord. Under no circumstances would Jack Chalker books be appropriate for boys that are 9 and 13. Patricia McKillip’s [Riddle-Master trilogy](http://www.amazon.com/Riddle-Master-Patricia-McKillip/dp/0441005969/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324306923&sr=1-2) is good. As is [the Forgotten Beasts of Eld](http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Beasts-Magic-Carpet-Books/dp/0152055363/ref=pd_sim_b_1) Some of the stuff in [Bridge of Birds](http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Birds-Novel-Ancient-China/dp/0345321383/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324307031&sr=1-1) might be over the head of a 9yo, but if he’s a good reader he’ll still enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/24 "2011-12-19T15:09:17Z")
Yeah, Jack Chalker I enjoyed but much later in life. Not for kids. YES Patricia McKillip rocks!! And I just re-read Forgottten Beasts of Eld, too. You guys are awesome, thank you!! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/25 "2011-12-19T15:35:59Z")
I will Nth the David Eddings series; they’ll enjoy it now, and be able to read it with fond nostalgia when they’re older and can also see its flaws. John Bellairs’ The Face in the Frost is great, and often available cheap at used bookstores. Seconding Bridge of Birds. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/26 "2011-12-21T03:20:01Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Good lord. Under no circumstances would Jack Chalker books be appropriate for boys that are 9 and 13. I was 11 or 12 when I first read the _Well of Souls_ books; I loved them. I was 13 or 14 when the _4 Lords of the Diamond_ series started and devoured it. Why do you think they are inappropriate for a 13 year old? ---
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/27 "2011-12-21T04:27:27Z")
David Eddings writes terrific dialogue, but I knew how the fifth book would end before the first was half over. No surprises leaves nothing to really look forward to. Chalker is like Anthony but well written. I saw no respect for women as anything other than sexual. I liked these books- good pacing, interesting storylines- but I don’t want to give him anything that sexual yet. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/28 "2011-12-21T04:43:28Z")
> [@HennaDancer](#): > > David Eddings writes terrific dialogue, but I knew how the fifth book would end before the first was half over. No surprises leaves nothing to really look forward to. > Chalker is like Anthony but well written. I saw no respect for women as anything other than sexual. I liked these books- good pacing, interesting storylines- but I don’t want to give him anything that sexual yet. It’s been a few years since I read the _4 Lords_, but I don’t remember any sex in them at all. IIRC all books have the male protagonist finding a female love interest (who was usually his guide into the planet’s customs and society, etc.), but I don’t recall any sex in the books. And the _Well of Souls_ gave us Mavra Chang, one of the toughest (and longest suffering) characters I’ve ever read. Again, tho, I don’t recall any sex in those books. NBD, tho. Not trying to argue, was just curious about what might have prompted the comment. FWIW, I also read HHGTTG when it was first published, so I was 11 or 12 at the time. I thought it was the funniest book I had ever read (it’s still in the top 10). ---
**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:** [December 21, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/29 "2011-12-21T16:17:09Z")
> [@HennaDancer](#): > > Chalker is like Anthony but well written. I saw no respect for women as anything other than sexual. I liked these books- good pacing, interesting storylines- but I don’t want to give him anything that sexual yet. Dragonriders of Pern has a semi-explicit sex scene. However, if it concerns you, in the Starscape YA edition of the book the sex scene has been removed. When I flipped through the new edition, I noticed it immediately and thought, _WTF, where’s the sex scene, that was my favorite part when I was 13_!! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655/30 "2011-12-21T16:37:33Z")
Andre Norton - Most if not all of the Witch World books are suitable. I would suggest another Norton, also, _Dragon Magic_. I read it when I was quite young and it made such an impression on me that I tried to find out what it was that my memories nagged at me with and then go read it as an adult. Still holds up…four young friends have dragon encounters suitable to their ancestral traditions (Chinese, African, Scandinavian, Welsh). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-of-some-good-teen-sf-fantasy-books-from-my-childhood/606655.md?page=1)