# Want epic fantasy, but... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247 "2005-11-09T18:20:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/101 "2005-11-17T23:11:56Z")
How about Fritz Leiber’s _Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser_ books? And for easy reading try the _Thraxas_ series by Martin Scott, though the last one isn’t up to the rest. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/102 "2005-12-07T02:33:17Z")
So far, I’ve read Hobb’s _Assassin’s Apprentice_ and Flewelling’s _The Bone Doll’s Twin_. The latter was good. The former was outstanding. Thanks for the recommendations. Now I’m reading _Shadow of the Torturer_ and liking it quite a bit. It reminds me of something I haven’t pinpointed yet. I’m so glad I started this thread. Today I was at an auction for the first time ever, and they had a lot that was just paperback fantasy books. I didn’t stay to bid on it, but I’ll probably regret that, won’t I? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/103 "2005-12-07T04:19:53Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Today I was at an auction for the first time ever, and they had a lot that was just paperback fantasy books. I didn’t stay to bid on it, but I’ll probably regret that, won’t I? No. If your luck is anything like mine, they would all have been parts of series, none of them being the first book. I haven’t re-read this thread, so I don’t know if has anyone mentioned Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels books. They’re a bit on the erotic side but they’re not violent – the eroticism is more emotional than sexual. Almost high school crush-type stuff, but effective. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/104 "2005-12-07T12:01:10Z")
I will have to heartily second Elizabeth Moon’s _Paksennarion_ trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/105 "2005-12-07T15:13:28Z")
Unless I’m blind (quite likely) I’m suprised to be the first to mention Dennis McKiernan’s _Iron Tower_ trilogy and _Silver Call_ duology. Quite Tolkien-esque (he admits he set out to write fantasy that was in the same vein) and I enjoyed them. The whole “World beset by evil” premise of course requires some dire moments but no rapes, gritty descriptions of torture or any of that type of thing. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/106 "2005-12-07T16:10:05Z")
That’s good to know, about McKiernan. He just joined a Yahoo book group that I belong to, and members are telling him how much they enjoy his books. I thought maybe they were just being nice to him. An independent opinion is good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/107 "2005-12-07T23:02:11Z")
Since you’re not put off by _Shadow of the Torturer_, I’ll recommend _To Reign In Hell_ by Steven Brust. It’s not a very long story but almost the definition of “epic”. It is a prequel to that other book (that somebody else wrote) that begins, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247/108 "2005-12-08T06:04:02Z")
I’ve read the whole thread. It’s possible that I’ve missed it, but it seems no one has mentioned [The Discworld](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=pd_kk_sr_2/103-3945309-5996625?index=blended&field-keywords=discworld) series by Terry Pratchett. Sheesh, at least 30 books–which qualifies as “epic” in my book–no reality in sight. There are about a zillion threads…search and ye shall find. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-epic-fantasy-but/330247.md?page=5)