I've never really read fantasy novels before. The closest I get is space opera. I've been wanting to check out some for a while, but don't know what would be a good starting point.
So, I was thinking of possibly starting George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy tale "A Song of Ice and Fire", consisting of 4 books. Is anybody familiar with this, or this author for that matter? I don't want to end up wasting my time reading something shitty, but this won some fairly reputable awards such as the Hugo.
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Anonymous2009-01-12 4:05
>>1
Read some C.J. Cherryh. She writes science fiction too, so you know she's all right.
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Anonymous2009-01-12 7:54
For some "light" fantasy, you could read Neil Gaiman. His books are often about supernatural things, but not in the "fireballs, elves and wizards" way.
A Song of Ice and Fire is great! It's the good kind of fantasy books, wherein the characters and plot isn't overshadowed by the fantasy-elements. A great read!
Also, I've been pleasantly surprised over China Miéville's books. He made a steampunk/fantasy world called Bas-Lag, and have written three books that takes place therein. Worth a look!
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Anonymous2009-01-12 9:38
All books mentioned so far itt are faggy shit that you should avoid. In fact, don't even bother with fantasy. Go read real books instead.
Fantasy is great IMO, long as you get good shit. For instance, Neil Gaiman, I love his shit, he's my favourite author. And yeah, not that "wizards and shit". Its fantastic. Or Terry Pratchett, which is like a serious parody. It makes sense. Its got wizards and then hilarious punch lines. I don't know, its weird. My advice is stay away from LOTR cause that shit sucks in my opinion.
A Song of Ice and Fire is an excellent series, but it is unfinished and will likely remain so for a great many years to come. Martin's writing has turned glacial, for whatever reasons.
If that doesn't bother you, go for it.
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Anonymous2009-01-15 1:13
American Gods was a bloated mess. The only reason I like Gaiman is because he said Gene Wolfe is the best writer of the decade.
Tolkien's prose is better than the hoard of fantatasters and their ilk who seem to think made-up words and bad systems of magic/worldbuilding will make up for their shit writing. Tolkien actually researched his words, obsessively, which is why they sound appropriate.
Read ASOIF. It's worth it. You can get the new books when they come out. A few marginal classics are:
Mythago Wood, by Robert Holdstock--a man returns from the war to his childhood home and its surrounding forest to discover the forest has mysterious properties, i.e., that of spontaneously generating the Jungian archetype closest to the mind of whoever walks in. Part adventure, part love story between a man and his very own eideilon.
The Shape-Shifter's Wife. Same deal as Mythago Wood. Blildungsroman where a young man goes to learn shape-shifting from its consummate master, only to become mesmerized by his strange wife, who seems to have no affection for her husband--nor for most things human beigs have affection for.
The Last Hot Time, by John M. Ford--near future, most of Earth's technology has been destroyed by the immortal Elves who once coexisted with primitive hominids, then vanished back into the parallel universe of Elfland. When the Elves return a generation after JFK's assassination, they witness, horrified, what man has become, and they strike out in panic, blasting most of Chicago. Young paramedic Danny Holman, heading toward Chicago's Elf-gang-ridden heart, saves the life of a young woman wounded severely in a drive-by shooting. The mysterious Mr. Patrise rewards Danny with a new identity "Doc Hollownight" and a job as house medic to Patrise's web of underground nightclubs.
One of the unforgivable things about most fantasy is that its mechanism seems is about escape. With the Caveat that this book will depress you, that the main character is misogynistic, cruel, and that you will dislike him, my last reccomendation is Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Look it up. There are encyclopedias written on it.
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Anonymous2009-01-15 22:58
Can I suggest the Shannara Series by Terry Brooks?
Definitive Fanatasy there.
Seriously.
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Anonymous2009-01-16 2:27
Ursula Le Guin, pretty much anything by her. The Earthsea series is considered a classic.
If you're a history buff Harry Turtledove would be a good choice, he's rewritten WWII, only with magic and dragons.
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Anonymous2009-01-16 9:14
>>14
Ursula Le Guin is one of the very few fantasy authors you should actually read
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Anonymous2009-01-18 2:51
Check out Ian Irvine. The Well of Echoes Quartet is a really good read
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Anonymous2009-01-19 22:05
Shannara / Terry Brooks is pretty good. Earthsea is pretty much crap, even if people like it, it's crap. Turtledove is awwwwite but not a great writer. Irvine is decent. I'd personally recommend the Chrestomancy Quartet (I love those books) but they're out of print which is awful. The middle-school-level Deltora books are not difficult reads in any way, but I found them interesting for kids books. I also found the Magic: The Gathering books to be surprisingly good. Everything except Kamigawa and all the Elf books and since was at least readable, Ice Age and Odyssey cycles I definitely found worth reading.
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Anonymous2009-01-19 22:40
Dune - Frank Herbert.
It's my second time reading it, I love this book.
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Anonymous2009-01-20 0:10
seconding the China Mieville recommendation
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Anonymous2009-01-21 23:55
Song of Fire and Ice are beautiful books, but that's like trying to eat a full course Italian meal when you've never had pasta before. You'll end up quitting before the end.