What other fantasy books do YOU read?

[Boo Radley]

Yes, indeedy-do.

The first time I read the DiscWorld series, a few years ago, I read them out of order. For the most part, they were written to be stand alone books, but now I'm reading them in chronological order... just because.

[Nessa Telrunya]

-The Obsidian Trilogy
-Tales of the Kings Blades

Not very well known, but they are both phenomenal. It's worth spending an hour in the public library to find them.

[alatar]

We were preparing a disaster recovery plan for the office, and so decided to do some research on zombies (it's an odd place to work). A coworker pointed me to the works of Max Brooks (son of Mel Brooks), who wrote the 'Zombie Survival Guide' and 'World War Z.' The former is a tongue-in-cheek guide that helps you prepare for various zombie outbreaks, from a few here and there to a full-blown end-of-the-world pandemic. I found it helpful, though WWZ was more entertaining. It's written ten years *after* zombies take over the world, where the author of the book interviews various people around the world in order to describe the war against the zombies. Some parts are great; others get a little silly - then again, it's about zombies.

I found both to be entertaining and worth the read. Plus, practically, should zombies attack the office, I have an escape plan at the ready (hint: identify slower coworkers who can be used to *distract* the zombies long enough for you to get away ).

[Nessa Telrunya]

Originally Posted by alatar

We were preparing a disaster recovery plan for the office, and so decided to do some research on zombies (it's an odd place to work). A coworker pointed me to the works of Max Brooks (son of Mel Brooks), who wrote the 'Zombie Survival Guide' and 'World War Z.' The former is a tongue-in-cheek guide that helps you prepare for various zombie outbreaks, from a few here and there to a full-blown end-of-the-world pandemic. I found it helpful, though WWZ was more entertaining. It's written ten years *after* zombies take over the world, where the author of the book interviews various people around the world in order to describe the war against the zombies. Some parts are great; others get a little silly - then again, it's about zombies.

I found both to be entertaining and worth the read. Plus, practically, should zombies attack the office, I have an escape plan at the ready (hint: identify slower coworkers who can be used to *distract* the zombies long enough for you to get away ).

The Zombie Survival Guide was a great read-Even more so now that I'm safe

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Nessa Telrunya

The Zombie Survival Guide was a great read-Even more so now that I'm safe

Glad that you're safe. May your crowbar always swing freely.

Another thing I liked about WWZ is that the entire book pretends to be from this future post-zombie war time. You get right into it upon opening the cover. It's not like it says, "after turning the next page, please begin suspending belief." No, you somehow got the book from this future/alternate reality, and except for a few absurdities, it seems pretty real.

[Inziladun]

I'll admit to being an (initially unwilling) fan of the Harry Potter series.
Beyond that, my tastes run more toward horror than fantasy.

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I'll admit to being an (initially unwilling) fan of the Harry Potter series.

Same here. I stubbornly refused to look into the books until after Goblet of Fire was out. Then a friend gave me the first two for birthday; I read them in one weekend, went into a bookshop on Monday and bought the next two, and have been hooked ever since. Sure, I wouldn't put JK Rowling in the same league with, say, Donaldson, McKillip or LeGuin, not to mention Tolkien, but what she does, she does well.

Beyond that, my tastes run more toward horror than fantasy.

Do you like Lovecraft (Howard Phillips, i mean)? Some of his early stories sort of border on the fantasy genre, but personally, I prefer the Cthulhu stuff.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Do you like Lovecraft (Howard Phillips, i mean)? Some of his early stories sort of border on the fantasy genre, but personally, I prefer the Cthulhu stuff.

The Cthulhu Mythos is good, but two of my favourites are The Whisperer In Darkness and The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

[Pitchwife]

Agreed, that's two of his best! I'd like to add Mountains of Madness, with its glimpses of vast prehistoric ages (and the tantalizing mystery of what was beyond those accursed other mountains!) and Dreams in the Witch-House - the only story that ever gave me nightmares (Brown Jenkin! Brrrr!).
However, I digress...

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by alatar

We were preparing a disaster recovery plan for the office, and so decided to do some research on zombies (it's an odd place to work). A coworker pointed me to the works of Max Brooks (son of Mel Brooks), who wrote the 'Zombie Survival Guide' and 'World War Z.' The former is a tongue-in-cheek guide that helps you prepare for various zombie outbreaks, from a few here and there to a full-blown end-of-the-world pandemic. I found it helpful, though WWZ was more entertaining. It's written ten years *after* zombies take over the world, where the author of the book interviews various people around the world in order to describe the war against the zombies. Some parts are great; others get a little silly - then again, it's about zombies.

I found both to be entertaining and worth the read. Plus, practically, should zombies attack the office, I have an escape plan at the ready (hint: identify slower coworkers who can be used to *distract* the zombies long enough for you to get away ).

Gives a whole new meaning to those words Joan Baez sang:

Says Joe "What they can never kill
went on to organize,

But I had the darndest time trying to figure out if it was allegory or applicability. I guess your bosses decided clearly which one for you.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I'll admit to being an (initially unwilling) fan of the Harry Potter series.
Beyond that, my tastes run more toward horror than fantasy.

I just started to re-read HP now (well... I started a few months ago, but during the school year, I was unable to move much, but now since summer started I managed the Goblet of Fire and now I am in the middle of 5, it's interesting how one reads it differently after some time - especially with the Goblet it was really great to follow the character of Moody and try to see the story through his eyes. I never read 4-7 more than once (and I always read them when they came out), so I'm interested to see what it's going to be like, how it will differ from the first reading.
I happened to read the first HP "before the wave came", that is, when it was still unknown, I sort of randomly stumbled on it (my grandmother who worked in a library back then mentioned it to me) and I was not particularly fascinated, but as the others came out, I followed. The third was probably the one which broke it, I bought it on the very day it came out and thought that I'll read it during the weekend when I was home alone, but I started to read and could not leave it unfinished - so I practically read it all in one evening. Since the fourth, I have been reading them in English, as I did not want to wait half a year for translation. And of course, since the fourth it became much more... serious.

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Do you like Lovecraft (Howard Phillips, i mean)? Some of his early stories sort of border on the fantasy genre, but personally, I prefer the Cthulhu stuff.

Originally Posted by Inziladun

The Cthulhu Mythos is good, but two of my favourites are The Whisperer In Darkness and The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Agreed, that's two of his best! I'd like to add Mountains of Madness, with its glimpses of vast prehistoric ages (and the tantalizing mystery of what was beyond those accursed other mountains!) and Dreams in the Witch-House - the only story that ever gave me nightmares (Brown Jenkin! Brrrr!).
However, I digress...

Hey, I like HP ( Lovecraft, not the scar-forehead boy) too, I'd list him among my favourite together with Tolkien and Chinghiz Aitmatov (other two in the top five would be probably Andrzej Sapkowski, a Polish fantasy author, and then maybe the Potter stuff... though I'm not so keen on advertising it because it's so widespread). I like At the Mountains of Madness a lot and lot of the "Cthulhu-stuff" as well, though I have some of my favs among the shorter stories (like Polaris and this thing about the German submarine, can't recall the name now). I also like the Dream-cycle stuff, though, especially wherever it's mixed with the Old Ones. I was so cheered up when I read the Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath this spring and I noticed that at one point, Nyarlathotep is called "Legate" there!
The first one I read from him was the Haunter of the Dark, which I read in one SF magazine, and it's still probably the best for me. It has brilliant atmosphere and I just love it. I recently discovered that it was actually the last story he wrote, so I wonder whether it has anything to do with it.

[JeffF.]

I like the stories of his Middle Earth-like world. I particularly like the Silver Duology which is plainly (thinly disguised) his version of the Dwarves retaking Moria.

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I was so cheered up when I read the Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath this spring and I noticed that at one point, Nyarlathotep is called "Legate" there!

Ever considered Crawling Chaos as your personal title?

[McCaber]

People who have read A Game of Thrones: Sean Bean will play the part of Eddard Stark in the coming HBO series.

[Nerwen]

Well, I started to read Ashling, the second sequel to Obernewtyn, a fantasy for teenagers. I read the first book when I was a teenager, and liked it, but I don't know if I can be bothered with this one. Maybe it's just that I'm too old and too cynical these days.

I mean, the first instalment wasn't exactly original– your standard neo-medieval post-apocalyptic fare, complete with psychic mutants. (The Chrysalids must vie with LotR for the title of Most Frequently Ripped-off SF Novel.) All the same, if my memory's not playing me false, it wasn't too bad and the really cliched stuff stayed in the background.

With this one it's taken over... all the mutants now have silly Capitalised Names for their various "Talents"– in fact Everything Is In Capitals– and the story's going round and round in circles and seems likely to end exactly where the first book left off.... you know the kind of thing.

*sigh*

Oh, and there's a character named Angina(!), and it's not meant to be a joke.

[Gwathagor]

Anyone read the Mistborn series? I'm on the second book, The Well of Ascension. Good stories so far, ingenious system of magic. The writing itself is decent, but not fantastic (no pun intended).

[Hakon]

I actually just ordered the first book in Mistborn series online. A okay book by the same writer is Elantris. I just finished it a few days ago.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by McCaber

People who have read A Game of Thrones: Sean Bean will play the part of Eddard Stark in the coming HBO series.

Really?! That's cool. (Although he wouldn't have been my first choice for the role, but with his skill, I know he can do it!)

Has anyone read Vellum by Hal Duncan? I just finished it, and I must say it was quite baffling. I have some (a lot of?) criticism against it, but I can't help but be hooked when someone takes ancient sumerian myths, the Bible and various other things and makes them into a pompously grand-scale mix involving a lost pre-ice age civilisation and repeated appearances of certain mythical characters throughout times and places...

[Nazgûl-king]

I am currently reading "The Sword of Shannara".

[Snowdog]

I'm doing a casual re-read of the Black Company series by Glen Cook.
An interesting perspective in a rather dark world.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I have started reading Harry Potter, however I'm only on book four. I rather like it actually, despite my vast unwillingness to begin.

[mikelangelo11]

The Hobbit by JRRT - A classic of the genre, much more approachable than Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Amber by Zelazny - Fantasy at its most mysterious and most action-oriented, far from the conventions of the genre.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by mikelangelo11

The Hobbit by JRRT - A classic of the genre, much more approachable than Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Amber by Zelazny - Fantasy at its most mysterious and most action-oriented, far from the conventions of the genre.

The Hob-what? Never heard of it.

[Galadriel]

Hmm. I'm not THAT much into fantasy. I've read Tolkien's stuff and A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin and a bit of Terry Pratchett (the man's a genius), but nothing else. And this may sound strange, but I could never get into Harry Potter. I wanted to, because I enjoyed the concept and all the funny little words, but Rowling's style...just irritated me. I tried the Sorcerer's Stone at least 5 times but I nearly fell asleep at each go.

Anyone else got the same problem?

[xMellrynxMaidenx]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

I have started reading Harry Potter, however I'm only on book four. I rather like it actually, despite my vast unwillingness to begin.

Goblet of Fire is one of the more interesting of the series, in my opinion. Though I really like Deathly Hallows more, I believe.

That being said, I am indeed a Harry Potter fan of both film and movie. I've noticed that the opinions on this series varies from person to person on here. :P We're all entitled to our opinions and am rather surprised, and relieved, to see that no one has ripped someone else's head off yet for having a different opinion on this board. I think I could get use to it here, hehe! :P

But, I digress, as I normally tend to do.

I've not really broaden (epic failure with the use of the word, I know. I'm too tired to be grammatically correct at the moment.) my horizons in the Fantasy genre other than JRR Tolkien's works and J.K. Rowling's.

I absolutely refuse to continue to read the Twilight series. But is this leaning more towards science fiction? I've never really been sure. Anyways, I tried to finish with the last book and I simply can't...to be honest, I never fully read the first three straight through either. For those of you who like it, know that I'm not bashing it. I just can't...get into it like most can.

[Thinlómien]

I have recently been rereading Ursula Le Guin and my god she's just about as good as you can be. I could almost say it beats Tolkien. *gasp*

Other than that, I've recently read the two new Rain Wild Chronicles novels by Robin Hobb (guaranteed delightful Hobb quality) and (although it's sf not fantasy) Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. I wonder if anyone else has read it? I've read it as a kid and reread it now and it was just as impressive as back then...

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I have recently been rereading Ursula Le Guin and my god she's just about as good as you can be. I could almost say it beats Tolkien. *gasp*

Other than that, I've recently read the two new Rain Wild Chronicles novels by Robin Hobb (guaranteed delightful Hobb quality)

Never heard of Ursula Le Guin. Is she good? And I've seen Hobb's stuff in the stores enough...is he worth reading, you think?

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Never heard of Ursula Le Guin. Is she good? And I've seen Hobb's stuff in the stores enough...is he worth reading, you think?

She, actually, I think.

And Ursula Le Guin is very good indeed.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

I would probably like LeGuin better as a writer if I had not met her as a person. Alas, I can say the same for a number of others, too... *sigh*

I myself am very fond of the works of Katherine Kurtz (and yes, I met her as a person, too ), as well as Evangeline Walton's retelling of the Welsh Mabinogian (no, I did not meet her). As for a marvelous blend of fantasy, humor, and horror, I highly recommend John Bellairs "The Face in the Frost." I also enjoyed Tim Powers' "The Drawing of the Dark," Gordon R. Dickson's "The Dragon and the George" and its sequels, and for humorous sword and sorcery, there's always Fritz Leiber's Fafherd and the Grey Mouser series. And of course, I'm a huge fan of T.H. White's "The Once and Future King."

More will probably occur to me as I let my brain simmer on it, though all of me is simmering right now, as it's hot and humid down here in Florida today, and my body was just getting used to autumn in Wisconsin. Gonna be a shock when we get home...

[Thinlómien]

Robin Hobb - she, as Nerwen says - is definitely worth reading, if you ask me. Not as "deep" as Tolkien or Le Guin (well not maybe a good comparison if you've never read anything by her ) but complex, enjoyable and deeply human. Hobb is, I think, one of the best storytellers whose books I've read both inside and outside the fantasy genre. The story just basically reads itself and you can't help but just live with the characters. If someone out there is thinking about reading anything by her, I suggest starting with the Farseer Series because they are probably the best and they sort of start out the whole thing.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

She, actually, I think.

Oh dear. My apologies.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Robin Hobb - she, as Nerwen says - is definitely worth reading, if you ask me. Not as "deep" as Tolkien or Le Guin (well not maybe a good comparison if you've never read anything by her ) but complex, enjoyable and deeply human. Hobb is, I think, one of the best storytellers whose books I've read both inside and outside the fantasy genre. The story just basically reads itself and you can't help but just live with the characters. If someone out there is thinking about reading anything by her, I suggest starting with the Farseer Series because they are probably the best and they sort of start out the whole thing.

Sounds promising. Maybe I'll give her a shot after I finish school (and a load of other books on my reading list!) in a few months.

[Thinlómien]

PS. For all Geroge R.R. Martin fans and everybody interested in a new fantasy TV series, HBO has realeased the first two teaser trailers for A Game of Thrones. This one looks really cool and has Sean Bean, although it's sadly really short.

[Oddwen]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

PS. For all Geroge R.R. Martin fans and everybody interested in a new fantasy TV series, HBO has realeased the first two teaser trailers for A Game of Thrones. This one looks really cool and has Sean Bean, although it's sadly really short.

Plus, GRRM claims to be five chapters away from the end of Dances with Dragons, the book he's been working on for ten plus years.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Oddwen

Plus, GRRM claims to be five chapters away from the end of Dances with Dragons, the book he's been working on for ten plus years.

So it will take him at least a few more years to finish it, right?

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

I would probably like LeGuin better as a writer if I had not met her as a person. Alas, I can say the same for a number of others, too... *sigh*

Poor Ibrin, most of would be happy to meet our favourite writers in person!

I think Robin Hobb is a very good read, and like Lommy said The Farseer trilogy is probably the best place to start. It's imaginative and good, in the later books it gets both more mature (dealing with equality & other current issues) and less inventive (it might be just me, though - I find dragons awfully dull).

I've read the Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin and couldn't really see what's so special about it. The characters are way too simple and superficial to my liking, so I never bothered to check out the rest of them. I might do it some day though.

I'm currently rereading the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. They're both better (there are nuances I didn't catch when I was 13)) and worse (illogical stuff, the writer ignores things I consider relevant for the plot - she's not nearly so bad as a certain Stephenie Meyer though ) than I remembered. Anyway I like me some wonderfully androgynous badass vampires.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Oddwen

Plus, GRRM claims to be five chapters away from the end of Dances with Dragons, the book he's been working on for ten plus years.

Funny though, because I heard the release date of DWD is two years later. I hope he just finishes it quickly and gets it published so the readers don't have to die with impatience

[Galadriel55]

I've read quite a few fiction books (half of which I don't remember), but nothing can match with Tolkien's works. It seems like he just summarised the universe into just a few volumes. No other author got close to doing that.

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I've read quite a few fiction books (half of which I don't remember), but nothing can match with Tolkien's works. It seems like he just summarised the universe into just a few volumes. No other author got close to doing that.

Hear hear!

[Galadriel55]

Glad that someone finally agrees with me about Tolkien. People usually laugh or call me stupid when I say that LOTR is the best book ever written.