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Post by cakejedi on Jan 26, 2007 18:52:31 GMT -5
With my mom in the hospital, I need a good book to read while in the waiting room or to read while she is asleep. I think I am in the mood for a good fantasy book. But I have never really read a lot of fantasy. I am mostly a sci-fi guy. Does anyone have some good suggestions?
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Post by dukedave on Jan 26, 2007 21:17:37 GMT -5
With my mom in the hospital, I need a good book to read while in the waiting room or to read while she is asleep. I think I am in the mood for a good fantasy book. But I have never really read a lot of fantasy. I am mostly a sci-fi guy. Does anyone have some good suggestions? Are you talking like D&D/Lord of the Rings type fanatasy? If you've never read this stuff before try the DragonLance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman. These two got me started with this trilogy 20 years ago and it's the only thing I've ever read twice. Weis and Hickman, together and seperately have done several different triloies since and I've probably read 20-30 of their books. I'm just now also finishing up the fourth of a four book set called the Dreamers by David & Leigh Eddings. Another that is hard to qualify for this is "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke. It's probably the best/longest book I've read in the last couple of years. The only one longer was the Clinton biography. Although I'm reading another book and have others to read, just picking up this book just now gave me good memories and I might take it to Jamaica in a few weeks. Wicked by Gregory McGuire is also another choice. |
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Post by Darth Turkish on Jan 27, 2007 6:28:50 GMT -5
The obvious ones:
RA Salvatore's Drizzt books, and the Cleric Canticle. He writes well, and uses the Forgotten Realms/DnD setting, so there is a lot of familiar magic and creatues. Great stuff.
Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth series: will end up being 11 books long, books 1 -4 are great, and 6 is my favorite, but some of them lost some steam and get a bit preachy at times. Currently Book 10, Phantoms is out in HC.
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time: another mulit book epic, currently at book 12 or so, with an end in sight.(?) The first five books are simply awesome. The next few are good, but not up to the standard of the first few. I have not read the last two. Somewhere in the middle, Jordan thought we readers really wanted four pages of how someone clothing looked each time they come back into the story. Apparently Jordan is going to finish the series in the next volume, which is supposed to be some several thousand page book. Oh, yeah, he also has some rare blood disease, of which he is slowly recovering.
Terry Brooks' Shannara series. Fun stuff. Haven't read it in a long time, but he is a good writer.
The others:
Greg Keyes: The Charnel Prince. This was a good read. Keyes has a way to move the story along and get you sucked in.
I'll echo dukedave's suggestion of Weis and Hickman with their Seventh Gate series: Most likely find these in a used book store, a really great series that has a very unique concept of magic and the world as it fits together.
Some of the Warhammer stuff is good. I particularly enjoy the short story collections for Fantasy and 40K (futureistic) and you do not need the background knoweldge of the WH universe to enjoy them. These tales are usually pretty grim and brutal, like the Warhammer universe itself.
War of the Spider Queen: This is a six book series that deals with the dark elves of the Forgotten Ralms setting. The patron deity of the drow, Lloth, is not talking to their clerics and the drow are worried. A band of them set out ot discern why.
Richard Knaak writes some really good books. His DragonRealm series, which you could probably get at used book stores, was quite interesting. He has written many of the Diablo and Warcraft books. He is also responsible for the great book, The Legend of Huma, a Dragonlance novel.
And, last, but certainly not least, is Robert E Howard's Conan stories. These are all absolutely fantastc. Howard effectively balances description and story progress. Sure, the topic deals with a character that defeats everything, but hell, he IS Conan. Very surprising that read these and know that these were written in the 1920's and 30's, before Tolkien. This is my favorite group of writings, behind Salvatore.
I am sure I will think of more later....
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Post by fredkc6cfb on Jan 27, 2007 8:08:14 GMT -5
Stephen King's "Eyes of the Dragon" is a good read. So is Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes". You won't find too many trolls or dragons in either, but they are both really fun.
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Post by Wildfire on Jan 27, 2007 23:53:46 GMT -5
Wow... Turkish listed just about everything I was going to list...
I guess we have the same taste.
I would also add David Eddings other series (Belgariad) and Terry Brooks other Series, (Magic Kingdom of Landover)
The Terry Brooks one is bordering on comedic, if you're in the mood for that sorta thing.
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Post by theringmaster on Feb 6, 2007 8:15:09 GMT -5
If you have not read the Dragonlance Chronicles Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of a Winter Night, and Dragons of a Spring Dawning is a great choice! As is any book by them or Richard Knaak mentioned earlier. Dan Parkinson is also a great writer so I would be on the lookout for him.
I am very partial to the Chaos War Series -Siege of Mt. Nevermind, The Doom Brigade, The Last Thane, Reavers of the Blood Sea, The Puppet King -there may be one of two more that is off the top of my head. They are excellent.
You should look into all of these when and if you have time. I am late posting about this so I hope your mother is well!
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Post by bmurderh8s on Feb 6, 2007 10:03:15 GMT -5
I Am Legend is a fun book. If you've never read it I'd recomend checking that out over any D&D type book.
trust me, if you give it a shot you'll agree.
it's a horror novel written by Richard Matheson and is about the last man alive on Earth following the Apocolypse. Basicallythe world is now inhabited by "vampires".
it was written some time ago..in the 50's I think and is set in the late 70's
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Post by bmurderh8s on Feb 6, 2007 10:10:35 GMT -5
Stephen King's "Eyes of the Dragon" is a good read. So is Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes". You won't find too many trolls or dragons in either, but they are both really fun. The Shining is my favorite King book. IMO it is so much better than the movie. Although the movie is damn good, they make some changes to the story that I disagreed with. I'm not much of a horror books reader, but the horror books I have read I have enjoyed. |
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Post by Vidtek on Feb 6, 2007 21:17:33 GMT -5
Grunts by Mary Gentle. At least I think that's how her name is spelled. Don't have the book in front of me. It's a great yarn about Orcs with machine guns. Very funny.
Big Time
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Post by Shon Maxx on Feb 7, 2007 6:24:51 GMT -5
Adam Smasher beat me to it. Yes, Grunts is a great fantasy book with a lot of comedy, so you'll get your fantasy fix along with some probablt much-needed humor.
I also second the Bradbury book.
Anything by HP Love craft is good, though that's more fantasy/horror.
Wicked is also great; it tells the story of the Wicked Witch from Wizard of Oz from her point of view.
Take care,
Jay
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Post by Trent Lawless on Feb 8, 2007 10:42:26 GMT -5
I read Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom for Sale books years ago and remember them being pretty amusing as well as filling my fantasy fix, which comes and goes. A human from our world having to deal with inept wizards and spells and talking dogs who used to be people and that sort of thing.
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Post by theringmaster on Feb 9, 2007 15:54:34 GMT -5
Grunts sounds cool. I will be checking it out. I thank ya Adam.
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Post by Vidtek on Feb 9, 2007 18:55:02 GMT -5
Not a problem. And love that avatar....splat..splat...
Big Time
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Post by dbfnq on Feb 11, 2007 6:50:19 GMT -5
I really liked Northern Lights (AKA The Golden Compass) which is the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. Fantasy, but not swords-and-sorcery fantasy. Mostly set in alternate-history London, where everyone has a familiar-type creature.
I've heard good things about the Game Of Thrones books. Think the first one is called A Song Of Ice And Fire. Relatively low-fantasy, without much blatant magic or monsters.
There's always the Discworld, of course. Set in a very high-fantasy world, but more about the comedy and the people. Guards Guards is a good starting point, and leads into some excellent City Watch stories - Men At Arms, Feet Of Clay, Jingo, Night Watch, Thud. There are other 'sets' of books about the witches, the wizards, and Death.
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Post by Darth Turkish on Feb 11, 2007 6:59:17 GMT -5
I am surprised no one else mentioned Game of Thrones. The series is very well written and will draw you in. But it is also very depressing. Do not get attached to any one character- they are sure to die in the next chapter.
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Post by Mike M on Feb 11, 2007 21:21:50 GMT -5
To me, Lord of the Rings is the best of all-time. The Hobbit is a nice, get-your-feet-wet book in the genre if you're looking for something lighter.
Wheel of Time series rocks too.... although I would have to choose Tolkien first.
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Post by Wildfire on Feb 11, 2007 21:37:36 GMT -5
Actually. "Song of fire and Ice" is the name of the series, and
"Game of thrones" the 1st book.
Definately really good.. its definately more about pseudo-medival politics than the typical fantasy.
and DEFINTELY don't get attached to anyone.
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Post by steelthunder814 on Feb 11, 2007 21:47:07 GMT -5
If you enjoy a good Dragon story read the novels of Pern by Anne and todd McCaffey...a mother and son duo...Im reading Dragon' s Fire and though its not my cup of tea...u might enjoy it
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Post by Mike M on Feb 12, 2007 23:47:59 GMT -5
Come to think of it, I enjoyed Eragon and The Eldest- although I didn't see the movie.
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Post by theringmaster on Feb 13, 2007 2:58:00 GMT -5
Didn't really care for the Pern books.
Yes LOTR's is without a doubt a classic tale that I have reread many times I prefer the Dragonlance Chronicles. I think maybe it has to do with the extreme amount of detail due to the fact that the books were written after [;aying the story throughly using a D&D campaign format.
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IPPON!!
