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Suggestions For a New Guy
- Thread starter yackfogel
- Start date
Kookamoor
New Member
Hmm... I could never get into the Wheel of Time. I found it far too formulaic, and Rand got on my nerves more than a little. That being said, I've heard similar things said about some of my favourite series'. I think that when one starts reading fantasy you aren't aware of some of the 'trends' which later seem very cliched. This is a good thing! There are some really fun books out there which some will call cliched, but are a rollicking good ride!! (With the exception of Sword of Shannara, or should I say Lord of the Rings? Because the former is way too close to the latter for my liking!)
If you're just starting out, I always recommend checking out David Eddings (start with Pawn of Prophecy) and Raymond E. Feist (just read the 3 books in the Riftwar Saga, starting with Magician). I also like Terry Goodkind, his first book, Wizard's First Rule, would be the place to start. Many people have problems with Goodkind (there's some threads to that effect around here), but I think you've got to decide for yourself, and if you like this book keep on reading.
I'm getting a little further away from the 'blockbuster' fantasy authors now, and my current favourite is Guy Gavriel Kay. Read 'Tigana' (a one-book story) to decide whether you like his style. I find it very original and the characters wonderfully developed.
If you're just starting out, I always recommend checking out David Eddings (start with Pawn of Prophecy) and Raymond E. Feist (just read the 3 books in the Riftwar Saga, starting with Magician). I also like Terry Goodkind, his first book, Wizard's First Rule, would be the place to start. Many people have problems with Goodkind (there's some threads to that effect around here), but I think you've got to decide for yourself, and if you like this book keep on reading.
I'm getting a little further away from the 'blockbuster' fantasy authors now, and my current favourite is Guy Gavriel Kay. Read 'Tigana' (a one-book story) to decide whether you like his style. I find it very original and the characters wonderfully developed.
KristoCat
New Member
If you liked Robert Jordan, try George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series, starting with A Game of Thrones. It goes along the same lines, with a complicated plotline with lots of subplots and a large cast of characters. I also second Kook's recommendation of Terry Goodkind.
Ainulindale
New Member
If you like Jordan you prefer his superiors in epic fantasy like the aformentioned George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire, a plamned 7 book series that includes thus far :
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows (coming out later this year)
Dance with Dragons (forthcoming)
This is thus far IMHO the best seires ever written in epic fantasy (at this point). Peerles characterization, peerless plot- almsot single handedly brought respectability to epic fantasy.
Steven Erikson is writing a planned 10 book cycle his Malazan Book of the Fallen which includes:
Here are the titles:
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
House of Chains
Midnight Tides
Bonehunters (forthcoming)
Reapers Cale (forthcoming)
Toll of Hounds (forthcoming)
Dust of Dreams (forthcoming)
The Crippled God (forthcoming)
This is one of the few high magic series I can stomach, perhaps the most extensive world building ever in a epic series, high magic, huge cast, and not ridiculously written.
There are also some Malazan novellas that were available by PS publishing writen by Erikson, entitled Blood Follows and The Healthy Dead . I think the PS novellas are out of print, but NightShade Books has reissued them. There is also a recently released novel entitled Night of Knives set in the Malazan universe written by Ian Cameron Esslemont, that chronicles some important events that occur before Gardens of the Moon
R. Scott Bakker is IMHO goign to pull of teh best completed epci fnatasy sereis we have seen since teh late 70's (Patricia Mckillip's RIddlemaster series) in January, with his thrid and final book in his Pricne of Nothing series that includes:
The Darknesss That Comes Before
The Warrior Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought
For more info on this series I interviewed Scott here
Since you like Kurt Vonnegut you may have borad tastes, so I have a lsit of my 100 favorite sequences here, which I extended to 200 here
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows (coming out later this year)
Dance with Dragons (forthcoming)
This is thus far IMHO the best seires ever written in epic fantasy (at this point). Peerles characterization, peerless plot- almsot single handedly brought respectability to epic fantasy.
Steven Erikson is writing a planned 10 book cycle his Malazan Book of the Fallen which includes:
Here are the titles:
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
House of Chains
Midnight Tides
Bonehunters (forthcoming)
Reapers Cale (forthcoming)
Toll of Hounds (forthcoming)
Dust of Dreams (forthcoming)
The Crippled God (forthcoming)
This is one of the few high magic series I can stomach, perhaps the most extensive world building ever in a epic series, high magic, huge cast, and not ridiculously written.
There are also some Malazan novellas that were available by PS publishing writen by Erikson, entitled Blood Follows and The Healthy Dead . I think the PS novellas are out of print, but NightShade Books has reissued them. There is also a recently released novel entitled Night of Knives set in the Malazan universe written by Ian Cameron Esslemont, that chronicles some important events that occur before Gardens of the Moon
R. Scott Bakker is IMHO goign to pull of teh best completed epci fnatasy sereis we have seen since teh late 70's (Patricia Mckillip's RIddlemaster series) in January, with his thrid and final book in his Pricne of Nothing series that includes:
The Darknesss That Comes Before
The Warrior Prophet
The Thousandfold Thought
For more info on this series I interviewed Scott here
Since you like Kurt Vonnegut you may have borad tastes, so I have a lsit of my 100 favorite sequences here, which I extended to 200 here
Fistandantilus
New Member
Read Magician if you haven't already. It is the best fantasy book. (IMHO of course 
)
)
direstraits
Well-Known Member
Kookamoor has beaten me to the punch - I say go and pick up Guy Gavriel Kay and enjoy some very competent fantasy. My other favourite author is Ursula Le Guin, who has written the Earthsea Cycle. If you like wizards, Earthsea's the one to read, starting with A Wizard of Earthsea.
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