Renegade
Joined: Dec 17, 2003
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 Posted:
Apr 07, 2004 - 20:13 |
 
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I recently bought David Gemmells new book and concluded he is the greatest living fantasy author. Does anyone else have a favourite and if so who is it? I'm at a loss to find someone that even remotely comes close to Mr Gemmell and would greatly appreciate some advice on who to read next.
Cheers BB dudes |
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freak_in_a_frock
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 20:23 |
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sorry david gemmel is just the best, i have met him once and he is just as cool as his books are |
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Darkwolf
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 20:30 |
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LoordiPaha
Joined: Nov 24, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 20:33 |
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LordSigmund
Joined: Jan 28, 2004
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Apr 07, 2004 - 21:17 |
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No-one beats Terry Pratchett, he rules all.
'Nuff said.
.... Tad Willians is also brilliant but i prefer sci-fi to fantasy |
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Goblinux
Joined: Nov 17, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 21:18 |
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I vote for Pratchett too. |
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freak_in_a_frock
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 21:22 |
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Pratchett was fine when he started, now he just churns out the same jokes, again and again, although i love his 'Johnny and the Dead' book. I am reading the 'Riftwar' trilogy atm, by Raymond E Feist. I am enjoying them imensely |
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AsperonThorn
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 21:28 |
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Dare I say Robert Jordan. I know his books are now more hype then content, but when he started the series it was much lesser known and the books were good.
Unfortunately I met him, and he is a pompous ass.
Currently I am reading a promising series by Patricia Bray (Not a big name she has only written two books) Called The Sword of Change. She has only finished the first two of the series but so far it is pretty good. (Read them both) And I would recommend them.
Asperon Thorn |
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Delta
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 21:51 |
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I know he gets slated a lot but I'd have to vote for Terry Brooks.
Despite his stupid character names, I think his Shannara series of books are amongst the best I've read.
David Eddings is okay too, but his books tend to have tedious sections which instantly make me want to read something else.
I agree with 'the Freak' about Pratchett. Got nearly all of them and about half way through the discworld series they became the same books repeated. His finest work was with Neil Gaiman - Good Omens. Just so damn funny. Picked it up one day and couldn't put it down till I finished it!
Man, I really need to get a life !!  |
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AeoN2
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 22:15 |
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I like Terry Goodkind myself...
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AeoN2 |
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Colin
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 22:29 |
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I started out reading fantasy, but have since discovered 'real' literature is a lot better; the fantasy genre seems to attract authors who wouldn't be given the time of day in other fields...any way, here's my listing of known fantasy authors. Btw, the best 'fantasy' story (and also best fiction of any kind) ever written must be 1984, by George Orwell.
<b>The Good:</b> Gemmell, Tolkein (of course, though I skip the poetry), Pratchett (his earlier work especially, might be time for him to move on from Discworld, even though it is his cashcow), Michael Moorcock (I vaguely remember reading - quite intense stuff iirc)
The Alright: Feist does an O.K. job, without ever really amazing; books tend to end in a rather formulaic fashion, where the good guys finally get their act together and kick arse rather too easily, after having set the stage for something a little more cataclysmic.
The Bad: Robert Jordan (sadly, his books are now almost all padding, involving 700 pages of tedium, before it finally gets interesting, then ends without a real ending. Wheel of Time could and should have ended in 6 books, before his complicated plot threads spun out of control), David Eddings (the guy can't write; no character development, unbelievable plots, just woeful stuff. The first author I actually gave up on, once I realised there was better out there.)
The others I have either not read or can't recall reading, or can't recall how good they were.
Edit: I must get round to reading 'Dune'; I saw the new TV mini-series recently, and though it has a SF setting, the content has to be considered as fantasy. I enjoyed it. |
Last edited by Colin on %b %30, %2004 - %12:%Apr; edited 2 times in total |
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banana_fish900
Joined: Oct 13, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 22:30 |
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My favorite is Glenn Cook (the Black Company series) if you are tired of where the Robert Jordan series has gone (although I agree it started off as something fresh and new) then the Black Company novels can be a nice change. Lots of shades of gray, the "good guys" are not always that good. The narrator for many of the novels, a character named Croaker, is professionally sarcastic. And none of the lead characters are all powerful (in fact there are people who are way more powerful than them). |
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BadMrMojo
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 22:42 |
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Anyone with R.R. for a middle initial.
Seriously, George R.R. Martin's Songs of Fire and Ice is the best series I've read in ages. Jackeline Carey's Kushiel's Dart/Chosen/Avatar were also really good (haven't read the third one yet... waiting on the wife to finish) and (it's a stretch but I gotta plug it wherever I can) Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson is close enough to count as fantasy, right?
I gotta side with Colin on another point. Robert Jordan is utterly awful. I read a the first three or four WoT novels at the insistence/hounding of a friend and I still haven't forgiven him. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it takes another plunge into the icy abyss of.... well... something deep and cold. And bad. Tolkein couldn't write realistic women, so what did he do? He didn't have any primary female characters - except the cross-dressing tomboy. Why must Jordan continually drone on and on about characters that he can't fathom? I just got sick of it. The male characters weren't much better, for that matter. |
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Buttercup
Joined: Sep 24, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 22:42 |
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Guy Gaviriel Kay is excellent - he has the Fionavar Tapestry trilogy which is very good, and a whole series of quasi-historical fantasy that's very entertaining. He tends to have superheros for his characters but still a great read.
Plus he's Canadian.
Buttercup |
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Darkwolf
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 07, 2004 - 22:46 |
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RA Salvatore work is excellently written and framed. His character development and plots are deep and have you on the edge of your seat. 
Stephen King's Eyes of the Dragon was an excellent book. I wish he wrote more fantasy type novels. |
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