Fantasy books
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I've read fantasy since I was a kid. I tend to stick to stuff that challenges my imagination rather than my ability to remember history and lineage. Hence, I love Terry Brooks (the Scions of Shannara is my favorite of his series so far), as well as Robert Asprin (His myth series is more humorous than anything else.) I always liked the Magician series mentioned above by Raymond Feist as well as a lot of Mercedes Lackeys Valdemar books. On the other hand, I love LOTR immensely but it took me FOREVER to read (asleep ten pages into the description 'Gimli son of Gloin, son of Humperdink, king under the lonely mountain in the year'...blah blah blah.... Same with the Wheel of Time. Don't have enough willpower to force my way through the Silmarillon, although I've had someone give me the details and once again I love the story, just not the way it is written. I even stray into a few less magic/dragon oriented series like Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and Stephen King's Dark Tower series (Book VI on June 8th - YEAH!). I'll stop before i get carried away. You get the point though... Brian "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." - Douglas Adams
I likek the Robert Aspirin Myth books too and read a very good Mrecedes Lackey book. I'll keep an eye out for the Valdermar ones too, thank :rose: The tigress is here :-D
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I likek the Robert Aspirin Myth books too and read a very good Mrecedes Lackey book. I'll keep an eye out for the Valdermar ones too, thank :rose: The tigress is here :-D
I think it's the "Last Herald-Mage" series. Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price. Great series. Also, her "Mage Winds" series. Winds of Fate, Winds of Change and Winds of Fury. Both of those series I've read and are great. Check them out sometime. Brian "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." - Douglas Adams
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Yup :) Apart from the obvious (LOTR) I've read and enjoyed Gormenghast (the BBC did a great 4 part production of this), the David Eddings series's (plural intended), Sheri S Tepper (she did a great series collected as 'The True Game'), James Blish (Black Easter et al) and a bunch of other books who's titles I don't even remember anymore but whose substance remains with me. To be avoided at all costs are the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson - reading those is like having your teeth pulled without the benefit of an anaesthetic. On the other hand, I've become mightily disenchanted with Science Fiction. Maybe it's a reflection of my age but it seems to me that Science Fiction peaked in the late 1940's, subsided in the 1950's, peaked again in the 1960's and has been in decline ever since. I could really respect Isaac Asimov, Hal Clement, Arthur C Clarke, Brian Aldiss, Clifford Simak and a host of other writers of those times because they fictionalised within a framework of believable science. As for a watchable Science Fiction movie? The only ones that exist are '2001: A Space Odyssey', '12 Monkeys', 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars' and 'Brazil'. Harsh words I know and I do have a soft spot for 'The Fifth Element' but most 'Science Fiction' movies treat their audience like gibbering idiots. I'm not a gibbering idiot. Rob Manderson I'm working on a version for Visual Lisp++
Rob Manderson wrote: On the other hand, I've become mightily disenchanted with Science Fiction. Maybe it's a reflection of my age but it seems to me that Science Fiction peaked in the late 1940's, subsided in the 1950's, peaked again in the 1960's and has been in decline ever since OTOH, there is an awful lot to read and reread from those decades...
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Time and time again, CPians have mentioned their love for science-fiction Books. I was wondering, do any of you read fantasy books?
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
Yep. I like fantasy books more than sci-fi. Some of the best ones are written by Raymond E. Feist (Magician : Apprentice[^]), the Eddings brothers couple, David Eddings and Leigh Eddings (The Redemption of Althalus[^]), and Sara Douglass (The Axis Trilogy[^]). Actually there are six books for the last one, took me a while to collect and read them all. At least it wasn't like when I read LOTR. I lost contact with the world for a whole week :omg:. Edbert P. Sydney, Australia.
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Yep. I like fantasy books more than sci-fi. Some of the best ones are written by Raymond E. Feist (Magician : Apprentice[^]), the Eddings brothers couple, David Eddings and Leigh Eddings (The Redemption of Althalus[^]), and Sara Douglass (The Axis Trilogy[^]). Actually there are six books for the last one, took me a while to collect and read them all. At least it wasn't like when I read LOTR. I lost contact with the world for a whole week :omg:. Edbert P. Sydney, Australia.
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Time and time again, CPians have mentioned their love for science-fiction Books. I was wondering, do any of you read fantasy books?
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
Yep, I used to read a great deal of fantasy. All of the Eddings books, Sparhawk is one of the best characters I've enjoyed readabout. The redemption of Althalus was awsome. David Gemmel is another author I don't hear much about, but I love to read. Druss the Legend was awsome, as are all of Gemmel's books. The early and new Feist books are fantastic, especially Magician, and the ones he wrote co wrote. The most recent novel, Talon of the Silver Hawk was also brilliant. The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan was fantastic (until the last few, dull dull dull)
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Edbert P. wrote: the Eddings Brothers, David Eddings and Leigh Eddings :omg: I thought Leigh Eddings was his wife!
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
So did I ?! :confused:
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Time and time again, CPians have mentioned their love for science-fiction Books. I was wondering, do any of you read fantasy books?
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
I'm reading 'The tawny man' trilogy by Robin Hobb at the moment. My favorite fantasy book must be 'Neverwhere' by Neil Gaiman. "After all it's just text at the end of the day. - Colin Davies "For example, when a VB programmer comes to my house, they may say 'does your pool need cleaning, sir ?' " - Christian Graus
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Time and time again, CPians have mentioned their love for science-fiction Books. I was wondering, do any of you read fantasy books?
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
I am a SF fan but not much of a fantasy fan (unless it has sausage in a bun and wiz_z_ards) and yet was pleasantly surprised by David Brin's latest book, Kiln People. I thought he was just a fantasy writer but this was SF and very good too. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass South Africa Ian Darling wrote: "and our loonies usually end up doing things like Monty Python." Crikey! ain't life grand?
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Nick Seng wrote: Time and time again, CPians have mentioned their love for science-fiction Books. I was wondering, do any of you read fantasy books? Nope. Can't stand the stuff. Apart from the occasional DiscWorld novel, I've never really understood the attaction of fantasy books. The only fantasy related stuff I've enjoyed are 'Buffy' and 'Angel', and my enjoyment came from the character interactions rather than the fantasy elements. Michael CP Blog [^]
>and my enjoyment came from the character interactions rather than the fantasy elements. :laugh: That reminds me of people who say they buy Penthouse for the articles... :P regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass South Africa Ian Darling wrote: "and our loonies usually end up doing things like Monty Python." Crikey! ain't life grand?
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O.K pretty much the opposite of what the above post says. I'll agree on the Gormenghast stuff but to be honest I found the LOTR books incredibly dull and preferred the Thomas Covenant books by miles. also alot of the books mentioned above are written by scientists and I'm especially talking about Asimov here. You see the thing about scientists is they usually have good ideas but are crap writers. So I end up preferring the the Ian M Banks stuff over the more straight scientist stuff. Fantasy books are like anything else it really depends on what you are after if you want a light read stick with the Goodhall, Fiest etc. If you want more involved work go for the LOTR, Thomas Covenant, Gormenghast or Robert Jordan books. Oh and you can never go wrong with Pratchett. pseudonym67 My Articles[^] "They say there are strangers who threaten us, In our immigrants and infidels. They say there is strangeness too dangerous In our theaters and bookstore shelves. That those who know what's best for us Must rise and save us from ourselves." Rush
Crikey moses and the three jesuit priests of mesopotamia. That is the very first time I have ever read someone accusing Asimov of being a crap writer. What do you think of Clarke or more recently Benford? BTW I really enjoy Banks' work too. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass South Africa Ian Darling wrote: "and our loonies usually end up doing things like Monty Python." Crikey! ain't life grand?
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I got sensible after reading them the first time. I drew a story map so I could remember where everyone had been. By the time I get five or so books ahead I start losing track of where all the characters are. This way, when next one comes out I don't have to reread so much stuff.
If you can keep you head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts you aim; Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it. Rudyard Kipling
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Time and time again, CPians have mentioned their love for science-fiction Books. I was wondering, do any of you read fantasy books?
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
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Edbert P. wrote: the Eddings Brothers, David Eddings and Leigh Eddings :omg: I thought Leigh Eddings was his wife!
"if you vote me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" - Michael P. Butler.
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Crikey moses and the three jesuit priests of mesopotamia. That is the very first time I have ever read someone accusing Asimov of being a crap writer. What do you think of Clarke or more recently Benford? BTW I really enjoy Banks' work too. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass South Africa Ian Darling wrote: "and our loonies usually end up doing things like Monty Python." Crikey! ain't life grand?
Paul Watson wrote: That is the very first time I have ever read someone accusing Asimov of being a crap writer. Oh I thought is was a widely held view. I read and enjoyed Benford's Timescape in the last year. As for Clarke I tend to put him in the same category as Asimov in that you come away remembering the ideas but little of the texture of the book, unlike someone like Philip K Dick or Bank's where you come away with the memory of the world/universe in which the characters exist. Though as with any literature it's all a not only a matter of taste but a matter of personal placement at the same time. By that I mean that at different parts of your life you are more likely to associate with one or another atmosphere or type of writing. There have been times when I personally have been heavily into science and wanted to read about the ideas and others times when I have felt that the science just gets in the way of telling a good story. This also could be down to the abilities of the author. pseudonym67 My Articles[^] "They say there are strangers who threaten us, In our immigrants and infidels. They say there is strangeness too dangerous In our theaters and bookstore shelves. That those who know what's best for us Must rise and save us from ourselves." Rush
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Paul Watson wrote: That is the very first time I have ever read someone accusing Asimov of being a crap writer. Oh I thought is was a widely held view. I read and enjoyed Benford's Timescape in the last year. As for Clarke I tend to put him in the same category as Asimov in that you come away remembering the ideas but little of the texture of the book, unlike someone like Philip K Dick or Bank's where you come away with the memory of the world/universe in which the characters exist. Though as with any literature it's all a not only a matter of taste but a matter of personal placement at the same time. By that I mean that at different parts of your life you are more likely to associate with one or another atmosphere or type of writing. There have been times when I personally have been heavily into science and wanted to read about the ideas and others times when I have felt that the science just gets in the way of telling a good story. This also could be down to the abilities of the author. pseudonym67 My Articles[^] "They say there are strangers who threaten us, In our immigrants and infidels. They say there is strangeness too dangerous In our theaters and bookstore shelves. That those who know what's best for us Must rise and save us from ourselves." Rush