Help with book selection....

[Avytaya]

OK, I'm half-way through Runes. Any suggestions on what to read after?
I'm planning on re-reading the entire George RR Martin "A Song of Ice and Fire" series in anticipation of "A Feast of Crows", but who knows when that will actually be released. Martin's books move so fast, I'll be done with them in a couple of weeks anyway.
So, after I've been spoiled by the genius of Donaldson and Tolkein, I can't exactly go back to the typical fantasy novel.
What about Dark Tower? Is that good?
Read Wizard's First Rule-didn't like it enough to continue the series.
Read The Summer Tree by Kay-I suppose it was interesting enough to keep reading-certainly no Donaldson, though.

Thanks!
-Avy

[danlo]

...might want to consider Erikson--that's what I'll be delving into after Runes, and a Sci-Fi...(Gene Wolfe's "Sun" books are damm good too)

[Edge]

I highly recommend Tad Williams - the 'Memory, Sorrow and Thorn' series (high fantasy) or the 'Otherland' series (fantasy/cyberpunk).

[Myste]

Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master of Hed tril (though it moves pretty fast, too). McKillip also has a lot of absolutely gorgeous stand-alones. Ombria in Shadow, the Forgotten Beasts of Eld, and The Book of Atrix Wolfe (SRD's fave of hers) come to mind.

Gormenghast tril. by Mervyn Peake (flawed but brilliant)

The Worm Ouroborus by E. R. Eddison (also flawed but brilliant)

Tad Williams is entertaining, though not quite SRD caliber.

Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy is also a good time.

If you like girlier, Celtic-y books, Diana Paxson's got some interesting stuff.

You might try going back to the younger faves, too:
The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper is marvelous;

Cynthia Voigt's Jackaroo books (Jackaroo, On Fortune's Wheel, The Wings of the Falcon, Elske) are a wonder.

People who aren't considered "fantasy writers" but who write amazing fantasies:

Angela Carter
A.S. Byatt (esp. her short stories)
Isak Dinesen (esp. "Gothic Tales")

[danlo]

I highly recommend Tad Williams - the 'Memory, Sorrow and Thorn' series (high fantasy) or the 'Otherland' series (fantasy/cyberpunk).

So why aren't you over at the Hangar dicussing these in the Williams forum?

[tallan]

Neil Gaiman.

[Avatar]

What about Dark Tower? Is that good?

Very very good. Can't go wrong trying it. Without doubt King's best work ever. IMHO

--A

[hamako]

Possibly the only series that has come close to TC for me has been the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons - so rich, complex, great characters and recommended to me somewhere on the Watch

[Fist and Faith]

Zindell's Neverness series is second to none. Le Guin's Earthsea series is, if not as thought provoking as TCTC or Neverness, a fun, beautiful, brilliant lesson in life's most important matters.

[Reave the Just]

I'd recommend the following:

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

The Year of our War by Steph Swainston

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Stone by Adam Roberts

absolutely anything by Michael Moorcock

[dANdeLION]

I'm planning on re-reading the entire George RR Martin "A Song of Ice and Fire" series in anticipation of "A Feast of Crows", but who knows when that will actually be released......What about Dark Tower? Is that good?

That's not far from my thinking. I have the Martin books, but want to wait until Crows is close before reading them, so I went with Dark Tower. SO far I read book one, and liked it, but then "The Man Who Tried To Get Away" came out, so I'm reading that and "The Man Who Fought Alone" before going back to DT. I also need to get Crystal City and about 7 more Pern books so I can finish up those series, too.

[Myste]

Is Crystal City out in paper yet? I need to read that, too.

[Man Of Westernesse]

You should absolutely read King's Dark Tower, fantasy does not get much better.

[Cail]

Try Philip Jose Farmer's "Riverworld" series. Quite good.

[I'm Murrin]

You should absolutely read King's Dark Tower, fantasy does not get much better.

Unless you've read Donaldson, Martin, Erikson, Williams, Bakker, McKillip, Tolkien - Heck, i'm tempted to say Jordan and Goodkind, for christ's sake, but that'd just be going too far...