Kevin's Watch

Yeah, I don't agree with Sword of Shannara being up there. That book was horrible.

And Ender's Game and Covenant should be higher up on the list.

-jay

Caer Sylvanus wrote:It's a popularity contest run by self-proclaimed uber-geeks, so they're not going to pick exactly the best (see my earlier comment about Dick).

Yeah, I can't believe neither Eddings nor Piers Anthony made the list. Whatever

There is a great movement of anti-popularity against Piers Anthony in fandom, so I am not as surprised as you are. And I will have to say that most of the stuff he has written is not good at all.

Eddings is okay, and certainly good enough for this list.

Dick is incredibly heavy and I can just about take him in limited doses, but he has some increadibly cool titles.

WTF?! Here's my one word: Abhorsen. That's a great trilo, I love it, so where the hell is it? I know theyre not listing for quality here...Terry Brooks, c'mon, next they'll have to put...well, something sucky up there. And where was Neverness? I'm really surprised TCTC made it at all...

I'm looking for feedback, please. I picked up a fantasy book in the used store, The First Book of Swords by Fred Saberhagen. The first book of several, apparently. I can't find reference to him anywhere on the watch. SRD gives an endorsment on the cover:

Fred Saberhagen has always been one of the best writers in the business...The First Book Of Swords has adventure and intrigue, a carefully rationalized background...most of all it has Fred Saberhagen's narrative gifts."- Stephen R. Donaldson, Author of The One Tree

Well, a ringing endorsement from the Master, to be sure, but has anyone read his works? I'll surely give it a go when I have time for leisure reading, but that may be awhile.

P.S. I put this in the wrong topic, but ,oh well, it will get looked at.

If you ask me there should be a seperate list for SF and Fantasy.

I've proclaimed the virtues of the book of swords (also, book of lost swords) many times here at the Watch. Not a common read at all, it seems, but very enjoyable.

Thanks, Syl.

I've only read 10 of the Top 50. I agree with some, some not. I find it glaring that Jules Verne and H.G.Wells are absent. I agree with Mhoram that there should be a separate list for fantasy and sci-fi.

I read the Three Books of Swords by Saberhagen when I was in high school. I remember enjoying them immensely but I don't think I had read much fantasy prior to that so my POV may have been skewed. But, regardless, I'll recommend them.

I agree Bannor! Verne and Wells wrote classics, and SF probably wouldn't exist without them!

My gripe is: why did only the "First" Chronicles of Thomas Covenant make the list? Are The Second Chronicles only so much chopped liver, then? A mere afterthought? Bloody hellfire and damnation!

I wonder what No. 51 was...Planet of the Apes: The Novel?

Should I care?

They've probably put SF and fantasy into one list because that's the way they're classified in bookshops, but that's no reason why they should do it.

I would have liked to see Freda Warrington on the list, but I guess she's not well known enough. She'd certainly be in my top 5 (never mind top 50) along with Tolkien and SRD, and ..... um ...... well, I'll have to think about it.

Lord Mhoram wrote:I agree Bannor! Verne and Wells wrote classics, and SF probably wouldn't exist without them!

They seem to have forgotten about Robert E. Howard and Edgar Rice Burroughs too. I'm not sure where they should have ranked, but Tarzan and Conan have definitely been influential throughout the years. The Shannara book should be way, way lower on the list. Like around 5000; maybe lower. I do think they nailed the top 3, though.

Me thinks polls and lists are stupid!! I wish they would all go away and never come back!

The Sword of Shannara is definitely one of the 50 most important SF/fantasy books; I just wouldn't put it in the 5000 best. It proved that there was a market for Tolkien clones out there, and also showed just how little those readers would settle for. The fantasy field became a lot more profitable for publishers when they realized they didn't have to worry about publishing original books.

Now, I'm not saying that's a good thing. The horror field devoured itself after 20 years of Stephen King clones, and has never recovered; and thanks in part to Shannara, fantasy now faces the same danger. But for good or ill, it was certainly a major event.

Superlative idea, Vain! We should definitely do our own list! Biased (us being a Donaldson site)? Yes. Informative? You bet.

Check out this one if you want another list:

www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/6113/top100.html

Thppt

^^Heh, what a stupid list. TC isn't even on it. The only item on that one that I agree with is Ender's Game.-jay