Kevin's Watch

kim the unchosen wrote:If you are really desperate for an easy yet good read, Anne McCaffrey's pern books will keep you busy for awhile but not that deep, or dark. Just fun.

Ah, Kim the Unchosen has the same avatar as me!!! I have only had mine a year, so I forfeit if she was here first. As far as fantasy book recommendations, a co-worker of mine has recently recommended the dark elf series by R. A. Salvatore. I didn't know that Dungeons and Dragons was based on these books until I started reading them, and now I like them so much, it doesn't even matter. I was skeptical because of other books I read that were about similar beings that I didn't like at all. But these are great. Not too much difficult vocabulary. Names are strange, of course, but easier to read than, say, Donaldson. I started with the prequel trilogy just to have a better understanding of where it all started. There are quite a few books in Mr. Salvatore's dark elf series, so this will fill in some of the time in the gap while waiting for Against All Things Ending. If you're interested, I'd start with the prequel trilogy, "Homeland," "Exile," and "Sojourn." You can find the entire list in order on Amazon.com. Happy reading! I'm on book four now....... I read three books in one week!

Personally, the Black Company series and the Garret PI series by Glen Cook are two of my favorite series, two and three after TCOTC. Very interesting view on fantasy. The first three books of the Black Company series are especially good. The later books are enjoyable, just not quite the same for me. One POV for each book, thou the later BC books change who the POV is in some of the books.

TOR is starting to reprint some of the Garret books, so they are getting easier to find.

Greetings...

Rocksister wrote: I didn't know that Dungeons and Dragons was based on these books until I started reading them, and now I like them so much, it doesn't even matter.

Actually, Rocksister, D&D was out *loong* before Salvadore's books. Salvadore's books are based upon Forgotten Realms, a setting for AD&D.

Before AD&D, Drow were just another cool enemy that nobody really understood (despite the module dedicated to them). If I could go back and run those modules again with the knowledge that I have now... *sigh*.

I'm glad you enjoy the series, though, Rocksister. Very glad.

Until that time...

Oops, sorry, Ouronos, my sons are the ones that told me that about the dark elf books and D&D. I had no clue; never been into the gaming part of fantasy. Iknow the first Drizzt book came out in 1988, I think, but I wasn't aware of the games at that time. I'm on book 8 now and loving every second of it. I think a movie based on "Homeland" would go over smashingly well. Can you imagine, an underground city of dark elves based on spider worship? With glowing red and lavender eyes? And stalactites and stalagmites used as dwellings? On the big screen how impressive would THAT be? But that's another forum somewhere else on the internet. I have a few books left of Salvatore's, then I'm back to this topic to see what you geniuses recommend. If you read Donaldson, then I trust your judgment implicitly. Thanks for setting me straight, Ouronos. Happy Thanksgiving to all you TC lovers out there!!!

I see EL is a huge Drizzt fan. He/she spent much time on the cartoon. To join the fan club, go to lavendereyes.com. See you there!!! Drizzt rules!!

Did you say something (*drools*)?

Rocksister wrote:I see EL is a huge Drizzt fan. He/she spent much time on the cartoon. To join the fan club, go to lavendereyes.com. See you there!!! Drizzt rules!!

Uh, I didn't write that. It's from the Webcomic 8-Bit Theatre.

I actually intensely dislike Drizzt.

I'll add my name to the list of people recommending the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams.

I bought it several years ago, but finally got a chance to read it. Finished it last week and it's very well done.

Recommended fantasy book series favorites (besides SRD's works) - hope I'm not too biased

Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe - read this series before SRD's TC Chronicles back about 1980/81. The follow-up "Long Sun" and "Short Sun" series are more challenging reads but well worth it.

Robert Holdstock's "Mythago series" e.g "Mythago Wood" (a true classic) "Lavondyss", "The Hollowing" These books are highly recommended!
Holdstock has also more recently written the "Merlin Codex" also good reads - very different take on Merlin.


Others:
China Mieville's New Crobuzon books are of course fantastic.
Ursula le Guin's Earthsea triology remains a childhood favourite (didn't like "Tehanu but "The Other Wind" made up for it)
Jack Vance's Dying Earth series ("Dying Earth", "Eyes of the Overworld", "Cugel's Saga", "Rhialto the Marvellous")
For fun, light reading don't forget the many series of Michael Moorcock!
e.g Eternal Champion books (Elric, Jerry Cornelius etc.)

Science Fiction series highlights:

AA Attanasio's Radix series ("Radix", "Arc of the Dream", "The Last Legends of Earth" - the last book is in my opinion one of the best S/F books ever written)
The Inquestor series of Somtow Sucharitkul (a Thai novelist/composer) - an obscure but beautifully written space opera series ("Light on the Sound", "The Utopia Hunters", "The Throne of Madness", "The Darkling Wind")



Ciao

John

This must be avatar-changing month. EL lost his cool blue Marge Simpson hair. Drat, I really liked it. Intensely dislike Drizzt? Sounds like scimitar envy to me. As with any other long drawn out series, some of the Drizzt books are certainly duds. But it's not bad for filling the three-year span of torture awating the arrival of AATE. If you have any better ideas, EL, please list them here. Only fantasy, please. I dislike the rest. Intensely.

The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock.

Elric > Drizzt.

Elric > j00.

Elric > (THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT)

Elric > God.

Elric > Chuck Norris shooting up with Distilled Barry Bonds.

if you like the darkness of SRD's Chronicles, then you might want to try C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine saga. It's kind of science fantasy, but really good stuff. In fact, with all respects to SRD, the finest series I have ever read.

Emotional Leper wrote:The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock.

Elric > Drizzt.

Elric > j00.

Elric > (THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT)

Elric > God.

Elric > Chuck Norris shooting up with Distilled Barry Bonds.

Hey... I was a huge fan of those books when I was in 8th grade or so. After so long though, I got kinda tired of running into so many Drizzts in UO. (With pet cats of course) and if you play wow you can probably see the trends continue. It's gotten to the point where I immediately target and destroy any Night Elf hunter dual wielding swords with a pet cat. In D&D I never roll elf, so as to not be confused for Drizzt. (and people who play elves are dicks )

(I still kinda like the DE trilogy though, a hell of a lot more than any of his other Drizzt books. I would definitely rate them a guilty pleasure though. I also really liked his "woods out back" trilogy and his "sword of Bedwyr" trilogy. Not sure how they would stand up, they were a part of my early adolescence.)

The Dreaming! Nice to see you around man.

--A

I think one of these recommendation threads should be stickied? This one is, of course, for multi-book serieseses. I'm adding the Milieu to my list.

Covenant
Earthsea
Galactic Milieu
Malazan
Neverness

I may go back and try the Julian May Pliocene era books again. I think I bogged down before or during the Non-born King installment....

They were surprisingly good.

I think I have to find Intervention before I read them again though.

--A