List of Fantasy Series for D&D? The Appendix En World

[Firebeetle]

I posted this list on the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition facebook page and it spurred a lot of discussion. Here's a list of 30 "best" fantasy series. I'd like to discuss this in terms of making a definitive list of fantasy series that could be considered "essential" to D&D. In your answer have these responses:
One: The fantasy series you felt was ignored in general, just to get that out of the way now.
Two: Which fantasy series here DOESN'T speak to D&D. What series don't really inform a D&D well?
Three: Which fantasy series should be included that DOES inform a D&D game?

 

[Firebeetle]

For example:

One: No Chronicles of Amber, what the hell?
Two: To make this a D&D list, we should remove the Gunslinger series. Great series, but not very D&D like.
Three: For a D&D list, we need to add Moorcock's Elric of Meliborne is definitely needed, and I would like to see Andre Norton's Witchworld added as well.

 

[Firebeetle]

The original Appendix N, for reference.

 

[xuriel]

One: Jack Vance's Dying Earth stories were a huge inspiration for early D&D!
Two: The Gunslinger and the Dresden Files didn't seem very D&D-like to me.
Three: For a D&D list, I'd like to see Michael Moorcock's Elric series and Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun series added.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I'm always up for a discussion on books!

No R.E. Howard gets my vote for glaring omission, both as a best fantasy series and an influence on D&D not present.

As far as striking stuff, my vote off the island would also be for the Dresden Files. I just don't care for them, and there are some glaring currents of sexism within the books.

I also have qualms about including A Song of Ice and Fire and The Kingkiller Chronicles, as much as I dig them, simply because they're not finished. What's the quote from the Havamal about not praising the ale until you've finished drinking it?

 

[innerdude]

1) A glaring omission for me is Anthony Ryan's Blood Song. Books 2 and 3 in the series don't hold up as well as the first one, but Blood Song is an absolute fantasy masterpiece.
2) For my "vote off the island," I'm torn. My first instinct was to go with the Wheel of Time, just because it's really not a great fit for a "D&D" world (we tried playing the d20 campaign setting back in the day, it was a muddled, mixed bag at best), and also because books 6-10 are just horrendous to read. But really, if I absolutely HAD to vote, it would be to vote off the Kingkiller Chronicles. No offense to you who love it, but the The Wise Man's Fear, the second book in the series, is one of the most overrated fantasy novels of all time, with some of the worst plotting and character development I've ever seen. That, and the character of Kvothe is basically Rothfuss' adolescent fantasy DMPC.
3) It's fairly new, but the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley is excellent, and I think has a very distinct "D&D" vibe to its setting and characters.

 

[trancejeremy]

That list is very heavy on recent books. Which isn't exactly surprising, but still