Looking For New Author To Read

[Mark CMG]

Pratchett is weird at times, but not REALLY weird
I once read a fantasy short story that involved all the modern items in a kitchen developing a personality and talking to each other - now that was REALLY weird.
Re: Great Expectations: When I had to study it in my last year at school, I found no humour in it, period. It's only as I've grown older, I think I'd agree.

If you haven't read A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. now is your chance to slip this classic into the lineup before you get involved in another series.

 

[Wurm1234]

I've just started the second book in the Alera Codex series by Jim Butcher. He writes the Dresden File books, which are really fun too. The first book is called The Furies of Calderon, and the second is called 'Academ's Fury'. I've really enjoyed both so far. Excellent world-building, good characters, and an involved plot...very good books. Eric Von Lustbader has a series of novels that sort of combine science fiction and fantasy. The first one in that series is 'The Ring of Five Dragons.' Typically for Lustbader, these stories are very complex. Simon R. Green, who is probably best known for his space opera Deathstalker series, also has two other series of books that I think meet your criteria. One series is the 'Tales from the Nightside', which is urban fantasy. The other series starts with the book 'Swords of Haven'. I liked the Haven books better than the Nightside books, but both are good.

Have you read any Juliet E. McKenna Einarinn books? They too are pretty good.

 

[trancejeremy]

Sean Russell - The Moontide and Magic Rise duology - World Without End and Sea Without a Shore and its prequel (but should be read 2nd) The River Into Darkness duology - Beneath the Vaulted Hills and The Compass of the Soul


Sadly after that, he started writing Wheel of Time knockoffs. But I guess he had to, since that sort of stuff sells better.

 

[mmu1]

I'd like to throw in another vote for Steven Brust and Lois McMaster Bujold - they're great.

I'd recommend starting with Jhereg, Taltos or Dragon if you're going to try Brust's books - he's done a good job of making them reasonably stand-alone while significantly developing the main character over time, but if you start off with some of the later ones, like Orca, Issola or Dzur, you'll run across some major spoilers. (and whatever you do, do not start with Teckla, or you might get suicidally depressed - people should not write books while going through a messy divorce...)

Also, since you said you like Arthurian themes, you should definitely check out The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers, if you're interested in finding out how beer saved Western civilization. (joking aside, it's a great book and not written for laughs, and Powers is definitely among my top ten favorite authors along with Brust and Bujold)

For that matter, you might also want to take a look at Powers' Anubis Gates and Last Call - they're modern fantasy, but since you like Charles DeLint, I figure that's not necessarily a problem, right?

 

[Klaus]

Mmmmm....I picked up Book 1 recently and read 100 pages or so and found it to be not at all to my tastes. I found the writing to be too simplistic and found it hard to care for the character. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

No problem.

There's an anthology book edited by Margaret Weis titled "A Dragon-Lover's Treasury To The Fantastic", with short stories regarding dragons. It includes Sir Dragon & The George and The George Business. You might like to use it to sample the writings of the different authors.

Also, have you read PN Elrod's I, Strahd? It's pretty good.

 

[Pants]

For a lighter read I'd suggest The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch which is the best book I've read this year. Its a caper story and might be the most fun I've ever had reading a book. The dialouge is fantastic.

Yes. It is awesome. Very awesome.

Go buy it and read it now.

Eric Von Lustbader has a series of novels that sort of combine science fiction and fantasy. The first one in that series is 'The Ring of Five Dragons.' Typically for Lustbader, these stories are very complex.

I think I've heard this guy described as a ninja porn writer.'

 

[Jdvn1]

How do you like realistic fantasy? Something akin to Dumas?

Alatriste by Perez-Reverte has some great fight scenes.

 

[Hypersmurf]

(and whatever you do, do not start with Teckla, or you might get suicidally depressed - people should not write books while going through a messy divorce...)

Yeah. Whenever I reread the Taltos books, I read Teckla, but I can never tell if I'm enjoying it or not.

Another one that has that effect on me (SF, so not for the original poster ) is David Feintuch's Seafort Saga. They're good stories, but they're just so damned depressing...

I keep on meaning to pick up a Mercedes Lackey and may have done so at some point and forgotten about it. What are they like?

Well, for the most part, they're like this.

-Hyp.

 

[Storm Raven]

Try some of Poul Anderson's fantasy works.

 

[jonathan swift]

I'll also recommend Brust. But I'm going to suggest starting with the Phoenix Guards novel instead of the Taltos stuff. Set in the same world, but earlier in the history. It can be a bit slow at times, but the way he writes it shows off the English language like nothing I've read before or since.