Need some classic (old) sci-fi/fantasy recommendations

[Captain Howdy]

Yesterday I found an amazing used book shop. It is a gigantic shop filled with books and antiques, and a majority of the titles are old sci-fi and fantasy stories. I picked up Fritz Leiber's Swords and Deviltry, Swords Against Death, and Swords in the Mist. I want to get more, but I don't really know where to start looking. He has a HUGE collection of Michael Moorcock titles, (he says it's one of the largest in the country, but how do you measure that?) and I want to get some of those. I have the complete Elric saga (which I love), and a title called City of the Beast, which I haven't read yet.

Can anyone recommend some particularly good titles or authors? He has a lot of Robert E. Howard's Conan books, too. I want to read some of those but don't know where to start.

For anyone who is curious, the shop is located in Ann Arbor, MI. It is called "Books and ..."

He also has issues of Playboy from the 1960's and 70's.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

EE "Doc" Smith, the father of Space Opera, if you've never read any of his stuff.

Most anything by ER Burroughs.

John Campbell's space opera stuff, although it seems even more dated than Smith's stuff to me.

Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion for a look at good RPG inspired fantasy.

Eric Frank Russell.

Basically, anyone who wrote for Astounding and got their stuff puplished in book form.

I could go on, and on, but I'll leave room for others!

 

[Graybeard]

I agree with EE 'Doc' Smith and Burroughs. I read all of the John Carter books in college. I am also a fan of Ray Bradbury and H.G. Wells.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

EE "Doc" Smith, the father of Space Opera, if you've never read any of his stuff.

If you find Doc Smith material snap it up, his haven't been reprinted in decades so it's entirely likely this is the only opportunity you'll get.

 

[Dragon-Slayer]

Lord Dunsany, James Branch Cabell, Clark Ashton Smith, Algernon Blackwood, A. Merritt and various Robert E. Howard, not just Conan.

 

[Dracomeander]

I'd recommend John Meyers Meyers, L. Sprague DeCamp, and Roger Zelazny.

Also if you haven't read it, Patricia McKillip's Riddle of the Stars trilogy.

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

I really like Jack Vance, and not because of the whole Vancian magic in D&D thing.

He was doing "anthropological" fantasy and sci-fi before LeGuin.

 

[Rl'Halsinor]

I second both Jack Vance and Ray Bradbury. I also must recommend John Bellairs.

 

[Umbran]

You'll know the store's really good if they have H. Beam Piper.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I always enjoyed Alan Dean Foster's early works, and A E Van Vogt and Poul Anderson. All produced very readable short stories (by todays standards)