Any Decent Fantasy Novels?

[Mallus]

And there are scores of authors (hacks?) who just happily wallow in turning out the literary equivalent of a warm hand rubbing your tummy.

The key is what Mieville says, that consolatory fantasy is, "not to challenge or to subvert or to question; it is absolutely status quo oriented." People sit down with a book expecting to have the same experience they had with the previous book.

I'd just like to say there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting "a warm hand rubbing your tummy" every now and then...

Just as with comfort foods, sometimes you want a comfort book. A completely unchallenging reading experience that conforms to every genre convention the readers expected. And as with comfort foods --say Twinkies, or Haagen Dass Coffee ice cream-- they're fine so long they aren't a staple of your diet.

I love Mieville's writing, and I admire his vitriol, but I think he has to come to grips with the fact that fantasy fiction has been labelled escapist fare, and not without reason, and its as much the reading audiences fault as the writers --well, and the publishing people who balk at putting out a book without a clearly defined target market.

I've often wondered how much fantasy fiction can shake the image that its the literary equivalent of Hostess products, if at all. To what degree do fans of the genre demand the very same qualities that disqualify fantasy as literature?

A number of people on this board --and I'm not criticizing here-- find Martin's Song of Ice and Fire unenjoyable, basically for being an epic fantsay that's closer to real history; ie brutal, graphically violent, morally ambiguous, and populated by folks you wouldn't want to brunch with. Or that dislike Donaldson's Covenant, who is just too far removed from the heroic --or Romantic-- archetype, and isn't clearly redeemed or redeemable throught the course of six long books.

SF shook the stigma of being junk literature --mostly, though its still considered to be a literature of Big Ideas, Bad Execution, no matter how many writers of Gibson's caliber it produces. Can fantasy do the same? Or properly, how many want fantasy to do the same?

I can't decide myself if Mieville represents a new movement within fantasy fiction, or he's just a cranky exception that proves the rule...

And how many genre strechting/breaking/daring fantasy writers are writing today... I just tried to make a list and couldn't get to one...

 

[Panthanas]

C. S. Friedmans Coldfire trilogy is a pretty good read. It does have some sci-fi overtones though. Don't want to give away too much on it in case you do pick up the series.

The first book is called Black Sun Rising . I will warn you, and anyone else that is interested in it, that the ending is semi-disappointing, but overall enjoyable.

 

[Purkle-chan]

Anything by Micheal Moorcock, particularly his Elric Saga.

Terry Pratchett. It's unusual in format, and the fantasy is often secondary to the exploration of ideas, but I'm shocked and dismayed nobody's mentioned this before...

I'll second both of these. Certainly well worth reading.

I'd also add either/both of K J Parker's trilogies, 'Fencer' and 'Scavenger', both of them being a refreshing change from some of the fantasy that I've read over the past years, and they also seem to get overlooked in most places like this.

 

[Seonaid]

I'll mention David Feintuch's The Still and Cecilia Dart-Thornton's The Ill-Made Mute, both of which are the beginnings of series. However, a caveat--both of them get dreadful if too much time is spent on them. Dart-Thornton has a way of turning a good book into something less with the slightest plot twist. I don't remember why I liked her so much to begin with; perhaps it was the excellent writing. Feintuch, if you've read any of his stuff (he did a really good sci-fi series), is all the same, but if you're new to his books, he's probably a good read.

Sorry if this is incoherent. I like both authors enough to finish their series (I'm invested in the characters at this point), but I doubt I'll rush to the store to pick up their next sets of works.

 

[CCamfield]

I'd also add either/both of K J Parker's trilogies, 'Fencer' and 'Scavenger', both of them being a refreshing change from some of the fantasy that I've read over the past years, and they also seem to get overlooked in most places like this.

*evil cackling* Yes, evil nasty books. Unfortunately not - to my knowledge - easily available in the States.

Here in Canada I've read the first two books in the Scavenger trilogy, but the library doesn't have the third one yet.

 

[Tonguez]

Terry Pratchett. It's unusual in format, and the fantasy is often secondary to the exploration of ideas, but I'm shocked and dismayed nobody's mentioned this before...

Yep got to agree PTerry is wonderful. In fact PTerry's work is the only 'fantasy' I read these days (ie I've not found much fantasy I actually like in about 5 or so years) atm I much more into 'Historic Novels' - all of which can be used as source material for low magic fantasy btw

Ruler of the Sky:A Novel of Ghenghis Khan - Pamela Sargent
Segu - Maryse Conde (set in Africa)
On the Missionary Trail - Tom Hiney (follows the travels of a Georgian Missionary through Polynesia, India and China...)
Nameless Day-Sara Douglas (this is arguably a fantasy novel set in Medieval England)

 

[WayneLigon]

The SF Site has regular new content with reviews and lists of new books and old favorites. Some things they'll rave about are British books which may not be easily available here in the chain stores. Try FLBS or Amazon.

Daniel Hood

Fanuilh
Beggar's Banquet
Wizard's Heir
King's Cure
Scales of Justice

When one of Liam's few friends/acquaintances Tarquin (a wizard) is murdered in his bed, the wizard's familiar bites him on the leg and steals part of his soul. So begins the partnership between Liam Rhenford, a traveler/soldier/poet/historian, and Faniulh, a dog-sized dragon. Faniulh promises to teach Liam some simple spells and such in return for finding Tarquin's murderer.

He's also had three shorts in Dragon, The End of the Trading Season and Cap Renvoort's Luck feature the hero of 'Faniulh' in his earlier days and are one linked story. The Siege of Bahorel's Bed is a stand-alone. See what you miss when you ignore the fiction section?

 

[Seonaid]

I thought of another one . . . It's not high fantasy by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a really good book, and very much a fantasy (to me anyway). Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson.

 

[nharwell]

Several good authors have already been recommended, but I don't think anyone has mentioned David Drake. Although mostly known for "military sci-fi" he is a very talented author. His foray into fantasy -- the Lord of the Isles series -- is very well-written, with an interesting grounding in Sumerian myth. The books are: Lord of the Isles, Queen of Demons, Servant of the Dragon, Mistress of the Catacombs, and Goddess of the Ice Realm (forthcoming).

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

The SF Site has regular new content with reviews and lists of new books and old favorites. Some things they'll rave about are British books which may not be easily available here in the chain stores. Try FLBS or Amazon.

Yes, the SFSite is a great resource. So is Locus Magazine.
As for getting British books, I've found that www.amazon.ca is a great place to order them, since lots of British books are sold in the Canadian book market.