Dark Ages era Fiction?

[MaxKaladin]

I'm looking for fiction set during the Dark Ages, Early Medieval or whatever the period between the fall of Rome and the 2nd millenium is called these days.

I've read a number of adaptations of the Arthurian Legend (Mary Stewart, Bernard Cornwell, Jack Whyte, etc) and I'm a bit burned out on them. Surely, someone has done something with the period that doesn't involve Arthur or at least is peripheral to the whole Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot thing so many seem to focus on.

So, any recommendations as to good books/series in the period?

Thanks

 

[Krieg]

The Last Light of the Sun - Guy Gavriel Key
http://www.brightweavings.com/books/lastlight.htm

Bard (and it's successors) - Keith Taylor
http://www.pywrit.com/ebooks/sft/KeithTaylor/bi/bard.htm

 

[Hopping Vampire]

pillars of the earth is decent, nothing more than decent.

 

[Maerdwyn]

There's Beowulf, written around 1100 and set in the sixth century. If you're into that, read Grendel, written from the monster's perspective by John Gardner in the 1990's.

Most are written for kids, but both Pyle's and Creswick's versions of Robbin hood's adventures are still very entertaining reads. Creswick's is wonderfully illustrated by Wyeth. For more adult treatment of Robin, I liked Sherwood, by Parke Godwin. Even though Sir Walter Scott moved him into Richard's time, Robin is a distinctly dark ages character. If you want Robin Hood material set in his earliest times, you need to go to ballads. Dobson's The Rymes of Robyn Hood has some good ones.

Votan, and its sequels were quite good. A Greek Trader convinces the Norse that he is Odin. They were by John James - kind of hard to find these days, looks like.

Likewise The Dragon under the Hill, by Gordon Honeycombe Set in the modern da. but the chracters are reliving events from the Dark Ages. Viking myth based horror goodness. Probably ned to find a library that has this one.

 

[Hand of Evil]

May want to also look at Harry Turtledove, he does a lot of alternate time books but has some fantasy novels out dealing with the fall of Rome.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Not really 'dark ages' but the Warhammer Fantasy novels capture that old dark feeling.

 

[Desdichado]

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. Can't go wrong with the classics.

I don't know what you don't like about Berhard Cornwell (I think he's great) unless you simply don't want Arthurian. He's also written other "Dark Ages" stuff though. The Last Kingdom is the start of a saga of an Anglo-Saxon lad raised by Vikings who becomes a vassal of Alfred the Great. For example.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Constantinople, IIRC. Fantasy, but "realistic" fantasy. A Christian shoemaker living in same defends his community against barbarians--Goths and Azars. There's some Greek elements--a few centaurs and a satyr, and a water monsters. I thought it was pretty good.

 

[Maerdwyn]

I don't know what you don't like about Berhard Cornwell (I think he's great) unless you simply don't want Arthurian. He's also written other "Dark Ages" stuff though. The Last Kingdom is the start of a saga of an Anglo-Saxon lad raised by Vikings who becomes a vassal of Alfred the Great. For example.

Didn't know about that one. Must get it.

I also must assume the original poster just wanted something non-Arthurian. Cornwell's Warlord Trilogy Rules.

 

[Sarigar]

Rome fell!? The sun left for an age?

Seriously, there are some good stories out there like Beowulf that come from the mythology and tales of people that lived in medieval times and before. The Vikings are a great source of sagas and romances with many of them as good or better, and very similar, to Beowulf. Anyone who likes Beowulf should read a few of the sagas.