Fantasy novel lovers thread

[Thierry-Advent]

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin is fascinating and down right scary.

 

[Thierry-Advent]

If you liked the Supernatural tv show, the Shadow Detective by William Massa will entertain you. Very good ideas for urban fantasy RPG campaign. He is very prolific and has several other series.

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www.goodreads.com

 

[GothmogIV]

Shame that people cant just accept other opinions and people get yelled at for such opinions
As per prior post, Tolkien still holds up for me, but I cant tell how much of that is driven by nostalgia, and I've never been good at determining good quality vs bad quality writing, I just differentiate between what I enjoy, dont enjoy, and works that actively annoy me, but I know even with latter others do enjoy those works, and I cant say my opinion is any better than theirs.

Heresy. Don't make me call Solomon Kane...(kidding, of course!)

 

[Thierry-Advent]

Shame that people cant just accept other opinions and people get yelled at for such opinions
As per prior post, Tolkien still holds up for me, but I cant tell how much of that is driven by nostalgia, and I've never been good at determining good quality vs bad quality writing, I just differentiate between what I enjoy, dont enjoy, and works that actively annoy me, but I know even with latter others do enjoy those works, and I cant say my opinion is any better than theirs.

First time I read LOTR was in 1980. Last time I read all the three LOTR books was around 1988. I tried last Winter without success. I wish I could read it again with my 15 year old eyes but since the Jackson movies it doesn't work. Also, I've changed. I'm 61. Not the same baggage, it affects what I like and don't like. It's not about the novel itself. It hasn't changed.

 

[GothmogIV]

I had the same experience with Dragonlance: I loved it in highschool, but when I read it again as an adult I was...underwhelmed.

 

[jian]

That's so interesting. I read his Children of Time novels and thought they were some of the best sci-fi out there. Like, mind expanding/boggling stuff.

I think that’s a good example - I really liked Children of Time (which was initially a standalone) but didn’t particularly like Ruin or Memory. I loved Dogs of War but thought Bear Head was just fine. I don’t think he set out to write a series with either initial novel.

It’s a bit like Pratchett - all of his books are basically standalones set in the same world. It’s nice if you’ve read some previous ones but it’s not necessary, they don’t have sequential plot, mostly. But if you read book 5 of The Wheel of Time without having read most of 1-4 you’re probably not getting much out of it.

 

[Minion X]

Moorcock has never spoken to me. Maybe because I can sense his disdain for Tolkien.

Have you tried taking the initiative and going up to and starting things off with a bit of small chat? He doesn't seem that unapproachable. Moorcock's Epic Pooh essay is perhaps not that surprising when you consider that Tolkien was rather emblematic of the establishment that Moorcock and his fellow kids were rebelling against back in the day. His later works may be more approachable, like Gloriana.

 

[Minion X]

That brings up an interesting question then.What elements are needed for a book to be called fantasy?

At its core, the fantasy genre is a nostalgic movement, so as long as you hit the right notes, you don't need wizards and dragons. Likewise, many works with wizards and dragons are not really fantasy.

 

[Whisper-Kitten]

I think that’s a good example - I really liked Children of Time (which was initially a standalone) but didn’t particularly like Ruin or Memory. I loved Dogs of War but thought Bear Head was just fine. I don’t think he set out to write a series with either initial novel.

It’s a bit like Pratchett - all of his books are basically standalones set in the same world. It’s nice if you’ve read some previous ones but it’s not necessary, they don’t have sequential plot, mostly. But if you read book 5 of The Wheel of Time without having read most of 1-4 you’re probably not getting much out of it.

Very true, as I started with book 2 in the Tyrant Philosophers and was not lost.

 

[Dioltach]

At its core, the fantasy genre is a nostalgic movement, so as long as you hit the right notes, you don't need wizards and dragons.

Once, maybe, but it's evolved. Would you call grimdark nostalgic, for instance? Urban fantasy?

Likewise, many works with wizards and dragons are not really fantasy.

If it's as overt as having wizards and dragons, I'd say it's going to be at least fifty percent fantasy. You'd have to make a pretty good case that a specific work is another genre masquerading as fantasy though. It might contain other themes - romance, political or social commentary, humour, mystery, military - but still most readers (and publishers and bookshops) would slap the "fantasy" label on it.