Fantasy Novels and D&D

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Well, of late in my *fiction* reading, I would recommend Jack Whyte's Cammulod Chronicles, and several series of books by Bernard Cornwell. (Arthururian series, Archer series, and so on.)

Others have mentioned some good writers. Lately, however--say, the last 10 years or so--I think the majority of Fantasy books have been mostly trash, sad to say.

Most fantasy books lately are but endlessly recycled characters, weak world/setting design, and thin, cliche'd, redundant plots.

I have, however, found some excellent inspiration in *Non-Fiction* Reading about ancient Rome, ancient Greece, the Celts, Germanic Barbarians, Vikings, the Crusades, ancient China, India, and the Middle Ages has been a lot of fun, as well as educational, and inspiring.

I suppose that isn't a surprise, though. I'm a history major specialized in Ancient & Medieval History.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Odysseus]

Like a lot of people who started with 1E. I went through the bibliography in the DMG just to read what inspired Gygax.

The modern day equivalents.
JV Jones
Robin Hobb
Jim Butcher.
Paul Kemp (my favourite realms author)
Terry Goodkind

 

[joethelawyer]

Thanks for the good ideas, guys. Keep them coming.

I just wonder, in 25 years, when people are playing 9th edition, what are they going to be saying about this era of fantasy novels?

Fill in the blank here:

"Yeah, there is nothing these days to compare to the books of ________. His series _____________ that he wrote back in the early 2000's really inspired my D&D game in every way back from 2008, and for many years afterwards...."

 

[Dragonblade]

David Gemmell is my personal favorite author. His battles are epic and his heroes are all things epic heroes should be. Not whiny, angst ridden losers, like so many protagonists in modern cinema and literature, but great men and women who do great things, and who live and often die by words like honor, valor, and courage. I find his works inspirational.

Jim Butcher is another favorite. His Dresden Files novels are superb. His fey are definitive. The best modern/urban fantasy series ever written. Why some studio doesn't pick up the rights and turn Harry Dresden into the fantasy equivalent of James Bond, I don't know. Studios are plainly run by morons. I can't wait for this to be an RPG.

Raymond Feist is another favorite and worth reading. His world was literally a D&D homebrew setting used by his gaming group. His books are what D&D fiction should be.

And I personally love Robert Jordan. Though the series has some slow spots, if Sanderson can do justice to the conclusion of The Wheel of Time, I will personally consider it the greatest fantasy masterpiece since the Lord of the Rings.

 

[rgard]

Another vote for David Gemmell.

David Gemmell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[WayneLigon]

Anyhow in the bookstore the other day, I noticed all the fantasy books in there were written by pretty much the same authors I used to read. There didn’t seem to be any new series. There didn’t seem to be any new hot authors. There were a lot of new releases of old books.

I'd love to look at your bookstore, because I just can't imagine that unless the buyer for that section is just culling off the suggested top sellers list and shelving it automatically. Even so... There's a lot of good fantasy being written these days.

Let's wander over to my wall here and look at new authors. All of these debuted since about 2003.

Patricia Briggs. Excellent classical fantasy duologies in Dragon's Bones and Dragon's Blood, then Raven's Shadow and Raven's Strike. She's doing a very nice urban fantasy series now about were-coyote Mercedes Thompson.

Jim Butcher. The Furies of Calderon series. Also has the excellent Harry Dresden urban wizardry series which has tons of ideas for D&D as well.

Scott Lynch. The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas under Red Skies, the first two books in the Gentleman Bastard series about a group of urbane thieves and conmen in a fantasy world.

Kate Elliot. The first two books of the Crossroads series: Spirit Gate and SHadow Gate. Excellent worldbuilding adventure tale.

Gregory Keyes. The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series, starting with The Briar King. Excellent characters, plotting and adventuresome questing.

Patrick Rothfuss The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear, the first two books of the Kingkiller Chronicle.

 

[pawsplay]

Yeah. I don't much care for it. The original Black Company novel I did enjoy (very much so), but most of his other novels seem (to me) to be built upon a foundation overly purple prose and incoherent plots. I think that he is in need of a much more assertive copy editor.

I would take a lash to any editor that tried to change what he's been doing.

 

[JohnnFour]

Just finished Brent Weekes' Beyond the Shadows and can't wait to start his second in the series.

@JoeKushner - thanks for the manga titles. Checking them out on Amazon now.

Does Cerebus apply to this thread?

Have been reading more sci-fi in last year or so, and just started Peter Hamilton's Reality Disfunction.

Ditto with what folks are saying about Scott Bakker and Steven Erikson.

I also enjoy Guy Gavriel Kay. Steven Brust has a great series.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Just finished Brent Weekes' Beyond the Shadows and can't wait to start his second in the series.

@JoeKushner - thanks for the manga titles. Checking them out on Amazon now.

Does Cerebus apply to this thread?

Watch it with the stuff because they're very different.

Cerbeus: Only read it when it was a Conan spoof so never got past the first volume.

Artesia: Earthy magic that is very powerful and everywhere but it is still subtle. Very adult title.

Berserk: Starts off horror-fantasy, goes to heroic fantasy in backstory, goes back to black horror-fantasy and has little bits of humor mixed in it. I like it because it's not Samurai/Ninja based and actually has enemies that are taken from Inida culture and make some great ideas.

Claymore: It's Dragonball Z but with female half-breed demons. And it's got more of a story.

Full Metal Alchemist: Great ideas for a steampunk based manga. While the main characters and their pathos can get sappy it's also entertaining and I've cribbed some ideas from it.

Mouse Guard: Light on the story telling up front, but such awesome art that the illustratons themselves move the story along much as a movie that might have little dialog but a great undercurrent to it.

Mouse Templar: Strong art but darker and more sombre. Very mythic in it's feel and in some ways reminds me of Artesia. The first graphic novel only starts the tale and it has strong characters, false heroes, necromancy, and a real epic telling going on.

Monster: This has nothing to do with fantasy. At first is kind of reminded me of Death Note in that there seem to be escalating 'mental' battles that take the place of physical violence. But whereas Death Note, to me, ended in a low note, espeically after the switch, Monster keeps up the goods.

Conan by Dark Horse: It really is a golden age for the barbarian. The Savage Sword of Conan, especially at it's low prices, is worth looking into. The old recolored Marvel Comics Conana graphics are also nice. Shame that a few apperances of Red Sonja had to be cut latter in the series due to copy right issues.

 

[Miyaa]

I'm pretty convinced Full Metal Alchemists was the genesis behind the Eberron world, at least the 3.5 edition.

I thought there is a Dresden Files movie in production? Can anyone confirm this? (And if there is, should I read the series now or after I've seen the movie version?)