Looking for a good Fantasy Book

[GodPhoenix]

So I'm looking for a good fantasy book or series. Is there a hugo/nebula class of awards for just fantasy books?

Next questions...is there one book or series written since 2000 that is an "agreed upon by the masses must read"?

Thanks!

 

[The_Universe]

Well, other than the incomplete "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George RR Martin, I'd say a good place to start looking is J. Gregory Keyes' work. Both "The Waterborn" and "the Changeling" are excellent books, and I've been quite impressed with "The Briar King." Even his "Calculus of Angels" series has been good, though that's more alternate history than pure fantasy.

 

[soulforge]

Since you specifically say sci-fi I'll point you towards Altered Carbon. It's written by Richard Morgan and is a good, terse, noir style book with an interesting number of twists. Sorta the same vein as Bladerunner. There's a sequel as well, but it moves away from the detective style of the first. Good but differs if you like the original.

 

[GodPhoenix]

Since you specifically say sci-fi I'll

Actually I said fantasy specifically But I do enjoy Sci-Fi...I've just read a lot of Sci-Fi lately. But I'll check out those names too

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

So I'm looking for a good fantasy book or series. Is there a hugo/nebula class of awards for just fantasy books?

The World Fantasy Awards. Here is an index to all of the winners:
http://locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Wfa.html

 

[barsoomcore]

I'll assume you keep up on Steven Brust. If not, read every book he ever wrote, because he's stomp-down one of the best living writers of the English language and we are very very lucky that he happens to like stories about people with swords.

Steven Erickson's "Malazan Books of the Fallen" series is awe-inspiring, though not super-well known in the States -- he published first in Britain and Canada but the books are coming out stateside as well.

Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
House of Chains
Midnight Tides

They're huge, sprawling, spectacularly epic novels of world-spanning intrigue, uber-powerful characters and histories that span hundreds of thousands of years. Some folks find them TOO complicated, but I love 'em.

 

[Desdichado]

I'll assume you keep up on Steven Brust. If not, read every book he ever wrote, because he's stomp-down one of the best living writers of the English language and we are very very lucky that he happens to like stories about people with swords.

Steven Erickson's "Malazan Books of the Fallen" series is awe-inspiring, though not super-well known in the States -- he published first in Britain and Canada but the books are coming out stateside as well.

That's funny--I'm unconvinced on both of them. I abandoned Jhereg about halfway through; I didn't really like the tongue in cheek approach, the setting didn't do much for me, and it seemed like major reveals were given away for free early on in the series. Granted, maybe those reveals weren't really major after all, but I didn't really take to the book at all.

I'm about 25% into the first Malazan book now, and I'm frankly quite irked at the fact that nothing makes any sense, and nothing is explained. Yes, yes, I understand that it's an intrique book and it's supposed to all come together at the end. I've read some early Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy, so I'm not only familiar with that concept, but I'm familiar with how it can be done correctly without taking me through 25% of the book in a state of frustrated confusion.

 

[GodPhoenix]

World Fantasy Awards! Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. I'll check out the other authors y'all suggested too.

 

[Hand of Evil]

While not award winners I have to say the Bazil Brokentail & Ripkin books by Christopher Rowley are rather good.

 

[GlassJaw]

If you've never read the Conan stories by Howard, why haven't you?