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[OT] Which do you think are the best fantasy novels/authors?
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<blockquote data-quote="Agback" data-source="post: 510257" data-attributes="member: 5328"><p>G'day</p><p></p><p>Insofar as threads like these are any use to anyone, it is not for settling on a single greatest book or single greatest writer. It is for drawing people's attention to books that they will enjoy but might not otherwise have heard of. So I'll list a few that qualify as great in my opinion, and that are perhaps a little obscure, reminding everyone before I start that tastes in literature vary, and that your favourite might be something I don't even like.</p><p></p><p>I have to put in a good word for <strong>Jack Vance</strong>. I'm not thrilled by <em>The Dying Earth</em>, <em>Rhialto the Marvellous</em>, <em>Eyes of the Overworld</em>, and <em>Cugel's Saga</em>, though they have been tremendously influential and that they suit other people's taste down to the ground. But I do think that the <em>Lyonnesse</em> series is top-shelf. And his SF is generally great.</p><p></p><p>My favourite of all novels is <strong>Mary Renault</strong>'s <em>The Last of the Wine</em>. It's only just fantasy, but I'm going to plug it anyway. And <em>The Bull from the Sea</em> and <em>The King Must Die</em> are a whisker more fantastical.</p><p></p><p>I'll second the preceding recommendations for <strong>Ursula Le Guin</strong>'s <em>Earthsea</em> trilogy.</p><p></p><p><strong>Roberta MacAvoy</strong> wrote a stunningly good triology called <em>A Trio for Lute</em>. The books are <em>Damiano</em>, <em>Damiano's Lute</em> and <em>Raphael</em>. She also wrote some other very good stuff, including <em>The Grey Horse</em>, <em>Tea with the Black Dragon</em>, and <em>Twisting the Rope</em>.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tim Powers</strong> has written some of the most original fantasy, including <em>The Anubis Gates</em>, <em>The Stress of Her Regard</em>, and <em>On Stranger Tides</em>.</p><p></p><p>I'm never sure whether I understand <strong>Gene Wolfe</strong>'s books, but I love reading them and never fail to be astounded at their intricacy and depth. Try <em>The Soldier of the Mist</em> and <em>Soldier of Arete</em>.</p><p></p><p>Not everyone likes <strong>James Branch Cabell</strong>, because he can be pretty arch. But I guess that everyone ought to read <em>Jurgen</em>, just to find out what all the fuss is (or was) about.</p><p></p><p><strong>E.R. Eddison</strong>'s books are flawed, but magnificent, and were exteremly influential in the development of Fantasy before Tolkien. I guess it's worth recommending <em>The Worm Ouroborus</em>, <em>Mistress of Mistresses</em>, <em>The Mezentian Gate</em> and <em>A Fish Dinner in Memison</em>.</p><p></p><p>No discussion of the contrast between good and influential among great fantasy books ought to overlook <strong>Poul Anderson</strong>'s <em>The Broken Sword</em>, which in my opinion is far better than his much better-known <em>Three Hearts and Three Lions</em>. I have fond memories, too, of <em>The Merman's Children</em>.</p><p></p><p>IMHO JK Rowlings is comparable with Madonna, not the Beatles. I've only read one Guy Gavriel Kay book (<em>The Lions of Al-Rassa</em>): perhaps it was not up to his usual standard, but I found the story so derivative and the writing so clumsy that I will not read another. YMMV. YRWYDWP.</p><p></p><p>Regards,</p><p></p><p></p><p>Agback</p><p></p><p>[edit] P.S. I didn't mention tht I love <strong>Neil Gaiman</strong>'s stuff, or that I split my sides at <strong>Terry Prachett</strong>, or that I have read <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> more than a dozen times. That's because I hardly think they need my plugs to help them out of an undeserved obscurity.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Agback, post: 510257, member: 5328"] G'day Insofar as threads like these are any use to anyone, it is not for settling on a single greatest book or single greatest writer. It is for drawing people's attention to books that they will enjoy but might not otherwise have heard of. So I'll list a few that qualify as great in my opinion, and that are perhaps a little obscure, reminding everyone before I start that tastes in literature vary, and that your favourite might be something I don't even like. I have to put in a good word for [b]Jack Vance[/b]. I'm not thrilled by [i]The Dying Earth[/i], [i]Rhialto the Marvellous[/i], [i]Eyes of the Overworld[/i], and [i]Cugel's Saga[/i], though they have been tremendously influential and that they suit other people's taste down to the ground. But I do think that the [i]Lyonnesse[/i] series is top-shelf. And his SF is generally great. My favourite of all novels is [b]Mary Renault[/b]'s [i]The Last of the Wine[/i]. It's only just fantasy, but I'm going to plug it anyway. And [i]The Bull from the Sea[/i] and [i]The King Must Die[/i] are a whisker more fantastical. I'll second the preceding recommendations for [b]Ursula Le Guin[/b]'s [i]Earthsea[/i] trilogy. [b]Roberta MacAvoy[/b] wrote a stunningly good triology called [i]A Trio for Lute[/i]. The books are [i]Damiano[/i], [i]Damiano's Lute[/i] and [i]Raphael[/i]. She also wrote some other very good stuff, including [i]The Grey Horse[/i], [i]Tea with the Black Dragon[/i], and [i]Twisting the Rope[/i]. [b]Tim Powers[/b] has written some of the most original fantasy, including [i]The Anubis Gates[/i], [i]The Stress of Her Regard[/i], and [i]On Stranger Tides[/i]. I'm never sure whether I understand [b]Gene Wolfe[/b]'s books, but I love reading them and never fail to be astounded at their intricacy and depth. Try [i]The Soldier of the Mist[/i] and [i]Soldier of Arete[/i]. Not everyone likes [b]James Branch Cabell[/b], because he can be pretty arch. But I guess that everyone ought to read [i]Jurgen[/i], just to find out what all the fuss is (or was) about. [b]E.R. Eddison[/b]'s books are flawed, but magnificent, and were exteremly influential in the development of Fantasy before Tolkien. I guess it's worth recommending [i]The Worm Ouroborus[/i], [i]Mistress of Mistresses[/i], [i]The Mezentian Gate[/i] and [i]A Fish Dinner in Memison[/i]. No discussion of the contrast between good and influential among great fantasy books ought to overlook [b]Poul Anderson[/b]'s [i]The Broken Sword[/i], which in my opinion is far better than his much better-known [i]Three Hearts and Three Lions[/i]. I have fond memories, too, of [i]The Merman's Children[/i]. IMHO JK Rowlings is comparable with Madonna, not the Beatles. I've only read one Guy Gavriel Kay book ([i]The Lions of Al-Rassa[/i]): perhaps it was not up to his usual standard, but I found the story so derivative and the writing so clumsy that I will not read another. YMMV. YRWYDWP. Regards, Agback [edit] P.S. I didn't mention tht I love [b]Neil Gaiman[/b]'s stuff, or that I split my sides at [b]Terry Prachett[/b], or that I have read [i]The Lord of the Rings[/i] more than a dozen times. That's because I hardly think they need my plugs to help them out of an undeserved obscurity. [/QUOTE]
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