What are the "Classic" Fantasy novels?

[Elric]

I want to put in a good word for Hawkmoon and Erekose as well. Although I don't think they are as well known as Elric, they are great characters.

I don't have much else to add offhand- this is a very good list already. Guy Gavriel Kay is a great author, at least for the couple of books that I've read (Tigana, the Sarantine Mosaic).

 

[RedShirtNo5]

I think WayneLigon is spot on for both criteria and selection.

Probably the only ones I would definatively add to that list:

Zelazny's Amber (first 5 books) - first person and at times stream of consciousness writing

Lovecraft - a foundation for fantasy/pulp horror


Likely classics but heavily debated:

Eddings's Belgariad (again first 5 books) - classic young hero coming of age fantasy

Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - intersection of a deeply flawed hero (some would say anti-hero) with a world completely infused by magic


-RedShirt

 

[tetsujin28]

Surprised at what people have considered 'classic'. Good, maybe.

Eddison's 'The Worm Ouroborous'
Anything by Dunsany

 

[tetsujin28]

Zelazny's Amber (first 5 books) - first person and at times stream of consciousness writing

Oh, *blech*! Some of the Worst. Dialogue. Ever.
"My heart leapt with almost Proustian joy."
"I don't dig all this talk about shadows, man."

The ideas were OK, the execution poor.

 

[CCamfield]

Oh, *blech*! Some of the Worst. Dialogue. Ever.

To each their own. I think you're exaggerating about the dialogue, and that it is truly a classic series. Personally, I feel a few of the series mentioned are those I don't like or simply don't think will be considered classics 30 years from now. Everyone has their own tastes.

Overall the list does seem pretty good so far. Here are some additional suggestions:

- (Young Adult) The Chronicles of Prydain series, by Lloyd Alexander
- (YA) The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
- Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

How about:

Vance's Dying Earth (the origin of D&D Magic)
Saberhagen's Changeling Earth (from which stem the Books of Swords).
T.H. Whites The Once and Future King

There's a great list at the back of the 1E DMG which lists what I consider the true "classics"; IDHMBIFOM or I'd post it.

 

[tetsujin28]

To each their own. I think you're exaggerating about the dialogue, and that it is truly a classic series.

Those are exact quotes.

 

[RedShirtNo5]

Those are exact quotes.

To me, those quotes are in-character and appropriate for the time and place where they are said. They aren't gems, but neither are they crap.
The exposition and dialog is choppy and abrupt throughout the whole series, which could easily put off some people. But that's an appropriate style for stream of consciousness.

And why (I don't just want lists of books)?

Amber will be a classic because of 1) the originality of its world structure, and 2) its use of stream of consciousness (AFAIK, the first fantasy novel to really implement such a voice).

-RedShirt
All IMO, of course.

 

[Dark Jezter]

There's a great list at the back of the 1E DMG which lists what I consider the true "classics"; IDHMBIFOM or I'd post it.

Ask and ye shall recieve...

Anderson, Poul. Three Hearts and Three Lions; The High Crusade; The Broken Sword
Bellairs, John. The Face in the Frost
Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Pellucidar series; Mars series; Venus series
Carter, Lin. World's End series
de Camp, L. Sprague. Lest Darkness Fall; Fallible Fiend
de Camp, L. Sprague, and Fletcher Pratt. Harold Shea series; Carnelian Cube
Farmer, Philip Jose. The World of the Tiers series
Fox, Gardner. Kothar series; Kyrik series
Howard, Robert E. Conan series
Lanier, Sterling. Hiero's Journey
Lieber, Fritz. Fafhrd & Gray Mouser series [a.k.a. Lankhmar series]
Lovecraft, H.P. Cthulhu series
Merritt, A. Creep, Shadow, Creep; Moon Pool; Dwellers in the Mirage
Moorcock, Michael. Stormbringer, Stealer of Souls; Hawkmoon series
Offutt, Andrew J., ed. Swords Against Darkness III
Pratt, Fletcher. Blue Star
Saberhagen, Fred. Changeling Earth
St. Clair, Margaret. The Shadow People; Sign of the Labrys
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit; Ring trilogy
Vance, Jack. The Eyes of the Overworld; The Dying Earth
Zelazny, Roger. Jack of Shadows; Amber series

This list is selected from a list found on p. 224 of the 1st ed. DMG

According to the authors of the 1st ed. DMG, de Camp & Pratt, Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, H.P. Lovecraft, and A. Merritt had some of the most direct influences on the direction of the game, and the others had a lesser influence.

Source: rec.games.frp.dnd FAQ

 

[WayneLigon]

How I forgot about A. Merrit, I'll never know. The Swords against Darkness series is certainly an excellent introduction to the entire Sword and Sorcery genre. Lin Carter, while not the best author in the world, certainly did groundbreaking work with his Adult Fantasy series that brought many classics of the genre back into print for the modern age.