Why have all the fanesy books i've read on recommendation from enworld sucked?

[Lady Mer]

Yeah, I've read Castle in the Air. I've read everything of hers I could get my hands on. She, along with Patricia C. Wrede and Susan Cooper, belongs in my 'Books I read as a kid that are still fun to read in my mid- 20's' category.

As for actual reccomendations, Simon Green's Blue Moon Rising and the Hawk and Fisher stories are worth reading. Also Jane Lindskold's Through Wolf's Eyes and Julian May- Either the Plioscene Exiles or the Galactic Mileu series'.

 

[danbala]

I'm going to break from tradition and on this thread and not recommend George R R Martin, because I suspect that if you dislike Robert Jordan (a sentiment I can wholly agree with) then you might not be Martin's biggest fan, either.

I disagree. I was bored by Jorden during the first book and never read another. The Martin books are in another class and are really something special. They are not directly inspired by Tolkein but share some of the same interest in mass warfare.

They also tend to polarize people. Don't read them if you want your fantasy light hearted or Manichean. Do read them if you want a cynical take on a fantasy world in which life really is "nasty, brutish and short."

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Since Martin seems t be on the lsit all the time I'll add my voice to the don't like crowd.

1. I was bored to tears, and couldn't get into the book. It is one of the very few books I never finished, and i've finished some really crappy books.

2. The characters are always described as multidimensional. And if you mean throwing a bunch of unrealistic discordant traits together then yeah there multi dimensional. I've found his characters to be even more unrealistic than Jordan's women.

For my must buy section of books I will enter the realm of light fantasy, and really dark fantasy with the same author.

Robert Asprin: Myth novels, love em, there light and fun to read, I can't count the nmber of times I've read the 1st 4. This is the 1st series that reallt catapulted my reading habit.

Thieves World, Asprin only is one of the authors in the series, but i like the books. not all of them but since there are like a zillion that aint a surprise.

 

[Pazu]

Yeah, I've read Castle in the Air. I've read everything of hers I could get my hands on. She, along with Patricia C. Wrede and Susan Cooper, belongs in my 'Books I read as a kid that are still fun to read in my mid- 20's' category.

<snip>

Absolutely agree, although I approached Diana Wynne Jones (and Susan Cooper, for that matter) as "Books I should have read as a kid and am going to read now that I'm over 30"!
(I preferred non-fiction as a kid.)

-- Pazu

 

[Olive]

I just want to thank you all for all the recomendations you've made...

and i've started reading Martin's series. In fact I've just been on holiday in sydney and I finished the first one while I was up there. And I'm really enjoying it, so thanks... and now the title of this thread is wrong.

I've book marked this for next time I need some recommendations.

 

[Mallus]

2. The characters are always described as multidimensional. And if you mean throwing a bunch of unrealistic discordant traits together then yeah there multi dimensional. I've found his characters to be even more unrealistic than Jordan's women.

Hey Shard, can you go into some specific detail here? I'm not trying to change your mind regarding Martin's books, but you're the first person I've heard/read voice that particular opinion.

 

[death tribble]

My favourites

I like Moorcock's Elric stuff but have not read the more recent stories
Robert E Howard's Conan.
The Wheel of Time books.
Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.
Edgar Allen Poe
H P Lovecraft
The Wild Cards series that George RR Martin did.
David Weber's Honor Harrington books (although I have only finished upto book 6)
Laurrel K Hamilton's Anita Blake vampire books
Terry Pratchett
Julian May's Pliocene Quartet
Thomas Harris's Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs and Black Sunday
John Connelly's 4 books about PI Charlie Parker. Very Dark.
Stephen King
Len Deighton
Mick Foley's Have a Nice Day (autobiography)
Christopher Lee's autobiography
David Eddings Belgariad and Mallorean books
Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld books (Upto No 4)
Philip K Dick's The Man in the High Castle
Lieber's Lankhmar books
Tolstoy's War and Peace
Carl Hiasson
Bob Geldof's autobiography
Mary Gentle
The Illuminatus Trilogy
David Wingrove's Chun Kuo (but not book 8)
Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy
Frank Herbert's first three Dune books
James Herbert
David Niven's autobiographies
Tom Baker's autobiography
Vincent Price's biography
Jeff and Michael Shaara's fictionalised account of the American Civil War
Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta books
Livy
Caleb Carr's The Alienist
The Magician by Fiest but avoid Serpentwar particularly the last book until someone proof reads and corrects the mistakes.
Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy
Spider Robinson's Callahan Chronicles
Tad Williams Otherland books.
John Dickson Carr
Conan Doyle
Steven Erikson

 

[Mortaneus]

If you like EXTREMELY visceral action, I highly recommend the two Kain books by Matthew Woodring Stover. "Heroes Die" and "Blade of Tyshalle".

The author is a practicing martial artist, and his descriptions of fights are unbelievably descriptive (in a good way).

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Olive, perhaps I missed it, but is English your native language? If it isn't, that might help explain some of the problems you've had with recommendations. The reason I ask is because for some reason I seem to remember that someone with a screen name like yours was originally from Italy or thereabouts. I could well be wrong, so if I am, sorry for the mistake.

 

[theburningman]

If you like EXTREMELY visceral action, I highly recommend the two Kain books by Matthew Woodring Stover. "Heroes Die" and "Blade of Tyshalle".

Haven't read Heroes Die yet, but Blade of Tyshalle kicked my ass up and down. Not for everyone, but definitely one of the coolest anti-heroes I've ever read.