Your fantasy classics of the last 25 years

[Zander]

What would be on your list of fantasy novels or series of novels that have been published since about 1980 that might be described as "classic"?

Perhaps 25 years is not enough to merit the title "classic". If the label bothers you, how about books that are likely to become classics of the genre?

Here's my list:

Dragonlance series by Hickman & Weis
Riftwar trilogy by Raymond E. Feist, especially Magician, the first of the three
The Crystal Shard and possibly other Drizzt novels by R. A. Salvatore

 

[MaxKaladin]

Riftwar trilogy by Raymond E. Feist, especially Magician, the first of the three

I'll second that one.

Everyone is going to mention GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire trilogy.

I'm sure more will come to mind the moment I hit the reply button...

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Glen Cook's Black Company
Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Mark E. Rogers' Samurai Cat

 

[Rackhir]

Dragonlance series by Hickman & Weis
The Crystal Shard and possibly other Drizzt novels by R. A. Salvatore

Do people who aren't D&D players actually read these books? They seem to be popular among people who were getting into gaming around the time they were released, but among the older crowd that I know nobody has read them.

Black Company - One of the first really grim 'n gritty fantasy series.

Glen Cook's Garret Books - Very little else like them out there and certainly nothing half as good.

The Wheel of Time - I'm as fed up with RJ as everyone else, but the first five or so books were great and it was a very creative and unique world he created.

Diskworld - I'd have to agree with this one as well. So many classic characters, situations and just flat out funny.

The Belgariad by David Eddings - This might make it, but his later stuff hasn't been nearly as good in addition to largely being a retreading this series.

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books - I intensely dislike these myself (probably for similar reasons to why Conan style books tend not to be popular among the ladies), but they do seem to have carved a strong niche for themselves as female fan favorites.

Another Fine Myth - Pretty much THE Original humorous fantasy series.

The first 3 Books of the Thomas Covenant series - Yeah, he's one of the least likeable heroes in fantasy fiction. But I've found that a number of the ideas and themes from the books to have become quite iconic.

The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novels - Another possible, the title char has the potential to become a classic iconic character and while fantasy creature/magic in the modern world books are nothing new, these do seem to have struck a vein.

The Left Behind books - These have definitely found an audience, while perhaps not traditional fantasy, religious beliefs aside and not as a dig at them, they certainly fit into the category. They may turn out to be a fad, but I suspect they will have a lasting influence.

I'm not convinced quite frankly that the G.R.R.M's Fire & Ice books will become classics. While I've enjoyed them there is a certain something missing, there just isn't anything about them that feels iconic. The first thing that pops into my mind when I think about the series is its extreme brutality.

 

[Mallus]

I'll second Feist's Riftwar Saga, which I consider the only good gaming-related fiction ever written, and Eddings' Belgariad, which is so desperately likable I can't help but like it.

I'll add Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen for covering just about every fantasy convention (and a whole lot more!) in one massive, maximalist epic. With cool characters, to boot.

And Mieville's Bas-Lag novels, for their refreshing mix of old-style pulp, relatively old-style leftist politics, and morbid Victoriana.

 

[Particle_Man]

The Curse of Chalion, by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Um...last 25 years...does that mean The Chronicles of Amber are not recent enough? (I feel so old).

 

[ScyldSceafing]

In re: Iconic

I'm not convinced quite frankly that the G.R.R.M's Fire & Ice books will become classics. While I've enjoyed them there is a certain something missing, there just isn't anything about them that feels iconic. The first thing that pops into my mind when I think about the series is its extreme brutality.

I disagree with you here, but I think I understand what it is you're missing - that something you call 'iconic.'

When I read the series, as I have a few times, I'm continually struck by how round the characters are. It is a signature of the series that some of the characters whom you hate the most instinctively, the characters whose every action drips eeeevil in the first book, later become point-of-view characters, which inevitably leads to a complete recontextualization of that character's actions. And the process, by all reports, will continue in the next books as well.

The result is that you're always second-guessing your values judgements. It's impossible to feel comfortable labelling anyone 'good' or 'evil' ... and it feels believeable. It also robs the work of some of that wide-eyed wonder.

However, I don't view that as a drawback. I'm 36 and curmudgeonly. I've seen lovely ideas backed up with insufficient means fail. I've seen the country I live in become something frightening, all thanks to the simple fear and avarice of regular people just like me. I like that I can read this series and imagine these people without trying to ignore some of the things I've learned. YMMV.

I'd say, if you want to feel surprised and amazed, feel that rush of giddy childlike awe, then you need to be pickin' up some Neil Gaiman.

 

[Rackhir]

I disagree with you here, but I think I understand what it is you're missing - that something you call 'iconic.'

When I read the series, as I have a few times, I'm continually struck by how round the characters are. It is a signature of the series that some of the characters whom you hate the most instinctively, the characters whose every action drips eeeevil in the first book, later become point-of-view characters, which inevitably leads to a complete recontextualization of that character's actions. And the process, by all reports, will continue in the next books as well.

Everything you say about the characters is true, but that isn't sufficient to me, for them to be anything other than "interesting characters". There's lots of good fantasy novels out there that I've read with some terrific characters. But I don't expect anyone to remember them in 20 years any more than I expect most people to remember Lin Carter novels.

The question at least how I'm looking at it is what books that have come out do you expect to endure and become classics in the vein of LotR, Conan,Elric, Fahfrid & the Grey Mouser, Amber etc... That is why I included several series that I don't like and in some cases haven't even read.

But I guess we'll find out in another couple of decades.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Do people who aren't D&D players actually read these books? They seem to be popular among people who were getting into gaming around the time they were released, but among the older crowd that I know nobody has read them.

IIRC, the Dragonlance Chronicles, at least, outsold the Player's Handbook. Considering how many active players I've encountered who don't care for them or didn't read them, I'd say non-D&D players do read them.

 

[DarrenGMiller]

Daivd Gemmell's Drenai saga
Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn
Stephen Lawhead's Song of Albion trilogy
Bernard Cornwell's Grail Quest trilogy (though it is more historical fiction)
Dragonlance Chronicles (the original trilogy)

DM