Reply
Wed 5 Jul, 2006 10:19 pm
I read Lord of the Rings, and I loved those books. I excitedly began reading other novels of the fantasy genera. Yet, all the other novels have been a travel from disappointment to disappointment.
When Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings one thing he did absolutely better than any other fantasy author: he was able to bring out an emotion or understanding in his readers without telling them what quote-unquote to understand or feel. Where most authors would have introduced Bilbo with trashy interior monologue, he introduced Bilbo's character by showing us his house. We knew everything Bilbo before we even met Bilbo, and we never needed any of that interior monologue or description of how Bilbo felt. In life we experience through the fact and then discover the emotions. If an author can't get me through the emotions without telling me what emotions I should feel I'm not going to read the book.
Anyway, I'll love you forever if you have any good recommendations.
David Eddings' long series which begins with "Pawn of Prophecy." Sometimes this series and the sequel are called The Belgariad and the Mallorean. Many people, including me, are big fans of this series.
Thanks...
I just started reading the book (Amazon.com allows you to read the first few pages of many books). I'm a really picky reader, and I can't say yet if I will like it, but I want to say thanks, anyway.
And everyone else please keep informing me of your opinions.
IVIr
You seem to be looking for "other worlds" with intricate details of physical backgrounds against which the characters move along a hazardous moral journey. The Philip Pullman trilogy (Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) does just that.
It's not always the best writing in the world, but if you want something that owes very little to Tolkien, I'd go with Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman's Death Gate Cycle.
David Eddings is a guilty pleasure for me. I enjoy it but I don't think it's terribly good. I do think, however, that the Elenium is a better read than the Belgariad, so I would respectfully suggest starting with that one. (I think the Malloreon is better than the Belgariad too, but it'd be silly to read the Malloreon without having gone through the Belgariad. I don't think much of the Tamuli.)
I also enjoyed Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series... it's an interesting and unique approach to magic. I'll also second Philip Pullman (in the U.S., The Northern Lights is published as The Golden Compass).
Here's some you can have for free:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/about76576.html
(I know its shameful to peddle my own work, but seeing as I'll be getting no return on it, and it is fantasy, thought you might like to know about it.)
Endy
IVIr, u gotta read eragon! i love fantasy, but im a really picky reader to :wink: .its very well written (specialy 4 sum one his age!), i guess its not 4 evrybody but i would definetly look into it!
the movie is gonna mess it up sobad
though
!
Try "The Magician" series by Raymond E Feist. An interesting "world" without the usual fantasy stereotypes. And there's a shed-load of them, so if you like the first one, there are about a dozen more to enjoy. By the end, you're reading about the great-grandchildren of the characters in the first book.
For something lighter, Terry Pratchett's Diskworld books are excellent. He was the best selling living British author until J R Rowling appeared, so they can't be that bad!
I've never read Raymond Feist, but I've heard that he appeals especially to readers who enjoyed David Eddings's books.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace