Fantasy books......any thoughts?

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What about the DUNE books? It has to stack up with Lord of the Rings as the most innovative, genre defining book in its class.

I also agree 100% with the idea that "Robert Jordan is either a money grabbing bastard or has lost the plot totally!"

I finished the Fart of Winter, and although the plot moved one or two steps forward, it was still pretty much a waste.

Blackthorn - Are you saying that most of these books are modern "pulp-fiction"?

 

I think we've been brain washed by the Sci-Fi channel on that one! The damage may be beyond repair!

 

Witch???? Who are you calling a witch Viking!!!

And I've said it before but I'll say it again... THE LORD OF THE RINGS WAS A BORING SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by Cerryl (edited April 11, 2001).]

 

Hey lighten up Cerryl, the reference was only to be read in conjunction with the charge of herresy, which I seem to recall they burnt witches for back in the good old days.

If you're in doubt, Cerryl, I accept your rightful place as a wizard albeit white not black. Still, a good guy in a bad world I think.

 

Cerryl, you have to keep in mind that when the Lord of the Rings was written, there was no fantasy. Tolkien didn't have Monster Manuals to draw ideas from. He was innovating! Drawing from old fireside tales of trolls and goblins, he created a genre.

Yeah, he lacks the flash and steel that modern SF excels in. But he makes up for it in depth!

Get the books on tape and go through the story again. Just like the tales he drew from, the Lord of the Rings was meant to be spoken, not read.

Maybe I love it so much because my first exposure to fantasy was having the Hobbit read to me when I was little.

 

I'm not so sure there wasn't fantasy. At least they had fairy tales.

But Tolkien made a new genre of it. A party of chars that walked into adventures which gave idea for RPGs!

Hail Tolkien!

 

I forgot to add:

The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon.

This is the story of a farm girl who enlists in the army, and is slowly but surely transformed into an ideal paladin.

It is intruging to see how Moon incorporates the standard 1st Edition AD&D traits of a paladin into her story.

This is actually a trilogy contained on one volume. Good news: She can't pull a Robert Jordon, the series is done. Bad news: She can't pull a Robert Jordon, the series is done.

 

Actually Mathetais, Moon has continued her series. I haven't read them myself but there is another series set in the same world but some years after.

Also Cerryl was a GREY wizard not a white one.

And with this Tolkein thing. I LIKED The Hobbit, I just felt that The Lord of The Rings was trying to create a plot to follow on from The Hobbit where there wasn't really anything left to fill in an follow on from.

ARRRRGH...I'm a Tasloi Helper!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by Cerryl (edited April 12, 2001).]

 

I knew Moon did a prequel trilogy to Deeds in which she explained how a peasent became a God but I didn't know she had done anything after Deeds.

 

For your DON'T READ list, make sure you avoid Rhapsody. That was the biggest waste of paper that I've ever encountered.

BIG PLOT SPOILER
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They're stuck in a magic tree the whole #*$&#@$ book!!!

 

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Zelazny is one of my all time favorites. After Amber, "Lord Demon" is my most readed.
Anne McCafrey's Pern books are pretty good.
Ursule LeGuin's "The left Hand of the Darkness" is must in SF, as Earthsee in F.

 

Wait, lemme copy this all down. I only read Agatha Christie and Forgotten Realms right now. I just hit a back issue bonzana, Azure Bonds, Shadowdale, Tantras, Prophet of Moonshaes, Chaos Curse and Tangled Webs. all for $2, except Tangled webs. Lord of the rings is only the 3 books that (was it BTA or someone else...) were mentioned to me right? I came across all this other "The road" and "Creation of Middle Earth" stuff, this isn't part of it is it?

 

The Lord of the Rings:

1. The fellowship of the ring
2. The two towers
3. The return of the King

Each is actually split into two books, and I've seen them under separate cover, but don't think they had different names. Just part one or two of each of the above.

Of the other stuff I've only read Silmarillion, which I'll only recomend if you *really* like the middle earth setting.

 

I am missing the name of David Eddings in this topic because he's my all time second (to JRRT) in creating a huge world worked out from genesis to whatsoever. Mallorea stands in its diversity very close to Middle Earth.