Favorite fantasy/sci-fi literature other than Tolkien
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Post Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:45 pm 
 

Now how did I not anticipate that request ;)? (NSFW). Okay, so Catherine (I think) isn't completely nude, and only one of them is carrying a firearm..LOL.

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Post Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 6:18 pm 
 

Adding another one to my list:

Sword of Truth series, Terry Goodkind

11 books in 10 years!!  8O

I've gotten through the first three and haven't lost interest.  Terry Goodkind is a master of detail, subtlety and great at interweaving plots, but the books are almost too intense.

  

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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:35 am 
 

Okay, I read The Face in the Frost... Cute Little Novel.... Kinda had a similar feel like Harry Potter or Piers Anthony Xanth series... Kinda Goofy and fun and somewhat intriging but not wicked cool barbaric or dark.

Also, I Just Started Darkness Weaves....

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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:47 am 
 

DiscoDadda wrote:Okay, I read The Face in the Frost... Cute Little Novel.... Kinda had a similar feel like Harry Potter or Piers Anthony Xanth series... Kinda Goofy and fun and somewhat intriging but not wicked cool barbaric or dark.


Well, then, that's one book from Appendix N I can cross off my to-read list :).


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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:30 pm 
 

DiscoDadda wrote:Okay, I read The Face in the Frost... Cute Little Novel.... Kinda had a similar feel like Harry Potter or Piers Anthony Xanth series... Kinda Goofy and fun and somewhat intriging but not wicked cool barbaric or dark.

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John Bellairs wrote young adult fantasy and mystery first and foremost so that is probably why you feel it has a similarity to Harry Potter or Xanth.  Gygax had a pretty good idea what most young adults liked to read and thus the reason he put the book in Appendix N.

The wizards in the book are more of the learned sage variety than the all powerful archmage that spends most of their time throwing fireballs and lightning bolts at foes.  Most of the spells they use are simple and non-destructive.  They dont fight any demons or cause any earthquakes.  But I've always felt that there is plenty of darkness to the storyline.  Its just that a lot of it is implied or hinted about instead of seen.

The first time I read The Face in the Frost I was in 4th grade.  It was an easy novel to read unlike a lot of the other adult fantasy stuff people had access to at that age.  And it, as well as The Hobbit and a few other books, were what got me interested in playing D&D.  Perhaps if you had read it when you were a kid you might appreciate it more as an adult.


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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:36 pm 
 

Kingofpain89 wrote:
John Bellairs wrote young adult fantasy and mystery first and foremost so that is probably why you feel it has a similarity to Harry Potter or Xanth.  Gygax had a pretty good idea what most young adults liked to read and thus the reason he put the book in Appendix N.

The wizards in the book are more of the learned sage variety than the all powerful archmage that spends most of their time throwing fireballs and lightning bolts at foes.  Most of the spells they use are simple and non-destructive.  They dont fight any demons or cause any earthquakes.  But I've always felt that there is plenty of darkness to the storyline.  Its just that a lot of it is implied or hinted about instead of seen.

The first time I read The Face in the Frost I was in 4th grade.  It was an easy novel to read unlike a lot of the other adult fantasy stuff people had access to at that age.  And it, as well as The Hobbit and a few other books, were what got me interested in playing D&D.  Perhaps if you had read it when you were a kid you might appreciate it more as an adult.


Face in the Frost is plenty dark.  I didnt' see any Harry Potter or Xanth in there but it's been awhile since I read it. Definite thumbs up and must read, plus it should read quick.

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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:57 pm 
 

Kingofpain89 wrote:
John Bellairs wrote young adult fantasy and mystery first and foremost so that is probably why you feel it has a similarity to Harry Potter or Xanth.  Gygax had a pretty good idea what most young adults liked to read and thus the reason he put the book in Appendix N.

The wizards in the book are more of the learned sage variety than the all powerful archmage that spends most of their time throwing fireballs and lightning bolts at foes.  Most of the spells they use are simple and non-destructive.  They dont fight any demons or cause any earthquakes.  But I've always felt that there is plenty of darkness to the storyline.  Its just that a lot of it is implied or hinted about instead of seen.

The first time I read The Face in the Frost I was in 4th grade.  It was an easy novel to read unlike a lot of the other adult fantasy stuff people had access to at that age.  And it, as well as The Hobbit and a few other books, were what got me interested in playing D&D.  Perhaps if you had read it when you were a kid you might appreciate it more as an adult.


I guess everything that you read is automatically compared to the things you read before... So when I read the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings it came after Sword of Shannara and even tho SOS was swiped from LOTR... In my mind I compared it and didn't like it as much... Same thing can be said when I read The Horseclans and Conan prior to reading Xanth... Although Xanth kept my attention it was too fanciful... Now I am comparing everything to Song of Fire and Ice and Brian Ruckleys Godless World.... and am hoping that (based on this thread) that KANE kicks butt...

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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:28 pm 
 

DiscoDadda wrote:Also, I Just Started Darkness Weaves....


Alright.  Now we're getting somewhere!


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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:14 pm 
 

I need to get around to reading some Wagner myself. I don't think I've read any of the Kane stories, unless it was long ago and I've forgotten. I'm not too hopeful I'll love them, but with all the enthusiasm I've encountered about KEW's work, they're bound to be worth the trouble.

Okay, Bellairs is back on my "long list".


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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:29 pm 
 

DiscoDadda wrote:Also, I Just Started Darkness Weaves....



I also discovered Kane thanks to this thread, my only problem is that I started Darkness Weaves and finished it the same day, never read a book in one sitting before.

Now, I'm waiting for a full day to see if I can do the same with Bloodstone.

Thanks all for pointing me to Wagner's Kane

  

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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:52 pm 
 

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:Now how did I not anticipate that request ;)? (NSFW). Okay, so Catherine (I think) isn't completely nude, and only one of them is carrying a firearm..LOL.

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I love that book for some reason. I have a liking of Una.


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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:19 pm 
 

Oh, Una's the shiznit. She might hold the record for the Moorcock character who appears in the widest variety of stories (not sheer number of stories, but most settings). Off the top of my head, she's met Bastable, Elric, Jherek Carnelian.. eh, a couple others. But I guess you get around, being an interdimensional, time traveling, gun-toting superspy. I especially like her cameo appearances at the End of Time. She's always respectful, while being wryly aware of the inhabitants' naivete. I really need to complete my collection of White Wolf's Eternal Champion series, or maybe supplement the ones I have with the British series, which seem to go slightly cheaper. Alas, I sold my 60+ Moorcock paperbacks on eBay BITD so I no longer have many of the titles I once did (including this one).


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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:15 pm 
 

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:Oh, Una's the shiznit. She might hold the record for the Moorcock character who appears in the widest variety of stories (not sheer number of stories, but most settings). Off the top of my head, she's met Bastable, Elric, Jherek Carnelian.. eh, a couple others. But I guess you get around, being an interdimensional, time traveling, gun-toting superspy. I especially like her cameo appearances at the End of Time. She's always respectful, while being wryly aware of the inhabitants' naivete. I really need to complete my collection of White Wolf's Eternal Champion series, or maybe supplement the ones I have with the British series, which seem to go slightly cheaper. Alas, I sold my 60+ Moorcock paperbacks on eBay BITD so I no longer have many of the titles I once did (including this one).


Sold all of them!  8O


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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:50 pm 
 

Hey everyone,

Since we're talking about Michael Moorcock...

My favorite novels of his that I would recommend are neither Fantasy nor Science Fiction.

I highly recommend The Chinese Agent, and The Russian Intelligence.

I still own the 1st edition paperback for The Chinese Agent from the 1970's, and I ended up borrowing The Russian Intelligence from the local library 4 times in a row back in the 80's.

Everyone remember when you visited the library to actually take out books? :)

Best regards,
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Post Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:52 pm 
 

jonjhargreaves wrote:I also discovered Kane thanks to this thread, my only problem is that I started Darkness Weaves and finished it the same day, never read a book in one sitting before.

Now, I'm waiting for a full day to see if I can do the same with Bloodstone.

Thanks all for pointing me to Wagner's Kane


Something else for me to look for as well.  :)


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Post Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 9:20 pm 
 

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:I read the first Viriconium book (The Pastel City). I need to pick up the others.


I just finished reading the Pastel City and thought it was great! Thanks for mentioning it, I had never heard of it before & ordered it from Paperback Swap (no kindles here!). The setting was totally Gamma World (though without the mutants). Also reminded me of Tekumel.


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Post Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 9:35 pm 
 

Glad you liked it. It's been a while for me, but I recall really enjoying it. No mutants as such (unless you count the dwarf), but still very much in the same vein. I'm actually about to order the omnibus edition (Viriconium) Jason mentioned. I'll probably re-read The Pastel City before I move on to the rest. My understanding is that the reality-shifting aspects become more apparent as the stories progress (multiple versions of the city, etc.).


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Post Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 5:32 pm 
 

Let me know if you like the later novels/stories; I was thinking of ordering the comp but I've read the later stories are not easy reading (though some really like them).

Oh, and the other setting it reminded me of was the future Europe of Moorcock's Hawkmoon series (I'd recommend The Pastel City to anyone who liked that series). The paperback copy I have (from 1974) even has a quote from Moorcock on the back cover.

Now reading: Monster Island by David Wellington (2006). Zombie novel. A friend sent me this after we were talking about the Walking Dead TV show.


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Last edited by Zenopus on Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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