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Fantasy genre authors? (4 Viewers)

David Farland's Runelord series, is top notch. I also recommend David Gemmel's stuff, although in moderation since some of the stories get repetitive (stick to Legend, and the Waylander stuff). Also someone recommended Robin Hobb's work, which I thought the Assassin's Quest was rather weak, but on their advice I picked up the Tawny Man series, which was fan-freaking-tastic! :thumbup:

 
Here are a few suggestions and discussions:Neil Gaiman:American Gods won the Huga and the Nebula (Best SF/Fant of the year awards) this year. Good read.
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I read that a few months ago as Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, but I had a really hard time deciding if I liked the book. There were some basic questions that he never addressed, and while his prose is extremely good there was just this sense of depression and decay underlying the whole novel. He has said that this is his book about America, but I have no idea what kind of message he's trying to send.I'm glad he's going back to the graphic novels that made him famous.
 
I particularly like books where the lines between science fiction and fantasy are blurred. the Split Infinity series by Piers Anthony is a perfect example as the main character jumps between two dimensions - one ruled by science, the other magic._The Practice Effect_ by David Brin is a very quick but enjoyable read where an outstanding sci-fi author takes a crack at the fantasy genre (with a twist of course)The Alvin Maker series by Orson Scott Card is usually classified as fantasy, though it Alternate History is sometimes used as well. As it was written early in his career it is among his best. Not like the crap he's been writing for the last 10 years.And one of my favorite series of all time is the Time Wars by Simon Hawke. It took me years of combing used bookstores and perusing half.com and ebay to complete the 12 book series but I finally did it. The first book is _The Ivanhoe Gambit_ where soldiers from the future travel back in time and take over the historic roles of John of Locksley (aka Robin Hood) to stop a madman intent on creating a split in the timestream.

 
David Farland's Runelord series, is top notch. I also recommend David Gemmel's stuff, although in moderation since some of the stories get repetitive (stick to Legend, and the Waylander stuff). Also someone recommended Robin Hobb's work, which I thought the Assassin's Quest was rather weak, but on their advice I picked up the Tawny Man series, which was fan-freaking-tastic! :thumbup:
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Agreed. I finished the last volume about a week ago. I thought the series dragged a bit in the middle but by the time i had finished all the volumes i thought they were very good.Pick...the Janny Wurts series...which i think i recommended..was very good in the first volume or 2. But i have to admit the 3rd (?) volume really bogged down and i haven't been able to even get through it yet over the last few months. I keep setting it aside to read other stuff. Of course it doesn't help when the volumes are so far apart....i lost the continuity. The writing is different in this series. I think it's much more difficult/sophisticated/complex whatever. I have the last volume sitting on my shelf as well (Peril's Gate) but i just can't get through The Grand Conspiracy.Another very good series is The Crown of Stars by Kate Elliot. I'm reading one of the later volumes atm.
 
John Marco is quite good as well. His first series started with the Jackal of Nar and was a good trilogy. He is in the middle of a second series, the first book was "the eyes of God" and the second is the Devil's armor. The third book, sword of angels" should be released within the year. Not as good as Goodkind, Martin and Jordan, but a pleasant read.Also, Deborah Chester's "the sword, the ring and the chalice" trilogy was fun as well.Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption series was fun.If you like books about the Arthur era, Mary Stewarts trilogy was excellent. It talks about Merlin as a child and is really about the tail end of the roman era. Very good. Also, Bernard Cornwall's trilogy about Arthur was great, as was the books by Jack Whyte, which is also more of a historical account at the tail end of the roman occupation of Britain.

 
John Marco is quite good as well. His first series started with the Jackal of Nar and was a good trilogy. He is in the middle of a second series, the first book was "the eyes of God" and the second is the Devil's armor. The third book, sword of angels" should be released within the year. Not as good as Goodkind, Martin and Jordan, but a pleasant read.Also, Deborah Chester's "the sword, the ring and the chalice" trilogy was fun as well.Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption series was fun.If you like books about the Arthur era, Mary Stewarts trilogy was excellent. It talks about Merlin as a child and is really about the tail end of the roman era. Very good. Also, Bernard Cornwall's trilogy about Arthur was great, as was the books by Jack Whyte, which is also more of a historical account at the tail end of the roman occupation of Britain.
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I liked the Wayfarer Redemption series also.I read the Jackal of Nar and thought it was good. Haven't read the rest of the series yet....haven't found them (?) Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
 
John Marco is quite good as well.  His first series started with the Jackal of Nar and was a good trilogy.  He is in the middle of a second series, the first book was "the eyes of God" and the second is the Devil's armor.  The third book, sword of angels" should be released within the year.  Not as good as Goodkind, Martin and Jordan, but a pleasant read.Also, Deborah Chester's "the sword, the ring and the chalice" trilogy was fun as well.Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption series was fun.If you like books about the Arthur era, Mary Stewarts trilogy was excellent.  It talks about Merlin as a child and is really about the tail end of the roman era.  Very good.  Also, Bernard Cornwall's trilogy about Arthur was great, as was the books by Jack Whyte, which is also more of a historical account at the tail end of the roman occupation of Britain.
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I liked the Wayfarer Redemption series also.I read the Jackal of Nar and thought it was good. Haven't read the rest of the series yet....haven't found them (?) Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
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Dude, go to bn.com and check out the new series. The first book (eyes of god) was good, but the second book (Devil's armor) was much better. The ending totally sets up the third book. I am now re-reading the George Martin series in anticipation of a Feast for Crows coming out in April. Can't wait, that series is my favorite!
 
Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
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I tend to be a compulsive reader, so I will probably read the Gates of Dawn, but I was VERY underwhelmed by the 5th Sorceress.The cliches were almost at hilarious levels throughout most of the book. The Prophecy usage was almost silly, the resolution of the big fight in the end seemed almost to be a joke, and every bad guy who dies gave the same, "Ha Ha, you won but I know something else bad that is going to happen that I will take to my grave" speech, the "Deviance" caused by the Vagaries was way too gratiutous, and, finally, the amount of "Keeping info from other characters for their own good" was just plain way too annoying.And I am still trying to figure out what the HUGE population of the Ghettos have been eating for the past 300 years.Oh well.
 
Weiss and Hickman have written a lot of fantasy D&D styled stuff. Their best by far is the Dragonlance trilogy, followed by the follow-up Twins trilogy. Very entertaining and engrossing. I would recommend it highly if you are into fantasy.When we doing the LA Freeway, Pick? Sojourners hit it at 6:00 AM and that sucks. I would want to do it later.
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Can't stand Weiss and Hickman. I don't like Golden can-do-no-wrong heroes and that's definitely their shtick.Two of my favorites in a darker vein are:David Gemmel - Legend, Waylander and many more in the Drenai tales books. Start with those two and you can't go wrong.Glen Cook - The Black Company books. Completely unique darker fantasy. Unlike anything else out there.I'll also throw out Anne McCaffrey since she deserves mention for the Dragonriders of Pern books.
 
John Marco is quite good as well.  His first series started with the Jackal of Nar and was a good trilogy.  He is in the middle of a second series, the first book was "the eyes of God" and the second is the Devil's armor.  The third book, sword of angels" should be released within the year.  Not as good as Goodkind, Martin and Jordan, but a pleasant read.Also, Deborah Chester's "the sword, the ring and the chalice" trilogy was fun as well.Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption series was fun.If you like books about the Arthur era, Mary Stewarts trilogy was excellent.  It talks about Merlin as a child and is really about the tail end of the roman era.  Very good.  Also, Bernard Cornwall's trilogy about Arthur was great, as was the books by Jack Whyte, which is also more of a historical account at the tail end of the roman occupation of Britain.
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I liked the Wayfarer Redemption series also.I read the Jackal of Nar and thought it was good. Haven't read the rest of the series yet....haven't found them (?) Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
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Dude, go to bn.com and check out the new series. The first book (eyes of god) was good, but the second book (Devil's armor) was much better. The ending totally sets up the third book. I am now re-reading the George Martin series in anticipation of a Feast for Crows coming out in April. Can't wait, that series is my favorite!
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I'm about 300 pages into Martin's 2nd book. He writes much better than most fantasy authors I've read - many of them have great ideas, but couldn't write a compelling character if their lives depended on it (paging Terry Brooks! paging Terry Brooks!).The only complaint I have so far with Martin is that he introduces too many characters too quickly. Half of my time is spend going back to the appendices to find out which lord this bannerman is sworn to.
 
Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
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I tend to be a compulsive reader, so I will probably read the Gates of Dawn, but I was VERY underwhelmed by the 5th Sorceress.The cliches were almost at hilarious levels throughout most of the book. The Prophecy usage was almost silly, the resolution of the big fight in the end seemed almost to be a joke, and every bad guy who dies gave the same, "Ha Ha, you won but I know something else bad that is going to happen that I will take to my grave" speech, the "Deviance" caused by the Vagaries was way too gratiutous, and, finally, the amount of "Keeping info from other characters for their own good" was just plain way too annoying.And I am still trying to figure out what the HUGE population of the Ghettos have been eating for the past 300 years.Oh well.
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Well to each their own i guess. Not really sure what you mean about the "Prophecy usage". Most heroic fantasy handles prophecy in much the same manner...the old idea that what appears to be black and white usually has an unintended outcome. I didn't find the book to be cliche-ridden. In terms of the deviance caused by the Vagaries being gratuitous...well i'm not sure what you mean...it served to provide a backdrop for the causes of the conflict. It's not an original concept no doubt...several other series i've read have used the same idea...that a particular school of magic is tempting and powerful but ultimately corrupting.I know what you mean about the keeping of info from other characters. More of that in The Gates of Dawn also. I judge a book or series by how it draws me...and this one kept me reading and looking forward to picking it up again. I wouldn't rank it with the top series by any means....but i found it enjoyable.
 
John Marco is quite good as well. His first series started with the Jackal of Nar and was a good trilogy. He is in the middle of a second series, the first book was "the eyes of God" and the second is the Devil's armor. The third book, sword of angels" should be released within the year. Not as good as Goodkind, Martin and Jordan, but a pleasant read.Also, Deborah Chester's "the sword, the ring and the chalice" trilogy was fun as well.Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption series was fun.If you like books about the Arthur era, Mary Stewarts trilogy was excellent. It talks about Merlin as a child and is really about the tail end of the roman era. Very good. Also, Bernard Cornwall's trilogy about Arthur was great, as was the books by Jack Whyte, which is also more of a historical account at the tail end of the roman occupation of Britain.
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I liked the Wayfarer Redemption series also.I read the Jackal of Nar and thought it was good. Haven't read the rest of the series yet....haven't found them (?) Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
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Dude, go to bn.com and check out the new series. The first book (eyes of god) was good, but the second book (Devil's armor) was much better. The ending totally sets up the third book. I am now re-reading the George Martin series in anticipation of a Feast for Crows coming out in April. Can't wait, that series is my favorite!
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I'm about 300 pages into Martin's 2nd book. He writes much better than most fantasy authors I've read - many of them have great ideas, but couldn't write a compelling character if their lives depended on it (paging Terry Brooks! paging Terry Brooks!).The only complaint I have so far with Martin is that he introduces too many characters too quickly. Half of my time is spend going back to the appendices to find out which lord this bannerman is sworn to.
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I love the Martin series as much as most do on this board (it seems to be by far the consensus favorite fantasy series).I know most people will disagree with me on this-possibly rightly so-but the one thing that bugs me about the series so far is he keeps killing off characters i've grown attached to. I know most probably like this in the name of realism. Just a personal thing i guess.
 
I know most people will disagree with me on this-possibly rightly so-but the one thing that bugs me about the series so far is he keeps killing off characters i've grown attached to. I know most probably like this in the name of realism. Just a personal thing i guess.
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But that's what makes the books so compelling. In so much of the fantasy genre you know that the heroes are not going to die (see Weiss and Hickman). Martin has completely thrown this out the window and has created a real sense of anxiety and suspense about the main characters. That (and his excellent writing) is what keeps the pages turning.
 
I know most people will disagree with me on this-possibly rightly so-but the one thing that bugs me about the series so far is he keeps killing off characters i've grown attached to. I know most probably like this in the name of realism. Just a personal thing i guess.
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But that's what makes the books so compelling. In so much of the fantasy genre you know that the heroes are not going to die (see Weiss and Hickman). Martin has completely thrown this out the window and has created a real sense of anxiety and suspense about the main characters. That (and his excellent writing) is what keeps the pages turning.
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True, plus I want to see Daernys (or however the heck she spells her name) rock the free world with her Dragons!!!
 
John Marco is quite good as well.  His first series started with the Jackal of Nar and was a good trilogy.  He is in the middle of a second series, the first book was "the eyes of God" and the second is the Devil's armor.  The third book, sword of angels" should be released within the year.  Not as good as Goodkind, Martin and Jordan, but a pleasant read.

Also, Deborah Chester's "the sword, the ring and the chalice" trilogy was fun as well.

Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption series was fun.

If you like books about the Arthur era, Mary Stewarts trilogy was excellent.  It talks about Merlin as a child and is really about the tail end of the roman era.  Very good.  Also, Bernard Cornwall's trilogy about Arthur was great, as was the books by Jack Whyte, which is also more of a historical account at the tail end of the roman occupation of Britain.
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I liked the Wayfarer Redemption series also.I read the Jackal of Nar and thought it was good. Haven't read the rest of the series yet....haven't found them (?)

Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
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Dude, go to bn.com and check out the new series. The first book (eyes of god) was good, but the second book (Devil's armor) was much better. The ending totally sets up the third book. I am now re-reading the George Martin series in anticipation of a Feast for Crows coming out in April. Can't wait, that series is my favorite!
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I'm about 300 pages into Martin's 2nd book. He writes much better than most fantasy authors I've read - many of them have great ideas, but couldn't write a compelling character if their lives depended on it (paging Terry Brooks! paging Terry Brooks!).The only complaint I have so far with Martin is that he introduces too many characters too quickly. Half of my time is spend going back to the appendices to find out which lord this bannerman is sworn to.
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I love the Martin series as much as most do on this board (it seems to be by far the consensus favorite fantasy series).I know most people will disagree with me on this-possibly rightly so-but the one thing that bugs me about the series so far is he keeps killing off characters i've grown attached to. I know most probably like this in the name of realism. Just a personal thing i guess.
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I hear ya - I was shocked at the end of Book 1 when one of the major characters got his head lopped off. Now he's got me jumpy - every turn of the page has got me thinking that someone else is gonna bite the dust.
 
John Marco is quite good as well.  His first series started with the Jackal of Nar and was a good trilogy.  He is in the middle of a second series, the first book was "the eyes of God" and the second is the Devil's armor.  The third book, sword of angels" should be released within the year.  Not as good as Goodkind, Martin and Jordan, but a pleasant read.

Also, Deborah Chester's "the sword, the ring and the chalice" trilogy was fun as well.

Sarah Douglass's Wayfarer Redemption series was fun.

If you like books about the Arthur era, Mary Stewarts trilogy was excellent.  It talks about Merlin as a child and is really about the tail end of the roman era.  Very good.  Also, Bernard Cornwall's trilogy about Arthur was great, as was the books by Jack Whyte, which is also more of a historical account at the tail end of the roman occupation of Britain.
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I liked the Wayfarer Redemption series also.I read the Jackal of Nar and thought it was good. Haven't read the rest of the series yet....haven't found them (?)

Also just finished the first 2 volumes of The Chronicles of Blood and Stone (The Fifth Sorceress and The Gates of Dawn) by Robert Newcombe. Very good so far. Sucks waiting for the remaining volumes of series though. I always end up forgetting about them. I must have a dozen unfinished series still.
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Dude, go to bn.com and check out the new series. The first book (eyes of god) was good, but the second book (Devil's armor) was much better. The ending totally sets up the third book. I am now re-reading the George Martin series in anticipation of a Feast for Crows coming out in April. Can't wait, that series is my favorite!
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I'm about 300 pages into Martin's 2nd book. He writes much better than most fantasy authors I've read - many of them have great ideas, but couldn't write a compelling character if their lives depended on it (paging Terry Brooks! paging Terry Brooks!).The only complaint I have so far with Martin is that he introduces too many characters too quickly. Half of my time is spend going back to the appendices to find out which lord this bannerman is sworn to.
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I love the Martin series as much as most do on this board (it seems to be by far the consensus favorite fantasy series).I know most people will disagree with me on this-possibly rightly so-but the one thing that bugs me about the series so far is he keeps killing off characters i've grown attached to. I know most probably like this in the name of realism. Just a personal thing i guess.
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I hear ya - I was shocked at the end of Book 1 when one of the major characters got his head lopped off. Now he's got me jumpy - every turn of the page has got me thinking that someone else is gonna bite the dust.
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And they will... Be afraid and don't make any attachments ;)
 
If you're jumpy now just wait until you get to the 3rd book.

I really hope A Feast For Crows is finished soon. I've had it preordered since January 18, 2003 when it was supposed to be done in April of 2003 so I wouldn't get any hopes up that the release date of April 2004 has any truth to it. The amazing thing is that it still has an amazon.com rank of 524 and it's not even out yet. I think when I preordered it was top 50. I guess there's a lot of Martin fans out there.

 
If you're jumpy now just wait until you get to the 3rd book.

I really hope A Feast For Crows is finished soon. I've had it preordered since January 18, 2003 when it was supposed to be done in April of 2003 so I wouldn't get any hopes up that the release date of April 2004 has any truth to it. The amazing thing is that it still has an amazon.com rank of 524 and it's not even out yet. I think when I preordered it was top 50. I guess there's a lot of Martin fans out there.
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At least he's doing the right thing and waiting until he can publish a novel as well thought out and crafted as the previous ones unlike some "other" fantasy authors who lost their direction years ago and just put out thousands of pages of empty filler in order to receive some royalties. <cough Jordan cough>
 
The best currently-working fantasists:

1) George R. R. Martin - gets the nod for #1 because of the scope of his work. An epic fantasist always nudges ahead of a novel-by-novel fantasist of the same skill. His realistic characterizations, his humanization of both pro- and an-tagonistic forces, is a breath of fresh air in a mostly stale genre. Plus, he's not shy about wielding the headsman's axe. :thumbup:

2) Guy Gavriel Kay - a better writer than Martin, but works on a smaller scale. The Fionavar Tapestry was well-written, but was fantasy fluff, and not worth reading. Tigana, on the other hand, is the single best single-volume fantasy work ever penned. That alone would be saying something for Kay as an author, but doesn't say nearly enough once one realizes that Lions of Al-Rassan is the 2nd best single-volume fantasy novel ever penned. Toss in the two-volume Sarantine Mosaic, and his body of work is easily the equal of any writer in the genre. Like Martin, he's not nearly so simplistic as to stuff novels through the good-vs-evil cookie cutter. His characters are all generally their own protagonists, but with competing agendas. His works are largely based on fantasized versions of medieval-and-older Eurasia. And avoid at all costs looking too closely at the paperbacks if you're making the choice about whether to read them. The pictures on the front are always kind of girly and romance-novel looking. The descriptions on the back talk about subjects that'll make you put the books down in a hurry. But all of that belies the fact that the books are all taught fantasy-political thrillers, crammed full of murder, mayhem, rapes and assassinations galore, and some of the most memorable characters I've ever read in ANY genre.

3) Tim Powers - It is an out and out tragedy that this guy isn't getting more play here. This guy is a flat-out master of the weird plot, and writes at what amounts to a grad-school level if taken relative to the 2nd grade offerings of the Eddings, Brooks, Weis & Hickmans, Jordans, and Goodkinds of the genre. His fantasy is...well...tilted sort of toward the arcane? I guess that would be the best way to describe it. THE place to start is with Last Call, and the fact that this isn't one of the most talked-about books in the FFA can only mean it has zero exposure here. A combination of the Fisher King legend with Vegas and a super-high-stakes poker game played with a magically imbued tarot deck. Yes, it's pretty much a fantasy novel about poker. It's also brilliantly written, positively thrilling, and Weird as hell. (Note the capital "W.") Powers's books are all fascinating. Anubis Gates is the most famous (time travel done in a completely non-standard way), Drawing of the Dark is a cross of beer and mythology, and how can you beat THAT combo?, and Declare crosses up those arcane forces with WW2. The man is a monster. Read him.

4) China Mieville - Perdido Street Station and The Scar are both set in his same, completely made up, COMPLETELY original world. Nice to see somebody writing in a fantasy setting that he's actually put some original thought into, rather than re-hashing the same old medieval Europe/Wizards and Warriors stuff. And he's got serious writing chops, to boot.

5) Gene Wolfe - Wolfe actually straddles the line between SF and F, which is the only reason he rates so low on a fantasy list. HEAVY reading. I mean heavy like Tolstoy. Not for the casual reader at all. But very rewarding, and well worth the effort, if you've a mind to savor one of the legitimately finest writers the genre has to offer rather than simply sucking down another whiz-bang story. The man is deeply, densely literary. He's genuinely one of the few writers out there putting SF/F back on the map at universities across the world. Somebody should send him a nice fruit basket. Read anything, just make sure you don't jump in in the middle of a series. (Most of his stuff is short story collections or multi-book series.)

On an aside, if you've read and loved Tolkien, but haven't read Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books, shame on you. Same era, same caliber, BETTER prose writing (by far), smaller scale (by far -- what Tolkien did to a world, Peake did to a castle), and oh yeah, he went mad from syphillis and died about the time he was finishing.

Guily pleasure: Terry Pratchett. He's not going to win any meaty awards, but he's pretty much the Simpsons of the genre. Always good for a chuckle, always quick and easy, and you can pick up pretty much any book he's ever written and jump right in without missing anything. Also, his books are only chapterized by using a little bit of white space between scene shifts. This happens every couple pages at most, so there are TONS of good stopping spots. :thumbup: Taken all in all, the finest light travel reading you can stuff in your briefcase/computer bag.

 
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If you're jumpy now just wait until you get to the 3rd book.

I really hope A Feast For Crows is finished soon. I've had it preordered since January 18, 2003 when it was supposed to be done in April of 2003 so I wouldn't get any hopes up that the release date of April 2004 has any truth to it. The amazing thing is that it still has an amazon.com rank of 524 and it's not even out yet. I think when I preordered it was top 50. I guess there's a lot of Martin fans out there.
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At least he's doing the right thing and waiting until he can publish a novel as well thought out and crafted as the previous ones unlike some "other" fantasy authors who lost their direction years ago and just put out thousands of pages of empty filler in order to receive some royalties. <cough Jordan cough>
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I agree, that's why I don't start the Wheel of Time series even though some people say I should. Of course, those same people complain about the more recent books in the series, so I end up being confused. I certainly don't recommend anything that suxors like that.Damn. I wish I knew about this when it was available in trade hardback. Sandkings is a wonderful short story but I don't know that it's available in anything other than an ebook or the above pricey collection.

 
If you're jumpy now just wait until you get to the 3rd book.

I really hope A Feast For Crows is finished soon.  I've had it preordered since January 18, 2003 when it was supposed to be done in April of 2003 so I wouldn't get any hopes up that the release date of April 2004 has any truth to it.  The amazing thing is that it still has an amazon.com rank of 524 and it's not even out yet.  I think when I preordered it was top 50.  I guess there's a lot of Martin fans out there.
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At least he's doing the right thing and waiting until he can publish a novel as well thought out and crafted as the previous ones unlike some "other" fantasy authors who lost their direction years ago and just put out thousands of pages of empty filler in order to receive some royalties. <cough Jordan cough>
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I agree, that's why I don't start the Wheel of Time series even though some people say I should. Of course, those same people complain about the more recent books in the series, so I end up being confused. I certainly don't recommend anything that suxors like that.Damn. I wish I knew about this when it was available in trade hardback. Sandkings is a wonderful short story but I don't know that it's available in anything other than an ebook or the above pricey collection.
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Get the ebook. It's worth the trouble to download the free reader, and hell, it's like a buck ninety-nine. Great story.
 
Martin also writes stories having something to do with cards. He pumps those puppies out very quickly, so I wonder if that has anything to do with the delay in putting out a Feast for Crows.Anyone read any of those other stories by Martin?

 
Get the ebook. It's worth the trouble to download the free reader, and hell, it's like a buck ninety-nine. Great story.
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Oh, I already have it(I'm one of those weirdos that actually bought a Franklin eBookman a couple years ago so uhh, yeah). I can get a 10% off code for anyone that wants to buy it, though.
 
Ive always liked William Gibson and his cyberpunk novels Neuromancers, Monal Lisa Overdrive etc.....its easy to see where the Matrix derived alot of its inspiration from.

 
Ive always liked William Gibson and his cyberpunk novels Neuromancers, Monal Lisa Overdrive etc.....its easy to see where the Matrix derived alot of its inspiration from.
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WHOOOOOP WHOOOOOP*sci fi alert* WHOOOOOP WHOOOOOP*return to your stations and seal the doors*
 
Oh, I already have it(I'm one of those weirdos that actually bought a Franklin eBookman a couple years ago so uhh, yeah). I can get a 10% off code for anyone that wants to buy it, though.
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Good work, then. :thumbup: Sandkings is one of my fantasy shortstory faves. :thumbup:
 
Good work, then. :thumbup:

Sandkings is one of my fantasy shortstory faves. :thumbup:
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I hear another sci-fi alert. What's that, a fantasy story winning the two main sci-fi awards? Sounds suspicious to me. I vote Vivian Darkbloom.
 
Good work, then. :thumbup:

Sandkings is one of my fantasy shortstory faves. :thumbup:
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I hear another sci-fi alert. What's that, a fantasy story winning the two main sci-fi awards? Sounds suspicious to me. I vote Vivian Darkbloom.
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Both awards (presuming Hugo and Nebula) are given (as per their respective awarding societies' constitutions) to either SF or F works.Despite which, most Sci Fi is really just heroic fantasy in SF clothing. That's why there's no point raising a fuss over the inclusion of something like Ender's Game. Gibson's extrapolation of the future of computer networking, though? That's pretty hard to spin in any direction but SF.

 
Martin also writes stories having something to do with cards. He pumps those puppies out very quickly, so I wonder if that has anything to do with the delay in putting out a Feast for Crows.Anyone read any of those other stories by Martin?
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Martin mainly just edits the Wild Cards anthologies nowadays, and when he does write for them, it's in the range of 5-10 pages.Speaking of sci-fi, and guilty pleasures, Simon Green's Deathstalker stuff is so cliche, and space opera-ey, yet however it holds me completely spellbound. I know it's pulp genre material, but I just can't help enjoying it.
 
Jordan fans/haters will love this Author's Note at the beginning of Wurts' Ships of Merior:

For the sake of the readers, I should like to explain that the paperback edition of Ships of Merior, and its companion volume, Warhost of Vastmark, were originally conceived to be under one cover. The fact that this volume of the story grew too large to bind into one paperback was in no way an effort to wring more out of a series, or to prolong the natural length to make the project more lucrative. On the contrary, I have to express grateful thanks to my editors at harperPrism, for making the heroic effort to hold the book's full scope intact in producting the first edition hardbound under one cover as a continuous whole. For the paperback, this was not possible, since a binding that hefty and wide would wear poorly and even fall apart.

The original tale falls into two halves, with a natural place for a pause between. The point where Ships end and Warhost begins was not arbitrary, but chosen with the story's best symetry in mind.

I can add that the concept and plotting for the Wars of Light and Shadow have been worked through in full in five volumes, an intense and ongoing labor that has spanned a twenty-year period. The story told here, and in subsequent books, will follow the course conceived from a fixed start, to a finale that will bring every thread to its finish. I have no intent, now or at any time, to produce and unending parade of sequels.
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Hello? Jordan? Are you listening you greedy SOB. :rotflmao:
 
Jordan fans/haters will love this Author's Note at the beginning of Wurts' Ships of Merior:

For the sake of the readers, I should like to explain that the paperback edition of Ships of Merior, and its companion volume, Warhost of Vastmark, were originally conceived to be under one cover.  The fact that this volume of the story grew too large to bind into one paperback was in no way an effort to wring more out of a series, or to prolong the natural length to make the project more lucrative.  On the contrary, I have to express grateful thanks to my editors at harperPrism, for making the heroic effort to hold the book's full scope intact in producting the first edition hardbound under one cover as a continuous whole.  For the paperback, this was not possible, since a binding that hefty and wide would wear poorly and even fall apart.

The original tale falls into two halves, with a natural place for a pause between.  The point where Ships end and Warhost begins was not arbitrary, but chosen with the story's best symetry in mind.

I can add that the concept and plotting for the Wars of Light and Shadow have been worked through in full in five volumes, an intense and ongoing labor that has spanned a twenty-year period.  The story told here, and in subsequent books, will follow the course conceived from a fixed start, to a finale that will bring every thread to its finish.  I have no intent, now or at any time, to produce and unending parade of sequels.
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Hello? Jordan? Are you listening you greedy SOB. :rotflmao:
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Dude, amen to that.I am already into that Jordan co##cucker for 12 volumes worth or work (including debt of bones and New Spring). Wish we can just have the final battle already and be done with it. Then, if he were to start a new series, fans would come out in droves to read it.

 
Jordan fans/haters will love this Author's Note at the beginning of Wurts' Ships of Merior:

Hello? Jordan? Are you listening you greedy SOB. :rotflmao:
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Dude, amen to that.I am already into that Jordan co##cucker for 12 volumes worth or work (including debt of bones and New Spring). Wish we can just have the final battle already and be done with it. Then, if he were to start a new series, fans would come out in droves to read it.
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I'm glad I gave up on Jordan after 100 pages. It seems I knew where it was going better than he did.
 
Stephen Donaldson: Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (my personal all-time fav).
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Really liked the first series but had a hard time making my way through the second trilogy. Did not like Eddings stuff at all. Always got a kick out of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series by Fritz Leiber, another old master.Not so surprising, but I just re-read LOTR and I'm here to tell you, JRRT was one hell of a story teller. That book really holds up well and kept my interest even though I've seen the movie and read the book three times.

 
Dude, amen to that.I am already into that Jordan co##cucker for 12 volumes worth or work (including debt of bones and New Spring). Wish we can just have the final battle already and be done with it. Then, if he were to start a new series, fans would come out in droves to read it.
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I'm glad I gave up on Jordan after 100 pages. It seems I knew where it was going better than he did.

I suffered through Jordan up until the second to last book, then I drew the line. It helped that I read the first 8 or so books back to back, kept things going a bit. After that though, with the time in between and the massive amount of charactors it became too ridiculous to try to continue. That and the plot slowly ground to an absolute halt over the last two books I read.

For a nice quick and easy read I'll throw out David Duncan's Chronicle of the Blades books. Very action oriented, pretty easy but fun reads.

 
Did I read correctly that there is a Wheel of Time prequel out or coming out soon? Hahahahahaha!

That's just so funny to me...

 
George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones

A Clash of Kings
A Storm of SwordsExcellent series and I'm anxiously awaiting the fourth book.

I did finally get around to finishing Crossroads of Twilight. Very "Seinfeldian" in nature. It was almost a book about nothing. Hopefully the 900 or so pages of set up pay off in books 11-14.
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i wonder if something is wrong with me...easy target....anyway, i just can't seem to get into this series

i finished the first one but have just let the second one sit in the drawer a 100 pages in or so...

i couldn't even tell you what it is about right now.

 
Did I read correctly that there is a Wheel of Time prequel out or coming out soon? Hahahahahaha!

That's just so funny to me...
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It came out in January. It's an expansion of the "New Spring" story that appeared in that TOR Legends book a few years back. I couldn't in good conscience buy it.
 
I haven't seen him mentioned here so I'll put Charles DeLint's name out there. His brand of fantasy is a more celtic based stuff rather than strictly swords and sorcery but what's cool about it is that it's set in modern day Canada. I haven't read anything of his in quite a while, but I do recall enjoying Jack the Giant Killer and a few others. I think that Jack and its sequel Drink Down the Moon were later re-released in one volume (as they're both rather short) as Jack of Kinrowan.

 
Some of the various series by Robin Hobb are pretty Enjoyable.The Farseer Trilogy especially was good.
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The 1st 2 of the trilogy were pretty good. It kind of fell apart in the 3rd book. Worth reading anyway.
 
Fantasy writers? How did this thread get to multiple pages without somebody mentioning that Drinen guy?

 
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The 1st 2 of the trilogy were pretty good. It kind of fell apart in the 3rd book. Worth reading anyway.
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Not if you continue to read the series, there's another trilogy out, Fool's fate, the 3rd one in it, I am reading now. It wraps up a lot of the loose ends left in the 3rd book in the farseer trilogy...
 
The WOT prequel is okay. Basically the story of how Lan and Moraine hooked up. Gives you some good history on Lan, too. It's aight.

 
Not if you continue to read the series, there's another trilogy out, Fool's fate, the 3rd one in it, I am reading now. It wraps up a lot of the loose ends left in the 3rd book in the farseer trilogy...
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It wasn't the loose ends that bothered me. It was as if the editors read the original 3rd book and asked "Hey! Where's the final quest to destroy the One Ring like all the other fantasy books have?" The book length quest seemed to take too long and was out of character of the 1st 2 books.
 
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