Sundays Rule
Footballguy
Theres a graphic novel Prequel for the Martin series...anyone read?
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Fantasy genre authors? (1 Viewer)
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Men-in-Cleats
Footballguy
Like Smoo said, he's not the one you were thinking about but the description does sort of fit anyhow. He's the Imp and he's somewhat of an honorable scoundrel who's into booze and whores, all-in-all a pretty likeable fellow despite him being on the wrong side of things.I agree that Sandor was an interesting character as well, definitely seems like the bad guys have more potential to be interesting characters but most of the good guys are multidimensional as well and have their dark sides to them.
babydemon90
Footballguy
Frog and Toad are Friends is one of the best fantasy books out there, which a complex weaving of the fantasy aspect of talking frogs and toads, as well as deep insight into the adventures they go on... such as looking for lost buttons, greeting the spring, and waiting for mail.
Truly a tearjerker.
Truly a tearjerker.
Vivian Darkbloom
Footballguy
I've been sort of steering away from Iron Council, just because I've heard so many reviews exactly like that. The first two books were not only so good, but so amazingly original in thought and execution, that I hate to hurry into something that's going to dull the memory for me.
Apes with Guns
Footballguy
It's a reprint of the Hedge Knight comic book series. If you want to read the story, buy the short story collection called Legends. But the graphic novel has that story, plus something extra, but I haven't purchased it yet so I'm not sure what it is. :(
Pick
Footballguy
I just read this collection. A good way to introduce anyone to the genre.Basically some short stories by:Stephen KingRobert JordanTerry GoodkindAnne McCaffreyOrson Scott CardRaymond E. FeistTerry PratchettRobert SilverbergUrsula K. Le GuinTad WilliamsGeorge R.R. MartinIn general, a decent read. Never read much of Goodkind and I liked his writing.
Apes with Guns
Footballguy
I already have one. Pick: Goodkind is decent. Give Wizard's First Rule a shot. He almost lost me in the middle, but I'm glad I stuck it out. Not the best, but his books are amusing.
commisholio
Come out with your pants down!
Most of my favorites have been mentioned, but I wanted to re-highlight three authors that have not gotten enough love:Steven BrustCS FriedmanLois McMaster BujoldIf you haven't read Brust's Taltos novels, you're in for a treat. The books are set in an incredibly detailed world with a mercenary assassin as a protagonist. The plots are convoluted, the characters are well-drawn, and the dialog is snappy and funny. Highly, highly recommended.Friedman's Black Sun novels are discussed a little above and are well worth reading. There is a lot of ambiguity about good and evil and moral choices ans sacrifice. I also highly recommend them.Bujold's Vorkosigan series is much like Brust, but set in a sci-fi setting. Great characters, intricate plotting, and snappy dialog.Re: Goodkind, I liked Wizard's First Rule OK, but the rest of the series totally lost me.
Buckychudd
Footballguy
The Taltos novels are great.
Fred Saberhagen's Swords books....at least the first few.
Joel Rosenberg's Guardian of the flame novels.
Ursla Le Guin's Earthsea novels.....although her SciFi is much better, especially The Dispossesed and Right Hand of Darkness.
Mark Speener
Comfortably Numb
Bujold is good. The Curse of Chalion is probably her best novel and it's not a Vorkosigan story. The Vorkosigan stuff is good though.
shining path
:prettyplease:
I'm 2/3 of the way through Martin's Game of Thrones and I've been very pleasantly surprised. After being a big fan as a kid, the fantasy genre has just gotten so predictable and hack-ridded (Eddings, Jordan and the like) that I've stayed away.
I haven't read the spoilers, but the characters I like so far:
Jon the *******
Sansa - I don't like her personally, obviously, but I think she's been painted with a reasonably sympathetic brush for a hopelessly naive spoiled brat, and she's got a LOT of room to grow up.
Tyrion - I loved him at first, but Martin's treatment of him is verging on the too-familiar. I hope he doesn't descend into the kind of obnoxiously cliche'd dialogue with central characters that Eddings made his personal artform.
Hodor - "Hodor!"
Danaerys - Very cool treatment with the horse people.
Caetlyn's sister and her freaky-deak kid - I hope we see how weird the kid winds up, if he lives. Still nursing as a 6-year old - Yuck!
The Mountain That Rides - They're having some battles right now and I have a feeling he's going to buy the farm, but what a terrific ###hole.
Theon Greyjoy - another ###hole, but with the good guys.
Varys the Spider
Characters I haven't warmed to yet:
- Caetlyn - outside of her rejection of Jon, she's too much the stereotypical "Sympathetic Capable Woman In A Man's World"
- Arya - same general issue as above, but stereotype is "plucky tomboy".
- Bran - Kind of bores me
Other things I like, aside from the relatively mature writing and character development:
- Martin isn't afraid to kill people off.
- Lots of sex - hot incestuous sex, steamy old people sex, yummy prostitute sex, exquisite loss-of-virginity sex. I could deal without the lurid gang-rape scenes, but Martin doesn't make them too gratuitous and they were central to the plot.
- Not only the writing, but the sociology and political structures are interesting and believable, and show an understanding of history. Maybe the thing I like best is that even though virtually all the main characters (good and bad) are feudal lords, Martin doesn't romantacize their social system as anything but what it is - men with armor and swords living atop men without them.
I haven't read the spoilers, but the characters I like so far:
Jon the *******
Sansa - I don't like her personally, obviously, but I think she's been painted with a reasonably sympathetic brush for a hopelessly naive spoiled brat, and she's got a LOT of room to grow up.
Tyrion - I loved him at first, but Martin's treatment of him is verging on the too-familiar. I hope he doesn't descend into the kind of obnoxiously cliche'd dialogue with central characters that Eddings made his personal artform.
Hodor - "Hodor!"
Danaerys - Very cool treatment with the horse people.
Caetlyn's sister and her freaky-deak kid - I hope we see how weird the kid winds up, if he lives. Still nursing as a 6-year old - Yuck!
The Mountain That Rides - They're having some battles right now and I have a feeling he's going to buy the farm, but what a terrific ###hole.
Theon Greyjoy - another ###hole, but with the good guys.
Varys the Spider
Characters I haven't warmed to yet:
- Caetlyn - outside of her rejection of Jon, she's too much the stereotypical "Sympathetic Capable Woman In A Man's World"
- Arya - same general issue as above, but stereotype is "plucky tomboy".
- Bran - Kind of bores me
Other things I like, aside from the relatively mature writing and character development:
- Martin isn't afraid to kill people off.
- Lots of sex - hot incestuous sex, steamy old people sex, yummy prostitute sex, exquisite loss-of-virginity sex. I could deal without the lurid gang-rape scenes, but Martin doesn't make them too gratuitous and they were central to the plot.
- Not only the writing, but the sociology and political structures are interesting and believable, and show an understanding of history. Maybe the thing I like best is that even though virtually all the main characters (good and bad) are feudal lords, Martin doesn't romantacize their social system as anything but what it is - men with armor and swords living atop men without them.
Silver & Black
Footballguy
I just read on George Martin's website that he anticipates finishing A feast for Crows this January. He also says that he has said that before, so don't hold him to it. 
Twilight
Footballguy
Stuff I've finished in the last month...The Scar (Mievelle) - Found it about the same as Perdido St Station. He sets up a very interesting world, and his visual voice is impressive, but both books seemed over-bloated to me.Sunshine (Robin McKinley) - Girl is kidnapped by Vampires, discovers she was born with powers to kill vampires, yada yada yada. Almost cliche nowadays, but the writing and the world are fresh enough to give this a nice new spin, and was a very good read. Banewreaker (Jacquiline Carey) - Just started reading now - Very loosely, LOTR told from Sauron's side. Loved her Kushiel Trilogy, and the writing is good to start.
commisholio
Come out with your pants down!
Last Fantasy/Sci-Fi I read was David Brin's Kiln People. Highly recommended.
The story is set in a world where technology exists to make duplicates of yourself that can go out into the world and be you for a while, but will disintegrate over a fairly short period of time. You can reintegrate the experiences that the duplicate had into your head if you catch the duplicate before it disintegrates. The novel explores some really fascinating ideas of identity and self.
The story is set in a world where technology exists to make duplicates of yourself that can go out into the world and be you for a while, but will disintegrate over a fairly short period of time. You can reintegrate the experiences that the duplicate had into your head if you catch the duplicate before it disintegrates. The novel explores some really fascinating ideas of identity and self.
Bonezerelli
Footballguy
Wow...this thread has been a great read. I've read just about every author mentioned. Like many, I am a huge fan of Martin and regularly check out is website to see the updates on Feast of Crows. Sadly, the guy is slow, slow, slow.Anyhow, one author I "found" who had a TON of great stuff was David Gemmell. I know he was mentioned once before, but I find his novels awesome in the same sense of Martin in that no reader should get too attached to any main character as he is not adverse to killing off anyone....plus his character are neither "good" or "evil" but more different shades of grey (Also why I dislike the Dragonlance series and Salvatore).If you liked Martin, Brooks, Goodkind and others of that ilk, check out David Gemmell, you won't be disappointed.His Drenai series is fantastic...
Genghis Khan
Footballguy
In a lighter vein, I love the Myth series by Robert Asprin.
Sundays Rule
Footballguy
Just now finished game of Thrones...i must say im hooked on this. What a cliffhanger....theres no way you can get to that point and NOT want to go on with the series, ill have to pick up the second book tommorrow. Martin set up tons of stuff that have to resolved in the next book...flawless.Danys great....im rooting for those Targaryens.
Sundays Rule
Footballguy
Id add Petyr to the list of people i love to hate.....hes excellent.
Apes with Guns
Footballguy
I read the Icewind Trilogy back in the day and thought it sucked. I've held a grudge against Salvatore ever since. Supposedly some of his other, "more mature" stuff is sufferable, but I doubt I'll ever forgive him. Much like Eddings.As for Lawhead, I started reading Taliesin a few months back, but lost interest pretty quickly. The series (Pendragon) came highly recommended, but I couldn't get into it. I'm likely to give it another shot.
Maggot Brain
Footballguy
I like Salvatore's stuff. It may have started slowly, but the subsequent books in the series have been good. Personally, I've liked them all. But maybe I'm just partial to fact that the main character, Drizzt, is a 'Dark Elf'. I think you can count on one hand the number of fantasy/sci-fi series main characters or heroes that are 'of color'
commisholio
Come out with your pants down!
Yup, I also really liked the Uplift Trilogies, particularly the Uplift War.
Buckychudd
Footballguy
They left me hanging though......I wanted all the answers.
nephilim
Footballguy
try steven erikson's 'tale of the malazan book of the fallen'. he seems to be re-releasing them. so far i've read 'gardens of the moon' and 'deadhouse gates'. looks like he has at least 7 volumes in the series (per amazon). some of the later books from previous release are still available (some not).1st 2 are veddy good. looking forward to the rest.
commisholio
Come out with your pants down!
Yeah, I remember being really frustrated at the end of Startide Rising. Fortunately, he pretty much tied up the loose ends with the second trilogy. Check it out, if you haven't.They left me hanging though......I wanted all the answers.
Guppy King Tygeb
Footballguy
ON lawhead- Pendragon has some interesting writing, especially merlin. However, Song of Albion by Lawhead and his other more recent books are much better written and cleaner.
Buckychudd
Footballguy
He never really answered the origin of Humans question.....or if he did I was too slow to pick up on it.Yeah, I remember being really frustrated at the end of Startide Rising. Fortunately, he pretty much tied up the loose ends with the second trilogy. Check it out, if you haven't.They left me hanging though......I wanted all the answers.
commisholio
Come out with your pants down!
No, I guess he didn't, did he. Huh, that'll bother me for while until I forget about it again.He never really answered the origin of Humans question.....or if he did I was too slow to pick up on it.Yeah, I remember being really frustrated at the end of Startide Rising. Fortunately, he pretty much tied up the loose ends with the second trilogy. Check it out, if you haven't.They left me hanging though......I wanted all the answers.
Maelstrom
Footballguy
Great thread! I've read half the authors and works, and at least wondered about reading many of the others mentioned.
Here's my wandering thoughts:
I love McAffrey and the Pern series of books. I'm not sure how good her son is going to do in taking over the world from her though.
Weis/Hickman - I couldn't believe the DeathGate cycle books weren't mentioned when talking about their stuff - much better than the D&D stuff of theirs I have read. Here's a link for more info: Amazon.com I loved this series when I read it and couldn't wait for each book to come out. Its 7 books in all, with the first four exploring each "part" of the world (it had been split into 4 - air, fire, water, earth, by powerful magics) and then the last 3 books tie the storylines back together. The last book may be the weakest, but all in all a good series.
Weis wrote a political intrigue series of her own called the Star of the Guardian series. It is set in a future/alternate world that I really liked also. The cool weapon idea in this series was the "bloodsword" which had 5 needles in the hilt, and when grasped they stuck into the person's hand, injected a special virus - if the person was not a Guardian, they died, if they were they got special enhanced abilities/shielding. Here is a link to the first book: Amazon.com
Also really enjoyed all the Foundation series and Robot books by Issac Asimov (not the movie/book I,Robot but the books it was based on very loosely) - Great classic Sci-Fi!
I was told to read the Martin series, but haven't even been able to bring myself to purchase the first book. I'v picked it up a couple times, and always walk out with something else.
I also like Goodkind's Sword of Truth series and Jordan's Wheel of Time (but he needs to wrap it up).
Not really fantasy or even truely Sci-fi, but I am almost finished with 1984 (Orwell).
Sara Douglass is a good writer also - but am waiting for her books to go to paperback and then will get them all.
Has anyone read the Darkover books? By Marion Zimmer Bradley? She is a great writer, IMO, and she truely creates a new world in the Darkover books (there are probably 15-20 books, not a long series but some books are sequels and such. Some of the books are political in nature (great houses/families fighting each other/for the throne, etc.) but it is a world where there is a type of magic (called Larin if I recall) and all distance weapons are banned (must use sword, knife, etc.) They have some interesting cultural ideas as well. Set in a midevil world. Base story is that it was a terran colony ship that landed here. If you like the Pern novels, you will probably like these. Here is a list of titles: Amazon.com
Mike
(Links are amazon affiliate links, but you can just search for the series on Amazon and they will come up also)
*editted formatting
Here's my wandering thoughts:
I love McAffrey and the Pern series of books. I'm not sure how good her son is going to do in taking over the world from her though.
Weis/Hickman - I couldn't believe the DeathGate cycle books weren't mentioned when talking about their stuff - much better than the D&D stuff of theirs I have read. Here's a link for more info: Amazon.com I loved this series when I read it and couldn't wait for each book to come out. Its 7 books in all, with the first four exploring each "part" of the world (it had been split into 4 - air, fire, water, earth, by powerful magics) and then the last 3 books tie the storylines back together. The last book may be the weakest, but all in all a good series.
Weis wrote a political intrigue series of her own called the Star of the Guardian series. It is set in a future/alternate world that I really liked also. The cool weapon idea in this series was the "bloodsword" which had 5 needles in the hilt, and when grasped they stuck into the person's hand, injected a special virus - if the person was not a Guardian, they died, if they were they got special enhanced abilities/shielding. Here is a link to the first book: Amazon.com
Also really enjoyed all the Foundation series and Robot books by Issac Asimov (not the movie/book I,Robot but the books it was based on very loosely) - Great classic Sci-Fi!
I was told to read the Martin series, but haven't even been able to bring myself to purchase the first book. I'v picked it up a couple times, and always walk out with something else.
I also like Goodkind's Sword of Truth series and Jordan's Wheel of Time (but he needs to wrap it up).
Not really fantasy or even truely Sci-fi, but I am almost finished with 1984 (Orwell).
Sara Douglass is a good writer also - but am waiting for her books to go to paperback and then will get them all.
Has anyone read the Darkover books? By Marion Zimmer Bradley? She is a great writer, IMO, and she truely creates a new world in the Darkover books (there are probably 15-20 books, not a long series but some books are sequels and such. Some of the books are political in nature (great houses/families fighting each other/for the throne, etc.) but it is a world where there is a type of magic (called Larin if I recall) and all distance weapons are banned (must use sword, knife, etc.) They have some interesting cultural ideas as well. Set in a midevil world. Base story is that it was a terran colony ship that landed here. If you like the Pern novels, you will probably like these. Here is a list of titles: Amazon.com
Mike
(Links are amazon affiliate links, but you can just search for the series on Amazon and they will come up also)
*editted formatting
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Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Taliesin was by far the weakest of his Merlin/Arthur books. He tried to cram way too much established myth into it. The latter books get better - he puts an interesting spin on the Arthurian legends. If you can, buy all of the books & go to - I think - his web site before reading. The first three (in order of publication) go chronologically, but then he went back & wrote two more books (broken up into parts) that fill in some gaps. I mentioned his web site because it gives the order to read the story in chronological order: it's something like book one, book two, the first part of book 4, first part of book five, book 3, etc.... (it may have been a fan site or forum I found this on, but it wasn't hard to locate)My favorite book/series dealing with Arthur is still Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy.
Maelstrom
Footballguy
Speaking of Merlin - I just read a trilogy set in modern times but intermingled heavily with Arthurian legend (the knights come back, Arthur is reincarnated, Merlin is there, etc.) Its called the Forever King Trilogy, by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy I don't think Murphy helped on the last one and it was by far the worst of the three. If you read them, I guess you have to read the third one to tie it all up, but it doesn't really follow the plot patterns the first one and second one set up very well.The first book especially was very good, and the second was enjoyable. Even the third was decent, just a disappointment compared to the first two.mike
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I read at least two of these, maelstrom. Enjoyed the first one - The Forever King - quite a bit. I know I read the 2nd one (forgot title), but don't think I read the 3rd. I was really disappointed in #2.Bernard Cornwall also wrote an Arthurian trilogy - The Winter King, The Enemy Of God, & Excalibur - that's pretty interesting. The characters have much different relationships to each other than we're used to. It was hard for me to read at first because of those differences, but Cornwall writes well & it's obvious that he loves the subject matter - "standard" interpretations be damned. The last few chapters of Excalibur will bring tears to your eyes.
shining path
:prettyplease:
I've been cruising around looking for interviews with George Martin online, and I've got some SPOILERS FOR FEAST OF CROWS if anyone's interested.Tyrion does appear to be a major character in FFC. He flees east across the sea. It may be that he hooks up with Danaerys and her crew. Not a spoiler, but it would be interesting to see Tyrion turn into a monster in fact as well as name. Martin seems to be forcing a large number of bitter emotional pills down his throat, and his behavior at the end of SOS indicates that maybe he's gone off the deep end, morally speaking.
I didn't see this on the boards, but are we sure Sandor Clegane is dead? Arya left him dying in agony, but I don't recall if she actually left him dead.
Danaerys is huge, unsurprisingly.
It's unclear, but either in FFC or the next book, the timeframe will move forward several years, with characters settling into positions reached by the end of FFC.
That's all I could let myself read. But if you search you can pretty much get the entire plot of FFC from the message boards and interviews.
ratpfink
This looks like a job for You-Know and Who!
The next book in A Song of Ice and Fire was actually supposed to be in a more advanced timeframe, and only (relatively) recently did Martin decide to fill in some of the inbetween time with AFFC. At least that's what I read some time back.
Apes with Guns
Footballguy
I just started rereading Song of Ice and Fire in anticipation of the release of A Feast of Crows. It's good. 
Silver & Black
Footballguy
You may have started too soon. Martin has pushed back the release date for A Feast For Crows about a dozen times. I have no idea when the heck it will actually come out.Great series though.I just started rereading Song of Ice and Fire in anticipation of the release of A Feast of Crows. It's good.