OT: Good fantasy books???
Pippen
a good fantasy novel. I'm currently waiting for George R. R. Martin to
finish his next book A_Feast_For_Crows. Anybody have a recommendation for a
good fantasy book/series?
Thanks,
-p
jere7my tho?rpe
"Pippen" <1...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Guy Gavriel Kay, _Tigana_ and The Sarantine Mosaic.
Gene Wolfe, _The Book[s] of the New Sun_ and _Long Sun_ and _Short Sun_.
China Mieville, _Perdido Street Station_ and _The Scar_.
Sean Stewart, _Galveston_ and _Perfect Circle_.
Tim Powers, _Last Call_.
Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series (beginning with _Jhereg_).
Emma Bull, _The War for the Oaks_.
Stephen R. Donaldson, the Mordant's Need books.
John Crowley, _Little, Big_.
James Morrow, _Towing Jehovah_.
That covers a wide spectrum of fantasy styles, and mostly among my
favorite books.
----j7y
--
jere7my tho?rpe "Clever stratagems are quite beyond my
734-769-0913 powers, but if it is rank foolishness
jer...@yahoo.com you require, I have no end of it."
http://www.livejournal.com/~jere7my Jack Shaftoe, _The Confusion_
Chelsea Christenson
> In article <ehcUc.306782$JR4.155323@attbi_s54>,
> "Pippen" <1...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>I'm asking the question here because I'm assuming everyone here appreciates
>>a good fantasy novel. I'm currently waiting for George R. R. Martin to
>>finish his next book A_Feast_For_Crows. Anybody have a recommendation for a
>>good fantasy book/series?
I second the recommendations for Kay, Bull and Brust (I also love his
Phoenix Guard novels, although as a pastiche of Dumas, they're a bit
wordy for modern tastes). I find myself re-reading Ru Emerson's _The
Princess of the Flames_ with some regularity. For something completely
different, there's Barbara Hambly's _Bride of the Rat God_ (set in
Hollywood in the silent movie era), or you can try her Dragonslayer
series for something more traditional. If you can find them, _The
Leopard's Daughter_ by Lee Killough and _The Jaguar Princess_ by Clare
Bell offer fantasy in unusual settings (Africa and the Aztec empire,
respectively). And I'm very fond of Patricia McKillip (the RiddleMaster
of Hed is her signature series; most of her other books are like fairy
tales that should have been).
Jim Deutch
JRR Tolkien: _The Lord of the Rings_
ER Eddison: _The Worm Ouroboros_, _Mistress of Mistresses_, etc.
Ursula K. LeGuin: _A Wizard of Earthsea_, _The Tombs of Atuan_, _The
Farthest Shore_, _Tehanu_, _The Other Wind_
Mark Helprin: _Winter's Tale_
Phillip Pullman: _Northern Lights_ (aka _The Golden Compass_), _The
Subtle Knife_, _The Amber Spyglass_
Terry Pratchett: Lots of Discworld books: I recommend starting with
_Small Gods_
Jim Deutch (Jimbo the Cat)
--
Barad-dūr MUST rise again, at least as tall as before...or Frodo has
triumphed. -- Flame of the West
Shanahan
> In article <ehcUc.306782$JR4.155323@attbi_s54>,
> "Pippen" <1...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm asking the question here because I'm assuming everyone here
>> appreciates a good fantasy novel. I'm currently waiting for
>> George R. R. Martin to finish his next book A_Feast_For_Crows.
>> Anybody have a recommendation for a good fantasy book/series?
>
> Guy Gavriel Kay, _Tigana_ and The Sarantine Mosaic.
I also like the Fionavar Tapestry books, but they're very
derivative of JRRT.
> Tim Powers, _Last Call_.
Also _The Stress of Her Regard_.
> Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series (beginning with _Jhereg_).
> Emma Bull, _The War for the Oaks_.
Hear, hear! Bull's _Bone Dance_ and _Falcon_ are also great.
> That covers a wide spectrum of fantasy styles, and mostly among
> my favorite books.
Good taste! <g> I'd also add, anything by Charles de Lint, esp.
_Greenmantle_ and _Jack the Giant Killer_.
Ciaran S.
--
We are the origins of war. Not history's forces
nor the times nor justice nor the lack of it
nor causes nor religions nor ideas nor kinds of government
nor any other thing. We are the killers; we breed war.
We carry it, like syphilis, inside.
Dead bodies rot in field and stream because the living ones are
rotten.
For the love of God, can't we love one another just a little?
That's how peace begins. We have so much to
love each other for. We have such possibilities, my children;
we could change the world."
- Eleanor of Aquitane, _Lion in Winter_
Shanahan
> On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 00:26:50 GMT, "Pippen" <1...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I'm asking the question here because I'm assuming everyone here
>> appreciates a good fantasy novel. I'm currently waiting for
>> George R. R. Martin to finish his next book A_Feast_For_Crows.
>> Anybody have a recommendation for a good fantasy book/series?
>
I LOVE that book. One of the most beautifully-written pieces of lit
I've ever read. Altho, I'd tend to classify it as 'magical
realism' rather than 'fantasy'. Hmm...is there a difference? Well
anyway, it's a marvellous book.
--
Hobbits! No report that I have heard does justice to the truth.
Matthew Crouch
Apologies to anyone who saw the same post in a.f.t, but he asked, so
Chelsea Christenson
> jere7my tho?rpe <jere...@oberlin.net> declared:
>
>>Guy Gavriel Kay, _Tigana_ and The Sarantine Mosaic.
>
>
> I also like the Fionavar Tapestry books, but they're very
> derivative of JRRT.
Is anything with elves not considered derivative of JRRT? The Fionavar
Tapestry is more recognizably derivative of Welsh mythology and the
Arthurian legends.
stealth...@-remove-yahoo.com
Cherryh's Tree of Swords and Jewels stands in its own right, although
it has the aspect of fading, but since it is about solitary elves, a
very different feel to it.
Lord Dunsany's Queen of Elfland's Daughter predates JJRT and is, in
some ways, better (IMO).
--
"But I should actually answer: I do not care."
Letter 153
Steuard Jensen
<cg0e1...@enews4.newsguy.com>:
> Jim Deutch <10313...@compuserve.com> gave the example:
> > Mark Helprin: _Winter's Tale_
> Altho, I'd tend to classify it as 'magical realism' rather than
> 'fantasy'. Hmm...is there a difference?
The biggest difference that I've seen is that "magical realism" gets a
great deal of respect as fine literature, while "fantasy" gets
essentially none. (Well, okay, that's not really true, but it's
close.) Gene Wolfe apparently defined it by saying that "Magical
Realism is Fantasy written in Spanish."
I've pondered the difference a number of times in the past, but I
really haven't read enough magical realism to feel confident making
strong statements about what characterizes it. I've seen some people
suggest that magical realism differs from fantasy in that the former
makes some "supernatural" elements an intrinsic part of the world
described; others suggest that the difference is that the "unreality"
in magical realism (unlike that in fantasy) is whimsical and has no
consistent rules. To my mind, those definitions are mutually
inconsistent, almost opposites, but what do I know? :)
In the end, I think that there probably _is_ a difference between
fantasy and magical realism, but I don't think it's an either/or
distinction. There are some stories that are clearly one or the
other, but a lot of things fall somewhere in the middle.
Steuard Jensen
Shanahan
typed:
Yes, that's one reason I like the Fionavar books. Kay seems to
have more respect for Welsh/Irish mythology than Tolkien did. That
trilogy is a very emotional read! But I like Kay's _Tigana_ even
better.
Ciaran S.
--
Tim, Tim Benzedrine!
Hash! Boo! Valvoline!
First, second, neutral, park
Hie thee hence, you leafy narc!
-BotR
Shanahan
> Quoth " Shanahan" <pog...@bluefrog.com> in article
> <cg0e1...@enews4.newsguy.com>:
>> Jim Deutch <10313...@compuserve.com> gave the example:
>>> Mark Helprin: _Winter's Tale_
>
>> Altho, I'd tend to classify it as 'magical realism' rather than
>> 'fantasy'. Hmm...is there a difference?
>
> The biggest difference that I've seen is that "magical realism"
> gets a great deal of respect as fine literature, while "fantasy"
> gets essentially none. (Well, okay, that's not really true, but
> it's close.) Gene Wolfe apparently defined it by saying that
> "Magical Realism is Fantasy written in Spanish."
ROFL!
> I've pondered the difference a number of times in the past, but I
> really haven't read enough magical realism to feel confident
> making strong statements about what characterizes it. I've seen
> some people suggest that magical realism differs from fantasy in
> that the former makes some "supernatural" elements an intrinsic
> part of the world described; others suggest that the difference
> is that the "unreality" in magical realism (unlike that in
> fantasy) is whimsical and has no consistent rules. To my mind,
> those definitions are mutually inconsistent, almost opposites,
> but what do I know? :)
I haven't read any m.r. except Marquez, but I tend to think of it
as "some magical stuff happening in the 'real world'". Whereas
fantasy creates an alternate world.
> In the end, I think that there probably _is_ a difference between
> fantasy and magical realism, but I don't think it's an either/or
> distinction. There are some stories that are clearly one or the
> other, but a lot of things fall somewhere in the middle.
But yes, I'd have to agree with that. There is no hard
distinction. De Lint's stuff, for example, has to be placed
somewhere in the middle.
Ciaran S.
--
Oh Lord, bless this Thy holy hand grenade
that with it Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits
in Thy mercy
Dirk Thierbach
> Quoth " Shanahan" <pog...@bluefrog.com> in article
>> Altho, I'd tend to classify it as 'magical realism' rather than
>> 'fantasy'. Hmm...is there a difference?
> In the end, I think that there probably _is_ a difference between
> fantasy and magical realism, but I don't think it's an either/or
> distinction. There are some stories that are clearly one or the
> other, but a lot of things fall somewhere in the middle.
I have never heard the term before. Can you give a few examples of books
that are clearly on the side of 'magical realism'?
- Dirk
Georg Schönegger
most jonathan carroll books (at least the ones i've read)
georg
John Brock
Steuard Jensen <sbje...@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>Quoth " Shanahan" <pog...@bluefrog.com> in article
>> Altho, I'd tend to classify it as 'magical realism' rather than
>> 'fantasy'. Hmm...is there a difference?
>The biggest difference that I've seen is that "magical realism" gets a
>great deal of respect as fine literature, while "fantasy" gets
>essentially none. (Well, okay, that's not really true, but it's
>close.) Gene Wolfe apparently defined it by saying that "Magical
>Realism is Fantasy written in Spanish."
>
>I've pondered the difference a number of times in the past, but I
>really haven't read enough magical realism to feel confident making
>strong statements about what characterizes it. I've seen some people
>suggest that magical realism differs from fantasy in that the former
>makes some "supernatural" elements an intrinsic part of the world
>described; others suggest that the difference is that the "unreality"
>in magical realism (unlike that in fantasy) is whimsical and has no
>consistent rules. To my mind, those definitions are mutually
>inconsistent, almost opposites, but what do I know? :)
>
>In the end, I think that there probably _is_ a difference between
>fantasy and magical realism, but I don't think it's an either/or
>distinction. There are some stories that are clearly one or the
>other, but a lot of things fall somewhere in the middle.
I'm nowhere near an expert on this, but my sense is that in works
of "fantasy" magic is meant to be taken very literally, as part of
the physics of the fantasy world, while in "magical realism" the
magic is more dreamlike and metaphorical, and its significance lies
mainly in what it evokes in the mind of the reader, rather than
its impact on the story's characters and plot.
--
John Brock
jbr...@panix.com
Chelsea Christenson
> Yes, that's one reason I like the Fionavar books. Kay seems to
> have more respect for Welsh/Irish mythology than Tolkien did. That
> trilogy is a very emotional read! But I like Kay's _Tigana_ even
> better.
I've enjoyed all his books, but there's a lot of sadness in them.
Tigana, A Song for Arbonne, The Lions of Al-Rassan -- there's always a
strong element of something beautiful passing from the world.
Chelsea Christenson
> I'm nowhere near an expert on this, but my sense is that in works
> of "fantasy" magic is meant to be taken very literally, as part of
> the physics of the fantasy world, while in "magical realism" the
> magic is more dreamlike and metaphorical, and its significance lies
> mainly in what it evokes in the mind of the reader, rather than
> its impact on the story's characters and plot.
I recently re-read Megan Lindholm's "Wizard of the Pigeons," which
decided that it was a fantasy but allows the reader to wonder if it's
magic realism. (The story is told from the point of view of the Wizard,
who is a homeless Vietnam vet in Seattle, so I think it's fair to say
that the reader is supposed to wonder about his credibility.)
Wade and April
"Dirk Thierbach" wrote:
> Steuard Jensen wrote:
>
> > In the end, I think that there probably _is_ a difference between
> > fantasy and magical realism, but I don't think it's an either/or
> > distinction. There are some stories that are clearly one or the
> > other, but a lot of things fall somewhere in the middle.
>
> I have never heard the term before. Can you give a few examples of books
> that are clearly on the side of 'magical realism'?
>
> - Dirk
>
The classic that folk usually refer to in the realm of magical realism is
Gabriel Garcia-Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude." Another one is
Spanish would be Isabel Allende's "The House of the Spirits." In the
English language a couple famous examples are Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's
Children" and (perhaps) Toni Morrison's "Beloved." My guess about the
difference is that in a fantasy story magic and the supernatural are
accepted in a way they are not in a magic realism story. The magic in in
Garcia-Marquez or Rushdie is usually taken to be extraordinary exceptions to
the way the world usually works and is met with astonishment by the
characters in the story. In fantasy novels, like LOTR, the characters may
be in awe of someone like Gandalf, but no one seems all that shocked that he
can do what he does. In the fantasy novel the magical events don't
generally challenge the world view of characters whereas in magical realism
they often do. In magic realism the magic is usually a symbolic centerpiece
in a way it is not in fantasy. That is what I think off the top of my head,
at least.
Wade
Hope
>From: 10313...@compuserve.com (Jim Deutch)
>Date: 18/08/2004 13:49 GMT Daylight Time
>Message-id: <41234f01...@news.compuserve.com>
>
>On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 00:26:50 GMT, "Pippen" <1...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I'm asking the question here because I'm assuming everyone here appreciates
>>a good fantasy novel. I'm currently waiting for George R. R. Martin to
>>finish his next book A_Feast_For_Crows. Anybody have a recommendation for a
>>good fantasy book/series?
>
>JRR Tolkien: _The Lord of the Rings_
>ER Eddison: _The Worm Ouroboros_, _Mistress of Mistresses_, etc.
>Ursula K. LeGuin: _A Wizard of Earthsea_, _The Tombs of Atuan_, _The
>Farthest Shore_, _Tehanu_, _The Other Wind_
>Mark Helprin: _Winter's Tale_
>Phillip Pullman: _Northern Lights_ (aka _The Golden Compass_), _The
>Subtle Knife_, _The Amber Spyglass_
>Terry Pratchett: Lots of Discworld books: I recommend starting with
>_Small Gods_
>
Iain M Banks: Inversions
Kim Newman: Annon Dracula (and sequels)
Kim Stanley Robinson: The Years of Rice and Salt.
Joan Aitken: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Mercedes Lackey: SERRAted(sic) edge series.
Hope
>Date: 21/08/2004 18:55 GMT Daylight Time
>Message-id: <20040821135536...@mb-m26.aol.com>
Damn I forgot to add
Mark Chadbourn's Age of Misrule and New dark age series as well as Language of
Stones by Robert Carter, and Brial Lumley's Hero of Dreams novels and maybe is
other Mythos books (although not the Necroscope series, which is a little dated
and silly now)
Chelsea Christenson
> Mercedes Lackey: SERRAted(sic) edge series.
I find myself very suspicious of anyone who publishes that much that fast.
Eric Root
the same genre as _Little, Big_.
Shanahan
> Dirk Thierbach wrote:
<snip>
>> I have never heard the term before. Can you give a few examples
>> of books that are clearly on the side of 'magical realism'?
>>
> Tale_ is in the same genre as _Little, Big_.
Definitely. And both good books and satisfyingly lengthy to curl
up with.
Ciaran S.
--
"Much human ingenuity has gone into finding the ultimate Before.
The current state of knowledge can be summarized thus:
In the beginning, there was nothing, which exploded.
- t. pratchett
williemeikle
the King, The Battle for the Throne and Culloden!) retells the 1745
Jacobite rebellion with Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the whole Scottish
highland army, as vampires. Fantasy fans with a penchant for vamps all
seem to love it, as do vamp fans with a penchant for historical
backgrounds.
William Meikle
http://www.willie.meikle.btinternet.co.uk
AC
After being something of a jerk to him on RABT and AFT a few years ago,
I borrowed the books from my local library, and found them immensely
enjoyable.
--
Aaron Clausen
mightym...@hotmail.com
Öjevind Lång
news:34bibmF...@individual.net...
> Might I recommend Michael Scott Rohan's Winter of the World series.
They are very good indeed.
Öjevind