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833 ratings | 576 reviews | avg rating:4.95

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Philip Athans has read 29 of 60 books.

48%

Philip Athans

Goodreads Author

Born

in Rochester, NY, The United States

Website

http://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com/

Twitter

PhilAthans

Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror, Literature & Fiction

Influences

Harlan Ellison, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Iain M. Banks, ...more

Member Since

January 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/philathans

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I 100% support AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS
https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com

I give every book 5 stars in protest against the concept of star ratings in general and the ever-unfolding algorithm dystopia!

Philip Athans, an anti-AI, anti-book bans liberal, is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting (www.athansassociates.com), and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook Vol. I 2009-2013, The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Writing Monsters. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Auth ...more

814 posts
Philip Athans's Blog

READING MAKES YOU LIVE LONGER

In honor of next Monday being my sixty-second birthday, get this…

A recent Yale study indicates that individuals who read books may experience a 20 percent reduction in mortality risk over a ten-year period compared to non-readers, highlighting the potential health benefits of reading.

You heard it. Reading books makes you live longer than people who don’t read books.

I saw this and was a

Combine Editions
Philip Athans’s books

Average rating: 3.87 · 19,181 ratings · 735 reviews · 54 distinct works • Similar authors

	Annihilation (Forgotten Realms: War of the Spider Queen, #5) 4.11 avg rating — 8,242 ratings — published 2004 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Reader's Guide to R.A. Salvatore's The Legend of Drizzt 4.45 avg rating — 1,600 ratings — published 2008 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Baldur's Gate (Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate, #1) 2.72 avg rating — 1,369 ratings — published 1998 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction: 6 Steps to Writing and Publishing Your Bestseller! by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author), R.A. Salvatore 3.89 avg rating — 735 ratings — published 2010 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of the Dragons (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #9) by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Jess Lebow (Contributor), R.A. Salvatore (Contributor) 3.80 avg rating — 553 ratings — published 2004 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of Mystery (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #6) by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Mary H. Herbert (Contributor), Stan Brown (Contributor) 3.63 avg rating — 538 ratings — published 1998 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of the Elves (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #11) 3.84 avg rating — 479 ratings — published 2006 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate, #2) 2.71 avg rating — 619 ratings — published 2000 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing Monsters: How to Craft Believably Terrifying Creatures to Enhance Your Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author), The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (Foreword) 3.97 avg rating — 395 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of the Deep (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #7) 3.50 avg rating — 323 ratings — published 1999 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Philip Athans…

Series by Philip Athans

Dungeons & Dragons (1 book)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

4.11 avg rating — 8,242 ratings

Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate (3 books)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

2.77 avg rating — 2,466 ratings

Forgotten Realms: Watercourse (3 books)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

3.55 avg rating — 645 ratings

The Fathomless Abyss (5 books)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

3.58 avg rating — 19 ratings

Philip is Currently Reading

Philip Athans is currently reading

American Isis: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath

by Carl Rollyson (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 31, 2026 09:04AM

Philip Athans is currently reading

Jirel of Joiry

by C.L. Moore

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 21, 2026 10:16AM

Philip Athans is currently reading

Hainish Novels & Stories, Vol. 1: Rocannon’s World / Planet of Exile / City of Illusions / The Left Hand of Darkness / The Dispossessed / Stories

by Ursula K. Le Guin

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 21, 2026 09:11AM

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Philip’s Recent Updates

Philip Athans wrote a new blog post READING MAKES YOU LIVE LONGER In honor of next Monday being my sixty-second birthday, get this… A recent Yale study indicates that individuals who read books may experience a 20 p Read more of this blog post »
14 hours, 57 min ago · like
Philip Athans made a comment in the group Fantasy Author's Handbook — FAH: The Blog topic " "A recent Yale study indicates that individuals who read books may experience a 20 percent reduction in mortality risk over a ten-year period compared ...more "
Sep 01, 2026 01:45PM
Philip Athans made a comment in the group Fantasy Author's Handbook — September 2026 Group Read topic " Okay, everyone, I have my copy of 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round on its way from the library ...more "
Sep 01, 2026 08:31AM
Philip Athans is currently reading American Isis: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath by Carl Rollyson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 31, 2026 09:04AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of American Isis by Carl Rollyson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — American Isis by Carl Rollyson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Philip Athans rated a book it was amazing Harvard Classics, Vol. 3: Essays, Civil and Moral / The New Atlantis / Areopagitica / Tractate on Education / Religio Medici by Francis Bacon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I really connected with the essays of Francis Bacon, and read with some interest his proto-SF info dump "The New Atlantis," but could not get past Milton's incessant bowing and scraping, nor Browne's wildly, almost comically antisemitic bullshit. So, ...more
Aug 31, 2026 08:57AM · like · see review
Philip Athans is on page 304 of 332 of Harvard Classics, Vol. 3: Thomas Browne’s Religio Medici is so wildly and unashamedly antisemitic it descends into what feels like self-parody but is in fact simply deplorable. Why am I continuing to read this meandering, dogmatic spasm of superstition and xenophobia? Harvard Classics, Vol. 3: Essays, Civil and Moral / The New Atlantis / Areopagitica / Tractate on Education / Religio Medici by Francis Bacon progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 31, 2026 03:15AM · like · see status
Philip Athans voted on a poll in the group Beyond Reality Final Poll November 2026 SciFi BOTM He voted for: Northwest of Earth Northwest of Earth ...more
Aug 26, 2026 09:05AM · like · take the poll
Philip Athans made a comment on his review of Jirel of Joiry " Correction: the second story is entitled "Black God's Shadow." ...more "
Aug 25, 2026 09:28AM · see review
Philip Athans entered a giveaway Silent Nightmares: Haunting Stories to Be Told on the Longest Night of the Year by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author) 20 copies available, ends on September 08, 2026 Enter to win »
Aug 24, 2026 05:24AM · like · see giveaway
Philip Athans is currently reading Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 21, 2026 10:16AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Philip's books…

Quotes by Philip Athans (?)

“Upon the one thing every writer absolutely must have, and that is intellectual curiosity.”
― Phillip Athans, R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen, Volume II: Extinction, Annihilation, Resurrection

tags: adivce, curiosity, intellect, writers, writing-advice

5 likes

“Stupid foes were easy to defeat and angry foes even easier. Mix the two together, though, and you’re in for a fight.”
― Philip Athans, Annihilation

2 likes

“A religion without followers is just a weird guy with strange ideas.”
― Philip Athans, How to Start Your Own Religion: Form a Church, Gain Followers, Become Tax-Exempt, and Sway the Minds of Millions in Five Easy Steps

2 likes

See all Philip Athans's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Riyria Revela...: Fantasy Writers Helping Victims of Hurricane Sandy	2	18	Jan 12, 2013 07:27AM
Fantasy Book Club: Triumph Over Tragedy - an anthology to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy	2	22	Jan 12, 2013 07:29AM
The Sword and Laser: Fantasy Writers Helping Victims of Hurricane Sandy	1	32	Jan 12, 2013 07:54AM
The Riyria Revela...: New Release: Triumph Over Tragedy to Benefit Hurricane Sandy Victims	3	26	Jan 13, 2013 08:08AM
Retro Chapter Chi...: Stay Bookish: Everything & Anything Bookish or Historical 2024	20	15	Sep 04, 2024 07:04AM

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Philip’s Quotes

“You only go around once, but if you play your cards right, once is enough.”
― Frank Sinatra

50 likes

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero

tags: attributed-no-source, books, simile, soul

136169 likes

Philip’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-4) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 4: by Philip

Oct 07, 2011 08:27AM

Elaina wrote: "Thanks for accepting my friend request! As an aspiring fantasy author, I try to learn from other fantasy authors and their writings =]"

ME TOO!

reply | flag

message 3: by Elaina

Jul 15, 2011 08:19AM

Thanks for accepting my friend request! As an aspiring fantasy author, I try to learn from other fantasy authors and their writings =]

reply | flag

message 2: by Philip

Mar 02, 2011 05:51PM

Kevin wrote: "Hey I just got The Collected Stories of Drizzt, can't wait to read it, not as much as the third book in Neverwind Trilogy, Icewind, hope it is going to be good."

ENJOY!

reply | flag

message 1: by Kevin

Mar 02, 2011 04:48PM

Hey I just got The Collected Stories of Drizzt, can't wait to read it, not as much as the third book in Neverwind Trilogy, Icewind, hope it is going to be good.

reply | flag

Philip Athans’s Followers (247)

Philip Athans

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