Fantasy Aficionados discussion

This question rises occasionally, and I always find it difficult to answer. For me my favorites change, often with what I'm reading. If I were to choose just one writer, I have to go with Caitlin R. Kiernan. One reason is because she is one author who knows how to frighten you with her dark fantasy. She has a great grasp on using the unknown in her work, which almost always sets my skin to crawl. Another reason is because not one of her books have been a let down for me. I've loved every single novel she's written.

I can't say that about any other writer.

Do you have a favorite? Who is it?

a difficult question! i think the parameters i will use will be the largest number of books read that i've thought were 4 or 5 star material. in a way, this means i won't be able to pick an author who's written what i've considered a perfect novel/s (like, say, Gormenghast or His Dark Materials or Little, Big) and would have to look at an author's overall body of work instead, and concentrate on amount + quality instead of just quality.

fantasy - michael moorcock
science fiction - philip k dick
horror - robert aickman
queer fiction - edmund white
mystery - ruth rendall
literary fiction - joyce carol oates
classic - e.f. benson

I love philip K. Dick's work, too! His fiction was so far out there, sometimes, that you could practically taste the psychedelics. LOL

I always cringe over questions like this - there are so many I that I'm head over heels in love with! So, I think of it like this; if I could have only one author's library of work to keep me company on a desert island or 50 year long trip to Mars, who would it be?

Guy Gavriel Kay

Yeah, it's almost an impossible question to answer for us avid readers.

Anne Stuart is my all-time favorite author. I think she has a very distinct way with words. I am a fan of romance, and she writes romance with a dark edge that I find irresistible.

I have to agree and second you on Caitlin R Kiernan Jason I've never disliked anything by her.

Of all the authors I love, and we're talking about some highly regarded authors here, she is the only one of whom I like everything I've read. It's a very rare thing.

@ Lady Danielle. My, um, uh...*cough cough*... wife might be interested in checking out Anne Stuart. Do you have any recomendations on where to start?

I think my favorite author is R.A.Salvatore. I'm kind of an adrenaline junky and Salvatores' books fit the bill!

Hi, Jason. She might like the Ice series books. The heroes are pretty hard core anti-heroes.

I tried, I can't settle on one. Is there any wiggle room here, like my favorite fiction, favorite epic fantasy, favorite urban fantasy, favorite high fantasy....etc.?

:)

Thanks Lady D!

Mike, how about one for each?

Hard...I didn't want to cheat.

Harper Lee, J.R.R.Tolkien, Jim Butcher, Elizabeth Moon, C.S.Lewis....several more. It's so hard to narrow it down.

Agreed! I have so many favorites, it is indeed hard to narrow down. It's fun to think about sometimes, though. :)

YW, Jason!

I can't recomend her enough. She's not for everyone, though, but I'm sure you'll like her. If you're looking for a suggestion on where to start, I'd go with The Red Tree. More a ghost story, but it's really well done.

Robin Hobb is a good author. I like her work a lot, too!

Isaac Asimov is a really good author. I loves his books, especially and

Just like potato chips, I can't have just one. How about some of my favorite authors?

Marion Zimmer Bradley, Manda Scott, Isaac Asimov, Terry Brooks, Guy Gavriel Kay, Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, Dean Koontz, Andre Norton, Roger Zelazny, Patrick Rothfuss

For me, it's got to be George RR Martin. Was blown away when I first read A Game of Thrones and have since read the book (and A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords ) three times each, enjoying them over and over again.

I can't go past Robin Hobb since I credit her with introducing me to the world of Fantasy and I admit to using her books as a standard for everything else that I read.

Weenie, I'm currently reading A Game of Thrones. Love it! I should have added Martin to my list, he's deserves to be there.

It's so hard to only pick one or a few... I'll have to go with these for now, though:

J.R.R. Tolkien - the REASON I got into Fantasy in the first place
J.K. Rowling - her books = my obsession
Sherwood Smith - the first non-Tolkien fantasy I read was by her, it is now very beat up and the cover is taped together
Samantha Bruce-Benjamin - she only has one book out currently, but it was so beautifully written and I could not stop reading it once I started, so I hope to be able to read many more from her in the future
Bill Bryson - I've read two of his books and own several more; I can't remember laughing harder at anything in my life
Harper Lee - TKaM is one of my favorite books of all time

Caity wrote: "J.R.R. Tolkien - the REASON I got into Fantasy in the first place
J.K. Rowling - her books = my obsession"

I totally agree!

Some awesome authors being mentioned here. George R. R. Martin is very close to being my all-time favorite, as well as J. R. R. Tolkien.

My favorite author depends on my mood. If I want humorous and fast paced then Jim Butcher is fav hands down. However, if I'm in the mood for depth and darkness then George R.R. Martin is as good as they get. Those are definitely two of my very favorite authors, however, if I had to choose one author that I held in highest esteem I'd have to stick with my choice for the past year and half. Patrick Rothfuss. He's only had the debut novel, but sweet Lord, what a novel. Hands down, the finest piece of fantasy I've read. On top of that, Patrick is so accessible to his fans and just a fun person in general. Impossible not to love him. I couldn't recommend Name of the Wind strongly enough.

Based on Laurel's criteria (what author's work to take on a 50 year trip to Mars?) I would have to say J.R.R Tolkien. Primarily because his library of work is massive, complex, superb and could keep me occupied for 50 years.

As for my favourite for the moment, Patrick Rothfuss. Not only because of his phenomenal book, The Name of the Wind, but also because his website/blog is hilarious. And you've just got to love a guy who names his son Oot.

Wow, quite a tough question. I've always loved Trudi Canavan as well as Anthony Horowitz, Stephen R. Lawhead and J.R.R Tolkien. Wouldn't say no to Mark Chadbourn or Matthew Sturges.

My absolute favorite author is Robin Hobb, hands down. There are a lot of close seconds... But I'll always ♥ Hobb.

I am new to fantasy, if I were to read something by Robin Hobb, where should I start?

Definitely Assassin's Apprentice, it's the first book in her Farseer Trilogy. Highly recommended.

Thanks. I've been seeing Robin Hobb's name as a fav in this group, so I think I will give it a try. So only three books in this series, definitely doable. I get tired of the longer series.

If you like the Farseer series, there are two more trilogies and a duology in the story. But each set of books has it's own resolution, so you can stop anytime. After Farseer, if you like it, you could move on to the Liveship Traders trilogy, then the Tawny Man trilogy, and then the Rain Wild Chronicles duology.

Wow! Thanks for the recommendations. There are lots to choose from now.

It would have to be a tie between Robin Hobb and George R R Martin. George will become my favorite, if he ever finishes his series. Which it doesn't seem like he will be doing anytime soon.

I love George R.R. Martin. I have read the 1st two books in the series. I am kind of stretching it out because it has been so long since he worked on it. I was hoping with the HBO series, he would be inspired to finish it, but I guess not?

I would have to say Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton. Mercedes Lackey made me fall in love with Fantasy, so I have to count her.

You should read the third book, it's my favorite of the four books. He has previously given release dates but since he never finished it, he has said that he won't give another release date for the fifth book, before it's completely finished. It has taken over five years now.

My favorite author (definitely in fantasy, possibly overall but I really can't nail that down to just one) is Juliet Marillier. I have read every single one of her books and there wasn't one that I was disappointed in.

Never heard of Juliet Marillier. I might have to have a look. Thanks for the heads up :D

You're welcome! :) I'm always trying to get people to read her books. Start with Daughter of the Forest. I really should be getting a little money for all the promotion I do for her haha

I took a look at the books she has written. Wolfskin looked quite good and I liked the look of Daughter of the Forest too :)

Laura wrote: "I took a look at the books she has written. Wolfskin looked quite good and I liked the look of Daughter of the Forest too :)"

I have to say I have some concerns about rape in her book. I have a hard limit at rape.

Marillier's books are beautifully written, with lovely, complete and satisfying stories. She generally focuses on women's issues (a breath of fresh air) and her heroines are not mannish hussies in armor - quite the contrary, they exemplify female strength. I love her work for that.

Mrs Joseph, try her standalone Heart's Blood and see if this author does not win your heart.

I liked Foxmask and Wolfskin - they were gorgeous books, issues in that duology were a little bit edgier, but where the story goes in the final lap was tranformational - this is not the 'standard' handling seen in most fantasy. Marillier's approach to violence gives rise to compassion.

I don't think of her works in the same vein as others in this regard - not at all.

If you want beautiful fantasy that does not cross the line into violence, rely on Patricia McKillip.

Hmm, violence I'm ok with (Love some Sword & Sorcery) but I have a hard stop limit with rape in particular, especially if it is described. Even when reading Deerskin by Robin McKinley, I was really grossed out and turned off by the rape. Other people find Deerskin to be their favorite book (that's how I read it) but I could never read it again.

"mannish hussies in armor" !! LOL!

I'm reading a "mannish hussy in armor" right now. :) By the Sword (Kerowyn's Tale) is a really good story to me. Kerowyn is hard nosed and takes no prisoners, but I love her no-nonsense ways. You *might* like Kushiel's Dart - Phedre is nothing like a man, but she IS a prostitute.

MrsJoseph - I'm the same way with rape scenes. I will close a book and stop reading if it's too graphic. But the scene in Daughter of the Forest is very vague. She definitely does not go into detail. It's more about the aftermath that the character deals with, but it also never becomes a "rape book" where it focuses mostly on that. Give it a try, it's definitely not as bad as a lot of reviews on goodreads say it is.

If you don't want to try it, go with the books Janney said or try The Dark Mirror - it's the first book in another of her trilogies that I loved, but it can also work as a stand alone.

MrsJoseph wrote: ""mannish hussies in armor" !! LOL!

I'm reading a "mannish hussy in armor" right now. :) By the Sword (Kerowyn's Tale) is a really good story to me. Kerowyn is hard nosed and takes..."

I have read very widely; thanks for the kindly meant recommendation. I am one that survived the read through Donaldson. I DID NOT LIKE that scene, quite the ghastly contrary. To credit the author (I will not spoil the story) - there was a point made BY that scene, with regard to the main character: to him NOTHING about The Land was real; this was his ultimate 'proof of denial'/that what was before him was 'too good to be true' - an ugly pschopathic backlash to his sick state of mental agony - I finished that series out of sheer rage at the author, for what he had put the reader through.

And on the very last page of the second trilogy, I learned something profound. It did not 'forgive' what had occurred; the behavior and the cruelty were past question unconscionable.

Understanding is sometimes dearly bought. True compassion cannot be achieved without it.

Quite rightly, each reader discerns for themselves with regard to choosing their preferences in reading material. One of the aspects of STORY is that it is a way to explore the our human mythscape of beliefs and misperceptions. Thought provoking deeper thought.

It is gratuitous violence with no deeper aspect of STORY to it that I find tedious.

I too have many favorites...and it does depend on my mood..
I tend to be a fanatic for Epic FAntasy, and I loved GRR Martin for the longest time until it became clear his writer's block is going to be a huge problem. I got into Robert Jordan Wheel of time instead, but his over-detailed style keeps him farther down on the list for me.
But hands down my absolute favorite for Epic FAntasy is Steven Erikson-just can not get enough. I know there is a big debate re Martin v Erikson, but Erikson wins for me.

For Urban Fantasy, it has to be Butcher's Dresden series...sharp and witty, full of action.
I liked Joe Abercrombie as well.
There are a lot of books on this list I haven't read...I will need to increase my TBR again!