Fantasy Geeks discussion

I read LotRs and practically anything by McCaffrey (not her ship books, though) when I was getting into fantasy. My dad had/has a huge collection of books, mostly fantasy/scifi, so I just would go downstairs and browse for something to read. That's how I found authors like Tad Williams (Dragonbone Chair), Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time), and Terry Brooks (Shannara series).

I began with The Chronicles of Narnia, Black and Blue Magic, A Wrinkle in Time, The Hobbit, LOTR, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series, Anne McCaffrey, Tanith Lee, then onto Sheri S Tepper, Gene Wolfe, then Pratchett, and the list keeps growing...

The Sword of Shannara back in the late 1970s, then I "jumped" to the late 1980s with Dragonlance and David Eddings (Belgariad, Malloreon, Ellenium, one-shots... I still have to buy his last series as I can never find all the books in the same bookstore).
In the 1990s I started writing my own fantasy tales, and never really tackled Tolkien or the Narnia series (although I watched 2 Narnia movies, LOL)...
I also love fantasy illustrators, but that's probably off topic! :-D

I read the Dragonlance books. I'm not sure if I've rated them on GR yet. Many books to catch up with. They were fun, D&D style. In fact, early D&D modules (which I played as a spaced-out teenager, in darkened, smoky rooms) were based on them.

Ooh, one of my old-time favorites is 'The Wolf King' by Ann Turnbull. Something about that book inspired me to really enjoy how a YA fantasy book can transport you to another place.

Jaq wrote: "I think that's what has kept me from giving them priority, I never got into gaming. Most of my friends are gamers and I enjoy an occasional round of MtG, but dungeon games are too involved for me a..."

I wouldn't be interested now, but as a teenager, it was a great escape. :)

Is this the book, Nishi? > The Wolf King

Blast from the past :) I grew up with almost everything mentioned here, especially MZB, McCaffrey, Tepper, Wolfe. Lot of sc-fi too. The Harper of Pern trilogy is prob my all time favorite series, and I love Menolly so much, it inspired me to write about female protagonists.

I grew up reading Harry Potter. It was the first time i realized how great reading really is. I also used to love Roal Dahl and the book called Little Prince

The Little Prince is a classic. Just beautiful. I enjoyed the first four books of HP, haven't read the last two yet. Not sure if I've even rated them on GR. One day when I have more time...

Gulliver's Travels, Alice in wonerland, Robinson Crusoe, Robin Hood andthe Nancy Drew and Hardy boys series are the books I read while I was growing up. Man those were good times

Erec Rex, Percy Jackson and the books of Umber...

I know my mom have these old books from when she was a teenager and the stories are great reads.

Girl, I fell in love with Harry Potter and I read that series when I was in the ninth grade. No one can top this series

They are definitely classics now (HP), and yes, I think it well deserved.

The book that I credit with really starting me on Fantasy was The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. My dad bought the Rankin & Bass Illustrated version and read it to me when I was about 5 and I was hooked from that point on. Some others that I would say helped to build on the foundation of my love of fantasy would be The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, Endless Quest books from TSR, and, later on, Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks.

I was a kid in the 50s. I was awash in bad scifi, cautionary tales about the monsters that nuclear weapons were going to unleash on the world. Fantasy was mostly of the "Brothers Grimm" or "Mother Goose" variety, which didn't appeal to me at all. Then, my enlightened fifth grade teacher (I told somebody 4th grade elsewhere, that was a mistake) opened my eyes to Jules Verne. It probably didn't hurt that all those great old movies based on his books were coming out about the same time: Journey to the Center of the Earth; 20,000 Leagues; Master of the World; the Lost World. I have yet to find anything to compare with a fantasy theme in the hands of a master. Thanks for asking, this is a fun thread...

Georgina wrote: "Jaq wrote: "I think that's what has kept me from giving them priority, I never got into gaming. Most of my friends are gamers and I enjoy an occasional round of MtG, but dungeon games are too invol..."

Yup, that's the book. I guess I need to get on posting links ;)