Best Fantasy Novels

[CyberGnu]

BTW, Boshko, just sent you an ICQ. Are you on ICQ these days?

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Wraith
--"I also liked Moorcock's Corum series a lot."

Haven't read these, but if they're anything like his Elric series I'm going to need to do it sooner or later.

I havent read them in a while and tastes change, but I'd recommend all of Moorcocks stuff.

--"Terry Brooks's original Shannara series."

Eh. Those were good, upon a time. I've reread them fairly recently and didn't enjoy them near as much.

I never got further than the first (rip off of LOTR)

--"the best ='Swords' series by Fritz Lieber"

Cool, someone else has read The Book of Swords. Those are pretty good, and at one time I had the poem about the swords memorized.

Best comic fantasy around. Not the only, but the best.
Although if you like a darker touch to your comedy, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series has it beat.

Hes talking about Fritz Leiber, You're talking about Saberhagen then Leiber

The book that pre-dates the books of swords and the books of lost swords is also good The Empire of the East.

[Zkribbler]

The series that simultaneously occupied the Nos. 1, 2 & 3 positions on the N.Y. Times best sellers' list:

Harry Potter

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
The series that simultaneously occupied the Nos. 1, 2 & 3 positions on the N.Y. Times best sellers' list:

Harry Potter

How old are you? I'm 33 and can't imagine even reading one of them!
However, if my kids want the video they will get it......and I'll watch it too.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Tuberski, stop being an agist snob .

I'm 22 and I have 1, 2, and 3... and bought 4 for my g/f. We both LOVE the Harry Potter series. I'm 22 (today) and she is 23.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Tuberski
How old are you? I'm 33 and can't imagine even reading one of them!

Well, if you don't want to have fun, I can't make you.l But I know several adults who have read them, and they have all raved about them.

(Caveat: They all start slowly. The stories don't really take off until Harry gets to school.)

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by SpencerH

Hes talking about Fritz Leiber, You're talking about Saberhagen then Leiber
.

yeah, sorry about the confusion, i DID wonder?, still though, Mouser and Fafhrd has got to make for a top film?

[Boris Godunov]

Harry Potter is mindless fluff. But so is most fantasy, but I don't care for most of that, either.

However, I do like the argument that Potter subliminally encourages elitism and racism. It's rather fascististic in its outlook. Probably not intentionally so.

[Zkribbler]

Huh? The elitists are the bad guys in Slitherin. Harry is a friend to the mud bloods.

[ranskaldan]

Harry Potter is anything but elitist, especially considering how it spends three books demonising elitists and racists.
(and oh yes, the plot and language of Harry Potter is a LOT better than most of the fantasy out there.)

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's kinda interesting too. If you read all 4, you were like, whoa... 10 year olds are reading this? It gets really (and I mean, really) dark at the end of the 4th book. And many, many pages as well for children of that age.

I consider it fine writing, and I think I'll read them all over again .

[Boris Godunov]

Elitism: magic users attitudes to non-magic users

Fascism: Well, how about that lightning symbol...

As I said, purely unintentional.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Elitism: magic users attitudes to non-magic users

Ah, but you said it encourages it. The elitism is fought against by Harry all the time. The main evil dude is the elitist. Unless you say people want to be like the evil guys .

Fascism: Well, how about that lightning symbol...

Are you trolling again?

[ranskaldan]

Imran:
i totally agree. At book 4 it began to get disturbing, and I seriously began to wonder about the next three books. I mean at this rate, they probably wouldn't be suitable for 10-year-old kids any more.
As I said, the plot, language and characterization in HP was a lot better than a lot of "fantasy" out there.

BG:
In the series, it's the bad guys who are typified by disdainful attitudes towards non-magic users.
As for the lightning, let's just say that in HP there's only one bolt, not two.

[Imran Siddiqui]

i totally agree. At book 4 it began to get disturbing, and I seriously began to wonder about the next three books. I mean at this rate, they probably wouldn't be suitable for 10-year-old kids any more.

Book 3 wasn't nice and sweet either (when we find out more about the mass murder of Voldemort, and the truth about Scabbers). Book 2 had a cat hung with blood pouring down.

Not your usual 10 year old fare . And yes, the next three are supposed to get darker. The last one has a 'Where are they now' segment at the end, showing them 10 years after Hogwart (IIRC).