Best fantasy author

H. Flashman

GRRM?
Jordan?
Hobb?
Tolkien?

Connavar

I would add Raymond E Feist to that list.

Wasn't a fan of Hobb and am on my first Grrm book so I can't say much bout him.

David Gemmell is nice as a light read too

H. Flashman

All you need to know about grrm is the g stands for god

Connavar

I have enjoyed what I have read so far alright and I am only half way through so I'm looking forward to it getting better(Reading a game of thrones atm)

lordgoat

Connavar wrote: »

I have enjoyed what I have read so far alright and I am only half way through so I'm looking forward to it getting better(Reading a game of thrones atm)

Enjoy it cos you're going to be waiting for his next one. Not like feist who drops one every year around Jan or so!

Connavar

lordgoat wrote: »

Enjoy it cos you're going to be waiting for his next one. Not like feist who drops one every year around Jan or so!

Don't worry, I'm a very slow reader and am only on his first so that won't be a problem for me

thebadmonkey

Gemmell, Feist, Dan Abnett, Cornwell

Dades

lordgoat wrote: »

Enjoy it cos you're going to be waiting for his next one. Not like feist who drops one every year around Jan or so!

Barbara Cartland throws them out fairly regularly too.

GRRM has an brilliant anthology Dreamsongs, for those who need more.
All his Sci-fi and Fantasy novellas and short stories, and more.

musiccollab

personally favourites are

Jordan
Goodkind
Tolkien

and i know not fantasy but Ian M Banks knows how to write a book or ten

lordgoat

musiccollab wrote: »

personally favourites are

Jordan
Goodkind
Tolkien

and i know not fantasy but Ian M Banks knows how to write a book or ten

Three authors i would gladly never hear of again. Huge winding series that go nowhere for the first two. Goodkind's personal agendas are amusing in how badly they're done with an unashamed lack of subtlety.

Tolkien doesn't do it for me, long flowerly chapters filled with unnecessary ramble. Like that waster that sings songs chapters at a time. I can't recommend the OP to avoid these three like the plague. The actual plague.

filmfan

Tolkien definitely is top, some chapters in LOTR do ramble but I think that's part of it's charm, as a book I personally don't think it can be topped

looksee

LOTR is an amazing book, especially given the time it was written. It has not dated at all, it could have been written in the last decade. However I have to agree that it does go on a bit, too many characters with several names, and the songs are excess to requirements. I read it many years ago, and enjoyed it, but I have never been able to get through it again.

I'm stuck for something to read at the moment, so yet again I am back to Feist's Magician. I like some of Robin Hobb too, the Liveship Traders is one, though some of the others are a bit endless. Jordon and Goodkind I have tried, but they go on and on....

mav79

Raymond E Fiest and Janny Wurth collaborated on Daughter of the Empire series which i found as good as Magician.
Also enjoyed Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd.

Paddy Samurai

Although not as well known as those already named,you can't have a list of best fantasy authors without including Tim Powers.

Timothy Thomas Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare.

Most of Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters.

On stranger Tides
The Anubis Gates
The Drawing of the Dark

3 0f my favourites.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Powers

Improbable

For me, it has got to be Feist. The Riftwar Saga had me glued to the books from start to finish.

DualBladez

Improbable wrote: »

For me, it has got to be Feist. The Riftwar Saga had me glued to the books from start to finish.

same tbh

filmfan

Never read it, must look out for it next time I'm in town

whamuel

He's not the best prose writer in the world, but I think Lloyd Alexander's books are solid fantasy. They would make for an excellent animated TV series (since that would cut out some of the fluff language).

__________________
I dream of a yacht with a wood fired pizza oven.

rockmongrel

Have I really not seen any mention of Philip Pullman? His Dark Materials is one of the most amazing things I've ever read.

Flojo

Tolkien without a doubt! That guy was a genius.

docmol

Steven Ericson FTW!!!!!!
Michael Scott Rohan (Winter of the world)
Terry Pratchet

ixoy

Robin Hobb - Very character-focused fantasy
Stephen Erickson - Epic complex fantasy
China Miéville - Not the most immediately accessible fantasy author, but one of the most innovative out there right now. They created the "new weird" fantasy sub-genre just for him.

lordgoat wrote:

Goodkind's personal agendas are amusing in how badly they're done with an unashamed lack of subtlety.

Agreed. He seems to be at the hard-right of US foreign policy and it's thinly disguised in his novels. That'd be okay if they were any good... but they're not.

Also agreed on Robert Jordan - I'm on Book 12 and it seemed to take another author to finally beginning wrapping the damn thing up.

lordgoat

ixoy wrote: »

Agreed. He seems to be at the hard-right of US foreign policy and it's thinly disguised in his novels. That'd be okay if they were any good... but they're not.

Also agreed on Robert Jordan - I'm on Book 12 and it seemed to take another author to finally beginning wrapping the damn thing up.

I like him in a Jim Corr type of way! As an author i'd have him up there with DAn Brown...

Eliot Rosewater

I think that Tolkien was aiming for something different to a "pageturner" of a fantasy book; he was trying to recreate the mythic legends of the Celts etc etc. Hence the intricate and intense histories and the amazing depth of his world. A lot of criticism that's levelled at him fails to appreciate this point, in my opinion.

emeraldstar

I love Neil Gaiman and Gregory Maguire.

Not pushed on Tolkein. The Hobbit I liked, LOTR I didn't. Can't speak for Pratchett as I've only read one and that was at least ten years ago.

GisforGrenade

Steven Erickson, his Malazan series is truly epic but don't lose sight of the most important part of story, the characters. George R R Martin because of all the lovely political back stabbing and a fantasy world that you swear was real. Gene Wolfe because his novels are so atmospheric and subtle, you have to read ever passage twice to fully appreciate it.

Dades

rockmongrel wrote: »

Have I really not seen any mention of Philip Pullman? His Dark Materials is one of the most amazing things I've ever read.

Best Fantasy Book(s) - quite possibly!

Best Fantasy Author? With all respect, I think he needs a few more books of merit under his belt to to really compete for that honour.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

tad williams for me

memory,sorrow & thorn was absolutely fantastic, and his otherland series (might be classes as sci fi but has more than enough fantasy for me) is just wonderful.

H. Flashman

I've heard allot of promising things about Steven Erickson but have never read anything by him. Is his Malazan series worth the effort? I mean by the looks of it we're almost talking 'wheel of time' type investment of hours to get through it .....

GisforGrenade

Steven Erickson is extremely prolific but the end is in sight, the tenth book which out in the next few months is the last book in the Malazan series, the Malazan world was created by Steven Erickson and Ian Esslemont as a setting for their rpg campaign so there are also five novels by Ian Esslemont in the same setting, so 15 books in total but that is it. A massive long running series is only worthwhile if there is actually an end. To be honest every Steven Erickson book is brilliant in its own right, there is of course the massive overarching plot and characters that crop up again and again, but every novel has new points of view and different locations so they can be taken on its own merits. It's a very long series but it most definitely worth it.

H. Flashman

I think I'll give it a shot!

LenaClaire

I really like David Weber's War God series along with Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarion series.

Fluorescence

I'd have to say Feist. Every book of his that I've read I've loved - I'm still working on getting the rest of them to read! The characters are all believable and real, and the plot lines are great.

I wouldn't say Tolkien at all. I read the Hobbit and loved it, but struggled to get through FotR and never started the other two. Too many songs

pljudge321

GisforGrenade wrote: »

Steven Erickson is extremely prolific but the end is in sight, the tenth book which out in the next few months is the last book in the Malazan series, the Malazan world was created by Steven Erickson and Ian Esslemont as a setting for their rpg campaign so there are also five novels by Ian Esslemont in the same setting, so 15 books in total but that is it. A massive long running series is only worthwhile if there is actually an end. To be honest every Steven Erickson book is brilliant in its own right, there is of course the massive overarching plot and characters that crop up again and again, but every novel has new points of view and different locations so they can be taken on its own merits. It's a very long series but it most definitely worth it.

Apart from those fifteen books Erikson has also signed up to write The Toblakai Trilogy as well as a Khakanas trilogy which deals with the Tiste Andii. Adding on the four Bauchelain & Korbal Broach novellas when it's finally complete there will be 21 Novels and 4 Novellas. Good times

lordgoat

fluorescence wrote: »

I'd have to say Feist. Every book of his that I've read I've loved - I'm still working on getting the rest of them to read! The characters are all believable and real, and the plot lines are great.

I wouldn't say Tolkien at all. I read the Hobbit and loved it, but struggled to get through FotR and never started the other two. Too many songs

It's like i'm become soneone else and written that post! I agree with everything!

me-skywalker

Daenerys nom nom

Denerick

J.R.R. Tolkien is easily the best. By comparison, every other fantasy writer is a charlatan. Lord of the Rings is the only fantasy novel that will be read in a hundred years time by anyone.

/audacious and unfair statements

me-skywalker

Denerick wrote: »

J.R.R. Tolkien is easily the best. By comparison, every other fantasy writer is a charlatan. Lord of the Rings is the only fantasy novel that will be read in a hundred years time by anyone.

/audacious and unfair statements

Dont be silly sure we've only got 2 more years left tut tut

rockmongrel

Denerick wrote: »

J.R.R. Tolkien is easily the best. By comparison, every other fantasy writer is a charlatan. Lord of the Rings is the only fantasy novel that will be read in a hundred years time by anyone.

/audacious and unfair statements

His Dark Materials! I can't see that ever falling out of popularity.

lordgoat

Denerick wrote: »

J.R.R. Tolkien is easily the best. By comparison, every other fantasy writer is a charlatan. Lord of the Rings is the only fantasy novel that will be read in a hundred years time by anyone.

/audacious and unfair statements

over rated in my eyes i enjoyed the hobbit but LOTR is a teenagers book.

Just because he got their first doesn't make it the best ever.

I don't enjoy them but Harry Potter books will easily out shine tolkien over time, the reason - it's a more simple easier to read story.

Dades

lordgoat wrote: »

I don't enjoy them but Harry Potter books will easily out shine tolkien over time, the reason - it's a more simple easier to read story.

That's crazy talk, right there.

GreeBo

I remember trying to read the lord of the rings while on my J1, after the first hundred or so pages they were still setting up the fricken Bilbo Baggins party!

Yawn.
Pratchett for me Im afraid, the Good Omens book co-authored with Neil Gaimen was pretty good.

Denerick

lordgoat wrote: »

over rated in my eyes i enjoyed the hobbit but LOTR is a teenagers book.

LOTR is not a teenagers book, it is flooded with literary depth you simply don't get off also rans like Robert Jordan or David Gemmel.

Tolkien was not the first fantasy writer, but in my opinion he was certainly the best.

John

lordgoat wrote: »

over rated in my eyes i enjoyed the hobbit but LOTR is a teenagers book.

Just because he got their first doesn't make it the best ever.

I don't enjoy them but Harry Potter books will easily out shine tolkien over time, the reason - it's a more simple easier to read story.

*head implodes*

Have you actually read LOTR or have you only seen the movies? I loved the Harry Potter books but LOTR is a literary masterpiece alongside any great mainstream or "literary" novel. The sheer depth of the book easily sets it apart from any other fantasy author I've read, again a lot of fantasy I enjoy but they pale in comparison to Tolkien. Aside from Joyce, I can't think of anyone that comes close in terms of scale, detail or writing. To dismiss it as a teenager's book is a bit like calling The Odyssey a bedtime story or Wagner's Ring Cycle a few tunes.

Nody

John wrote: »

*head implodes*

Have you actually read LOTR or have you only seen the movies?

I honestly think the LOTR movies hurt the book because people watch it and then try to read the book and complain the book is boring (or my favourite complaint that the books did not match the movie and ergo the books were wrong...).

lordgoat

Denerick wrote: »

LOTR is not a teenagers book, it is flooded with literary depth you simply don't get off also rans like Robert Jordan or David Gemmel.

Tolkien was not the first fantasy writer, but in my opinion he was certainly the best.

Apologies for calling it a teenagers book, no idea how that happened, i think i was reffering to the hobbit. It is most definitely not a teenagers book.

John wrote: »

*head implodes*

Have you actually read LOTR or have you only seen the movies? I loved the Harry Potter books but LOTR is a literary masterpiece alongside any great mainstream or "literary" novel. The sheer depth of the book easily sets it apart from any other fantasy author I've read, again a lot of fantasy I enjoy but they pale in comparison to Tolkien. Aside from Joyce, I can't think of anyone that comes close in terms of scale, detail or writing. To dismiss it as a teenager's book is a bit like calling The Odyssey a bedtime story or Wagner's Ring Cycle a few tunes.

I've suffered through the books twice at this stage and i won't be back. While you might argue that it has depth i saw that a good story is drowned in unnecessary waffle. He would have benefited no end from a good editor. It's not that it's too long, i have no problem with long books just so much of it is filler for me. Cut it. Cut it.


There is no need to describe every single time our little heroes stop for some dried bread and cheese. I think Tom the really annoying and totally unnecessary wandering singer is nearly as annoying as jar jar binks. It all just got really tiresome for me after a while. I think the movies made the books more accessible but tbh honest i didn't really care for them either.

I've read countless books since the LOTR, the Odyessey is imo infinitely better than LOTR. If George RR Martin manages to finish the fire and ice series it will easily surpass tolkien in my eyes. Here's a story as riddled with intrigue and has continually gotten better with each volume. Substance over ramble for me please.

david75

Tolkien owns the crown. The depth and scope from Silmarillion, Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and then he fills it all out with other writings like the tale of years. Incredible. Not very accessible in some places (i'm looking at you Silmarillion&Bombadil)

But if you ever only read ONE thing of his, it's a short story called Smith Of Wooten Major. Nothing to do with Middle earth or its inhabitants but the MOST beautiful thing of his i've ever read. it's in a book called The book of lost tales, which you can get for like a tenner in easons.


Robin Hobb- JRRT was always my favourite but then i read Hobb. The farseer trilogy is the most addictive unputdownable set of books ever and the 2 follow up trilogys are amazing in that she winds the whole set of seemingly disparate storylines together beautifully in the Tawny man trilogy.

Neil gaiman..the mans just a genius. read Neverwhere. it's incredible.

H. Flashman

me-skywalker wrote: »

Daenerys nom nom

is this from the HBO series thats in the works?

lordgoat

H. Flashman wrote: »

is this from the HBO series thats in the works?

Yep it sure is, scheduled for spring 2011

Kaikias

If we speak of Tolkien we must mention his contemporary Mervyn Peake; far more accessible and far superior, a master of gothic atmosphere.

Grievous

Tolkien.

Or/and

Ray Bradbury.