/lit/ - Literature

ITT we list our favorite fantasy books and authors.

Terry Goodkinds The Sword of Truth is amazing!

http://forums.legendoftheseeker.org/showthread.php/5608-Whats-the-deal-with-Richard

Well? What is the deal with Richard?

Fantasy fiction is probably the best kind of fiction out there, and probably the best kind of writing period. I say this because fantasy is the most versatile of all subjects to write about. You can put anything into a fantasy story and it can still serve your purposes as a writer, whether it's to tell a good tale or to expound upon some deep issue that SaviourX would prefer you do. See, the thing about other forms of fiction is they just aren't as flexible. If the protagonist is facing some kind of moral dilemma that he is struggling with, in fantasy fiction you can have him fight a Shadow Dragon to give him an extra challenge to overcome. But in "normal" fiction he can only deal with the dilemma in a "normal" way. Fantasy characters can also be "larger than life" since you can give them cool powers to overcome their challenges, another advantage over humdrum fiction.

Myself, I'm currently writing a fantasy epic inspired by the likes of Lord of the Rings, mixed with the Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy videogame series. I'm using it as a vehicle to not only spin an exciting story but also to delve into some of the things that interest me. Is love real? What is the nature of the human spirit? Are we destined to fulfill certain roles or is it all just the luck of the draw? It's important that a good story be about something, not just a series of events. And fantasy fiction allows you to use metaphors in your story.

Admit it, which books truly got you started on reading consistently? The series in the picture is related, I read the first three books of this trash before ultimately giving up on it and moving on to Gaimen (which I've also given up). But, they were my gateway drugs to other books.

Is this meant to be serious?

After Richard picked up his pack and slipped his arms through the straps, Owen gripped Richard's hand. "Thank you, Lord Rahl, for showing me that my life is worth living."
Marilee stepped forward and hugged him. "Thank you for teaching Owen to be worthy of me."
Richard laughed. Owen laughed. Cara gave Marilee an approving clap on the back. And then all the men laughed.
Betty pushed in and with a flurry of tail wagging got the point across that she didn't want to be left out.
Richard knelt down and scratched Betty's ears. "And you, my friend, from now on I don't want you letting any Slides using you to spy on people."
Betty pushed her head against his chest as he scratched her ears, and bleated as if to say she was sorry.

Terry Goodkind ~ Naked Empire