/lit/ - Literature

>>6073173

You should try The Book Of The New Sun by Gene Wolfe.

I just read all the fluff on the league of legends website. Demacia!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There

>>6073344
It's actually science fiction.

>>6074096

It's actually both.

Most of the best fantasy work is not in the form of series, actually.

That said, I guess you could point to Branch Cabell's Biography of Manuel if you want to consider that a series, as well as ER Eddison's work and Robert Holdstock's Ryhope Wood stuff. Also, obviously, Tolkien is he wasn't disqualified by reason of not writing a series.

>>6074104
Technically science fiction

Tolkein is very good, not enough people read him because its dense and hard to get through, but really worthwhile at the end of the day.

>>6074116
Tolkien isn't dense at all, he just writes in a fake archaic style

I always recommend Swanwick, he's not very well known but he has talent and what's more important, he doesn't try to rip off Tolkien.

Read The Iron Dragon's Daughter, OP.

Hijacking the thread for a moment, has anyone actually read the whole Wheel Of Time?

I have the entire series on my ereader but I'd like to know if it worth the enormous amount of time and effort it's gonna take to finish it. Thank you in advance.

>>6074121
Tolkien's actually quite adept at using different styles. One of those is a high, heroic register, though, so you're right insofar as that. I also agree that he's not dense but he is verbose and not the best at pacing.

>>6074126
Swanwick's best work is SF imo.

Unless you want to call Stations of the Tide fantasy, which is certainly an argument you could make.

>>6074130
Do you like epic fantasy series? Are you okay with very long epic fantasy series that frequently have incredibly poor pacing? Are you okay with fantasy that is not grimdark? Are you interested in fantasy that focuses on politics, interpersonal relationships, differences of perspective, and things of that nature? If the answer to those questions is yes, you should give WoT a try.

I really do think it's good but I am not a neutral observer.

I would say that the Elric of Melnibone series is good fantasy, and the regular Eternal Champion trilogy also pulls the main ideas behind Moorcocks Sword and Sorcery books apart to some degree, though the second book is mainly fluff with only a few good scenes spread throughout.

>>6074131
>Swanwick's best work is SF imo.
>Unless you want to call Stations of the Tide fantasy, which is certainly an argument you could make.

I wouldn't know, I only read the two Dragons books by him but I have Bones Of The Earth, Dancing With Bears and Stations Of The Tide on my ereader, definitely planning on reading them soon.

Plus I am friends with him on fb, he's actually a kind and helpful old man.

>>6074140
Yeah, if OP is into sword and sorcery, he's set, because there's plenty of decent sword and sorcery out there. Including Elric.

Why waste your time reading a 10-volume fantasy series when you can just read comic books which are a lot quicker and more entertaining because of the pictures

>>6074151
Why waste your time with comic books when you can watch films or listen to audio books?

Forgive me my ignorance, but what is the actual difference between "sword and sorcery" and regular fantasy? I assumed fantasy had plenty of swords and sorceries.

>>6074157
Why waste time doing anything when you can do nothing?

>>6074157
Comic books you can read really fast, films and audio books take more time than necessary

>>6074163
Becasue that's boring

>>6074162
Epic fantasy means a 5+-volume series with dozens of major characters in a large fully realized world. Sword and sorcery is smaller scale stories in a fantasy setting

>>6074162
Sword and sorcery is more small-scale, low fantasy, grittier. More about one or two dudes with a sword trying to make their way in the world, rather than about Chosen Ones and Grand Wizards. Think Conan, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, things like that.

>>6074179
Oh, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser is also a good recommendation for decent fantasy.

There's pretty much only three /lit/ tier fantasy works that you can talk about without forfeiting your /lit/ card forever:
1. The Silmarillion (none of that LoTR shit written for kids)
2. Wagnerian opera
3. Le Morte D'Arthur (none of the shitty modern adaptations/bastardizations of it)

>>6074199
You're a dumb ass.

Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber is one of the best fantasy series out there.

>>6074208

worse, he's a pretentious dumb ass.

OP, good recs have already been made so I'm gonna do some anti-recs.

Avoid Christopher Paolini and Terry Brooks like the goddamn plague.

>>6074219
Yes.

Also, if anyone tells you to read Terry Goodkind, you pop them one right in the fucking mouth and never speak to them again.

my favorites:
Zelazny's Amber series
Jeff Noon's Vurt trilogy

>ctrl + F
>Earthsea
>nothing

YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE, /lit/!

But seriously, check out Ursula K. LeGuin. She's great.

>>6074244
Came here to post this. Le Guin's writing is beautiful in everything she's done and the first couple Earthsea books are some of her best work.

>>6073173
One Hundred Years of Solitude

Titus Groan

Earthsea
The Silmarillion
The works of Lord Dunsany

Literally nothing else (though the Hobbit and LOTR are fun popcorn)

The rich are killing children.

>>6074241
>>6074215
Sell this series to me guys, I've been meaning to read it for a while now but can't get myself to start.

The way of kings.
Storm you all!

Fantasy has its own conventions. One of those is that really high quality fantasy tends to come in the form of a series. The series that got me hooked on fantasy was Belgariad, but fantasy isn't for everyone. If you don't like it, it may just be that it isn't to your taste.

>>6074219
Also avoid Stephanie Meyers.

>>6073173
The one in your head which you have always dreamed of but will never write.

That is always the best fantasy series.

Easily the Cosmere.

Locke Lamora
First Law Trilogy
Riyria Revelations

R Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy

>>6074130

I have read the entire series and definitely would not recommend it. the first 3 books are amazing but from that point on they become quite repetitive and as someone mentioned are very poorly paced. The last book feels so crammed, especially given the slow pace some of the prior books had. Also the ending was really predictable.

>>6074215
>>6074241

Nine Princes in Amber is pretty much universally praised. But right now, I have pic related 1000 page wordbrick on my Amazon list. Why should I buy it? I've never heard anyone talk about the other nine books.

The only other works by him I've read are Lord of Light, which was amazing, and two short stories involving sentient automobiles which I thought were a bit silly.

Eric Fucking Rücker Eddison. If you've never read pic related, you literally don't know shit about fantasy. This book is better than anything Tolkien, Howard, or Wolfe ever wrote, and I love all those guys. "oh but the jacobean register of the prose thew me off!!" suck it down bitch, read The Worm Ouroboros. Then read the Zimiamvian books, they're all equally impressive.

Gormenghast trilogy is also really unique and remarkable among fantasy series, though it's a bit style over substance compared with Eddison.

>>6076233

Pic related.

>>6074151
I would but I don't retain comic books, I've tried to read several comic book series and I don't remember much about them aside from a few insignificant details.

>>6075775

I read the first of these, it read pretty much like it was written by a slightly edgier GRRM. Wasn't terrible but I wouldn't recommend it over the kind of pop fantasy the OP is complaining about.

>>6076240

Ever read Incal?

>>6076254
No and I don't really want to.

>>6073173
There are many recs in this thread that I am seconding, but if you found the plot pathetic in asoiaf then there is no hope for you. Neither is the writing 'idiotic', whatever that means, just average.

>>6074631
>Literally nothing else

>>6076250
>pop fantasy
What does this even mean?

>AGoT
>Wheel of Time
>The Dark Tower
>The Black Company
Pretty good fantasy, although I haven't read The Black Company (I hear good things).

These are what I'd call really good fantasy:
Gene Wolfe
Fritz Leiber
Tolkien
Jack Vance

>>6074115
Also technically fantasy, if you want to be technical. feggit

>>6073173
I like The First Law trilogy

I've read one of the spin-offs but it wasn't as good.

>>6076233
This. Everything else is just pleb fantasy, made because of the high demand of this genre. I wish we had more patrician fantasy novels.

>>6076734
>Everything else is just pleb fantasy, made because of the high demand of this genre.
This shit is embarrassing.

>>6074199
I can't get into silmarilion, it reads like a kid making up a story as he goes along, a well learned kid.

>>6076926

>it reads like a kid making up a story as he goes along

That's not Tolkien's fault, the Silmarillion is based on the Bible.

>>6076233
Is it interesting?

>>6076947
Zing.

>>6074157
>audiobooks
>wasting time
Why are you such a pretentious faggot?
You get the same experience from audiobooks(entertainment and story wise), with the plus of hearing girls moan as their wet walls are abused.

....yes I'm a pervert

>>6073173
Have you heard of J.R.R. Tolkien? He was a decent fantasy author, if a bit generic.

Conan

the best of the last 20 years is the Whale Road books by Robert Low

>>6073344
or Dune

>>6073173
My pc is down and I'm posting from muh tablet.

So I had to get the last pic I uploaded from the archive... it was a guy asking for recs for books with Gods in them.

The 15 books I got a few weeks ago isn't even there.

Books to avoid Thomas Covenant the unbeliever, LOTR, any author with Terry in their name... I can't recall any more atm.

What's /lit/'s opinion on David Eddings? I had a friend in elementary school who was really into his books and they sounded interesting. I never read them myself, though. His book titles bring back good memories from my early days.

How about "The First Law"? Started to read it recently, I'm on "Before They Are Hanged" now, so far it's good.

>>6077122
It's a sci-fi.

>>6077186
Are you asking me >>6077147 ?
If yes, read the trilogy then stop.
ignore the spin offs

>>6077247
Thanks. Didn't even know there were spin-offs.

>>6077247
Dude what? Best Served Cold is shit and Red Country is bad, but The Heroes is definitely Abercrombie's best book. (Well I've just read the trilogy and the three standalones but out of those.)

My Abercrombie ranking would be:

>The Heroes
>First Law Trilogy
>
>Red Country
>
>
>Best Served Cold

Also anyone read his new trilogy? It kinda looks like shit so I haven't bothered, but opinions are always welcome. All I know is that it's a >classic coming-of-age tale
and there's
>betrayal and revenge,
which makes it sound like another best served cold or red country.

>>6077346
I have to correct myself, there's just one book out of the new trilogy, my message kinda looks like the whole thing would be out already. But yeah if anyone's read the first part then do tell if it was shit or not.

>>6077163
meh

>>6077147
>The Thomas Covenant books are better than any of the shit you liked

>>6077374
Get out you filthy faggot
I bet you read that book when you were a kid and your nostalgia of the rape makes you get a hardon for the series.

I bet it was your first book boner.

The Gormenghast books
The Aegypt books

>>6077346
it's good

>>6077391
>not liking leprosy rape

>>6077391
>I bet it was your first book boner.
lel

Other than the first book being borderline unreadable, what do you thin about the Malazan series?

>>6076690
Formulaic sword and sorcery written for people who don't look for anything different in their fantasy books? The Prince of Nothing series definitely qualifies.

Anyone else here who thinks Fevre Dream is RR Martin his best work?
GoT sucks

>>6077823
How can the confusion fuck that is the prince of nothing be described as "not anthing different"?

>>6077800
>first 5 books
>unreadable
Maybe you should build up an attention span because you seem to be lacking one; while you're at it, get rid of your Americlap self entitleism. The author doesn't have to hold your hand throughout a book, why don't read and use that grey squishy mass between your ears to figure it out.

Discworld.

When I read fantasy I read it for fun. And Discworld is just fun as fuck

>>6076209
Lord of light is great. Couldn't put it down. I got the same book after I read it just to read more from him. Not as good as lord of light but still worth reading.

>>6078161
He said first book, not first five.

Go to another website if you're trying to start a fight and shitpost. Your hypocrisy is astounding.

>>6077823
asoiaf is the complete opposite of all that. the rest of op's list I wouldn't know

It's been ages since I've read Death Gate Cycle but I remember it being pretty good.

>>6077968
kek

>>6078878
You mean Abhorsen?

>>6074115
Magically fantasy

>>6073173
Gentleman Bastards
The First Law
The Broken Empire
Demon Cycle
The Kingkiller Chronicle
The Magicians
The Way of Kings
Mistborn

I don't know about the best but i loved all of these despite some flaws.

Deepgate series and Coldfire series are the best fantasy series out of them all

Best old school sword and sorcery is Elric saga

>>6080213
Read 2 of 3 of the coldfire series... I'm vex the priest didn't get to ream that rah(however it's spelt) a new vag....

My all time favorite fantasy setting is Fritz Liber's Lahnkmar setting.

Its pretty much a decades long DnD campaign with the best DM ever as author.

>>6075587
;__;

>>6077800

I'm only 200 pages into Memories of Ice.

I read Gardens of the Moon just after reading that shit awful Mistborn trilogy. It was refreshing as fuck to jump into a fantasy series that was so dense and filled with so much attention to detail, not to mention actual good writing, all of it without holding my hand like I'm a retarded toddler that needs to be lead around on a leash (Sanderson, I'm looking at you).

However, I was utterly confused by it, but read on. Deadhouse Gates started off just as confusing, but was cleared up a little by the ending, and plots back to the first book and connections started to be made. And that ending, all of it. So damned good.

I love how, only 200 pages into MoI, so much has already been touched on, and there is such a sense of payoff with everything that's happened in GotM and parts of DG being carried over. I seriously can't wait to get through this series if it's consistently this good.
I also purchased the audiobook version of each book so I can listen on my 70-minute one-way commute each day. Re-"reading" the book again after just finishing it reveals so much I missed before it's incredible.

>>6080728
I'm on book 8 TtH, the series really gets better with each volume. id say it really kicks in with book 4 and karsa orlong

>>6076233
I'm sure there was planned to be more substance before he ended up dying 3/7 into the series.

But yea, I love the fuck out of Gormenghast.

>>6080474

Yeah cat girls are pretty hot

>>6073173
well SOMEone certainly liked to take mushrooms

>fantasy series thread
>ctrl+f, no sign of Malzan Series

the fuck /lit/?

>>6080887

Finishing up the first book. I really feel like i need to read it again since i keep forgetting who half the characters are. And he writes like its dragon ball z

>>6073344
This.

I also like malazan book of the fallen way more then any of the OP series.

>>6079214
They are separate.

Why waste time reading fiction when you can enjoy video games?

>>6080862
I know someone who pretty much is the guy in OP's picture. He doesn't even like purely psychedelic mushrooms, just mushrooms in general.

I gave up on reading fantasy primarily because literally every fantasy book is part of a trilogy at least, and more likely 5-6 part series

Then I discovered that sword and sorcery is the name for non-epic, pulpy fantasy and I've been looking for some of that to read. The Conan short stories are fun as hell.

That said I'd still recommend The Hobbit as a must read to anyone, and LOTR if you want a much more serious and nerdy sequel to it.

>>6080728
Have you read The First Law trilogy by Abercrombie? What did you think? I haven't really read any fantasy, I've seen this series recommended.

>>6075775
I second this. Those books are really great.

>>6080728
>complains about attention to detail
>doesn't even know Mistborn is part of a meta-series with worldhopping, mildly recurring characters
:-)

>>6084826
>I knew that all along
>Thinks that matters when the characters are so bland and poorly written and world-building is so derivative that I have literally zero interest in a resulting "meta-series"

:^)

But really, that's my problem with Sanderson is the fans default to this as their argument as to why he's good or enjoyable. It doesn't appeal to me in the least. Sure, it's a neat idea, and Sanderson's a great "ideas" guy. Let him act as an ideas guy for another writer or maybe even a video game or television series/movie. I wouldn't mind, it's what he's good at and it shows. Just don't let him write, please.

>>6083579

I've not read TFL, but I'd like to at some point. From what I've heard it's a more gritty fantasy, which I don't mind.
And were you referring to reading Malazan if you haven't read much fantasy? With how much I'm enjoying it I'd love to say "yes, go for it!" but it is kind of hard to get into even for fantasy. I might suggest starting with The Black Company Chronicles and going from there. Erikson was heavily inspired by Cook and it shows. Black Company was one of my first true fantasy series "loves" because it just has so many great characters, memorable scenes, and a sense of gray morality actually done correctly. Then, if you read Black Company and love it, for sure jump into Malazan. Also check out the Malazan Reread of the Fallen while you read - it'll help a ton.

Why does every fucking one of these threads become about pretentiously jacking off to how smart we all are

>ermegerd read this 400 year old Finnish oral epic

Just read
-malazan book of the fallen
-gentlemen bastards
-first law
-discworld
-song of ice and fire

Honestly, it's anonymous so people won't jerk their dicks all the time

>>6085635
>-song of ice and fire

OP already said they don't like it you numbskull.

Also what's wrong with the Kalevala, I haven't read it yet but I want to.

>>6085658
Kalevala is great, ignore that other anon.

>>6085658
Holy shit, I just made up Finnish oral epic because I thought it sounded pretentious. My apologies to Elias lonnrot

>>6073173
If you liked the basic premise of asoiaf but not the writing, read pic related. But then again, I liked both...

>>6073173
Inb4 faggot
The drizzt series was actually pretty damn good.

And the war of the spider queen saga, for that matter.

>>6074179
It's impossible to search for Sword and Sorcery anymore. Everyone lists anything fantasy as sword and sorcery these days. So tired of seeing "best sword and sorcery" lists with Game of fucking Thrones at the top.

>>6075390
The Belgariad is fantastic. The plot is paper thin and pretty generic prophecy bullshit, I'll admit, but Eddings has amazing characterization. Worth reading for the characters alone.

>>6082734
>hobbit
>lotr
No.

>>6074116
people say his work is mostly propaganda
that's why i haven't tried it.

>>6074199
/lit/ likes Book of the New Sun more than any of those

>reading escapist fiction

>>6073173
Discworld

Ok guys I need to ask a question that is bothering me for a while. Mind you I've read a bit of everything, from Nobel prize authors to niche fantasy and sci-fi novels.
But I know a bunch of people who started reading Fantasy novels and never "grew" out of it (as in, never tried to read any other kind of book). Hell, one of my friends only read Tolkien on his entire life - he had a bunch of other fantasy novels and series, even those with 12+ books - but never read anything else besides what Tolkien wrote.

Anyone else had this experience with friends and/or acquaintances?

>>6077093
>sos audiobook
>old man moaning as ygritte while jon gives head

>>6086801
Nice b8 son.

>>6086842
if the shoe fits, wear it. ;>

Can someone recommend me the most grimdark (and preferably non-generic) fantasy they can think of?

>>6086870
a land fit for heroes

>>6073173
>In your opinion, what is the best fantasy series?
Homer's dilogy.

>>6086876
Thanks, looks interesting.

I am by no means a critical reader, fairly intelligent but I don't throw it around, so don't flame me if you all don't agree, but I know what I like.
I also found GoT very slow, only once or twice I was like "Oh no he/she didn't!", now I just want to finish it to see what eventually happens. Not enough magic/sorcery for me.
I am a huge fan of the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust, it details the events of a human (by our standards) assassin living in a world of humanoid creatures called Dragaerans, who are much longer lived, set in a post-medieval timeframe (sort of). Pretty good.
Also, immensely enjoyed Stephen Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Enjoyed the writing style on this one too but be warned, the main character is oftentimes self-loathing and whiny, and he rapes a chick in the very first book. Probably why it hasn't been made into a movie yet.

Ooo, also I forgot give the Gotrek and Felix Warhammer novels a try. They change authors a couple of times over the course of nine (I think) books. Fairly decent character development over the course of all the books. Lots of gore and shit, main characters are a magical rune engraved bigass battleaxe wielding alcoholic dwarf and his obligated chronicler, who is sort of bitchy but pulls his weight when they fight the baddies. I liked the novels and plot design, but I could see it as a very "love it or hate it" sort of thing.

>>6086889
>steal remains
Enjoy ur gay butt secx

>>6074199
>he thinks that The Silmarillion doesn't count as "shit written kids"

>>6086529
>>>/b/

>>6086716
Wait, what? Propaganda for what?

>>6087732
>wahh he read my favouriteist book ever and doesn't agree with me that it's God's gift to man
>i know he must be a faggot 12 year old
>imma send him with his kin
>>>/b/
>that'll show him

>>6076947
Something about a fedora

>tfw I like Sanderson

Admittedly I haven't read Mistborn yet, just WoK and WoR, but I really enjoyed them. :^(

what about Gormenghast? is it any good?

>>6088627
it's not "fantasy" in the conventional sense but I thought it was interesting

Has more in common with, say, Infinite Jest than Lord of the Rings in my opinion

>>6088627
I see only 5 star reviews on Goodreads, seems very fishy. Especially since the worst reviewers love it.
Can anyone here give me more reliable information?

>>6088700
I haven't read it but it's supposed to be great. Comes up here pretty frequently. China Mieville likes 'em:

Mervyn Peake—The Gormenghast Novels (1946–59)

An austere depiction of dead ritualism and necessary transformation. Don’t believe those who say that the third book is disappointing.

http://theweeklyansible.tumblr.com/post/20777236577/50-sci-fi-fantasy-works-every-socialist-should

Is Machen any good?

I was thinking of picking this up.

>>6088716
>shilling this hard

>>6088748
too narrow and pointy animal ears to be cute
i mean on the book cover

>>6088758
Do you by chance have a kitty between your hips

I didn't like Malazan at all. It felt like I was reading an anime, with a pretty girl who has a sword that can kill magic and a guy who's secretly a dragon who has blue hair and a huge sword that imprisons the souls of the people he kills in a pocket dimension and a shota thief with a heart of gold

People said the second book was better than the first but it actually really wasn't. I gave up after that one. Also don't read American Gods, it's a comic book in novel form with completely flat characters

>>6088855
> and a shota thief with a heart of gold
Who was that?
That guy who sold his soul to a god to be closer to a vag... only to have said god take her away?

Also
>don't read American Gods
>it's a comic book in novel form with completely flat characters
>not wanting to have a cat goddess rake her nails down your back as you mercilessly ream her "little kitty cat"

Its like you're gay or something

>>6088700
It's fine. Doesn't fall into fantasy cliches, good setting, solid but not amazing writing. Unfortunately doesn't have that cohesive and interesting of a central plot, and the characters are cartoonish and don't come off as real people (intentionally so, but I still thought it limited the book). It's a much better use of your time that reading Jordan, Sanderson, Salvatore, Rothfuss, Lynch, or any of the rest of the typical crap that populates the genre, but my advice is don't expect anything mind-blowing.

Has anyone read Little, Big by John Crowley? It seems interesting and Harold Bloom likes it

>>6073173
King Killer series

The Prince of Nothing - R Scott Bakker

>>6088602
His stories are fine. Sure, there are problems with his writing like how all female main characters are the same, and the kinda noticeable way he approaches the (lack of) sex or anything lewd in the series because he's Mormon.

But dat meta tho
Hoo boy dat meta

>>6090313
I'm new as fuck, what's meta?

what do y'all think of richard morgan's the steel remains and it's sequels?

>>6090313
>>6091145
recurring characters isn't meta.

>>6090313
>>6091145
i haven't seen a solid argument for why he's meta. having recurring characters/ideas isn't meta.

>>6089823
Little, Big is very atmospheric. I don't remember a lot "happening". It was like a Victorian family saga with some supernatural (faerie) elements.

Prince of Nothing
Broken Empire
Dragon Griaule

>>6086842
you took it.

>>6091167
It's filled with graphic gay butt smex, if you into that shit go ahead.

>>6091145
a level of abstraction

>>6091448
>Dragon Griaule
I've read all of the broken Empire series and the first book of the prince of nothing series and I've enjoyed them to varying degrees...

I'm hesitant to read this dragon book seeing as I have a strong dislike of books that center around "wise old gold hoarding dragon"

Try to sell the story to me and I'll decide if I'll chance reading it.

What do you recommend to cucked ASoIaF readers that miss the plotting between houses, the toned down magic and all the family quarrels of it?

I read Dune years ago and left it after the first books.

The Dark Tower it's been a disappointment thus far. Still on the second book, but I am going to die of boredom before the end. The relationship between the characters is also absurd.

I had to drop it when Eddie said he loved Odetta after minutes (hours?) of knowing her.

Wtf, Mr. King?

>>6091921
Confirmed for not knowing how to spoiler.

Damn

>tfw can't enjoy fantasy anymore because I keep telling myself it's a waste of time and I should read ancient/medieval myths instead even though deep down I know I never will since its boring
I hate you fuckers for removing my enjoyment of reading, I literally can't enjoy fiction anymore, I feel like I understood it better as a kid
Fuck I'll just go back to philosophy

>>6089823
You have to plow through it, but the atmosphere and prose are unlike anything here mentioned. It really is good and deserves more popularity.

>>6073173
I list my preferences in order.

>The Black Company
>King-killer Chronicle
>Dark Tower
>Demon Cycle (mainly the first book, rest goes kind of downhill)

>>6091964
>but the atmosphere and prose are unlike anything here mentioned.
>my book is better than the others here even though I never read any of them
>it's an old book so it must be good

>>6091921
Bump.

I know it's pleb-tier and everything, but I haven't enjoyed anything for a few years and I could use some recommendations in this direction.

>no mention of the once and future king
>no mention of wanting to ruffle little arthur's perfect head of golden hair

>>6091921

Yeah you try quitting heroine cold turkey while going on a journey to your death, across a waste land, with nothing but a psychopathic cowboy for company.

I guarantee you're gonna love the shit out of the first woman you see.

>>6090313
Glad to hear that some adult fantasy can still avoid turning into porn at the drop of a hat.

Can I read The Children of Hurin without reading LOTR, Silmarillion?

>>6091940
>actually listening to people on 4chan
dude.

>>6092040
Zelazny's Amber books.
>plotting
>family
>there's magic but main characters aren't magicians
>it's a fucking great series

There can be no 'best' because everyone will have different tastes.

That said, His Dark Materials is my favorite.

>>6092866
Thanks for the suggestion!

>>6092888
I loved it. I liked all about the different worlds, though it broke my heart at the end

>>6092901
GRRM and Zelazny were buddies, both lived in Santa Fe. I see clear influences on GoT from the Amber books.

>>6092928
Sold then. I'll finish the second from the Dark Tower and start with the Amber Chronicles.

Thanks for the input.

>>6092703
You can but I don't really know why you'd want to. It's pretty short and the context of Silmarillion and LOTR sort of "fills it out" if you will. It really exists to be part of his mythology he was creating and out of that context it's kind of pointless.

Just read at least LOTR first, anon. You know you want to.

>>6092987
I really don't but I guess I could try.

>>6074130

I am glad I got to experience it, but I did it as 400+ hours of audio books while I worked a shitty data entry job.

>>6088748
Madchen is not really fantasy, or at least not very similar to the stuff discussed here. He's kinda between Dunsany and Lovecraft. He's great though

*Machen

>>6077147
>takes time out of work schedule to help anons get more of what they love
>gets called pleb faggot
>anon who you were helping in the first place doesn't even acknowledge you

>>6087812

Tolkien's work has very racist, elitist and pro-monarchist subtext

Why is it so dank to say Asoiaf is not good?
It's the best fantasy series of our modern times.

>>6074623

The Earthsea books are interesting philosophically but her characterization isn't all that interesting, nor is her dialogue

I was surprised by her mixed feelings about the Studio Ghibli adaptation of her work, by the way. Goro Miyazaki seemed from the start like the second best suited director to adapt her work, second only to his father. I rather enjoyed the adaptation, actually - it worked quite well.

>>6092065
capolavoro

>>6085674

Don't apologize. It's pretentious.

>>6091145
Most of his works are in the same literal universe (dwarf galaxy, to be exact) and there's all kinds of crazy tomfoolery going about.

>>6092985
The first two books of the Dark Tower are like a slow introduction to the series, the first introduces the main character, the second his crew. The real journey starts with the third book, I wouldnt stop after the second one if I were you. If you still dont like it after the third one, its clearly not for you though.

>In your opinion, what is the best fantasy series?

You can never go wrong with the Pulp Fantasy Avengers:

Conan the Cimmerian
Kane
Elric of Melnibone
Jirel of Joiry
Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser

That is a good chunk of reading and the authors all have other shit just as good or better.

>>6090313

Go check your taste in Fantasy and come back.

Sanderson is based fantasy knight, don't you dare defile the holy of the hollies.

>>6095669
>toppleb.mkv
/lit/ has really gone downhill

>>6095779
At least he's reading, would you rather he play video games or watch big bang theory and its ilk?

I swear to god you pretentious faggots on /lit/ are going to be the parents to psychopaths or serial killers because you will force so much shit on your kid that they'll snap.

Of course when the media circus comes around, you'll be flabbergasted that little Marvin would do such things and like typical Americlaps, you will blame everyone else but yourselves.

Please do us all a favor and castrate yourself, the world has enough serial killers and psychopaths.

>>6086870
Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks.

>>6095899
>4th February 2015
>not wanting your best friend to be raped right infront your eyes
>not wanting said friend to then be repeated raped until they crave cock in their boy pussy
>not wanting friend to admit that they love you and dream that each cock filling their boy pussy is your cock
>to fucking your friend in the boipussy
It's like you are a faggot or something.

>>6095669
But I don't have a huge problem with Sanderson.

>>6074162
Look at works by China Mieville, for example. They don't play in our world, so they are fantasy, but there are no swords, wizards, dwarves, elves, so they are not s&s.

>>6077559
Just received it and found it's YA.

Yuck. (Not a comment about the contents; haven't started reading.)

>>6098035
You are hideous .

>>6085674

>I just made up Finnish oral epic

that's okay, so did Lönnrot

>>6095361

Except that everything after the second book is absolutely terrible.

>>6095944
Did this degenerate filth actually take place in those books?
I've seen a few anons shilling this series... is this what shilling has restored to?

>>6073173
The Giver series.

>>6098587
Isn't that the movie about a post dystopian society without war and hate?

then the faggot kid opens up pandora's box in the name of "muh luv"?

>>6080146

>Kingkiller Chronicle

I recommend reading these just so you can reflect back afterwards what an unlikable dick the main character is.

>>6074130
I read the first 11 back in elementary/middle school before sanderson finished the series off. Honestly would say your time would be better spent elsewhere though I was able to be patient enough to enjoy the pacing and what was too me fantastic world building. Overall, I feel I wouldn't justify a re-read for me due to limited time for reading that could be better spent elsewhere.

Instead of wasting your time with spiritually empty hack art, why not study the bible and attain eternal salvation?

>>6099643
because it's as much of a fantasy as hogwarts

>>6098580
At the very beginning when the protagonist is just a kid. He doesn't see said friend until many years later.

>>6089546
u bit the b8 m8

>>6100861
So the book starts off with gay kiddie rape..... wow

>>6101121

So does The Kite Runner but that's serious literature

>>6101145
So serious literature has kiddie rape?
I never read Kite Runner but I read Lolita and he was all over that "cunny".

Cosmere.

I'm only about half way through Game of Thrones, but I don't see why ASoIaF blew up so big so far. It's not bad or anything, not at all, but I just don't understand what's so special about it.

Maybe the build up pays off in a big way later, but from where I'm sitting there's just not a whole lot of anything happening. The world has nothing on Malazan or a Cosmere book, and I like the cast but they've just kind of been gossiping about nothing for the last two-hundred pages.

>>6074144
>pdfd73 writes: I like to become a full time writer. What is the first step?

>Quit your job. It’s as easy as that. If you spend all day, every day, either writing, drinking, or goofing off, you’re the real thing. Congratulations! Pour yourself a drink and take the rest of the day off. That’s what a genuine full-time writer would do.

>The second step, however, which is finding a way of supporting yourself while being a full-time writer . . . well, that’s the tough one.
this is from his website

>>6103586
>Hope writes: My mom told me that most people spend 90% of their time doing stuff they don’t want to do in order to have 10% of their time to do stuff they want to do. Do you think she was depressed? Or is that about right?

>Yes, your mother was indeed depressed – and who can blame her? It’s absolutely true that people spend ninety percent of their time doing things they don’t want to do. Unless, of course, they’re writers, who are free to do whatever they want. If I don’t feel like answering your question, for example, I can just

another one kek

Xanth series for nostalgia trip. Anne Logston Shadow series for real.

>>6103738

Xanth series is objectively awful horseshit all around

Hell, I thought they were awful horseshit when I tried to read the copies of those books from my middle school library when I was eleven

>>6103203
hi5

>>6103570
It was the nudity in the tv show that helped bolster the series to it's current fandom, after all sex sells.

>>6103586
>>6103610

I don't understand the implication here

>>6105336
It's what an adult 4channer would give as advice.

A sort of backhanded compliment

>>6105343

Oh, I see.

I wish he was more well known, it'd be nice to discuss his books with other /lit/izens. I find his take on fantasy pretty refreshing.

>Hey the first book was pretty great, maybe not the best ever but it had some neat ideas and cool powers
>Oh Shallan is the MC of the second one well she was a bit to much of a YA protag in the first one but maybe she shapes up here

Boy was I wrong. I swear to god if I have to read one more line about how witty Shallan is I will jump into the fucking book and strangle her myself.

At least Szeth is the focus of the third one so it's hopefully bound to be better.

>>6105452

A friend of mine has been insistently recommending me this book for over a year now.

Unfortunately he's kind of a douchebag so I don't know if I should listen to him.

How badly does it rip off Tolkien? Is it Medieval Europe again? Are there elves or dwarves? Please don't tell me there are.

>>6074623
>>6074244
>>6074631
>>6074215
>>6076209

Earthsea and Amber are the way to go.
If you want actual literary merit from fantasy, though, you're more or less looking in the wrong place. For that, you might as well just read the Epics.

What's the worst fantasy you guy have ever read and how far did you get?

My cousin had a fuckload of Terry Goodkind and managed to read through whole 4 books of that shite. I've read Paulini and I can honestly say he blows Goodkind out of the water, which is scary.

I don't know why. Maybe because I had read every other book in my house 8 times over. Just finished the current books of the Runelords series, and i wouldn't recommend it really, the first saga feels like it's simultaneously a book too short and a book too long, while the last saga feels like a stretch. It has some interesting idea's but the protagonists are usually too goody goody too go anywhere interesting with them, and the writing is very bland. Towards the last books I was reading them just to say I finished it, out of some masochistic desire, now I find out it's not over. The characters aren't all pure black and white though and have more depth than some shit, but it really isn't enough.

>>6105694
Wasn't Runelords the one where you could steal power from someone else and at it to your own or something like that?

Heard the idea was great but the book was shit.

>>6105694

Worst fantasy that most of you will know? Eragon, hands down.

But there is a fantasy series in my country which is even worse. If one of you is by any chance Italian, he might know what I'm talking about.

>>6105792
mi è salito un brivido di terrore mentre mi giravo verso la libreria a guardare i libri della troisi domandandomi perché non li abbia ancora buttati

>>6105976

Esatto, è talmente orribile che hai capito all'istante di chi stavo parlando anche se non l'ho nominata.

>>6073173

Yo, OP I"m really happy for you, imma let you finish, but Gene Wolfe wrote one of the best series of all time!

Lankhmar, Elric and Conan are a good start for sxs.

Otherwise, try Zelazny's Amber series. Well, the first five at least, opinions may vary on the second series. Dunsany is good too and some of his works are public domain so you can find them pretty easily online. Others, like the Jorkens series, seem pretty much impossible to find.

>>6106110
Where should i start with Fafhrd and the greymouser? i heard that the books are self contained so can i start from the novel or should i read the short stories first?

>>6105775
Yeah you took an aspect of someone else and used it until either one of you died, in which case if the Dedicate died, the Runelord lost his powers, while if the Runelord died, the dedicate took his power back. I wanted to like it cause it seems like a great idea, but the book just does nothing with it really.

bumperino supremo

So how many of these series aren't over the top with idiotic names like Barz'gal-zulof? I mean seriously, why do fantasy writers feel the need to create the worst possible names for shit? A tree can still be a tree, you don't have to rename everything and it's cool to name a character Tom or John or Alan, the most famous modern series do it no matter the medium (games, movies, comics, books, TV, etc) John 117 in Halo, John Constantine, Isaac Clarke, Harry Potter, is this making sense? I just don't want these fantasy series with stupidly complicated names like my example above or the ones that make you want to smash your face into a wall with how lame they are like Vixen Shadowblade. Shoot me in the fucking face.

So, which series are good that don't do that shit?

>>6106132
Not that guy, but I'd have trouble recommending where to start with Fafhrd because the beginning is important to understand the character of the two protagonists, but it's also not even close to the best story.

So I don't want to recommend one of the better middle stories in an attempt to "hook you" because that feels literarily dishonest, but on the other hand I don't want you to read the 1st story and drop the series based on that before getting to the better parts.

For what it's worth "Swords against Wizardry" is probably my favorite collection, but I think it's really worthwhile to read through them in order.
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Fafhrd_and_the_Gray_Mouser

>>6106848
Honestly, names that are etymological garbage are usually a sign of bad writing in general, but having normal names isn't an auto-win either, so I don't think there's an answer that can reliably save you from your hell.

>>6106848
>So, which series are good that don't do that shit?

Again, Wolfe. He only uses real-world names, albeit unusual and uncommon ones.

Also the abovementioned Swanwick, in his latest fantasy the protagonist's name is plain simple Will.

>>6106930
thanks man

>>6106954
Thanks.

>>6106942
Certainly not, but if I'm struggling to even figure out how to say the main characters name then it's probably gonna be a shit book.

>>6077111
Conan is Sword and Sorcery. Not fantasy.

>>6105775
GOOD THING WE HAVE HEMALURGY.

>>6105452
Unfortunately, nearly all of his female leads are written the EXACT same fucking way. It's grating.

Szeth and Nightblood will make Book 3 lovely.

>>6105464
It doesn't rip off anything, really. There are no "elves" or "dwarves", and if you've read a Sanderson book, you'd know that those are not present characters.

Legend
David Gemmell

>>6107029
S&S is a sub-genre of fantasy.

>>6106848

>Barz'gal-zulof?
>Unrealistic name

You've never been to a Central Asian country, have you?

>>6108545
I didn't use the word 'unrealistic' I said it was stupidly complicated and I've never been to central Asia, but I've read and seen plenty of works that come out of it. Even Korean names like Park-Lee-Soon or something are at least three easy to pronounce syllables rather than having to try and figure out what letters to put emphasis on or just what the hell the name even sounds like.

I liked A Song of Ice and Fire.....

>>6074130
NO GOD NO TURN BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!!!!

The writer died before he could finish it burn me!

>>6108545
No real language uses an apostrophe in the middle of a name.

>>6074130
1-4 are great to fantastic
5-6 are good
7-11 are average to bad
12-13 are pretty good (I think Sanderson did well, Jordan dying was probably the best thing for the series by this point...)
14 was boring, obvious and too long

>>6108814
Jesus...that's a stupidly long series.

>>6108766
I do to, but the only groundbreaking thing about it is the author's gut.

OP needs Discworld, Small Gods was my favorite. And while he's reading Pratchet, he should get Good Omens.

How does /lit/ feel about The First Swords?

>currently thoroughly enjoying book 3 of the Malazan Book of the Fallen

Just looking for some suggestions of what fantasy series to move on to after I'm done with this one.

>>6107103
More like Memealurgy

>>6107103

This is high grade autism

Just got done with the Powder Mage trilogy. Ranks near the very top for me

Goddamn that fucking ending

>>6108976
Is 'meme' the new retort for when a shitposter has an argument? Will we finally see a break from 'autist' and 'cuck'? Wow what a world.

>>6108977
>make magic system
>define abilities
That lovely wonderful word again!

Are there any fantasy series that are actually finished and worth the time to invest in them?

>>6109182
LOTR

>>6109184
I count that as a single novel

>>6109196
most fantasy series are cash grabs.
wouldnt recommend falling for it.
except maybe you rly love the author

Malazan book of the fallen
First law

/boom game over cucks

>>6073173
Well, Stugatskш brothers' "Hard to be a God" is a great thing, if you are mature enough to read tomething Russian.
It's between fantasy and sci-fi

>>6109205
*Strugatski
**something

I fucked it up

>>6109205
*** no comma before "if". It seems that I haven't drunk my morning vodka yet.

>>6092065
This looks awesome. Thanks.

>>6109209
>morning vodka

Are you Don Gately's mother?

>>6073344
Came here to recommend this. I think it's the irst step a lot of people take out of entry-level conceptually easy sf/fantasy into the really interesting stuff.

Also, if you're looking for something that's absolutely amazing but probably pretty cliched by now (released in 1969) thry the Elric series.

>>6109196
Why?

It's 6 books.

>>6106110
I've been going through Dunsany's short stories (not Jorkens) and damn this guy has some imagination. He's great.

>>6099200
kek
Kvothe is unlikable and edgy but his story is reeled me in, writing is pretty okay however the whole bar shit is a really silly notion, especially when chronicle the scribe writes nearly the a book over two or three days yet it took me a week or two to finish. The worst character by far is Bast the Edge Lord swear this author is a faggot.

In fact the author looks like his straight out of Tolkien book, like some dwarf ready to fucking start singing misty mountain.

Can anyone recommend any books with characters, setting and plotting like Berserk: The Golden Age Arc ? I don't want like mystical dragons and magic. Something similar to berserk in text form.

>>6110135

>A guy in black with a sword travels the land, fucking and killing everything that stands in his way

I think old Gene Wolfe is the closest you're going to get.

>>6109201
What is Peter & the Star Chasers?