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/lit/ - Literature

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13056591 No.13056591 [Reply] [Original]

Are there any /lit/ approved fantasy novels?

>> No.13056596

>>13050039

>> No.13056605

>>13056591
>Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (first series)
>The First Law
>The Darkness that Comes Before (if you have a strong stomach)
>LOTR/Silmarillion
>Malazan Book of the Fallen
That's all I can think of right now

>> No.13056638

I've never seen anyone badmouth Robert Howard.

>> No.13056653
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13056653

>> No.13057881

>>13056591
thoughts?

>> No.13057888
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>>13057881
*

>> No.13057895
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13057895

>>13056591
The Book of the New Sun.

>> No.13057926

>>13057895
seconded

>> No.13058252

the bible

>> No.13058345
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13058345

>>13056591
I really love Mark Lawrence

>> No.13058630

>>13058252
I don't know what layer of irony you are on, or if you even will ever look for a response, but for what purpose was this post made? I don't know why I want to know so bad, what drives the curiousity, but I want to what you hoped to accomplish with this post. Not trying to be an asshole, if it seemed like I was, 100% serious question.

>> No.13058644

>>13056591
Anything by Tolkien. Everything else is tryhard and bad.

>> No.13058653

I like fantasy very much. They call me pleb but what can I do? I didn't choose that like I'm a videogame character you can pick attributes and skills and talents. I just want some dragons flying around that's all you fags :(

>> No.13059293

/lit/ loves asoiaf but is torn between hating it because its popular and praising it because the show is even normier

>> No.13059537

>>13057895
everyone says how great it is. I read it and its boring AF and the writing style, pffff

>> No.13059559

>>13059537
>>contrarían for the same of it
Next You will say that Titus Groan is good.

>> No.13059572

Second Apolcaypse (in a phenomenological sense)

>> No.13059576

I’ve seen Le Guin get some friendly notice on lit, which is nice

>> No.13059582

bakker, malazan

>> No.13059596

>>13059559
>someone whose criticism of BotNS is 'boring' will like Gormenghast
wut

>> No.13059615

>>13059596
Someone who is contrarian will say they liked that ridiculous meme of a book, Yes.

>> No.13059620

>>13056591
Gentleman bastards series

Just don't go waiting for book 4 any time soon.

>> No.13059647

>>13059615
No, anon, you are the contrarian. Gormenghast is not only good, it's generally agreed to be good

>> No.13059677

>>13059647
No It's not on both accounts.
It's idolized by assholes with a political agenda (Moor-cock), literary pseuds and people who hate Fantasy.
Nobody who is actually into the stuff likes it.

>> No.13059682

>>13059677
Interesting. So which writers/critics criticise it? I've never seen any

>> No.13059702

>>13056591

Brandon Sanderson

>> No.13059716

>>13057895
This and Tolkien are the only ones I would genuinely call '/lit/ approved', i.e. that a significant number of people would seriously defend and not be met with an equally significant number of naysayers

Maybe there are others in the sf/fantasy ghetto general thread, but they'd be thread-approved not board-approved

>> No.13059751

>>13059293
Speak for yourself because I think the series is garbage because it relies on the same storytelling devices and cliches that Martin himself criticizes. People criticize the show for constantly having fakeout deaths but they haven't read the books. If they did they might think that was the only way Martin knows how to create drama.

>> No.13060583

>>13058630
its a work of fiction, but its necessary to read if you want to understand western lit. it also has some great translations with interesting prose.

>> No.13060655

>>13059293
I really like it, GRRM said multiple times that he's not as good as Tolkien. Why don't we just take it for what it is without comparing it to Tolkien's ?

>> No.13060665
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13060665

>Nobody ever mentions Pratchett
yes, I know he's technically YA but still

>> No.13060686

>>13060665
>dude subverted tropes and feminism lmao
no

>> No.13060809

>>13059559
>>13059615
>>13059677
Are you the same guy who was shitting on Peake in the other thread?

>> No.13061075

>>13056591
Artemis Fowl

>> No.13061525

What's so good about Malazan?

>> No.13062611
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13062611

>>13059677

Gormenghast is great and Mervyn Peake is a genius, you semi literate pleb.

>> No.13062641
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>> No.13062642
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13062642

>> No.13062658
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13062658

>> No.13062881

>>13060665
>technically YA
Not really

>> No.13062895

>>13062658
That's a big chef

>> No.13062957

Conan

>> No.13064585

>>13056591
Gravity's Rainbow

>> No.13064638
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13064638

>> No.13064696

>>13057895
>>13059716
Haven't read it but, what makes it head and shoulders above other fantasy?

>> No.13064744
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13064744

I'm trying to write a fantasy series. Any advice anons?

>> No.13064752

>>13064744
How much of these have you read?

Fantasy:
https://imgoat.com/uploads/0935e4cd59/105363.jpg (embed)
https://imgoat.com/uploads/6d767d2f8e/21328.jpg (embed)
Flowchart:
https://imgoat.com/uploads/6d767d2f8e/21327.jpg (embed)

Science Fiction:
https://imgoat.com/uploads/def184ad8f/124507.jpg (embed)
https://imgoat.com/uploads/b44928ae11/114401.jpg (embed)
General:
https://imgoat.com/uploads/6d767d2f8e/21332.jpg (embed)
https://imgoat.com/uploads/6d767d2f8e/21330.jpg (embed)

NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books:
https://imgoat.com/uploads/6d767d2f8e/21333.jpg (embed)

SF&F author listing with ratings and summaries:
http://greatsfandf.com/authors-full-list.php

>> No.13064780
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13064780

>>13064752
Not too many, most of the stuff I've read has been from either American canon (Salinger is a favorite), or classics (Dostoevsky, Camus, Hesse). I like fantasy as it provides you radical freedom to write what you want to write about. However the fantastical elements in my story are fairly limited. Anyway, thank you very much for this great resource anon. I will begin reading these books. Do you have a favorite or a recommended starting point?

>> No.13064805

>>13064780
>Do you have a favorite or a recommended starting point?
Favorite? Hyperion because it's like a sci-fi Canterbury tales.
I'm still working through the list myself, so I couldn't say what a good starting point would be. Berserk is top-tier stuff though

>> No.13064846
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13064846

>>13064805
I'll be sure to check that out too. I heard The Darkness That Comes Before is quite good, I'm going to read that soon too. Berserk helped reignite my interest in fantasy. I really like character driven stories. I'm glad you like it too. Thanks again for your help anon, I feel better now that I have some plan for how to tackle the genre

>> No.13064987

>>13056591
Man that last episode was so fucking bad I feel like reading the books.

>> No.13065073
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13065073

how does /lit/ feel about the Wheel of Time series? I'm about 20% into the second book, and I'm enamored with the characters, the world, and the way Robert Jordan writes.

>> No.13065096

Wizard of Earthsea was good, short and sweet.
I think Hobbit/LOTR was more historically important, seminal and inspirational than it was a great set of novels.

Reading The Name of the Wind now as I keep seeing it in "best of" fantasy lists. It's riddled with cliche's and eye rolls but keeps your attention.

Beginning to wonder if there's ever even been something one could consider truly great in the fantasy genre.

>> No.13065140

>>13058630
Your post seems quite defensive; meditate on the fact that for many people the bible being fantasy is not even the slightest shred ironic, simply based on the definition of the word fantasy. Would you consider the Quran fantasy? The Greek or Roman or Aztec gods? I could keep going for a long time. Your beliefs stem from indoctrination, geography, culture and era. Not to turn this into yet another religious debate.

>> No.13065145

>>13056591

have sex

>> No.13065197

>>13064744
>http://greatsfandf.com/authors-full-list.php
Don't make up obnoxious names.

>> No.13065204

>>13065197
It's the standard /lit/pasta links

>> No.13065244

>>13059677
Not arguing that Moorcock is an asshole with a political agenda, but how do you see any of his agenda reflected in or boosted by Gormenghast?

>> No.13065261

Mervyn Peake, John Crowley and Lord Dunsany comes to mind. There's actually a ton of fantasy novels that could be mentioned, the hate on the genre are usually because of all the Tolkien wannabes by people who don't really consume a lot of it.

>>13059576

Personally I think Le Guin is better with scifi than fantasy.

>>13059677

What a load of bull.

>>13064780

Limited in what sense? You might want to give Gormenghast and Little, Big a try. Also Borges and Calvino. I don't think there's any definitive starting point. You just got to find what you're interested in.

>> No.13065407

>>13062642
This is my favorite fantasy novel, only book i regularly return to, just about to finish the pastel city again

>> No.13065437

>>13064780
>Classics
>Dostoevsky, Camus, Hesse

>> No.13065604

>>13065407

What the fuck did he meant with 'Chevrolet cerise'?

>> No.13065621

>>13056591
Crime and Punishment.

>> No.13065645

>>13064696

The prose is convoluted so it boasts the ego of people on lit.

>> No.13066001

>>13065645
The vocabulary being obscure =/= convoluted prose

>> No.13066238

>>13056605
Too bad Chronicles of Thomas Covenant will never get a series, 90% of the population cant deal with a morally ambiguous main character.

>> No.13066247

>>13058644
>Anything by Tolkien. Everything else is tryhard and bad.

Tolkien is brilliant at lorebuilding but an incredibly mediocre writer.

>> No.13066284

>>13065140
No, none of those books is in the fantasy genre.

>> No.13066286

>>13066238
I thought about reading this, how is it?

>> No.13066621

>>13065604
Holy shit i dont know hahahah, i was literally staring at that page for like 10 minutes trying to figure that out

>> No.13066741

>>13066621

lmao same. I'm reading The Pastel City right now, it's amazing but passages like that makes me go "what the fuck, harrison". I also find funny his constant use of very british words when describing the scenery.

>> No.13066910

>>13056591
No.

>> No.13067024

>>13056591
Go older than Tolkien to escape all of the pathetic imitators.
Phantastes
King of Elfland's Daughter
Worm Ouroboros
Till We have Faces, if that counts. More mythological than fantastic
Tolkien obviously counts
LeGuin's Earthsea is wonderful.
I wouldn't call BOTNS fantasy per se, but Wizard Knight is great.

>> No.13067216

>>13067024
>King of Elfland's Daughter
Honestly, this is Dunsany's worst work. Anon should start his journey into Dunsany with the Book of Wonder.

Your general idea is unassailable, though.

>> No.13067317

>>13067216
That's fair, was just recommending the only work of his I'd read. Good to know I can look forward to the rest.

>> No.13067565

>>13058345
This was recommended by someone else as well. I'll give it a shot.
>>13058644
Is LOTR overwhelming, for a first timer to fantasy?

>> No.13067732

>>13066286
Very good. The second part is different, but also worthwhile.

Also read his Gap series.

>> No.13067799

>>13067216

I wouldn't say it's bad or his worst, but Dunsany really does shine with his short stories rather than his longer works. I think the main problem is that his prose is better if consumed in tiny bits. Reading through KoED was kinda tiring.

>>13067565

No, LOTR is even read by kids. You might not be able to assimilate everything but it's a pretty straight forward read.

>> No.13067846

>>13067565
>Is LOTR overwhelming, for a first timer to fantasy?
There's only one way to find out. You should read the Hobbit first though and that's definitely easy reading.

>> No.13067901

>>13065096
When it comes to the Name of the Wind you don't even know the worst of it. It gets so much worse in the second book.

>> No.13067919

>>13067565
>Is LOTR overwhelming, for a first timer to fantasy?
From a writing stand point, no. It is pretty straightforward. But the lore that makes the setting can be a bit difficult to grasp.
So yeah, just read it and have a blast.
Anything from Tolkien is a must read.

>> No.13068288

>>13065073
How the Hell did you get through the first book?

It was ever worse than Game of Thrones.

Eye of the World feels like a bad LotR re-write by a small child.

>> No.13069666
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13069666

>>13065261
>Lord Dunsany
This.

>> No.13070656

The eternal champion series by Michael Moorcock

>> No.13070712

>>13056653
THATS MY FETISH


HEY ANY OF YOU CUNTS KNOW THAT FANTASY BOOK WHERE ONE CHARACTER IS A SMITH AND HAS TO TRAVEL NORTH OVER A GLACIER TO SOME MYTHICAL 'place to learn more about smithing' AND HE HAS TO LEARN TO SING TO THE METAL AND THEN HSA TO RETURN BACK OVER THE GLACIER WHEN HE"S DONE LEARNING?

its part of a larger series . . .

>> No.13070716

>>13056605
I second The Darkness that Comes Before. (the series is called Second Apocalypse. )

>> No.13070778

>>13056591
carefully not submerge yourself into a sub-genre, only ten percent of it is worth reading.

>> No.13070786

>>13070778
Do I gotta remind a /lit/ard of Sturgeon's Law?

>> No.13070793

>>13070712
based schizo poster

>> No.13070912

>>13070793
yeah, well - the book is real at least

>> No.13070956

>>13070712
>>13070912
Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan?

>> No.13070961

>>13070956
OH SHIT I think that's it . . . ..

>> No.13070976
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13070976

>>13070961
THANK YOU ANON

I knew this thread could do it!

>> No.13071013
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13071013

>>13056591
When I was a kid, along with the Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter, I'd say novels such as The Last Dragon, The Revenge of the Shadow King, and the Dark is Rising.

Right now, LOTR and the Hobbit of course. I also read the first few of "The Last Apprentice" or the "Wardstone Chronicles" if you're British and Cirque Du Freak/Darren Shaw Saga.

>> No.13071517

>>13061075
based and fowlpilled

>> No.13071537

>>13071013
I would say those are all books for very young children. Unless im just being retarded.

>> No.13072225

Hey /lit/ are there any fantasy works whose atmosphere reminds you of Dark Souls? Something like berserk maybe.

>> No.13072760

>>13067799
>>13067846
>>13067919
Thank you, the Hobbit seemed pretty boring the first time I tried it. Can I read LOTR first?

>> No.13072954

Jack Vance obviously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiOt6eW0pZI

>> No.13073109

>>13056591
The Belgariad

>> No.13073946

>>13072225
Lord Dunsany
Clark Ashton Smith
Solomon Kane
The Night Land
Elric of Melnibone
The Kane Chronicles by Karl Wagner

>> No.13074617

>>13073946
>The Night Land
such a cool setting.
shame the prose is so fucking unreadable

>> No.13074645

Is the first law series any good? I read the back cover and it made my eyes glaze over

>> No.13074649

>>13056591
Elric of Melnibone
Besides the characters the prose and syntax is a type of elegance only seen from Moorcock.

>> No.13074655

>>13059702
no

i like gene wolfe's non-botns fantasy stuff (the soldier series and the wizard knight)

>> No.13074669

>>13074649
the prose and syntax of those books are barebone and boring, I had to so stop at book 3 because if I read another description of a female character (that elric would later inevitably fuck) described only by the color of her fucking eyes and hair I would have strangled a small of animal to soothe my anger.

>> No.13074675

>>13059677
It's idolized by people that have good taste.

>> No.13074693

>>13065145
Not heard of that one. Author?

>> No.13074705

>>13066247
>but an incredibly mediocre writer.
Holy fucking christ, anon. Tolkien's "lore" is good BECAUSE he is an excellent writer, his prose is incredibly solid and he's exceedingly deliberate in his choice of words.

>> No.13074717

>>13074705
is he though?

>> No.13074771
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13074771

>>13070656
Seconded.
Also Moorcock's literary fiction and Jerry Cornelius books are really underlooked on lit.

>> No.13074798

>>13056605
The black company - the series which inspire malazan. The first triology is amazing, and the rest of the series gets kinda wonky but ultimately worth a read
The powder mage series
The shadow campaigns
The traitor son cycle. This one is great since the writer usually write historical fiction and is a reenactor so his very autistic with the descriptions of armor and battle tactics. The first book is fantastic, realistic desperate siege between monsters vs a single fortress. It’s got a very unique take on magic system. Definitely worth a read.

>> No.13074808

>>13074693
my diary desu

>> No.13074815

>>13067024
Black company and malazan are pretty Tolkien free

>> No.13075342
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13075342

>>13058630
He wanted your reaction

>> No.13075453
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13075453

>>13056591
> genre fiction

>> No.13075491

The Acts of Caine by Matthew Stover. Best damn series you've never heard of. It will make your testicles grow testicles.

>> No.13075509

>>13056638
Solomon Kane is just classic.

>> No.13075766

>>13057895
#firstpersontrash

>> No.13075773

>>13057895
what the fuck is with the transition between book 1 and 2? it doens't make any sense.

>> No.13075778

no

>> No.13075781

>>13056591
my doujinshi desu

>> No.13075788

>>13064744
Techniques of the Selling Writer. Dwight V Swain.

>> No.13075792

>>13070786
Only 90% of them.

>> No.13075794

>>13057895
i found the first book great at first, then it descended into typical fantasy tropes of mcguffins and destiny and deus ex machina things. are the rest of the books like this, or more like the worldbuilding of the citadel/swamp chapters? debating whether i should read book 2 or infinite jest/don quixote

>> No.13075805

>>13074815
As is anything Howard. Stay away from the partial books completed by others.

>> No.13075810

>>13075794
The rest of them are worse.

>> No.13075816

>>13075453
Go somewhere else, and suck a sack of shit.

>> No.13076090

>>13056591
Yea, the ones I'm going to write.

>> No.13076247

>>13075792
key-key-key-key-key-key-key

>> No.13076757

>>13074771
Jerry is fucking based and definitely redpilled

>> No.13076794

>>13076090

you think to highly of yourself cuck.

>> No.13076928

>>13058345
kill yourself

>> No.13077332

>>13056591
Kingkiller Chronicle (a trilogy, but the last part isn't out yet) by Patrick Rothfuss.

>> No.13077398

What does /lit/ think about "The Chronicles of Amber" by Zelazny and Harry Harrison's "The Stainless Steel Rat"?

>> No.13077680

>>13077332
Those books are trash

>> No.13077935

>>13065073
That series turns into a painful crawl in the third book.
>>13056591
Anyhting by Jack Vance.

>> No.13078042

>>13058345
Read the first book and don't understand how anyone could like this. His characters have zero depth to them and his prose is garbage.

>> No.13078124

>>13077935
>That series turns into a painful crawl in the third chapter.
FTFY

>> No.13078159

Damn, this whole GoT thing has bust /lit/'s containment thread system wide open