Best Fantasy Authors (Vanity)

5/15/03 | bondserv

[bondserv]

Who are some of your favorite Fantasy authors, and their best books. I am looking for authors that might write in a similar style as some on my list.

My list:

Tolkien - Rings Series

Stephen Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Series

Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time Series

Terry Brooks - Shanara Series

Terry Goodkind - Sword of truth Series

Joel Rosenberg - Guardians of the Flame Series

David Eddings - Belgariad/Malloreon/Elenium/Tamuli

L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - The Saga of Recluce Series

Robin Hobb - Farseer Series

Tad Williams - Dragonbone Chair

[bondserv]

Corrections:

J.R.R. Tolkien - Lord of the Rings Series
Stephen R. Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Series
Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time Series
Terry Brooks - Shannara Series
Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth Series
Joel Rosenberg - Guardians of the Flame Series
David Eddings - Belgariad / Malloreon / Elenium / Tamuli
L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - The Saga of Recluce Series
Robin Hobb - Farseer Series
Tad Williams - Dragonbone Chair

Others additions:

CS Lewis - Narnia Series
Robert A. Heinlein - Glory Road / Waldo and Magic, Inc. / Farnam's Freehold
Marion Zimmer Bradley - Darkover Series
Jean M. Auel - Clan of the Cave Bears Series
Robert J. Silverberg - Lord Valentine's Castle
Gene Wolfe - The Book of the New Sun series /Shadow and Claw
James Halperin - The Truth Machine
Howard - Conan: The Barbarian Series
Jordan - Conan: The Barbarian Series
Steven Brust - Dragaera
Hickman/Weiss - Star of the Guardians, Dragonlance
Asimov - Early Foundation Series
Piers Anthony - Xanth Series / Incantations of Immortality
Greg Bear - Songs of Earth and Power
Terry Pratchett - Discworld Series
Mervyn Peake - Gormenghast Trilogy.
Iain Banks -Walking on Glass / The Bridge
Hannes Bok - The Sorcerer's Ship and Beyond the Golden Stair
Robert Holdstock - Mythago Wood and Lavondyss
Christopher Stasheff - King Kobold / Wizard in Spite of Himeslf / Her Majesty's Wizard
Lois McMaster Bujold - the Spirit Ring, Curse of Chalion
A.E. Van Vogt - The Weapon Shops of Isher
Jack Chalker - Well of souls
David Drake - Hammer's Slammers
Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker Series
Philip Jose Farmer - Riverworld
Michael Moorcock - Eternal Champion, Elric Series
Tom Reamy - Blind Voices
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern
George R.R. Martin - Song of Ice & Fire
Rick Cooks - Wiz Series
Frank Herberts - Dune
Orson Scot Card - Alvin Maker series
Richard S. Tuttle - Targa Trilogy / Sword of Heavens / Forgotten Legacy
Katherine Kurtz - Chronicles of the Deryni
Barry Sadler - Casca: The Eternal Mercenary
David Drake - Hammers Slammers
Jules Verne - Journey to the Bottum of the Sea
R.A. Salvatore - Drizz't series
Dante - The Inferno
Bernard Cornwell - King Arthur Series
Gordon R. Dickson - The Childe Cycle
Fred Saberhagen - Dracula Series
Spider Robinson - Callahans Crosstime Saloon series
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat series
Stephen King - Darktower / Gunslinger Series
James H. Schmitz - The Witches of Karres
Edward E. Smith - Skylark / Lensman Series.
H.G. Wells - Time Machine
Ed Greenwood/Jeff Grubb - Forgotten Realms
Harry Turtledove - Ruled Britannia / Guns of the South
Poul Anderson - Future History Series / Tales of the Time Patrol
C.J. Cherryh - Chanur Series
Ursula K. LeGuin - Earthsea Series
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451 / The Martian Chronicles
Roger Zelazny - Doorways in the Sand / Lord of Light
Robert Holdstock - Mythago Wood Cycle
Tanith Lee - Books of Paradys Series
L. Frank Baum - The Wizard of Oz
Leo Frankowski - The Cross-Time Engineer
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
George MacDonald
Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Robert Asprin
Frank Stockton
Guy de Maupassant
E R Eddison
John C Gardner
FRITZ LEIBER!
Saki (H H Munro)
Fitz-James O'Brien
Bram Stoker
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Theodore Sturgeon
T H White
Oscar Wilde

[Kudsman]

Glen Cook. The Black Company. A collection of the exploits of a seemy mercenary group of protagonists. Sort of a darker "good" vs. evil idea. Masterfully detailed in its brevity. Presented in a journal accounting of various points of view. Not your father's average fantasy.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Zelazny's "Doorways in the Sand" and "Lord of Light", while both wonderful books, were more science fiction... "Lord of Light" could qualify as fantasy, depending on how you look at it.

I'm amazed no one has mentioned that Zelazny's great fantasy work was the Amber series, starting with the book "Nine Princes in Amber" and continuing for nine more books (2 series of 5 books each). Great stuff!

[Swordmaker]

Corrections or additions in bold, comments in itallics

J.R.R. Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings (single work, not a series)/ Silmarillon/ The Hobbit

CS Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia Series / The Screwtape Letters

Robert A. Heinlein - Glory Road / Waldo / Magic, Inc. / Farnham's Freehold / Beyond this Horizon / The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathon Hoag / All You Zombies, etc.

Jean M. Auel - Clan of the Cave Bear Series Bear is singular

Isaac Asimov - Foundation/ Foundation and Empire/ Second Foundation.

Piers Anthony - Magic of Xanth Series / Incarnations of Immortality /Blue Adept Series

Christopher Stasheff - King Kobold / Wizard in Spite of Himeslf / Her Majesty's Wizard (ALL of these are part of the "Wizard in Spite of Himself" series)

A.E. Van Vogt - The Weapon Shops of Isher series / The World of Null A series / Slan

Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern series

Frank Herberts - Dune series

Barry Sadler - Casca: The Eternal Mercenary series

Jules Verne - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea / Around the World in 80 Days

Dante Alighieri - The Divine Comedy: Purgatory, The Inferno, Paradise

Ursula K. LeGuin - Earthsea Series / The Lathe of Heaven

Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451 / The Martian Chronicles / Something Wicked This Way Comes (The only book that REALLY scared me... I read it when I was 13.

L. Frank Baum - The Wizard of Oz series

Robert Lynn Asprin - Another Fine Myth series

Theodore H White - The Once and Future King

William Shakespeare - A Mid Summers' Night's Dream

[Rocko]

R. A. Lafferty has long been a favorite of mine. Also unforgetable is The Other Side of the Mountain by Michael Bernanos

[Rocko]

Michael = Michel.

[Wings-n-Wind]

Zowie... feedback....
Wings feels love...

Wings<--- thought key to thread was excellent fiction series literature -- simply admires the work of the Left Behind authors.. (Quite evident in the popularity of the series)

Simply trying to add to the list for consideration...
In the interest of keeping these wonderful FReeper friends, permit me to say thanks for the additional thoughts, and assure you I wasn't promoting any theological or antithetical position.

Regards and blessings to all...
Wings

[ThinkingMan]

I like Michael Moorecock- Elric of Melnibone series and the other eternal hero's books.

[ThinkingMan]

Fritz Leiber- he wrote about the two companions- I think one of them was named "Mouse" right?

[dd5339]

George R.R. Martin! Song of Fire and Ice series. Come on George, release #4!

The Song of Fire and Ice series is one of the best series that I've came across in a long time. It's extrememly detailed and very well laid out.

Semper Fi

[Hegemony Cricket]

Yeah, it's been a while since I've read it, too, but I saw it on the shelf in the library recently so I'll probably be reading it again soon. It's definitely required reading if you are a juggler!

[Hegemony Cricket]

RIP Douglass Adams! I got to see him and Ray Bradbury a few years back at a "visiting author series" at Butler U. in Indy. Who would have ever thought that DA would be the one of those two to leave us first, eh?

[50sDad]

Sixth Column! Yes! I (quasi-ashamed to say) loved that book in a Facist, ethno-centric sort of way. In a similar vein, read "Footfall", where Americans kick some alien, elephantine @$$!

[50sDad]

Also, the "Wizard of 4th Street" novels, where oil/technology/eco collapse and magic comes back to replace it, and any of the books in the "River of the Dancing Gods" book, where truck driver drops through WorldGate into medeaval magic world to become a Barbarian Warrior.

[hedgetrimmer]

Oops.

[hedgetrimmer]

The two characters in the Lankhmar series were Fafhrd and Gray Mouser

BIO: Fritz Leiber is considered one of science fiction's legends. Author of a prodigious number of stories and novels, many of which were made into films, he is best known as creator of the classic Lankhmar fantasy series. Fritz Leiber has won awards too numerous to count, including the coveted Hugo and Nebula(R), and was honored as a lifetime Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. He died in 1992.

"Wonderful, magical Fritz Leiber, before whom Bradbury and Sturgeon and Norton and Goldman and Barth and Vonnegut bow, not to mention Robinson, Busby, Anderson and even yours truly, the maddest egomaniac of them all." -- Harlan Ellison, 1977

http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/FritzLeibereBooks.htm?r=1A17

[ILoveUSA]

Richard S. Tuttle - Targa Trilogy / Sword of Heavens / Forgotten Legacy

I'm certainly glad to see Richard S. Tuttle included in this list! He is my all-time favorite fantasy author. I've read all of his books at least once and am constantly amazed at his ingenious plots and characters. He's right up there with the best of them!

[ThinkingMan]

Thank you- I knew that I had read several of those books and truly enjoyed them.

[kcar]

Or Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" or "Friday".

[bondserv]

Corrections:

J.R.R. Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings / Silmarillon / The Hobbit
Stephen R. Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series
Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time series
Terry Brooks - Shannara series
Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth series
Joel Rosenberg - Guardians of the Flame series
David Eddings - Belgariad / Malloreon / Elenium / Tamuli
L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - The Saga of Recluce series
Robin Hobb - Farseer series
Tad Williams - Dragonbone Chair series

Others additions:

CS Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia Series / The Screwtape Letters
Marion Zimmer Bradley - Darkover series
Robert J. Silverberg - Lord Valentine's Castle
Gene Wolfe - The Book of the New Sun series / Shadow and Claw
James Halperin - The Truth Machine
Howard - Conan: The Barbarian series
Jordan - Conan: The Barbarian series
Steven Brust - Dragaera
Hickman/Weiss - Star of the Guardians / Dragonlance
Greg Bear - Songs of Earth and Power
Terry Pratchett - Discworld series
Mervyn Peake - Gormenghast Trilogy
Iain Banks - Walking on Glass / The Bridge
Hannes Bok - The Sorcerer's Ship / Beyond the Golden Stair
Robert Holdstock - Mythago Wood / Lavondyss
Lois McMaster Bujold - the Spirit Ring / Curse of Chalion
Jack Chalker - Well of Souls
David Drake - Hammer's Slammers
Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker series
Philip Jose Farmer - Riverworld
Michael Moorcock - Eternal Champion / Elric Series
Tom Reamy - Blind Voices
George R.R. Martin - Song of Ice & Fire
Rick Cooks - Wiz series
Orson Scot Card - Alvin Maker series
Richard S. Tuttle - Targa Trilogy / Sword of Heavens / Forgotten Legacy
Katherine Kurtz - Chronicles of the Deryni series
R.A. Salvatore - Drizz't series
Bernard Cornwell - King Arthur series
Gordon R. Dickson - The Childe Cycle
Fred Saberhagen - Dracula series
Spider Robinson - Callahans Crosstime Saloon series
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat series
Stephen King - Darktower / Gunslinger series
James H. Schmitz - The Witches of Karres
Edward E. Smith - Skylark / Lensman series
H.G. Wells - The Time Machine
Ed Greenwood/Jeff Grubb - Forgotten Realms
Harry Turtledove - Ruled Britannia / Guns of the South
Poul Anderson - Future History Series / Tales of the Time Patrol
C.J. Cherryh - Chanur series
Roger Zelazny - Amber series
Robert Holdstock - Mythago Wood Cycle
Tanith Lee - Books of Paradys series
Leo Frankowski - The Cross-Time Engineer
Robert A. Heinlein - Glory Road / Waldo / Magic, Inc. / Farnham's Freehold / Beyond this Horizon / The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathon Hoag / All You Zombies, etc.
Jean M. Auel - Clan of the Cave Bear Series Bear
Isaac Asimov - Foundation/ Foundation and Empire/ Second Foundation.
Piers Anthony - Magic of Xanth Series / Incarnations of Immortality /Blue Adept Series
Christopher Stasheff - King Kobold / Wizard in Spite of Himeslf / Her Majesty's Wizard
A.E. Van Vogt - The Weapon Shops of Isher series / The World of Null A series / Slan
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern series
Frank Herberts - Dune series
Barry Sadler - Casca: The Eternal Mercenary series
Jules Verne - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea / Around the World in 80 Days
Dante Alighieri - The Divine Comedy: Purgatory / The Inferno / Paradise
Ursula K. LeGuin - Earthsea Series / The Lathe of Heaven
Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451 / The Martian Chronicles / Something Wicked This Way Comes
L. Frank Baum - The Wizard of Oz series
Robert Lynn Asprin - Another Fine Myth series
Theodore H White - The Once and Future King
William Shakespeare - A Mid Summers' Night's Dream
Michel Bernanos - The Other Side of the Mountain
Fritz Leiber - Lankhmar series


Authors only:

R. A. Lafferty
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
George MacDonald
Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Frank Stockton
Guy de Maupassant
E R Eddison
John C Gardner
Saki (H H Munro)
Fitz-James O'Brien
Bram Stoker
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Theodore Sturgeon
Oscar Wilde