Books with Old fashioned Heroes and Wonder (High Fantasy 'noblebright' etc)

[Joe Blackfyre]

I personally am seeing almost every single new book or series trying to out-do each other in a "grittiness" or "pessimistic" arms race.

I would love to read something new and wonderful, like LOTR or Narnia or even something like Landover or the Myth series by Robert Asprin or the Lone Wolf Gamebooks.... something with hope, humour and more kindness from the main characters than cruelty.

Somewhere with a very high number of good guys, where the author isn't bent on beating "old tropes" like a dead horse. Somewhere where Good and Evil mean something. Somewhere where True Love does exist. Somewhere to aspire to.

So basically the opposite or close to of every single recent mainstream fantasy out there currently.

Any advice? And are there any being published recently or is it all just cynical grimdark for shock effect?

[peterbound]

Sounds like you need some stanek in your life. Or maybe some Goodkind.

And 'noblebright'? Is that fucking thing now? Let's not make that a thing

[Hello World]

Any advice? And are there any being published recently or is it all just cynical grimdark for shock effect?

Bakker is the only one I can think of.

[polishgenius]

Tolkien is just as pessimistic as any modern 'grimdark', though not as snarkily cynical.

Anyway, urban fantasy is where you want to be looking for that sort of thing these days really.

[The Reckoner]

Straight answer oh pee: Feist's Riftwar or Peter Brett's Demon War Cycle.

[Darth Richard II]

I understand the need for things less cynical sometimes, but noble bright? True love? Uh, I guess you could read some tie ins?

[Darth Richard II]

Straight answer oh pee: Feist's Riftwar or Peter Brett's Demon War Cycle.

Oh that's rude. :p those books have more rape than Bakker

[maarsen]

When I was young and foolish I gravitated to that type of stuff but age, experience and the sheer dullness of a lot of the noblebright stuff just underwhelmed me. There was a earlier grimdark phase in the late 60's and early 70's, coincidently or not, during the Nixon presidency. I have to tell you, it improved the level of writing.

[Crom Dubh]

...noblebright isn't a real term, right? Right?

[Joe Blackfyre]

I understand the need for things less cynical sometimes, but noble bright? True love? Uh, I guess you could read some tie ins?

Haha, well yes it does sound a little wimpish. I put noblebright in the title so if people were searching for that term it would lead them here. Noblebright is basically the opposite of grimdark, so if anyone is looking for a thread like this in the future this makes it easier to find on internet search engines.

I'm sure there are different levels and grades to the 'noble' approach just as with the 'grim' approach.

I was going a bit over the top because what I was looking for was idealism. The hope that things can get better, and that struggle is worthwhile. No Red Weddings, but something similar to the Scouring of the Shire or the Grey Havens. Those bits I think are more heart-warming and beautiful than they get credit for.

And True Love? Well, there's so little swept-off-your-feet romance in the world today in our fiction (and reality?) that it now does sound strange. And maybe shouldn't be taken as an iron-clad rule. But something that fits that tone would be a book I might enjoy more, personally. If we can choose our dreams better to reach for unrealistic heavens than plummet into unrealistic hells. IMHO.

[Joe Blackfyre]

Oh that's rude. :P those books have more rape than Bakker

Out of curiosity, is this a joke or do they actually have more rape than Bakker? (How is that possible....?) :ack:

[TheRevanchist]

Wheel of Time? Not as straight forward as LOTR, but generally we have the good guys and the evil ones. Quite complex though.

Mistborn might be another one. Straight forward, good heroes versus the evil 'omnipotent' antagonists.

[Night's_King]

Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn

Lloyd Alexanders - Chronicles of Prydain

T.H. White - The Once and Future King

Susan Cooper - The Dark Rising

Garth Nix - Abhorsen

Ursula K. Le Guin - Earthsea Cycle

I guess I just ruined my reputation on this forum, but I love those books.

[AverageGuy]

Brandon Sanderson tends to be idealistic, with most of the main characters being good. I'm trying to think back through his stuff and there are the occasional events that are tragic, but I still wouldn't call it pessimistic. I'll agree with polishgenius that you tend to see it more in urban fantasy these days. And of course there's a lot of older stuff out there already mentioned in this thread.

[Wilbur]

Jack Vance's Lyonesse Trilogy fits the bill.

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

The three volumes included the following

• Lyonesse (1983) (also published as Suldrun's Garden)
  
• The Green Pearl (1985)
  
• Madouc (1989)
  

[Errant Bard]

If, as it seems from the request, this should be limited to Fantasy, then it might be a-propos to read a few of the Discworld books right now, all things considered: some were released relatively recently, and there heroes are good (if sometimes cowardly, drunk, or mean), a lot of villains are evil, kindness and humour permeate the series, and true love is definitely present.

Also, of course: Abraham. Seriously, the Long Price is all about being a good guy in a world that has friendship, love and kindness, and maybe that's why so many people try to save it, all in their own way.

ETA: About as new as the Long Price (that is, not that much) but it would be a shame to forget The Lies of Locke Lamora, it also a major recent-ish book that stays jubilatory to read from beginning to end.

[Lyanna Stark]

And True Love? Well, there's so little swept-off-your-feet romance in the world today in our fiction (and reality?) that it now does sound strange. And maybe shouldn't be taken as an iron-clad rule. But something that fits that tone would be a book I might enjoy more, personally. If we can choose our dreams better to reach for unrealistic heavens than plummet into unrealistic hells. IMHO.

Are you serious? I think you have just been reading the wrong things, cos Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, True Love is everywhere if you actually open your eyes. There's like a whole deluge of stuff in the Urban Fantasy landscape you could try, although you'll have to live with the following:

a. often female protagonists, meaning you won't get manly stubble dude going out to save princess in the tower, kinda narrative

b. often set in modern or pseudo modern times, although there are some which are more olden times inspired.

c. female protagonist means a lot of female gaze. Some men find that offputting.

Writers like Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews are doing this stuff.

However, if you are after reactionary stuff (basically you want white hero guys going out to slay the monster and get the princess as a reward) it's going to be a bit harder to find something relevant.

Failing that, I have some kick ass pirate romance to recommend you.

[Darth Richard II]

Out of curiosity, is this a joke or do they actually have more rape than Bakker? (How is that possible....?) :ack:

No joke. Brett turns the rape dial up to 11.

[Darth Richard II]

Someone in another thread mentioned Eli Monpress.

Also +1 to The Once and Future King.

[Joe Blackfyre]

Are you serious? I think you have just been reading the wrong things, cos Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, True Love is everywhere if you actually open your eyes. There's like a whole deluge of stuff in the Urban Fantasy landscape you could try, although you'll have to live with the following:

a. often female protagonists, meaning you won't get manly stubble dude going out to save princess in the tower, kinda narrative

b. often set in modern or pseudo modern times, although there are some which are more olden times inspired.

c. female protagonist means a lot of female gaze. Some men find that offputting.

Writers like Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews are doing this stuff.

However, if you are after reactionary stuff (basically you want white hero guys going out to slay the monster and get the princess as a reward) it's going to be a bit harder to find something relevant.

Failing that, I have some kick ass pirate romance to recommend you.

I shall try and reply clearly with none of my usual waffle so I'm not seen as a bigot. Yes I am serious. I'm not posting this as a 'fake' request (which is what saying "Are you serious?" implies). I generally like medieval fantasy, but I like locations have to have some craziness to them, like Discworld's Wyrmberg or Lone Wolf's Maakengorge. The villains don't have to be made out of cardboard, but equally there should be some willingness by the protagonists to stand up to injustice and horrible acts (whether they are realistic or not). Lead protagonists of different race and gender and sexuality are no problem to me. Grey characters aren't horrible either, but I would prefer them to be the exception not the rule.

I think it's more the tone that I'm eager to find again. The sense of wonder and of excitement, as opposed to dread and "oh this is meant to represent that in the real world and we are meant to feel this way." A decent city which is out of the ordinary (and has dangers beyond the ordinary) could be just as good as the Shire.... something like the Bazaar of Deva, or Midgar and Esthar in the Final Fantasy games.

Or something utterly bizarre as a location, like the Myst Ages or Gormenghast or Bioshock's Rapture or Danny-the-street.

I shall look into Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. I do prefer high fantasy but we shall see. Thanks for the suggestion.

(By the way, suggesting I only want to read about "white hero guys" may make me sound sexist or racist. Which isn't very fair when I was only asking a question about what is available, not stating an ultimatum for everyone to follow in what they read).