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What are the top five best fantasy series since 1990?


Francis Buck

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Why would you say that?

There are 5 pages of lists of series called "the best"...and many of them are, as I acknowledged. Nevertheless, Acts of Caine wasn't listed in any of them. And that's a crying shame.

The series is brilliant (one of the best out there), and Matt Stover is horribly under-appreciated. I worry he will just give up.

I think you'll find that this board has a deep appreciation for great series that just aren't seeing the sales numbers (Bakker and Abraham) while being pretty lukewarm to some series that are selling like gangbusters but may not be as strong (Sanderson).

ETA: And yes, welcome Toblakai! Its nice to see people join the forums and find these areas south of the ASoIaF discussion.

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I think you'll find that this board has a deep appreciation for great series that just aren't seeing the sales numbers (Bakker and Abraham) while being pretty lukewarm to some series that are selling like gangbusters but may not be as strong (Sanderson).

ETA: And yes, welcome Toblakai! Its nice to see people join the forums and find these areas south of the ASoIaF discussion.

Heh. Where did you think I heard of it, if not this board? I realize the board has a deep appreciation for Stover. I was simply shocked that no one had mentioned Acts of Caine in their lists!

I have read 5 of Bakker's (and I think all of Abraham's) books, as well as some of Sanderson's. Thank you very much, and thank the board, for all the wonderful recommendations over the 6 years I've been a member.

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I think you'll find that this board has a deep appreciation for great series that just aren't seeing the sales numbers (Bakker and Abraham) while being pretty lukewarm to some series that are selling like gangbusters but may not be as strong (Sanderson).ETA: And yes, welcome Toblakai! Its nice to see people join the forums and find these areas south of the ASoIaF discussion.

Thanks for the welcome! I joined because of discussions other than Martin. I will think about him again when he actually publishes Winds of Winter.

I started reading Erikson because I always heard that was the greatest series that wasn't quite as well known. It does look like Bakker is mentioned at this site more often in a similar manner. Is that because Martin fans tend to also like Bakker? It is on my list to try eventually. Probably next year.

Does Abraham mean Daniel? I have never heard much about him but always assumed he was more traditional, which I have mostly tired of. Wheel of Time is probably the last more traditional fantasy I will read. At least for a few years. So why is Abraham popular here? No spoilers please.

Regarding Sanderson, I think he has improved on his weaknesses a lot with Stormlight Archive, namely simple characters and weak dialogue. I also feel his strengths, and the fact that he is prolific, outweighs the weaknesses.

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No order

Kingkiller chronicles - Rothfuss

Broken empire - Lawrence (one of my favorites, why the hate?)

First law- Abercrombie

Harry potter- Rowling (influence on the genre)

The powder mage trilogy- McClellan (fantastic!!!)

Dagger and the coin - Abrahams (another fav)

Stormlight Archive- Sanderson (epic, grand, All Inclusive fantasy)

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Thanks for the welcome! I joined because of discussions other than Martin. I will think about him again when he actually publishes Winds of Winter.

I started reading Erikson because I always heard that was the greatest series that wasn't quite as well known. It does look like Bakker is mentioned at this site more often in a similar manner. Is that because Martin fans tend to also like Bakker? It is on my list to try eventually. Probably next year.

Does Abraham mean Daniel? I have never heard much about him but always assumed he was more traditional, which I have mostly tired of. Wheel of Time is probably the last more traditional fantasy I will read. At least for a few years. So why is Abraham popular here? No spoilers please.

Regarding Sanderson, I think he has improved on his weaknesses a lot with Stormlight Archive, namely simple characters and weak dialogue. I also feel his strengths, and the fact that he is prolific, outweighs the weaknesses.

I'm not nuts about Bakker, myself, but there are lots of fans here.

While Daniel Abraham's Dagger and the Coin is a bit more traditional, The Long Price Quartet is most definitely not, so you might want to give that a go. He's also writing SF with Ty Franck as James Corey (The Expanse) which is all kinds of yum.

You could try Joe Abercrombie. The First Law and his subsequent books are way different from most everything else. Oh, and Mark Lawrence! OH, and Chris Wooding (Ketty Jay). Gosh, I love him so much I proposed to him.

Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastards, too. (Lies of Locke Lamora, etc.) Excellent! No dragons in there! :cool4:

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I'm not nuts about Bakker, myself, but there are lots of fans here.

While Daniel Abraham's Dagger and the Coin is a bit more traditional, The Long Price Quartet is most definitely not, so you might want to give that a go. He's also writing SF with Ty Franck as James Corey (The Expanse) which is all kinds of yum.

You could try Joe Abercrombie. The First Law and his subsequent books are way different from most everything else. Oh, and Mark Lawrence! OH, and Chris Wooding (Ketty Jay). Gosh, I love him so much I proposed to him.

Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastards, too. (Lies of Locke Lamora, etc.) Excellent! No dragons in there! :cool4:

I have read, and really enjoyed, all of them other than Chris Wooding. Thanks for the suggestions!

And I am fine with dragons. I am just tired of the Tolkien tropes such as idealized pastoral setting, prophesied farm boy or other unlikely hero, obvious clear cut good vs evil that allows for heroic genocide with a smile, etc.

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And I am fine with dragons. I am just tired of the Tolkien tropes such as idealized pastoral setting, prophesied farm boy or other unlikely hero, obvious clear cut good vs evil that allows for heroic genocide with a smile, etc.

Oh, you’d have a ball with Bakker!

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I have read, and really enjoyed, all of them other than Chris Wooding. Thanks for the suggestions!

And I am fine with dragons. I am just tired of the Tolkien tropes such as idealized pastoral setting, prophesied farm boy or other unlikely hero, obvious clear cut good vs evil that allows for heroic genocide with a smile, etc.

But but but you said..."Bakker? It is on my list to try eventually. Probably next year.

Does Abraham mean Daniel? I have never heard much about him but always assumed he was more traditional, which I have mostly tired of. Wheel of Time is probably the last more traditional fantasy I will read. At least for a few years. So why is Abraham popular here? No spoilers please."

So how is it that you read and enjoyed them? OH never mind. Welcome to the board!

And I love dragons myself.

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I see you did rank Acts of Caine in your top 5. My humble apologies, sir!

I guess Stover's on my mind as I am following him on FB and I just don't think he gets the love he deserves.

He even appears in my sig. Yes, R Scott Bakker mentions me and Stover in one sentence!

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But but but you said..."Bakker? It is on my list to try eventually. Probably next year.

Does Abraham mean Daniel? I have never heard much about him but always assumed he was more traditional, which I have mostly tired of. Wheel of Time is probably the last more traditional fantasy I will read. At least for a few years. So why is Abraham popular here? No spoilers please."

So how is it that you read and enjoyed them? OH never mind. Welcome to the board!

And I love dragons myself.

I have read your suggestions that you made after the Bakker and Abraham discussion. I have read Abercrombie, Lynch and Lawrence. Abercrombie was on my completed top 5 and Lynch was on my ongoing top 5.

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No order....



ASOIAF


Farseer trilogy - Robin Hobb


Liveship Traders trilogy - Robin Hobb


First Law sextet - Joe Abercrombie


Mistborn trilogy - Sanderson



Still in the process of reading Malazan and have Bakker on the list to start up after.


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I have read, and really enjoyed, all of them other than Chris Wooding. Thanks for the suggestions!

And I am fine with dragons. I am just tired of the Tolkien tropes such as idealized pastoral setting, prophesied farm boy or other unlikely hero, obvious clear cut good vs evil that allows for heroic genocide with a smile, etc.

I reckon you should read Tolkien then...

Does Abraham mean Daniel? I have never heard much about him but always assumed he was more traditional, which I have mostly tired of. Wheel of Time is probably the last more traditional fantasy I will read. At least for a few years. So why is Abraham popular here? No spoilers please."

Yeah, Daniel Abraham and no, he's not particularly traditional fantasy. Certainly not Long Price, but even Dragon's Path, though closer to the norm in its medieval-Europe setting (though towards the renaissance end), is more akin to aSoIaF-style political maneuvers, though with closer focus on a few choice characters.

He's popular because he's fantastic. Kind of hard to describe why, really. He's great at character, at slow-building but eventually dramatic political/personal plots, and his prose is brilliant.

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I reckon you should read Tolkien then...

Yeah, Daniel Abraham and no, he's not particularly traditional fantasy. Certainly not Long Price, but even Dragon's Path, though closer to the norm in its medieval-Europe setting (though towards the renaissance end), is more akin to aSoIaF-style political maneuvers, though with closer focus on a few choice characters.

He's popular because he's fantastic. Kind of hard to describe why, really. He's great at character, at slow-building but eventually dramatic political/personal plots, and his prose is brilliant.

I agree with this 100%. I liked Long Price very much, and I love Dagger and the Coin. It is so cool how Abraham incorporates economics into his work, because he makes what is boring to me (economics) interesting and even compelling.

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I reckon you should read Tolkien then...

Yeah, Daniel Abraham and no, he's not particularly traditional fantasy. Certainly not Long Price, but even Dragon's Path, though closer to the norm in its medieval-Europe setting (though towards the renaissance end), is more akin to aSoIaF-style political maneuvers, though with closer focus on a few choice characters.

He's popular because he's fantastic. Kind of hard to describe why, really. He's great at character, at slow-building but eventually dramatic political/personal plots, and his prose is brilliant.

Thanks! I have added Daniel Abraham to my long list of authors to read. Brian McClellan, Brian Staveley, Anthony Ryan, Django Wexley, Douglas Hulick, R Scott Bakker, Peter V Brett. I have not read these authors yet because their series are not completed, and I am already reading enough authors with unfinished series (Martin, Sanderson, Abercrombie, Erikson, Lynch, Rothfuss, Lawrence, Weeks). I also desperately need to read Robin Hobb.

And, yes, I have read Tolkien. I assume that was a joke. I loved Tolkien, but all of the rip offs (Brooks, Eddings, Feist, Goodkind - ugh, D&D stuff, etc.) turned me off of the genre. Only Jordan still kept my interest until the recent trend to anti-traditional fantasy.

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And, yes, I have read Tolkien. I assume that was a joke. I loved Tolkien, but all of the rip offs (Brooks, Eddings, Feist, Goodkind - ugh, D&D stuff, etc.) turned me off of the genre. Only Jordan still kept my interest until the recent trend to anti-traditional fantasy.

It was basically the same grumpy joke I make every time someone lumps Tolkien in with his imitators, yeah.

Abraham's Long Price Quartet is finished, just so you know (as is his Black Sun's Daughter series, but that's urban fantasy written under a pseudonym, MLN Hanover. Still good though)

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It was basically the same grumpy joke I make every time someone lumps Tolkien in with his imitators, yeah.

Abraham's Long Price Quartet is finished, just so you know (as is his Black Sun's Daughter series, but that's urban fantasy written under a pseudonym, MLN Hanover. Still good though)

Ahhh! I had forgotten about the MLN Hanover pseudonym. Huh. I'll have to read the Black Sun's Daughter books; they look fun!

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