kiniro Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I'm looking for something that lies in between the epic adventure of The Lord of the Rings and the complex multi-layered storytelling and fantastic prose of The Book of the New Sun. A story that's not written as a fun throwaway story (as much as I love that sort of thing) and rewards re-readings and analysis. And it'd be nice if it's not a series of more than a few books. Perhaps I ask too much? :)And yes, I've already read a couple of the books this forum is named after. :)Edit; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
End of Disc One Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Can you fit "fun" between LotR and BotNS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Hat Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing would be a very good thing to check out, as would China Mieville's Bas Lag books. They're not a true series, but Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Iron Council are in the same world. Steven Erikson is both fun and thought provoking, but it's ten volumes or more. Daniel Abraham's The Long Price might be something to look into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poobah Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 If I say wheel of time will everybody hate me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkynJay Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Lets see. Any threads like this around....Quote from Layanna Stark, in a thread i book marked,"Some of the more commonly recommended Fantasy series to try include (in no particular order):The Prince of Nothing series by R Scott BakkerLong Price Quartet series by Daniel AbrahamThe Amber series by Roger ZelaznyThe Gentlemen Bastard series featuring Locke Lamora by Scott LynchMalaazan Book of the Fallen by Steven EriksonMemory, Sorrow and Thorn by Tad WilliamsThe First Law series by Joe AbercrombieStandalones, people often recommend:The Scar and Perdido Street Station by China MievilleAmerican Gods by Neil Gaiman (if you don't mind comic form, you may want to check out Gaiman's Sandman series as well )"For "fun" i would recommend Abercrombie and Lynch from this list. Both are easy to read, but you'll find stuff you missed on each reread anyway. For a deeper read the Mieville books are very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvilKing Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Probably Prince of Nothing by Bakker is the closest to your criteria. Apart from, perhaps, "fun".It's not epic fantasy but I think Nick Harkaway's The Gone-Away World fits your request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papirolle Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Probably Prince of Nothing by Bakker is the closest to your criteria. Apart from, perhaps, "fun".It's not epic fantasy but I think Nick Harkaway's The Gone-Away World fits your request.Exactly this!Prince of Nothing is not fun, but everything else on your list. The Gone-Away World fits all your criteria, except it's not fantasy; more sci-fi-ish comedy horror...with ninjas...oh and kung fu fighting! :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinDonner Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I'd also recommend Jack Vance's Lyonesse trilogy, which is high fantasy (if perhaps not strictly epic) and beautifully written, yet full of sly humour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormund Ukrainesbane Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Your reading comprehension skills are insufficient for though provoking epic fantasy. You somehow managed to miss the three recommendation threads that are permanently at the top of this forum. Go back to Dragonlance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sologdin Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Dragonlancenow now. we should at least recommend mr. stanek or ms. hill, first? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattD Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I second Vance's Lyonesse, Mieville's The Scar.Also it was mentioned in your Wolfe thread, but Wolfe's The Wizard Knight is a more straightforward and "fun" epic fantasy narrative than the New Sun books, while still being very much a Wolfe book in terms of language, technique, and message. It may well prove to be the last great heroic fantasy novel. (The BotNS, by the way, is not epic fantasy: it only reads that way.)The "fun" part is tricky because it means different things to different people. The ideas in Bakker's PON can be engaging to think about, for instance, even if what happens to the characters often isn't "fun." It sounds like you're okay with that, so here are some other works to consider, trying to pick stand-alones although dipping into a few longer series:- Catherynne Valente's Orphan's Tales duo- Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy, and also many of her stand-alones (Atrix Wolfe, Od Magic, etc.)- Peter Beagle's The Last Unicorn or The Innkeeper's Song- J.M. McDermott's Last Dragon- Michael Swanwick's The Dragons of Babel (or its precursor, Iron Dragon's Daughter--both stand alone just fine)- Michael Cisco's The Traitor- Greer Gilman's Moonwise and Cloud & Ashes.- Patrick O'Leary's The Gift- M. John Harrison's Viriconium books--far-future SF and not epic fantasy, but like Wolfe's BotNS it reads like fantasy- Ditto Jeff VanderMeer's Veniss Underground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiniro Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 Your reading comprehension skills are insufficient for though provoking epic fantasy. You somehow managed to miss the three recommendation threads that are permanently at the top of this forum. Go back to Dragonlance.I thought that sticky fantasy recommendation thread was for recommending your favorites, not for asking people to recommend something specific. Either way there's no reason to be a jerk about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearly Headless Ned Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Your reading comprehension skills are insufficient for though provoking epic fantasy. You somehow managed to miss the three recommendation threads that are permanently at the top of this forum. Go back to Dragonlance.Nice way to welcome someone new to the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jussi Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 You could try David Anthony Durham's Acacia Trilogy. Because the last book hasn't been published yet, the series might end badly. I don't believe that is going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ereinion Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 You are looking for the Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I'm looking for something that lies in between the epic adventure of The Lord of the Rings and the complex multi-layered storytelling and fantastic prose of The Book of the New Sun. A story that's not written as a fun throwaway story (as much as I love that sort of thing) and rewards re-readings and analysis. And it'd be nice if it's not a series of more than a few books. Perhaps I ask too much?Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet would be a good fit for those requirements. A different world than the usual Euro-medieval setting, complex characters that constantly evolve, 4 book series that is complete, and his prose is very very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grack21 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Dragonlancenow now. we should at least recommend mr. stanek or ms. hill, first? Hey I take offense to that. I'd rather read Dragonlance upside down in a water tank while goblins chewed on my testicles then 3 pages of Stanek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gormenghast Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 And it'd be nice if it's not a series of more than a few books.If it wasn't for this you would be describing Malazan.So: Bakker. I don't think there are alternatives. It sits pretty uniquely where it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I'd second the Bakker, the Daniel Abraham and would also offer up Guy Gavriel Kay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimlessgun Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 If Tigana is any indication, I agree with the Kay recommendation.EDIT: Be warned that Fionavar is different though (his first work and also Tolkien homage) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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