Fantasy readers...

[TheProject]

I just finished the new Terry Brooks (Jarka Ruus) last week...good read, if you like his stuff. New characters, with some good references to the past mythology.

I was a little disappointed with the Jerle Shannara series, but this one seems to be going in a good direction.

 

[RottenWillow]

Project who else do you read? Any horror or other fantasy writers?

 

[tuc biscuit]

what would be a good book to wet my feet in this area?

 

[RottenWillow]

what would be a good book to wet my feet in this area?

Start with the granddaddy of modern fantasy/horror that a great many contemporary british and american writers have admitted to emulating, Howard Phillips Lovecraft (ca. 1889-1936).

 

[TheProject]

Project who else do you read? Any horror or other fantasy writers?

I honestly don't make time to read all that much, but with travelling for work, I've managed to get the two most recent Brooks books read.

I've read some of the White Wolf vampire books, and a few other fantasy books, but I'm not a devoted follower of any of it yet.

You?

 

[tuc biscuit]

Start with the granddaddy of modern fantasy/horror that a great many contemporary british and american writers have admitted to emulating, Howard Phillips Lovecraft (ca. 1889-1936).

thank you

 

[RottenWillow]

I've read some of the White Wolf vampire books, and a few other fantasy books, but I'm not a devoted follower of any of it yet.

You?

Well there's actually a white wolf vampire in my avatar! Also in my sig if you can see it.

 

[TheProject]

Start with the granddaddy of modern fantasy/horror that a great many contemporary british and american writers have admitted to emulating, Howard Phillips Lovecraft (ca. 1889-1936).

I've never read any of his stuff...is it tough to get into? I know Code's a big Lovecraft junkie...

 

[c-sharp minor]

My g/f(?) has a huge fantasy collection. The entire DragonLance and Forgotten Realms series. Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks and too mny more to mention.

There are 6 bookcases full of books, 2 rows deep plus more books not on bookcases.

Probably over 2,000 books.

 

[THeMaCHinE]

Tuc,

Lovecraft is very much an aquired taste. Start with something more accessible and contemporary. Some early Barker would be a great, nice literary flair, compelling stories and offers some things to chew on mentally -- pick up any of the three Books of Blood for a starter (collections of Barker short stories). If you liked Hellraiser, you could pick up Hellbound Heart as well...

If you're into more guttural/visceral terror, try Skipp and Spector. They virtually pioneered the splatterpunk genre...

If you're looking for more of a fantasy flair (versus horror), you could still start with Barker -- pick up Imajica...

Fantasy really isn't my strong suit though -- I'm more of a horror/sci-fi guy with a little fantasy thrown in here and there...
If you are unsure, pick up collections of short stories that look good to you from the Horror or Fantasy section. This is a great way to choose the style that you like and identify authors that write the way you like.

 

[RottenWillow]

I've never read any of his stuff...is it tough to get into? I know Code's a big Lovecraft junkie...

Yeah it can be difficult to get into, some of it more than other stuff. Some of his stuff was pure fantasy, some pure horror, and some kind of a hydrid.

His total body of work is pretty small, he died young, so it is very doable to read everything he wrote in a few months. It was all short stories, except for maybe The Shadow Over Innsmouth which was about 130 pages.

If you didnt already know he was the one that invented the Necronomicon. Its been copied and talked about so much a lot of people think its real or if they do know it is fiction, they dont know who originated the idea.

 

[2Shy]

Never got into Terry Brooks much. I really liked the first three Assassin books by Robin Hobbs.

Just been re-reading Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. Bujold writes terrific SF that my DH and I both like (unusual because we look for different things in books). She dipped her toe into fantasy with Curse of Chalion and the fantasy was every bit as good as her SF books. There's a sequel out now, but haven't read it yet.

Wish books weren't so expensive. When they were $1.50 to $2.50 I took chances on new authors. Now I have to hope the library stocks them.

Ooooo Lovecraft. Hastur Hastur Hastur

Curious. Anyone done any gaming?

Gotta run ... something squishy seems to be oozing through my walls ....

 

[hellboy]

I'm a fantasy junkie too. I read some of Terry Brooks stuff back in HS - like 20 years ago (yes 20). Sword of Shanarrah and Elfstones and something else about a tree I think. They were ok. The Hildebrandt bros did the illustrations in those if I remember correctly.

I've got ALL of my Lovecraft books. I'll never get rid of those. HP be tha man.

I just finished reading The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin. I highly suggest it for a very unique read.

hb

 

[RottenWillow]

I'm stoked to find other HPL fans. 2shy you are definitely the first other woman I've ever found who's also a Lovecraft fan.

I'd also reccomend the Sonja Blue vampire trilogy to horror fans. There are a lot of illustrations of Sonja in my gallery.

 

[hellboy]

Ooooo Lovecraft. Hastur Hastur Hastur

Curious. Anyone done any gaming?

Heh. I *wish* I had a dollar for every d20 I've rolled. It's been awhile though.

 

[hellboy]

His total body of work is pretty small, he died young, so it is very doable to read everything he wrote in a few months....

Well... Except for Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath - in my case anyway. To this day it's still the only one I haven't read more than once. Never made it through the first time even. Man, it sucks. (IMHO of course ;-)

 

[sh4dowf4lcon]

Ca in a Hat is my favorite

 

[hellboy]

Ca in a Hat is my favorite

In France chat chapeau...
In Spain he's el gato en a sombrero.


Scuse me... I have a 4 yo niece.

 

[Y_lifter]

Dean Koontz

FUNHOUSE
INTENSITY
MR. MURDER

 

[hellboy]

Dean Koontz

FUNHOUSE
INTENSITY
MR. MURDER

Usually I consider Koontz to be one of the most mediocre horror writers out there. BUT Intensity absolutely Rocked! If it wasn't for the scene with the mooses I would have thought he had a ghost writer do it. They made it into a tv miniseries but I never saw it. Did anyone else?

 

[RottenWillow]

Well... Except for Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath - in my case anyway. To this day it's still the only one I haven't read more than once. Never made it through the first time even. Man, it sucks. (IMHO of course ;-)

LOLOL. Yeah that one does ramble on for a longass time doesnt it? I think that may have been the very last one I read because it looked so long and boring.

 

[Y_lifter]

Originally posted by hellboy
They made it into a tv miniseries but I never saw it. Did anyone else?

Mediocre ? Lately, Yes.. Old stuff is great IMO

Yea, it is worth renting.
John C Mcginley played the whacko with the motor home..
He also played in Soul Survivor tv movie...
Great scene at the gas station.... Sad parts with the little girl he had in the room..

He plays a great whacko bad ass...

 

[hellboy]

Mediocre ? Lately, Yes.. Old stuff is great IMO

I read alot of his stuff back in the 80's. He's a very prolific writer and granted there are a few others besides Intensity that I enjoyed. It's just that most of his books (imho) have a lot of loose ends and very anti-climactic endings.

I liked Phantoms alot. And there was another one about little voodoo monsters or something but I can't remember the name. Shadows maybe?

I've heard that Mr Murder was good but I haven't picked it up yet. I'll check it out.

Edit - I'm not saying he's bad. Just that the good ones seem few and far between.

 

[hellboy]

LOLOL. Yeah that one does ramble on for a longass time doesnt it? I think that may have been the very last one I read because it looked so long and boring.

Heh. Yep. It was all that business about the cats living on the moon or some shit that I just couldn't get into.

 

[RottenWillow]

I liked Phantoms alot. And there was another one about little voodoo monsters or something but I can't remember the name. Shadows maybe?

yeah Phamtoms and Lightening were fantastic. But I also feel like his more recent stuff has been dissapointing.

 

[Y_lifter]

Originally posted by hellboy
And there was another one about little voodoo monsters or something but I can't remember the name. TICK TOCK

I've heard that Mr Murder was good but I haven't picked it up yet. I'll check it out. GOOD

Just like King, he has pub so many that even he runs out of cool stuff and recycles occasionally...

The themes/characters are similar in many books with happy endings..

Lightening and Watchers are by far my Favorites..
Great characters.. Not too corny

 

[hellboy]

Just like King, he has pub so many that even he runs out of cool stuff and recycles occasionally...

Heh. Amen on that one bro. King was great back in the day but aside from his gunslinger series I can't remember the last thing he wrote that curled my toes.

hb

 

[THeMaCHinE]

hellboy, I think you're thinking of Twighlight Eyes by Koontz -- that was probably his best book that I've read (haven't read anything of his for a good 5 years). I like Koontz, but I think of him the same way I think of a sitcom -- light entertainment that's fun every once in awhile.

King, once upon a time he was good, he started sucking a long time ago though. And yeah, the Gunslinger series was by far some of the most original/interesting stuff he did...

 

[hellboy]

hellboy, I think you're thinking of Twighlight Eyes by Koontz -- that was probably his best book that I've read (haven't read anything of his for a good 5 years). I like Koontz, but I think of him the same way I think of a sitcom -- light entertainment that's fun every once in awhile.

King, once upon a time he was good, he started sucking a long time ago though. And yeah, the Gunslinger series was by far some of the most original/interesting stuff he did...

The new gunslinger novel is either out now or coming out soon. There's some info on it on his site.

 

[THeMaCHinE]

Really? I didn't realize he was still writing that series... How many are there now? I read the first two, maybe three (if there were three around at that time, don't really remember). Haven't read any King since Dolores Claiborne (ugh!)... That was the last nail in his coffin for me...

 

[TheProject]

I'm a fantasy junkie too. I read some of Terry Brooks stuff back in HS - like 20 years ago (yes 20). Sword of Shanarrah and Elfstones and something else about a tree I think. They were ok. The Hildebrandt bros did the illustrations in those if I remember correctly.

The Hildebrandt art was for the first series...and Brooks' writing has improved dramatically as he's written more, IMO. He was WAY too wordy in the first two series, and they now move a lot faster.

Check out First King of Shannara, and you'll see what I mean...great book.

 

[Island Son]

I stopped reading Terry Brooks after the third book in the Landover series. Entertaining, but silly.
RA Salvatore has me hooked. Then I lent the Dark Elf trilogy to a few friends who weren't into fantasy and now they're all fans too IMHO they're still the best ones. Go read 'em... Homeland, Exile and Sojourn.

 

[TheProject]

Thanks, Island Son...I'm making a list.

I never could get into the Landover stuff...I thought it was dumb too.

 

[hellboy]

Anyone ever read any of the George R R Martin stuff?

Oh - anyone remember Thomas Covenant?
Be true Unbeliever.