Shannara: what is it about?

[Tansy]

I'm sure I will return to Brooks in the future, just wish I'd discovered him in my early teens

I've got Sahdowmarch to finish and some R Scott Bakker and Joe Abercrombie waiting to be read. The other half keeps leaving Asminov books at my place, I think he's trying to get me into Sf

[the smiling weirwood]

I read Shannara after being exposed to GRRM and Neil Gaiman and the prose and characterization just fell flat for me. It seemed really heavily cliched, kind of like Eragon. Perhaps it was just my impression from the first book, I didn't read them all.

[Clansman]

The Sword of Shannara is a bit cliched. It was written in 1977. Brooks gets much better than that, but I would not call him transcendent.

[Urien]

I have only read The Sword of Shannara. It struck me as LoTR lite (and dangerously close to a straight rip off). I never went back. However, having read this thread it seems they get a lot better, if so what would you recommend to give it another go?

Thanks

AVS

[ghost8772]

well, Elfstones of Shannara was the sequel, and there were better story elements, though still some clicheness. of course nearly all sequels seem to have SOME level of cliche writing.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Tansy

I think I've outgrown the traditional fantasy forumla tbh, I like to be surprised by an ending not see it coming from page 1.

If that's the case I could recomend several authors to you that are antyhing but traditional inlcuding Ted Chiang, Steven Erikson, China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, M John Harrison, Jeff Vandermeer, Italo Calvino and the list like the road goes ever on and on....

[Grimward]

Originally Posted by andrew.v.spencer

I have only read The Sword of Shannara. It struck me as LoTR lite (and dangerously close to a straight rip off). I never went back. However, having read this thread it seems they get a lot better, if so what would you recommend to give it another go?

Thanks

AVS

Hi AVS.

If you want to give Terry Brooks a completely fresh start, pick up his Word and Void series (Running with the Demon, A Knight of the Word, and Angel Fire East). If you can find more than the most basic good&evil comparisons to LOTR in that series, well, you've keener eyes than mine!

If you're looking to try something in the Shannara vein again, Elfstones is great, but if you want a little distance from Sword, pick up the Jerle Shannara series. As you probably have seen, both are listed here under the flagship thread for Brooks' sub-forum, Bibliographie - Terry Brooks

Good luck, and hope you enjoy them!

[Tansy]

Originally Posted by GOLLUM

If that's the case I could recomend several authors to you that are antyhing but traditional inlcuding Ted Chiang, Steven Erikson, China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, Kelly Link, M John Harrison, Jeff Vandermeer, Italo Calvino and the list like the road goes ever on and on....

Thanks Gollum

Already like Gaiman and have Gardens of the Moon on order. I will look into the others

[Landroval]

Sword of Shannara is without question heavily influenced by Lord of the Rings. If you haven't read LOTR, read it first because there is no comparison in terms of writing quality!

However, SoS is still a decent book and can be enjoyed at it's own level, so long as you can stomach the author's blatent audacity!

Elfstones of Shannara is even better in my opinion and is proof that Terry Brooks can write decent original stuff.