Aegon the Unruly...

[Commonmind]

Or Aegon the Unworthy... After our little fire-side thumb-wrestling match the other day I was wondering if you might have any recommendations as well. I'm asking this here because so far what I've read of Martin I've enjoyed quite a bit, but I do not normally read one book at a time and as I've finished some of the books on my list over these last few days I'm itching to start up another alongside ASoIaF. Anyone else is welcome to give recommendations as well, and the only reason I called you out was because I liked your mentality; reminds me a bit of myself.

I would like to stay within the Fantasy genre and with a larger epic series as these types of books are keeping my interest at the moment.

Series I've read so far.

Weis and Hickman - All of the Dragonlance novels, including sidestories. Death Gate and most of Weis's solo work.
David Drake - Lord of the Isles
Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time
All of Tolkien's work.
Terry Goodkind - The Sword of Truth
Terry Brooks - Most of the Shannara books
Everything Salvatore, including the Cleric Quintet and other FR books not authored by Salvatore.
Quite a few of the Eberron books, the Lost Mark being one of my favorites.
Most of McCaffrey's work (not her son)
Martin (of course) - though I just started I'm about half-way through and having a blast.
M. Moorcock - the Elric Saga
Friedman - the Coldfire books
And doubtless others I'm forgetting...

So, anything not the above... lol

[KiwiBird]

Hobb, Bakker, JV Jones

lesser degree, Cecilia DartThornton, Judy Fischer, Maggie Furrey

I have to make a serious objection against the threadname though, His name is not worthy

[Wiggum]

I'm a huge proponent of Robin Hobb, first set is The Farseer Trilogy.

Katherine Kerr's Novels of Deverry and the Westlands are worth a look.

I enjoyed Jennifer Roberson's Chronicles of the Cheysuli.

[Commonmind]

Hobb it is...

[Aegon the Unworthy]

I am completely the wrong person to ask...

I cant get into reading most SciFi anymore, I feel Ive outgrown most of what I would be tempted to read...

Weiss and Hickman, Salvatore, Brooks, Goodkind, Donaldson, Eddings, Le Guin, Moorcock.....I cant pick these books up anymore, theyre just not sophisticated enough....

Currently on my desk to be read is Roots of Strategy Book IV: by Jablonsky (This one covers military air defense at maritime, so I think I can offer some insight to countering the dragons at sea...) and in my bathroom is Limited Conflict Under the Nuclear Umbrella: Indian and Pakistani Lessons from the Kargil Crisis by some guy named Tellis....so I guess thats what Im reading.....(and Boaz wonders why I enjoyed Shogun)

But Ive heard good things about Hobb and Bakker....

[Aegon the Unworthy]

Originally Posted by KiwiBird

Hobb, Bakker, JV Jones

lesser degree, Cecilia DartThornton, Judy Fischer, Maggie Furrey

I have to make a serious objection against the threadname though, His name is not worthy

And he can call me whatever he wants KiwiMouse...its just a nickname after all

[KiwiBird]

actually that part of the post had a double-meaning

[Aegon the Unworthy]

Originally Posted by KiwiBird

actually that part of the post had a double-meaning

I think I speak for everyone when I say, your cleverness, once again, amazes me...

[that old guy]

You might want to try a few of the Recluce books by L. E. Modesitt Jr. or perhaps even give King's Dark Tower series a shot. Though the first two books are much better than what follows, IMO.

I'm probably the only person on the planet who couldn't stand M. Scott Bakker, I guess. Yes, it was well-written, yes, you could tell he put a lot of thought into developing his fantasy world. The only problem is that I was not the slightest bit entertained. The books, at least as far as I got (which was midway through the second book), were just relentlessly depressing. Lots of over-described violence, lots of nasty sex, including rape type stuff. I guess I can sort of see why someone might like saying they've read him, but I just can't believe anyone actually enjoyed the act of reading him. And since I only read genre fiction to be entertained, he was one I gave up.

Oops. Sorry for that bit of a rant. Hell with it, I'll let it stand.

[KiwiBird]

Originally Posted by Aegon the Unworthy

I think I speak for everyone when I say, your cleverness, once again, amazes me...

I have no doubt

[Commonmind]

Originally Posted by that old guy

You might want to try a few of the Recluce books by L. E. Modesitt Jr. or perhaps even give King's Dark Tower series a shot. Though the first two books are much better than what follows, IMO.

I'm probably the only person on the planet who couldn't stand M. Scott Bakker, I guess. Yes, it was well-written, yes, you could tell he put a lot of thought into developing his fantasy world. The only problem is that I was not the slightest bit entertained. The books, at least as far as I got (which was midway through the second book), were just relentlessly depressing. Lots of over-described violence, lots of nasty sex, including rape type stuff. I guess I can sort of see why someone might like saying they've read him, but I just can't believe anyone actually enjoyed the act of reading him. And since I only read genre fiction to be entertained, he was one I gave up.

Oops. Sorry for that bit of a rant. Hell with it, I'll let it stand.

I've read King's Dark Tower series (save the latest book, still sitting on my shelf) and his Eyes of the Dragon. I guess I associate him so much with Horror Fiction that I forgot to include it. It was well-written and I enjoyed it, but he was writing with his usual flavor and for me it left a little to be desired in that respect.

[Funky Cthulu]

Originally Posted by Commonmind

I've read King's Dark Tower series (save the latest book, still sitting on my shelf) and his Eyes of the Dragon. I guess I associate him so much with Horror Fiction that I forgot to include it. It was well-written and I enjoyed it, but he was writing with his usual flavor and for me it left a little to be desired in that respect.

I was really into the Dark Tower series up until the last 3 books. It was a massive disappointment - I would rather believe now that the last 3 just didn't exist, and I can then imagine my own ending. I also found Eyes of the Dragon incredibly juvenile. Maybe my disappointment is heightened by how high my expectations were, but I lost all patience when King started writing himself in as a character. A better author might have made it work, but I found it very pretentious and a pointless distraction to the plot.
/rant

[Boaz]

FC, sorry to rehash bad memories, but can you clarify on King breaking the fourth wall (where an author/artist inserts himself into the work)? It's been twenty years since I read Eyes of the Dragon and my memory is hazy, but are you saying King was the king, one of the princes, or the evil wizard? Thanks in advance.

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by that old guy

I'm probably the only person on the planet who couldn't stand M. Scott Bakker, I guess.

You're not the only person. Though you got further than me, I ditched it after a hundred or so pages.

[Werthead]

R. ScottBakker's Prince of Nothing Trilogy and Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series are, critically at least, the other two of the 'Big Three' epic fantasy series around at the moment. Both have their critics, but I felt both work very well and are highly interesting works, certainly far more sophisticated than Donaldson or (laughs) Goodkind. There is a streak of nihilism in Bakker which I think turns people off, but it is an intellectually stimulating and often wonderfully-written series, but granted one that deals with the darker side of human life.

Paul Kearney's excellent Monarchies of God series is also recommended.