Similar Stuff

[Connavar]

GRRM's first book "A Game of Thrones many people have recomended to me.

Are there anyone else that is as epic as DG and has a good mix of magic and manly men with swords? To me it doesnt matter if its elvs and stuff or mostly manly men with swords as long as its very good.

For example i read R.A. Salvatore's first book in Demon Wars saga and it was decent but the writing and characters was not that good.

Gemmell's Rigante series is actually my first fantasy series that i have read from start to finish. Now that i know there is
a master in heroic fantasy, i am looking for other masters. They dont have to be alot similer to DG just great at what they do and not too wordy i hate that.

[drosdelnoch]

To be honest theres no one like DG out there. Conn Iggulden is perhaps the closest although he's a historical fiction author. Fantasy wise you'd have to go with either Stan Nicholls or perhaps James Barclay but personally theres no one really on the same level as DG for me.

[Connavar]

I dont really want someone similer anymore cause i know there arent anyone like DG. He is the best at what he does and he is enough for me.


Also why waste time with someone similer that isnt as good when you read him

[Justin Thorne]

I don't think the question was around similar authors per se or copies... every author has their own voice and I too would not be interested in a poor man's David Gemmell.

The original question asked for similar styles... which is gritty, heroic fantasy for adults and there are plenty of authors out there who fit into that.

[Connavar]

I wasnt talking about the original question but when i read DG first i for some reason thought there were similer authors which i havent seen.

I have read other heroic fantasy, while they arent as good there are several good writers. For example i have seen Feist is good.

[drosdelnoch]

Its a matter of personal taste, I really do rate Conn Iggulden, yet if you get into historical fantasy heroism then Bernard Cornwell is also pretty good at what he does.

[Connavar]

Is Cornwell heroic fantasy too ? or just historical fiction?

[andrew.v.spencer]

Try Glen Cook's Black Company books. Gritty, amoral, amusing and plenty of action. Very similar feel to Gemmell... like Gemmell meets Erikson. It's more like Gemmell than any of the others in this thread.


Also similar but not as good (imo) as either is Fred Saberhagen's "Empire of the East" trilogy.

[Kaylo Mizuri]

When you say "historical fantasy" do you mean like Gemmell's Troy series? Because that's incredible.

[disrepdog]

I can echo what others have said about trying James Barclay's stuff. David Gemmell was James' mentor. If you like Gemmell you will probably like James Barclay. He is not a poor man's Gemmell.

The Raven series are fast paced action adventure fantasy about a band of mercenaries who end up saving the world. With alot of banter between the main characters it is great fun but also full of high tension as Barclay has no qualms about killing off people. The Ascendants of Estorea duology is set in a Romanesque world and much more of an epic saga revolving around the birth of magic into a highly religious empire that is struggling to maintain control.

Barclay writes some of the best battles imho.

Chadbourn is nothing like Gemmell but well worth a read. His Age of Misrule series (which is probably the best place to start) is set in the modern day when technology fails and magic returns along with all the old gods. 5 flawed individuals are drawn together to help bring back the Tuatha de Danann to help fight off the evil Fomorii. There is alot of celtic and arthurian legend in it and it's also a great road trip around the UK. Very well researched.

[Connavar]

Thanks for Barclay recomendation, even if he was a poor mans Gemmell i would be glad to read him. Anyone that writes a similer type of story half as good is good enough to read to me.

I have read several of the current so called big guns and there are no one near Gemmell among them.

Maybe its time to search elsewhere.

[Kania]

i don't know how many people will agree with me on this (hides behind a shield), but ive always enjoyed David Eddings. He has a similar writing style to DG, but is a little different. The Elenium series is a good one to start on, then move on to the Tamuli. They are good reads!!

[drosdelnoch]

Better make space to one side then Kania. My shield is going next to yours. Im not a fan of a lot of his stuff (the dreamer trilogy, my god even the fire wouldnt touch that) but I did enjoy his Sparhawk (Sextet or Sextuple, matter of personal choice really. LOL) novels.