faqserv the alt.fan.eddings newsgroup. Contains descriptive listings, forthcoming titles, book news, and numbers of recommendations. Archive-name: fantasy/recommended-authors/part1 THE RECOMMENDED FANTASY AUTHORS LIST - ver. 2.2 Part 1 of 3 CONTENTS: Introduction Part 1 THE LIST (A-J) Part 1 THE LIST (K-Z) Part 2 Changes Since Last Posting Part 3 Book News Part 3 Recommended Authors Part 3 Finding These Books Part 3 Credits Part 3 INTRODUCTION One question that arises with great frequency on alt.fan.eddings is "What other fantasy authors do you like?" Following are recommendations gathered from the assembled denizens of a.f.e. and presented for your reading pleasure. The list is alphabetic by author. Books that are part of limited series (trilogies, tetralogies, quintets, and the like) are listed with series name followed by all the titles in the series. In the case of authors with multiple series, I've attempted to list their works in order of publication. Note that the operative word in the preceding sentence is "attempted." Open-ended series that are still under 10 books will be listed with series name followed by the titles. I will indicate in the listing that the titles are part of an on-going series rather than a limited series. If the series has gone beyond 10 books, just the series name will be listed. Speaking of open-ended series, they do have one major problem: They tend to get weaker as they progress (Piers Anthony's "Xanth" series is a good example of this.) Try to start with the earlier books in the series, so you can get thoroughly hooked and are compelled to keep reading even after the author just starts hacking them out. THIS LISTING DOES NOT PRETEND TO LIST EVERY WORK BY EVERY AUTHOR LISTED, nor is it intended to do so. In several cases, only specific books by an author are recommended (although that is generally noted in the comments). Also, authors who write both science fiction AND fantasy (or books in other genres) only have their fantasy titles listed. This listing is only meant to give the reader a overview of what else is out there that other Eddings fans enjoyed. You can find many _complete_ author lists, created by the indomitable John Wenn, at the following ftp site: sflovers.rutgers.edu in the directory: /pub/sf-lovers/bibliographies/authorlists Listings are by author, series, then books within the series. Comments, if any, follow the listing. Authors/series recommended by 10% of the a.f.e. readers sending recommendations are marked with an "*". Two "**" means that 20% or more have recommended the author. Total recommendations per author follow the listings. THE LIST Peter Ackroyd (b. 1949) Hawksmoor _A thriller set in 17th century & present-day London. An architect is rebuilding London after the Great Fire, but he's secretly performing satanic rituals in each of the rebuilt churches. These involve murders, which are also occurring our time. The chapters alternate between past and present. "It's weird" says Gaspode Wannabe_ Richard Adams (b. 1920) Watership Down _A group of rabbits set off in search of a new home. Some (mild) satiric allegory of human society, but basically it is a surprisingly good adventure story. Incredibly popular when it came out. You should have no trouble finding it in the library_ Shardik; Maia _A major character in 'Shardik' is an enormous bear. This does include a human society of no identifable place or time. These take place in the same world, but are both stand-alones_ The Plague Dogs _You'll join the Animal Rights movement after reading this one - the main characters are two dogs who have been used in medical experiments, and have escaped_ *Lloyd Alexander (b. 1924) "Prydain Chronicles" - The Book of Three; The Black Cauldron; The Castle of Llyr; Taran Wanderer; The High King _Who cares if you have to get them from the children's section of your library - it's a very enjoyable read. A young boy of unknown heritage becomes involved in a clash between the forces of good and evil. Loosely based on the Welsh Mabinogin. There are also two or three short story collections out featuring tales about the characters from the Chronicles. Classic series, the concluding volume won the Newbery medal_ Poul Anderson (b. 1926) The Broken Sword _One of Anderson's earliest novels, the story of a changeling stolen by an elven lord_ Three Hearts and Three Lions _A modern man is swept back in time to take his place in a great combat between the gods_ Hrolf Kraki's Saga _Retelling of one of the earliest surviving Norse sagas_ The Merman's Children _Stand-alone that takes place in the thirteenth century, when magic is fading away. Four half-human, half-mer children seek their people, torn between their mortal and immortal heritages_ "The Last Viking Trilogy" - The Golden Horn; The Road of the Sea Horse; The Sign of the Raven _Great SF writer. A member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, and his attention to historical detail comes through in his few fantasy offerings (try 'The High Crusade' - it's SF, but one I think even the most adamant fantasy fan would like). The major influence on his fantasy is Nordic myth and legend_ *Piers Anthony (b. 1934) "Kelvin of Rud" - Dragon's Gold; Serpent's Silver; Chimaera's Copper; Orc's Opal; Mouvar's Magic _Straight adventure-fantasy_ "Xanth" - A Spell for Chameleon; The Source of Magic; Castle Roogna; etc. etc. etc. _Humorous. First couple of books are recommended, but it has descended into terminal cuteness...Series is nearing the 20-book mark_ "Apprentice Adept" - Split Infinity; The Blue Adept; Juxtaposition _Takes place in two different universes, one magic and one not. Anthony returned to this world with a second trilogy that is NOT recommended_ "Incarnations of Immortality" - On a Pale Horse; Bearing an Hourglass; With a Tangled Skein; Wielding a Red Sword; Being a Green Mother; For Love of Evil; And Eternity _There is a general, overall theme, but each book does stand on its own. NOT humorous. Recommenders agree that the first book, 'On a Pale Horse,' is the best (the usual state of affairs in series written by Piers Anthony)_ *Robert Asprin (b. 1946) "Myth" series - Another Fine Myth; Myth Conceptions; Hit or Myth; Myth-ing Persons; Little Myth Marker; M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link; Myth-nomers and Impervections; Myth Direction; M.Y.T.H. Inc. in Action; Sweet Myth-tery of Life; Something M.Y.T.H. Inc. _Humorous. Lotsa puns, lotsa slapstick. Like most long-running series, the recent offerings have been pretty weak. He also has an SF series "Phule's Company" which runs along the punny/humor line_ "Thieves World" _Shared World series with various authors, Asprin is originator. Notable as the first series created specifically to be a Shared World. Most of the stories aim for a feeling of gritty realism (translation: dark and depressing)_ Gael Baudino Gossamer Axe "Dragonsword" series - Dragonsword; Duel of Dragons; Dragon Death "The Elven series" - Strands of Starlight; Maze of Moonlight; Shroud of Shadow; Strands of Sunlight _Most (if not all) of Baudino's work takes place in a modern world touched by magic. Note that her view of life is fairly grim - the humor quotient is flat at zero, and the general happiness quotient isn't much higher_ L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) "Oz" _"The Wizard of Oz" first saw print in 1900, and Baum wrote 13 more Oz stories before his death. There are currently more than 40 books about Oz, and the land is getting a bit overpopulated. I've only read Baum's novels, and they are fun. Dorothy is quite competent and tough-minded (far more so then Judy Garland was in the film version), and some of the ancillary characters are hilarious (I love Mr. H.M. Woggle-Bug T.E., and Scraps, and General Jinjur)_ Peter S. Beagle (b. 1939) A Fine and Private Place _An early work. It's a love story with (and between) ghosts. Jim says "it is well worth reading" and your FAQmaker agrees_ The Last Unicorn _One of the top ten fantasies of all time. Read this. Bittersweet story of the last unicorn's quest to find out what happened to her fellow unicorns_ The Innkeeper's Song _Beagle returns to fantasy after far too long an absence. Story told through multiple viewpoints, grittier and a bit darker than his early work_ Greg Bear (b. 1951) The Infinity Concerto; The Serpent Maze _Before Greg Bear went totally over to SF of the hardest variety, he wrote a pair of fantasies. This duology was recently released as a single volume under the title of 'Songs of Earth and Power' in both the U.S. and U.K._ Clare Bell The Jaguar Princess _The first fantasy offering from an author who is best known for her young adult SF. This novel features Aztecs and a South American setting_ John Bellairs (1938-1991) The Face in the Frost _Another one of your FAQmaker's personal favorites. The author also has quite a few children's fantasies in print. If you liked 'The Last Unicorn,' you'll like this_ James Blish (1921-1975) "After Such Knowledge" - Doctor Mirabilis; Black Easter; The Day After Judgement; A Case of Conscience _The famous SF author brings us the end of the world. 'Black Easter' and 'The Day After Judgement' form a separate magic/horror duology - 'Doctor Mirabilis' is a historical novel about Roger Bacon, and 'A Case of Conscience' is straight SF. As a whole, the series explores whether the search for secular knowledge is inherently evil. Great books_ Enid Blyton (1897-1968) "The Faraway Tree series" - The Magic Faraway Tree; The Enchanted Wood; The Folk of the Faraway Tree _Open-ended children's series that has various children meeting the people that live in the land that is located at the top of the Faraway Tree_ The Wishing Chair; The Wishing Chair Again _Two children acquire a chair that can grow wings and whisk them off into adventure_ Elizabeth Boyer "The World of the Alfar series" - The Elves and the Otterskin; The Sword and the Satchel; The Wizard and the Warlord; The Thrall and the Dragon's Heart _The world in this series is heavily influenced by Nordic myth. I'm told that these are all stand-alone novels_ "Wizard's War" - The Troll's Grindstone; The Curse of Slagfid; The Dragon's Carbuncle; Lord of Chaos "?? series" - The Clan of the Warlord; The Black Lynx _A new open-ended series (at least, that's what I gather from the back cover blurbs)_ Keeper of Cats Ray Bradbury (b. 1920) Something Wicked This Way Comes _Everything Bradbury writes is Wonderful (do we detect a teeny bit of bias on the part of our FAQmaker here?) Most of his fantasy is in short story form, but this novel features an unusual (and nasty) carnival that comes into town_ *Marion Z. Bradley (b. 1930) The Mists of Avalon _Turning Arthurian fantasy on its head..._ The Forest House _Brand-new prequel to 'The Mists of Avalon' The Firebrand _Cassandra of Troy gets her turn in the spotlight_ "Lythande" series _Title character originated in Asprin's "Thieves World" series_ "Darkover" series _THIS IS SF, *NOT* FANTASY. But, hey, McCaffrey's Pern books made it onto the list, so why not MZB's Darkover? Generally, the books that take place after the lost colonists of Darkover has been rediscovered by Earth are more SF in tone, the ones that take place during Darkover's long isolation have a more 'fantasy' feel_ Mayer Alan Brenner "Dance of the Gods" - Catastrophe's Spell; Spell of Intrigue; Spell of Fate; Spell of Apocalypse _Ya gotta love a series with a hero named 'Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable'. READ THIS SERIES, shouts your FAQmaker, it's fast and furious, and fun, and I want the author to make enough money that he keeps getting published_ David Brin The Practice Effect _A lone fantasy from an SF master. This is definitely Brin-lite, but even minor Brin is enjoyable. A light-hearted adventure in a parallel world where magic takes a strange form (the title pretty much gives it away). The book is a stand alone. It came out a while ago, and may be out of print_ C. Dale Brittain "Tales of Daimbert" - A Bad Spell in Yurt; The Wood Nymph and the Cranky Saint; Mage Quest; The Witch and the Cathedral _Open ended series featuring Daimbert, the Royal Wizard of Yurt. Basically light-hearted adventure_ **Terry Brooks (b. 1944) "Shannara" (first series) - Sword of Shannara; Elfstones of Shannara; Wishsong of Shannara "Heritage of Shannara" - Scions of Shannara; Druid of Shannara; Elf Queen of Shannara; Talismans of Shannara _This is an enjoyable group of books, although the Tolkienesque borrowings of the first trilogy are even more blatant than most. Straightforward fantasy quest/adventure_ "Landover" series - Magic Kingdom For Sale-Sold; The Black Unicorn; Wizard At Large; The Tangle Box; Witches Brew _Open-ended adventure/humor series_ "Yet Another Shannara Series" - First King of Shannara (forthcoming March 1996) _From the title, I'd guess that this is going to a set of prequels to the previous series_ Stephen Brust (b. 1955) "Vlad Taltos" series - Jhereg; Yendi; Teckla; Taltos; Phoenix; Athyra; Orca (March 1996); Dragon (working title-won't be appearing for quite some time) _Featuring the assassin Vlad Taltos. Open-ended action/adventure series taking place in a well- defined, interesting world. Each book is a stand- alone, and the published order does NOT follow the internal chronology (despite that, you should try to read them in the above order)_ "Khaavren Romances" - The Phoenix Guards; Five Hundred Years After; The Viscount of Andrilanka (Blast - I'm sure I misspelled this - coming sometime in 1996) _Set in the same world as the Vlad Taltos books, just earlier in its history. There are two more books coming in this series - working titles are 'The Enchantress of Dzur Mountain,' and 'The Lord of Castle Black'. These are writen in the style of Dumas (remember 'The Three Musketeers'?) and are quite enjoyable_ Brokedown Palace The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars _Part of the Ace 'Fairy Tale' series (now being published by Tor), which invited various authors to retell a fairy tale for a contemporary adult audience. Very well-regarded, books from the series by Wrede, de Lint & Dean are also on this list_ Emma Bull (b. 1954) The War For the Oaks _Stand-alone (gosh, it's nice to run into a recent book that doesn't have 900 sequels). Wars in the fairylands spilling over into our world. You can tell Bull is a musician - the band scenes feel *right*. Good book. She's also written some 'Borderlands' books, which is yet another Shared World series_ ·_ Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) "Barsoom" series _Join John Carter as he travels the wilds of the Martian landscape! The Tarzan books are lots of fun, too_ Octavia Butler (b. 1947) Wild Seed _Fantasy from the Nebula-award winning SF author. Steve says "It's an alternative history story, with magic thrown in"_ Orson Scott Card (b. 1951) Hart's Hope _Early stand-alone fantasy_ "Alvin Maker" - Seventh Son; Red Prophet; Prentice Alvin; Alvin Journeyman _I believe this is meant to be a 7-book series. The majority of Card's writing falls firmly into SF, but this is an interesting alternate-history fantasy, taking place in the colonial period U.S._ Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) Alice in Wonderland; Alice Through the Looking Glass _Human from the "real world" crosses over into a fantasy land...Sound familiar? The first and still the best, you should read the Alice books as a fine source of sig quotes if nothing else_ Angela Carter (1940-1992) The Magic Toyshop _"Not exactly fantasy, but it's close enough," reports Wardley the Wizzy_ The Bloody Chamber _Collection of stories reworking familiar fairy tales. Definitely NOT for children. Maria describes Carter as "a fabulous stylist: lush without verbiage"_ Jack Chalker (b. 1944) And the Devil Will Drag You Under _Humorous. Stand-alone fantasy novel by a very prolific SF author. His other fantasy series (the "Dancing Gods") is NOT recommended_ C.J. Cherryh (b. 1942) "Morgaine" - Gate of Ivrel; Well of Shiun; Fires of Azeroth; Exile's Gate _Early work from Cherryh (except for 'Exile's Gate', which was published a decade after the others). Dark, moody science fantasy. Open-ended_ "Ealdwood" - The Dreamstone; The Tree of Swords and Jewels _Out of print (although they still turn up in bookstores occasionally). Fantasy in the Celtic/Welsh vein_ Rusalka; Chernevog; Yvgenie _Dark fairy tale using Russian traditions. Cherryh is a very highly regarded SF author_ The Paladin _Good stand-alone story with a samurai flavor_ The Goblin Mirror _Stand-alone fantasy with an Eastern European background_ Fortress in the Eye of Time _Possibly the first book in a new series, this isn't one of Cherryh's best. Tristen's quest is governed far too heavily by happenstance (and goes on far too long), and the maneuverings that lead to the final battle are pretty routine. Still, even substandard Cherryh is worthwhile, just don't let this be the first of her books that you try_ Adrian Cole (b. 1949) "The Omaran Saga" - A Place Among the Fallen; Throne of Fools; The King of Light and Shadows; The Gods in Anger Glen Cook (b. 1944) "The Chronicles of the Black Company" - The Black Company; Shadows Linger; The White Rose _Fantasy from the foot soldier's point of view. Gritty and hard-edged, these are not Fantasy Lite_ The Silver Spike _Takes place in the world of the Black Company, although it's not about them_ "Book of the South" - Shadow Games; Dreams of Steel _More of the chronicles of the Black Company_ "The Glittering Stone Trilogy" - Bleak Seasons (forthcoming April 1996); 2 more _Continuing of the adventures of the Black Company_ "Garrett, P.I." series - Sweet Silver Blues; Bitter Gold Hearts; Cold Copper Tears; Old Tin Sorrows; Dread Brass Shadows; Red Iron Nights; Deadly Quicksilver Lies; Petty Pewter Gods (forthcoming Nov '95) _The hard-boiled detective in a world full of elves, trolls, and magic. Raymond Chandler fans take note. Open-ended series. There is some slight reference to events that take place in previous books, but all books are basically stand-alone. Roc publishing recently bought 2 more from Cook_ "The Dread Empire" series _Listed for completists - none of the a.f.e. recommenders mentioned this series. The darkest (and least commercially popular) of Cook's three continuing series_ Hugh Cook (b. 1956) "Chronicles of an Age of Darkness" - The Wizards and the Warriors; The Wordsmiths and Warguild; The Woman and the Warlords; The Walrus and the Warwolf; The Wicked and the Witless; The Wishstone and the Wonderworkers; The Wazir and the Witch; The Werewolf and the Wormlord; The Worshippers and Way; The Witchlord and the Weaponmaster _These are the titles from the English editions. Only the first couple have been published in the U.S., and they were released under different titles. Excellent series! Books vary radically in tone, ranging from your standard heroes on a fantasy quest to humor/adventure to great events seen through ordinary (or seemingly ordinary) eyes_ Louise Cooper (b. 1952) "Time Master Trilogy" - Initiate; Outcast; Master "Chaos Gate Trilogy" - The Pretender; The Deceiver; The Avenger "Indigo" series - Nemesis; Inferno; Infanta; Nocturne; Troika; Avatar; Revenant; Aisling _The recommender of the "Indigo" series would like to point out that the quality of the books in the series is uneven - some are much better than others_ "Star Shadow series" - Star Ascendant (forthcoming Oct '95 in U.S.); Eclipse (forthcoming) _Both of these are already out in the U.K._ *Susan Cooper (b. 1935) "The Dark is Rising" - Over Sea and Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; Silver on the Tree _Another one that you'll find in the children's section. Arthurian elements, and very good. 'Grey King' took the Newbery Award_ Roberta Cray The Sword and the Lion _Cray is a pseudonym of Ru Emerson. See her listing for more details_ Brian Daley (b. 1947) "Coramonde" - The Doomfarers of Coramonde; The Starfollowers of Coramonde _US soldier in Vietnam is transported into a magical world. Good mix of modern military equipment in a fantasy world, says Jim Lahue_ A Tapestry of Magics _A wandering minstrel is involved in a series of adventures. Most famous for his 'Han Solo' books, Daley is now co-writing 'Robotech' books under the pen-name Jack McKinney_ Peter David Howling Mad _A reverse werewolf story. Humorous_ Knight Life _More humor as King Arthur returns...to New York City. Peter David is probably best known as a comic book writer. He also has numerous Star Trek (and other media) novelizations under his belt_ Pamela Dean "The Secret Country" - The Secret Country; The Hidden Land; The Whim of the Dragon _Another series usually found in the children's section of your library_ The Dubious Hills _Set in the same world as "The Secret Country", but featuring different characters_ Tam-Lin _The college setting of this one makes it quite popular with the academic crowd. Stand-alone contemporary retelling of the Tam-Lin legend. Part of the 'Fairy Tale' series_ L. Sprague de Camp (b. 1907) "The Reluctant King" - Goblin Tower; The Clocks of Iraz; The Unbeheaded King; The Honorable Barbarian _Classic. Fast-paced heroic adventure with an added dash of humor_ "Harold Shea stories" (co-author Fletcher Pratt) _Great series of novelets! Published in a variety of configurations, the most widely available titles in the U.S. are 'The Compleat Enchanter' (which isn't) and 'The Enchanter Compleated' (which gathers up the remaining stories). In the U.K., look for 'The Intrepid Enchanter', which contains ALL the stories_ The Exotic Enchanter (co-author Christopher Stasheff) _de Camp continues Harold Shea's adventures with a new co-author_ Elisa DeCarlo Strong Spirits; The Devil You Say _Humorous, the overall tone of these books is reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse. Aubrey Arbuthnot's new-found psychic abilities are a tremendous embarrassment to his wealthy, titled family, but that doesn't stop him from trying to use those abilities to earn some money...The two books can stand alone_ Tom Deitz The Gryphon King _Stand-alone set in Georgia and similar in style to the "David Sullivan" books (although it is NOT part of that series)_ "David Sullivan" series - Windmaster's Bane; Fireshaper's Doom; Darkthunder's Way; Sunshaker's War; Stoneskin's Revenge; Ghostcountry's Wrath; Dreamseeker's Road _Open-ended series. Celtic myth in rural Georgia. I understand that the recent volumes have also thrown American Indian mysticism into the pot_ "?" - Soulsmith; Dreamweaver; Wordwright _Trilogy_ Charles de Lint (b. 1951) Dreams Underfoot _Short story collection. Good introduction to the author_ The Little Country Greenmantle "Jack of Kinrowen" - Jack the Giant Killer; Drink Down the Moon (Combined edition under JoK title available from Tor) _He's written many books. Most are stand-alone (although related to each other), all are good. Probably the most productive author in the 'urban fantasy' sub-genre. Can be difficult to find in U.S. (although that is changing rapidly - Tor, his publisher, is showing their good taste and really pushing his work), readily available in Canada & U.K. 'Jack the Giant Killer' was originally published as part of the 'Fairy Tale' series_ Susan Dexter (b. 1955) "Winter King's War" - Ring of Allaire; The Sword Of Calandra; The Mountains of Channadran "The Warhorse of Esdragon" - The Prince of Ill-Luck; The Wind Witch; The True Knight (Jan '96) _Light-hearted adventure. The books are stand- alones, with the warhorse the connecting character_ The Wizard's Shadow _Stand-alone (although the ending is left wide open for sequels) about a peddlar who makes a bargain with the shadow of murdered wizard. It appears to be set in the same world as the Winter King trilogy_ Gordon Dickson (b. 1923) "The Dragon and the George" - The Dragon and the George; Dragon Knight; The Dragon on the Border; The Dragon at War; The Dragon, the Earl, and the Troll _Open-ended humorous adventure series. If you like him, he also has a ton of SF available. The first book of the series is by far the best_ **Stephen Donaldson (b. 1947) "Thomas Covenant - First Chronicles" - Lord Foul's Bane; The Illearth War; The Power That Preserves "Thomas Covenant - Second Chronicles" - The Wounded Land; The One Tree; White Gold Wielder _Can be *quite* grim & depressing, but they are really well written. Those who love Donaldson's work describe Covenant as a flawed but decent human struggling to come to terms with both his illness and his power. Others with less charity in their souls consider Covenant to be whiny, self-pitying, and a poor excuse for a hero. Give the Chronicles a try & see which category you fall into_ "Thomas Covenant - Third Chronicles" (forthcoming) _Yep, you read that right. According to _Publishers Weekly_ magazine, Donaldson is working on a third set of Thomas Covenant books that should see print in 1996. This is still very much in the 'rumored' category, so don't get your hopes up yet_ "Mordant's Need" - The Mirror of Her Dreams; A Man Rides Through _Several people have remarked that, although the Covenant books weren't their cup of tea, *this* duology was very enjoyable, and nowhere near as gloomy as his usual (although the heroine has more than her share of self-image problems...)_ DragonLance Series "DragonLance" books by other authors _This listing is in the nature of a warning: The first two trilogies by Weis & Hickman are highly recommended and listed under the authors' names, but further books in the series by other authors dropped radically in quality. Locus Magazine (Oct. '94) reports that Weis & Hickman will be returning to TSR and the world of DragonLance_ David Drake (b. 1945) "World of Crystal Walls" - The Sea Hag _Although this was billed as the first book in a series, it does stand alone (which is just as well, since no other books have been forthcoming). Drake is best known for his military SF series about Hammer's Slammers_ Dragon Lord _Well, what we've got here is Arthur as a paranoid megalomaniac, Lancelot a bully, and Merlin a second- rate magician...Mike sez this isn't a comedy, and Rich thinks its "an interesting look at King Arthur"_ An Enchanted Bunny _I'm told this is an homage to De Camp (I haven't seen ANYTHING anywhere about this one. I don't think it's very widely available)_ Diane Duane (b. 1952) "The Tales of the Five" tetralogy - The Door Into Fire; The Door Into Shadow; The Door Into Sunset; The Door Into Starlight (forthcoming) "Young Wizards" series - So You Want To Be a Wizard?; Deep Wizardry; High Wizardry; A Wizard Abroad (currently only out in U.K.) _Open-ended young adult series. Humorous and hard to find in the U.S. (the Science Fiction Book Club has the first 3 books in a combined edition if you can't find it in the stores)_ *Dave Duncan (b. 1933) "Seventh Sword" - The Reluctant Swordsman; The Coming of Wisdom; The Destiny of the Sword _His first work. Has some ragged edges, but moves right along_ "A Man of His Word" - The Magic Casement; Faery Lands Forlorn; Perilous Seas; Emperor and Clown "A Handful of Men" - The Cutting Edge; Upland Outlaws; The Stricken Field; The Living God _Follows the same characters as 'A Man of His Word' series_ West of January _stand-alone novel_ "Omar the Storyteller" - The Reaver's Road; The Hunter's Haunt _Described as being 'a little lighter' than Duncan's epic fantasies, this on-going series features Omar the storyteller_ The Cursed _Stand-alone about a land afflicted by changes brought about by the baleful influence of certain stars. Duncan also has a new book out under the pseudonym Ken Hood titled 'Demon Sword'_ "The Great Game" - Past Imperative (forthcoming Oct. '95); Present Tense (forthcoming); Future Indefinite (forthcoming) Lord Dunsany (1879-1957) The King of Elfland's Daughter _Early fantasy. Dunsany was very influential in the field. The above is probably his most accessible book for modern readers (although I like 'The Charwoman's Shadow' too, but then, I've got a definite fondness for early fantasy). It should be available at most larger libraries_ ***David Eddings (b. 1931) "The Belgariad" - Pawn of Prophecy; Queen of Sorcery; Magician's Gambit; Castle of Wizardry; Enchanter's End Game "The Malloreon" - Guardians of the West; King of the Murgos; The Demon Lord of Karanda; The Sorceress of Darshiva; The Seeress of Kell "The Prequels" - Belgarath the Sorcerer; Polgara (forthcoming Fall 1996) _Yep, two more books about our favorite sorcerer and his daughter. These are both prequels to the events of the Belgariad, and should finally answer such burning questions as: Why did Poledra have to pretend she'd died? and How exactly DID the orb get onto the shield?_ "The Elenium" - The Diamond Throne; The Ruby Knight; The Sapphire Rose "The Tamuli" - Domes of Fire; The Shining Ones; The Hidden City _The only author on the list to be recommended by all voters :-) He's been added because I'm told the list has been migrating to other forums, and we certainly don't want a Recommended Author List appearing without Our Favorite Author_ E.R. Eddison (1882-1945) The Worm Ouroboros _I've hesitated to add this to the list, since it is an early work in the field (1922), and quite different from what most people expect from fantasy now, but since *Corinne* brought it up...Read it. It's different_ "The Zimiamvian Trilogy" - The Mezentian Gate; A Fish Dinner in Memison; Mistress of Mistresses Teresa Edgerton "The Green Lion Trilogy" - Child of Saturn; The Moon in Hiding; The Work of the Sun ·_ _Celtic-inspired fantasy in a complex, well-realized world_ "Kingdom of Celydonn" series - The Castle of the Silver Wheel; The Grail and the Ring; The Moon and the Thorn _Series of stand-alone tales of the world of the "Green Lion" trilogy. Dwayne says the two books out so far are excellent, and I agree, although 'Castle' is a trifle slow-moving in spots. The final book was recently released, and it is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy_ Goblin Moon The Gnome's Engine _Jonathan says these are "just awesome - full of intrigue and suspense." Not part of the Celydonn series, the world of these books is built more along Victorian lines_ Phyllis Eisenstein (b. 1946) Sorcerer's Son; The Crystal Palace _Stand-alones about Cray, a sorcerer_ "Tales of Alaric the Minstrel" - Born to Exile; In the Red Lord's Reach _2 books so far, the first is episodic and has the feel of a short story collection, second is a novel. Alaric is gifted with the magical ability of teleportation_ Ru Emerson (b. 1944) The Princess of Flames _Her first book, and by far her best. Out of print, and probably hard to find. She's currently doing Shared World stuff_ The Sword and the Lion _Emerson recently published this fantasy under the pen name Roberta Cray. Lengthy stand-alone story taking place in an area reminiscent of the ancient Middle East (Babylon, Sumeria - you know, deserts and lion gods, and dusty walled cities baking under the hot sun). Lots of battles and a young heroine who grows into a great destiny_ Michael Ende (b. 1929) The Neverending Story _Don't judge it by the movies, please_ **Raymond Feist (b. 1945) "Riftwar Saga" - Magician: Apprentice; Magician: Master; Silverthorn; A Darkness at Sethanon _Fast-paced adventure, and full of action. The first two books were originally published in one volume under the title 'Magician'_ "Midkemia" series - Prince of the Blood; The King's Buccaneer _Technically, these two are stand-alone books, although they feature characters and situations introduced in the Riftwar Saga_ "The Serpentwar Saga" - Shadow of a Dark Queen; Rise of a Merchant Prince (forthcoming Oct '95 in U.K., Nov '95 in U.S.); Rage of a Demon King (forthcoming '96) _A new Midkemia trilogy begins_ Faerie Tale _NOT a Midkemia book. A dark, modern fairy tale_ _Feist is the most highly recommended author on this list-his work definitely strikes a chord with most Eddings fans_ **Raymond Feist/Janny Wurts "Daughter of the Empire" series - Daughter of the Empire; Servant of the Empire; Mistress of the Empire _Loosely related to Riftwar saga (they take place on the other side of the Rift)_ Bruce Fergusson The Shadow of His Wings _Jonathan writes that "[it] is just plain awesome. The author packs so much story and character development, and yet still sticks to the plot. It is one of the best stand-alone novels I have." It should be noted that this is VERY firmly in the 'gritty realism' school of fantasy. The dungeon scenes in particular...well, let's just say that Marissa would approve of this one_ The Mace of Souls _Fergusson has written some SF, too, and at least one Star Trek novel_ Richard Ford Quest for the Faradown _According to the Manchester Evening News 'A blend of Tolkien and "Watership Down" unfolded in a masterly style.' This came out in 1982, and probably is no longer in print, but my local library has it, and yours may, too_ Forgotten Realms series "Forgotten Realms" (various authors) _Like the Dragonlance series, this is a series of books published by TSR, written by various authors and based in the same world. Works by Elaine Cunningham and Ed Greenwood have been specifically recommended, as well as the "Moonshae Trilogy" by Douglas Niles. R.A. Salvatore has been recommended often enough to gain his own listing_ Alan Dean Foster (b. 1946) "Spellsinger" - Spellsinger; The Hour of the Gate _These are the initial duology. It has become an open-ended series, with titles including 'The Day of Dissonance' and 'The Moment of the Magician'. Foster is an entertaining and competent writer (I've enjoyed his SF books about Flinx and Humanx Commonwealth), however, I've received reports that the later books in this series have fallen off in quality_ C.S. Friedman "The Coldfire Trilogy" - Black Sun Rising; When True Night Falls; Crown of Shadows (forthcoming Oct 1995) _Sorta SF, but it takes place on a world where magic works, and it's not a really pleasant place for humans...."Extremely well written, interesting, and a lot different than the typical "sword & sorcery" type book...I would recommend this series to anyone." Her sf novel 'In Conquest Born' has also been mentioned by several recommenders. Doug would like to add the warning that Friedman makes Stephen Donaldson look like a comedy writer, and that depressed persons should avoid these books_ Esther Friesner (b. 1951) Druid's Blood _Alternate world Sherlock Holmes/fantasy pastiche. It gets a bit ragged in places, but on the whole is quite enjoyable. Came out 6 years ago and will probably be hard to find_ "Demon" series - Here Be Demons; Demon Blues; Hooray for Hellywood _Open-ended humorous fantasy series. Relies less on horrendous puns then some of the other humorous fantasy authors. Her 'Majyk' series is NOT recommended_ Craig Shaw Gardner (b. 1949) "The Cineverse Cycle" - Slaves of the Volcano God; Bride of the Slime Monster; The Revenge of the Fluffy Bunnies _humorous (it's quite punny *ouch*) trilogy set in a parallel universe based on 'B' movies_ "Ebenezum/Wuntvor" series - A Malady of Magicks; A Multitude of Monsters; A Night in the Netherhells; A Difficulty with Dwarves; An Excess of Enchantments; A Disagreement with Death _Standalone humor novels about an incompetent magician and his apprentice_ "Arabian Nights" - The Other Sinbad; The Last Arabian Knight _More humor (do I sense a trend here?)_ Alan Garner (b. 1934) The Weirdstone of Brisingamen; The Moon of Gomrath _Marvelous author. These are his earliest work, you'll find them in the children's section of your library_ Elidor _Four children must save an alternate world through the use of four symbols of power_ The Owl Service _Echoes of the Mabinogion in a moody and intense novel that totally bewildered me when I was 12, but that I love now_ Randall Garrett (1927-1987) "Lord Darcy" stories - Murder and Magic; Too Many Magicians; Lord Darcy Investigates _Open-ended series of detective stories set in an alternate England where magic works. Michael Kurland has continued this series with the books 'Ten Little Wizards' and 'A Study in Sorcery'_ Randall Garrett/Vicky Heydron "The Gandalara Cycle" - The Steel of Raithskar; The Glass of Dyskornis; The Bronze of Eddarta; The Well of Darkness; The Search for Ka; Return to Eddarta; The River Wall _Randall developed this series with his wife Vicky, but he did not actually write any of the books due to the effects of his eventually fatal illness_ David Gemmell (b. 1948) "The Drenai" - Legend; King Beyond the Gate; Quest For Lost Heroes; Waylander (1st U.S. edition Nov. '95); Waylander II; The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend; Second Chronicles of Druss the Legend "The Lion of Macedon" - Lion of Macedon; Dark Prince _Fantasy version of the life of Alexander the Great. History purists be warned - Gemmell plays fast and loose with Greek history and mythology. Only available in trade paperback in the U.S._ "The Sipstrassi" - Wolf in Shadow; Ghost King (1st U.S. edition Feb. '96); Last Sword of Power; The Last Guardian; Bloodstone _The second two books take place in a vaguely Arthurian past, and the others feature Jon Shannow, and take place in the far future. The connecting feature of the two eras are the Sipstrassi, the stones of power. They are being published in the U.S. in the order of the internal chronology_ Knights of Dark Renown _A stand-alone. It is out in the U.S. "The Hawk Queen" - Ironhand's Daughter, Hawk Eternal (Oct. '95 in U.K.) _Gemmell's work has just started coming out in the U.S. He IS very much worth looking up - a solid, entertaining author who tells a fast-paced story. Fairly traditional fantasy, with heroic heros (who have flaws, but overcome them when the chips are down) and dastardly villains_ Mary Gentle (b. 1956) Rats and Gargoyles; The Architecture of Desire _Gothic fantasy. I haven't read these yet, and I should, because I really enjoy her SF. Thanks to Ray for suggesting these_ Grunts! (Aug '95 in U.S.) _I've heard a lot about this one - I understand it has a lot of black humor. It's been out in Britain for a while_ William Goldman The Princess Bride _Boy, I'm embarrassed about this one. I thought I'd added this book MONTHS ago. A fast-paced, funny romp through every fantasy cliche you can think of (watch out for the rodents of unusual size). Written by an author best known for his screenplays, which may be why the movie actually does a good job of capturing the tone of the book_ Terry Goodkind Wizard's First Rule; Stone of Tears (forthcoming Oct '95) _Goodkind's debut novel made a big splash, and he'll be following it up in September. Mikey REALLY likes 'First Rule' and highly recommends it. Goodkind recently sold 3 more books in the series to Tor, so it looks like he'll be around for awhile_ Simon Green (b. 1955) Blue Moon Rising _"my favorite new book this year....standard fantasy with enough of a twist to keep me interested," reports Nathan. Your FAQMaster agrees - this is Green's second book, and he shows a LOT of promise. It moves quickly, the characters are standard types, but still manage to be interesting, and it kept me reading straight through to the end_ Down Among the Dead Men _Set in the same world as "Blue Moon," but not really a sequel. It takes place years after, and features a totally different set of characters. Another action-packed adventure_ H. Rider Haggard (1856-1925) "Allan Quartermain" books _Allan Quartermain did a lot of traveling before he went to King Solomon's Mines. The novels range from straight adventure to outright fantasy_ *Barbara Hambly (b. 1951) "Darwath Trilogy" - The Time of the Dark; The Walls of Air; The Armies of Daylight _Another 'folks from our world cross into fantastic realm,' but quite well done (especially considering that this was Hambly's first published work) with intelligent characters and some interesting twists_ "Windrose Chronicles" - The Silent Tower; The Silicon Mage; Dog Wizard _The first two are basically one book that got split in two due to size. 'Dog Wizard' continues the plot, and leaves a fair amount of dangling threads at the end. This may be turning into an open-ended series_ Stranger at the Wedding (U.K. title - Sorcerer's Ward) _A stand-alone set in same world as "Windrose Chronicles," but featuring different characters. One of Hambly's weaker offerings, but still enjoyable_ "Sun Cross" - Rainbow Abyss; The Magicians of Night _Wizards cross from their world into ours, and end up in Nazi Germany_ "Sun Wolf/Starhawk" - The Ladies of Madrigyn; The Witches of Wenshar; The Dark Hand of Magic _Although each of these is a separate, self- contained story, they are best enjoyed in order, and 'Dark Hand of Magic' does bring the series to a fairly definite close_ Those Who Hunt the Night; Traveling With the Dead (forthcoming Oct '95) _Hambly does the vampire routine. And she does it quite well - in fact, TWHtN took the _Locus_ fantasy novel award the year it came out_ Bride of the Rat God _Lots of fun - 1920's Hollywood and Chinese magic_ Elizabeth Hand (b. 1957) Waking the Moon _At the University of the Archangels and St. John the Divine in Washington, D.C., the Benandanti have guarded for millenia against the return of their ancient foe, the Moon Goddess Othiym Lunarsa. This Goddess is not the comforting mother figure found in so much fantasy, but a powerful destroyer. This is getting some great press. 'Hand has created a violently sensual fable helped by smart pacing and vibrant prose' sez one reviewer._ Lyndon Hardy The Master of Five Magics; The Secret of the Sixth Magic; The Riddle of the Seven Realms Deborah Turner Harris "Mages of Garillon" series - The Burning Stone; The Gauntlet of Malice; Spiral of Fire _Appeared in the late eighties, and not easy to find. Dan says that 'The Burning Stone' is "one of the best fantasy world creations that I've come across."_ "Caledon series" - Caledon of the Mists; Queen of Ashes _Co-author (with Katherine Kurtz) of the Adept series_ Harry Harrison (b. 1925) "The Hammer and the Cross" - The Hammer and the Cross; One King's Way _Mystical visions of Norse and Christian mythologies are combined with an alternative history of the ninth century in this new fantasy series by SF stalwart Harrison. It's getting very good press, and our very own Donal recommends it highly_ Simon Hawke (b. 1951) "Wizard of 4th Street" - Wizard of 4th Street; Wizard of Whitechaple; Wizard of Sunset Strip; Wizard of the Rue Morgue; Samuri Wizard; Wizard of Santa Fe; Wizard of Camelot; Wizard of Lovecraft's Cafe _Open-ended partly-humorous series of loosely related books. His other series, "The Reluctant Wizard," was noted as being 'humorous, but not so great' He also has a series set in the Dark Sun AD&D Campaign World_ P.C. Hodgell (b. 1951) God Stalk; Dark of the Moon; Seeker's Mask _First two were published in mass-market paperback. Current works are only available through Hypatia Press, a small press in Oregon (they also have the first two books available - call them at 1-800-738- 2660). They also have several of her shorter stories (set in the same world) available as chapbooks. Hodgell is a cult favorite over on r.a.sf.w., and is reportedly at work on a fourth book_ Tom Holt (b. 1961) Expecting Someone Taller Flying Dutch _These two were specifically mentioned, but he's written a fair number of books now, all humorous, all taking a myth/legend and putting an odd spin on it. He's a lot more popular in England than he is in the U.S._ William Horwood (b. 1944) "The Duncton Chronicles" - Duncton Wood; Duncton Quest; Duncton Found; Duncton Tales _Well, it's about moles....but Stevie says "it's also about good vs. evil, religion and self- discovery." The first was published almost a decade before the final three, and general consensus is that it is the best of the lot_ The Willows in Winter _His latest - it's a sequel to Kenneth Grahame's 'Wind in the Willows'_ Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) "Conan the Barbarian" _Back from Cimmeria, the *Original* Barbarian Swordsman! Howard had only published 2 novels & a pile of short stories about Conan when he committed suicide at the age of 31, but he left a trunk full of material behind that has been compiled, combined, reconfigured, and added to by various authors and editors (including L. Sprague deCamp and Robert Jordan)_ Tanya Huff (b. 1957) "The Novels of Crystal" - Child of the Grove; The Last Wizard _Her earliest work, about the last wizard in a world that fears and despises her_ The Fire's Stone _Competent stand-alone about a thief, a swordsman and a wizard. There's a love triangle that isn't resolved quite as you might expect_ Sing the Four Quarters; Fifth Quarter ·_ _Krista really enjoyed this one, and is looking forward to 'Fifth Quarter'. Huff also has a horror/ mystery series (I believe that the detective in the stories is a vampire), all with "Blood" in the title_ Barry Hughart (b. 1934) "Master Li and Number Ten Ox" series - The Bridge of Birds; The Story of the Stone; Eight Skilled Gentlemen _Open-ended series set in ancient China. HIGHLY recommended by your FAQ maker (especially the first one)_ Robert Don Hughes "Pelman the Powershaper" - Prophet of Lamath; The Wizard in Waiting; The Power and the Prophet "Wizard and Dragon" - The Forging of the Dragon; The Faithful Traitor; 1 more yet to come _Well, Jim's read these, too, and he liked them. Ellen Harris, an editor at Del Rey who is on-line, says Hughes is back in the States, and is supposed to be working on the last book of "Wizard and Dragon" (he was in Africa doing missionary work)_ Brian Jacques (b. 1939) "Redwall" series - Redwall; Mossflower; Mattimeo; Mariel of Redwall; Salamandastron; Martin the Warrior; The Bellmaker; The Outcast of Redwall (forthcoming July '95 in U.K.) _These are fun. I buy them for my niece, and always read them myself before I give them to her. Redwall is an Abbey run by a group of mice, and this series of standalone books details their adventures_ Michael Jeffries "Heirs to Gnarlsmyre" - Glitterspike Hall; Hall of Whispers "Loremasters of Elundium" - The Road to Underffall; Palace of Kings; Shadowlight; The Knights of Cawdor _The Loremasters series just started appearing in the U.S. (and it doesn't appear that Gnarlsmyre is here at all). I'll need some input from British and Australian fans in order to give Mr. Jeffries any type of blurb_ Diana Wynne Jones (b. 1934) "The Dalemark Sequence" - Drowned Ammet; Cart and Cwidder; The Spellcoats; The Crown of Dalemark "Crestomanci" books - The Lives of Christopher Chant; Charmed Life; Witch Week; The Magicians of Caprona _Stand-alones that all have the magician Crestomanci involved somehow_ Howl's Moving Castle; Castle in the Air The Homeward Bounders Archer's Goon A Sudden Wild Magic _This is her most recent, and is being marketed as an adult book, making it the most widely available book of hers in the U.S. Alas, it is also one of her weakest offerings (IMHO), so look up any of her other books before you decide on her abilities_ ...Lots of others _Most of Jones' work is geared toward the Young Adult market, but don't let that stop you. I particularly liked 'Archer's Goon', 'The Homeward Bounders' and 'Howl's Moving Castle', Eriond likes 'Dogsbody' the best, but he reads everything of hers he can find (so do I)_ **Robert Jordan (b. 1948) "The Wheel of Time" - The Eye of the World; The Great Hunt; The Dragon Reborn; The Shadow Rising; The Fires of Heaven; Lord of Chaos; Crown of Swords (early '96); plus at least one more _Officially, this series will run eight books, but Jordan himself has stated he will continue the series for as many books as he thinks is necessary. Many a.f.e. regulars are passionately devoted to this series. Huge (all the books are 500+ pages), sprawling, madly complex, and engrossing_ The Conan Chronicles _For the Joradanites who need a fix while awaiting the next volume of The Wheel of Time, this omnibus edition collects Jordan's Conan novels_ -- Amy I. Sheldon "We cannot do without a view, and we ais3@po.cwru.edu put up with an illusion when we cannot get a truth." - Cardinal Newman faqserv the alt.fan.eddings newsgroup. Contains descriptive listings, forthcoming titles, book news, and numbers of recommendations. Archive-name: fantasy/recommended-authors/part2 THE RECOMMENDED FANTASY AUTHORS LIST - ver. 2.2 Part 2 of 3 *Guy Gavriel Kay (b. 1954) "The Fionavar Tapestry" - The Summer Tree; The Wandering Fire; The Darkest Road _Bad Things Can Happen To Good People in Kay's books. Be forewarned, but read them anyway. This is yet another take on Arthurian legend_ Tigana _A standalone about a land under a particularly nasty curse, and the inhabitants' fight to end it. Complex, very well written. Your FAQmaker tried it after receiving numerous glowing recommendations, and now adds her voice to the chorus_ A Song for Arbonne _Another excellent standalone from Kay_ The Lions of Al-Rassan _Kay's latest. It's getting good press, and I'm trying to convince myself that I want it badly enough to buy it in hardcover_ *Katharine Kerr "Deverry" - Daggerspell; Darkspell; The Bristling Wood ('Dawnspell' in the U.K.); The Dragon Revenant ('Dragonspell' in the U.K.) _'Daggerspell' has recently been re-released in the U.S. The new edition has been re-edited by the author, however this consisted mainly of tightening some passages and some grammatical cleanup. NO scenes were added or taken out. 'Darkspell' has also been reissued by Bantam Spectra, and it too has been re-edited by the author, and, according to Katharine Kerr, "...there are 5 or 6 changes to the action along the way..." Sarcyn's character undergoes the most significant changes. A *fine* author - her readers (and that includes the FAQmaster) recommend her highly_ "The Westland Cycle" - A Time of Exile; A Time of Omens; Days of Blood and Fire ('A Time of War' in the U.K.); Days of Air and Darkness ('A Time of Justice' in the U.K.) _More about Deverry_ "??" - The Red Wyvern (forthcoming late '96); The Black Raven (forthcoming); + 2 more _The final tetralogy that will complete the story of Deverry_ Stephen King (b. 1946) The Eyes of the Dragon _Good standalone fantasy (there are so few of those out there these days...) I enjoyed it, and I am *not* a Stephen King fan_ "Dark Tower" series - The Gunslinger; The Drawing of the Three; The Waste Lands; 4th book forthcoming _Eriond says this is a great series that is improving as it goes along. "It's about a gunslinger who's seeking his father's murderer, picks up an "adopted" son and three companions, and is slowly losing his mind." Eriond also says to skip 'The Gunslinger' - "it's wretched! You don't really need to read it to understand [the series]"_ Richard Knaak (b. 1961) "The Dragonrealm" - Firedrake; Ice Dragon; Wolfhelm; Shadow Steed; Children of the Drake; Dragon Tome; The Crystal Dragon _Light reading of the 'Dragonlance' variety (in fact, Knaak has two DragonLance novels under his belt), but it is a totally separate series_ *Katherine Kurtz (b. 1944) "Deryni Chronicles" - Deryni Rising; Deryni Checkmate; High Deryni "Camber of Culdi" - Camber of Culdi; Saint Camber; Camber the Heretic "The Histories of King Kelson" - The Bishop's Heir; The King's Justice; The Quest for Saint Camber "Heirs of Saint Camber" - The Harrowing of Gwynedd; King Javan's Year; The Bastard Prince _Apparently, Bad Things *Regularly* Happen to Good People in the later books of Katherine Kurtz. Her fans are quite dedicated, and she has a newsgroup at alt.books.deryni. Next book in the series will be 'King Kelson's Bride' due sometime in late '95 (maybe)_ Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner-Harris "The Adept" series - The Adept; The Lodge of the Lynx; The Templar Treasure; Dagger Magic (forthcoming May '95) _Set in modern day Scotland, Kheldar says "I recommend them to everybody, not just readers of Sci-Fi/Fantasy." Turner-Harris also has several books of her own out_ Ellen Kushner Swordspoint Thomas the Rhymer _Both stand-alone, with the latter based on the Scottish ballad. Kushner also edited several excellent fantasy short story collections in the early 80's_ *Mercedes Lackey (b. 1950) "The Last Herald-Mage" - Magic's Pawn; Magic's Promise; Magic's Price "Vows and Honor" - The Oathbound; Oathbreakers "Queen's Own" - Arrows of the Queen; Arrow's Flight; Arrow's Fall "Mage Winds Trilogy" - Winds of Fate; Winds of Change; Winds of Fury "Gryphon Trilogy" (co-authored by Larry Dixon) - The Black Gryphon; The White Gryphon; The Silver Gryphon (March '96) "Mage Storm Trilogy" - Storm Warning; Storm Rising (Sept. '95); Storm Breaking (tentative Aug '96) _Each is a separate series, but they all take place at various points in the history of the world of Velgarth (which the country of Valdemar is a part of). There is also at least one stand-alone ('By the Sword') about Valdemar. Her fans are as dedicated as the Jordanites, but there aren't quite as many of them here in a.f.e. They have their own newsgroup at alt.books.m-lackey_ "Bardic Voices" - The Lark and the Wren; The Robin and the Kestrel; The Eagle and the Nightingale _I believe (and I'm very possibly wrong in this belief) that each of these books do stand alone. NOT part of the Valdemar series_ "Bardic Choices" - A Cast of Corbies (co-author Josepha Sherman) Stephen Lawhead (b. 1950) "The Pendragon Cycle" - Taliesin; Merlin; Arthur; Pendragon _Once again, we return to Camelot..."The quality disintegrated after the first two books - 'Arthur' was disappointing..."_ "The Dragon King Trilogy" - In the Hall of the Dragon King; The Warlords of Nin; The Sword and the Flame "The Paradise War" - The Song of Albion; The Silver Hand; The Endless Knot Tanith Lee (b. 1947) Black Unicorn; Gold Unicorn _Young adult series. Entertaining, and lacking most of Lee's usual dark undercurrents_ Kill the Dead _"Fantasy without superheroes - refreshing change" Lee is best known for her stories of Paradys, the 'city of decadence and decay, of luxury and lasciviousness.' Based on the title, I'd guess this explores similar territory_ *Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929) "Earthsea" - A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore; Tehanu _Your FAQmaker says: Read these. 'Tehanu' was written 15 years after 'The Farthest Shore' - it's very different in tone from the first three_ Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" series - Swords and Deviltry; Swords Against Death; Swords in the Mist; Swords Against Wizardry; Swords and Ice Magic; Knight and Knave of Swords _Ya wanna know who _invented_ the term 'Sword & Sorcery'? This is the guy. The series is made up of short stories, novellas, novelettes, and one novel (the final book). The above-listed 7 books contain all the stories, arranged in chronological order, with "Swords and Deviltry" featuring the Hugo-award winning "Ill Met in Lankhmar." Note that the final two books ("Swords & Ice Magic" & "Knight & Knave of Swords") show, IMHO of course, a real drop in quality_ Madelaine L'Engle (b. 1918) "The Time Trilogy" - A Wrinkle in Time; A Swiftly Tilting Planet; A Wind in the Door _The first book stands alone (and won all kinds of awards - it deserved them). L'Engle has added another book to the trilogy titled 'Many Waters' (it features the twins), and some of the characters have also made cameo appearances in her other books. They're in the young adult section of your library_ *C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) "Chronicles of Narnia" - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Horse and His Boy; The Silver Chair; The Magician's Nephew; The Last Battle _Classic! Look for them in the children's sections. Most bookstores will have boxed set available, too_ "The Space Trilogy" - Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength _Lewis' adult version of a Christian-allegory fantasy_ R.A. MacAvoy (b. 1949) Tea With the Black Dragon _Out of print, but worth looking up. Her first book- the sequel ('Twisting the Rope') is nowhere near as good_ "Damiano" trilogy - Damiano; Damiano's Lute; Raphael _Fantasy in Renaissance Italy_ "Lens of the World" trilogy - Lens of the World; King of the Dead; Belly of the Wolf *Julian May (b. 1931) "The Saga of the Pliocene Exiles" - The Many-Colored Land; The Golden Torc; The Nonborn King; The Adversary **Anne McCaffrey (b. 1926) "Dragonriders of Pern" - Dragonflight; Dragonquest; The White Dragon _Yeah, they're SF, but they're included here by popular request. Lots more have been published since the first trilogy_ "Harper's Hall" trilogy - Dragonsong; Dragonsinger; Dragondrums _Geared more toward the Young Adult market, your FAQmaker considers this trilogy to be the most fantasy-based of the Pern books_ Dan McGirt "Jason Cosmo" - Jason Cosmo; Royal Chaos; Dirty Work _Open-ended humorous adventure series featuring a woodcutter turned hero through a case of mistaken identity. Kalten really likes this series_ Nancy McKenzie The Child Queen; The High Queen _A new world's record! This first novel just showed up in bookstores in July '94, and *immediately* got 2 recommendations (and a couple more rolled in since). Yeah, it's Guinevere and Arthur AGAIN, but it looks like it may be worth reading anyway_ Dennis McKiernan (b. 1932) "The Iron Tower Trilogy" - The Dark Tide; Shadows of Doom; The Darkest Day _Beat out Terry Brooks in the 'Most Shameless Copy of Tolkien' category. It seems he wanted to write a sequel to 'Lord of the Rings', but the Tolkien estate refused permission. So he recreated Middle Earth in "The Iron Tower Trilogy" with just enough differences to keep from violating copyright and continued from there. A decent writer, and his later books are much more original and quite enjoyable_ "Silver Call" duology - Trek to Kraggen-Cor; The Brega Path Dragondoom The Eye of the Hunter Voyage of the Fox Rider Tales of Mithgar The Dragonstone (forthcoming 1996) _These books stand alone, but take place in the world of the "Iron Tower" trilogy. McKiernan's next book, 'The Caverns of Socrates,' is due in September, and it is SF_ Patricia McKillip (b. 1948) The Forgotten Beasts of Eld _Her first published work. Out of print and hard to find, unfortunately. However, it will be returned to print in the U.S. in the Spring of 1996 by Harcourt Brace. Hooray!_ "The Riddlemaster of Hed" - The Riddlemaster of Hed; Heir of Sea and Fire; Harpist in the Wind _Excellent trilogy. Your FAQmaker sez: Get these and read them_ The Changeling Sea _A young-adult stand-alone, with a young peasant girl saving a prince. Lyrical and moving_ The Book of Atrix Wolfe "Cygnet" - Sorceress and Cygnet; Cygnet and Firebird Robin McKinley (b. 1952) Beauty _Charming retelling of Beauty & the Beast. Her first novel-it's out of print now, but worth looking for. Do NOT confuse it with Sherri Tepper's "Beauty" - they are VERY different books_ "Damar" series - The Blue Sword; The Hero and the Crown _She only wrote two books set in Damar (and they are standalones), and has since gone on to other subjects_ The Outlaws of Sherwood _Guess who this one's about_ Deerskin _I like McKinley, but most of her work is fairly lightweight. This isn't. Based on the uncensored version of Perrault's classic fairytale 'Donkeyskin'_ A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories _Short story collection. Two of the five stories in the book mention Damar_ L.E. Modesitt (b. 1943) "Recluce" - The Magic of Recluce; The Towers of the Sunset; The Magic Engineer; The Order War; The Death of Chaos (forthcoming Sept. '95); The Anvil of Thor (forthcoming) _This is open-ended - books are listed above in the order they were published, and does NOT follow the internal chronology of the series. 'The Magic of Recluce' is, by most accounts, the best so far_ Of Tangible Ghosts _Fantasy taking place in alternate universe that features ghosts and an East India Company that stayed the dominant economic power in the world_ Elizabeth Moon (b. 1945) "The Deed of Paksenarrion" - Sheepfarmer's Daughter; Divided Allegiance; Oath of Gold _Rousing adventure about the soldier and hero Paksenarrion. Moon has said that among the themes she worked on in the books was "the cost of courage, the cost of being a hero." She has written two prequels to the trilogy, 'Surrender None' and 'Liar's Oath', which are quite a bit darker in tone, and several of the recommenders have advised against reading them_ *Michael Moorcock (b. 1939) "Elric" - Elric of Melnibone; The Fortress of the Pearl; A Sailor on the Seas of Fate; The Weird of the White Wolf; The Vanishing Tower; The Revenge of the Rose; The Bane of the Black Sword; Stormbringer _There is also at least one book of short stories about Elric (I'm taking the word of one correspondent about where the two later books - tFotP and tRotR - fit in the cycle. I've only read the original sextet)_ "Runestaff" (Hawkmoon) - The Jewel in the Skull; The Mad God's Amulet; The Sword of the Dawn; The Runestaff "Count Brass" - Count Brass; Champion of Garathorn; The Quest for Tanelorn "Corum" - The Knight of Swords; The Queen of Swords; The King of Swords; The Bull and the Spear; The Oak and the Ram; The Sword and the Stallion "John Daker" (Erekose) - The Eternal Champion; Phoenix in Obsidian ('The Silver Warriors' in earlier U.S. editions); The Dragon in the Sword _All of these books -plus others- comprise the 'Eternal Champion' cycle. Quality varies, and hard core fantasy fans won't like some of the liberties Moorcock takes with the genre, but if you like 'em, there sure are a LOT of 'em to keep you busy_ The War Hound & The World's Pain _Takes place in the 30-Years War time frame. Jim considers it to Moorcock's best non-Eternal Champion book (although, if you ask Moorcock, he'll tell you that ALL of his books are part of the Eternal Champion cycle)_ _Moorcock's entire (well, just about entire - there are a few bits & pieces that the rights weren't available) Eternal Champion cycle is being reprinted in 14 omnibus volumes by White Wolf Publishing_ C.L. Moore (b. 1911) Jirel of Joiry _Series of short stories from the 30's and 40's. Jirel was the first of the Barbarian Swordswomen. Moore's Northwest Smith stories are fun, too_ John Morressy (b. 1930) Greymantle; Ironbrand; Kingsbane; The Annihilator _Early work of his, can be hard to find. Eric says the Kedrigern books pale in comparison to these - they are much more in the epic fantasy vein. 'The Annihilator' is a prequel to the first three_ "Kedrigern" - A Voice for Princess; The Questing of ·_ Kedrigern; Kedrigern in Wanderland; Kedrigern and the Charming Couple; A Remembrance for Kedrigern _Humorous series about the wizard Kedrigern and his wife Princess. The books do stand alone, but the story follows a definite progression, with the final book bringing the series to a close_ William Morris (1834-1896) Well at the World's End The Wood Beyond the World The Water of the Wondrous Isles _For the historically minded among you. VERY early fantasy (we're talking late 1800's here). None are currently in print, but the first two were reprinted as part of Ballantine's Adult Fantasy series in the 70's, and so they do turn up at used book stores. You can also try the library_ Patricia Kenneally Morrison (b. 1946) "Keltiad" series (a.k.a. "The Tale of Aeron") - The Silver Branch; The Copper Crown; The Throne of Scone _What would have happened if the Celts had escaped from Atlantis to Ireland, and then on to outer space?_ "The Tale of Arthur" - The Hawk's Gray Feather; The Oak Above the Kings; The Hedge of Mist (forthcoming March '96) _Her earlier books were (and still are) published under the name "Patricia Kenneally". She is deeply interested in Celtic myth, and, yes, 'The Tale of Arthur' is about THAT Arthur_ H. Warner Munn (1903-1981) "The Merlin Family Saga" - Merlin's Ring (combined volume containing 'King of the World's Edge' and 'The Ship from Atlantis'); Merlin's Godson _Globe-and-time spanning adventures of Merlin and his godson Gwalchmai. Now out of print, they were part of Ballantine's Adult Fantasy series, so they shouldn't be too difficult to track down_ Andre Norton (b. 1912) "Simon Tregarth" - Witch World; Web of the Witch World _The duology that introduced the Witch World_ "The Children of Simon Tregarth" - Three Against the Witch World; Warlock of the Witch World; Sorceress of the Witch World _Simon Tregarth's kids get a trilogy of their own, and the Witch World is thoroughly launched_ "Witch World" series _It went from an Open-Ended Series to a Shared World, but the first 20 or so books are all Andre Norton's. And they're good, too. Particular favorites that were specifically mentioned are 'Year of the Unicorn' and 'The Crystal Gryphon'_ Pat O'Shea (b. 1931) The Hounds of the Morrigan _According to a blurb I found over in r.a.sf.w., 'Pidge and his little sister Brigit get chosen by the Dagda to thwart the Morrigan's plan to release the Olc-Glas and destroy the world. Every major hero and deity makes an appearance'_ Meredith Ann Pierce (b. 1958) "The Darkangel Trilogy" - The Darkangel; A Gathering of Gargoyles; The Pearl of the Soul of the World _Excellent fantasy that is unfortunately hard to find. U.S. readers can purchase it as a single volume from the Science Fiction Book Club. Fans of Patricia McKillip may want to make a special effort to track this down_ Firebringer; Darkmoon _Very good young adult series about unicorns. In 'Firebringer' "...the unicorn society is well- developed for the length and reader-age of the books: they have their own mythology/historical songs, religion, enemies..." says Heather. Richard (b. 1950) & Wendy (b. 1951) Pini "Elfquest" _Graphic novels (you know - comic books for adults who don't want to admit they still read comic books)_ Tim Powers (b. 1952) The Drawing of the Dark _out of print and hard to find, but worth it. A different look at the Arthur legend (in 16th century Vienna, of all places)_ The Anubis Gate _All of Powers' books are great, but this is my favorite. The book that made his reputation. A wild romp through time with gypsies, Dog Faced Joe, a hideously evil clown, Egyptian gods, dopplegangers, a disguised heroine, Samuel Coleridge and oh so much more. Try it_ On Stranger Tides _Blackbeard and voodoo - oh my!_ The Stress of Her Regard _Those muses certainly are jealous mistresses..._ Last Call _The Fisher King in Las Vegas_ Expiration Date (Feb '95 in U.K.) _This will be showing up in the U.K. in February, but it'll be March, 1996 (yes, folks, 199*6*) before it's out in the U.S. from Tor *sigh*_ **Terry Pratchett (b. 1948) "Discworld" _Your FAQmaker loves these books, and so do enough other a.f.e. readers to make him an official Highly Recommended Author. Humorous series, over 15 books now, and recent books are as good as the first. The books divide up based on their main characters, but can all standalone (except the original Rincewind duology)_ "Rincewind" - The Color of Magic; The Light Fantastic; Sourcery; Eric (1st U.S. edition due Sept '95); Interesting Times (out in U.K., heaven knows when it'll be out in the U.S.) _The first two are the duology that introduced Discworld. Rincewind is an incredibly incompetent wizard who gets mixed up with Discworld's first tourist_ "Granny Weatherwax" - Equal Rites; Wyrd Sisters; Witches Abroad; Lords and Ladies (1st U.S. ed. Oct. '95) _Granny and her fellow witches are the favorites of many Pratchett fans. Unlike Rincewind, Granny is FRIGHTENINGLY competent_ "Death" - Mort; Reaper Man; Soul Music _Yes, Death is a regularly appearing character, with a horse named Binky and taste for curry_ "Carrot" - Guards, Guards; Men At Arms _And then there's Carrot, the six-foot-tall dwarf (he's adopted), who's come to Ankh-Morpork to make his fortune..._ Moving Pictures; Pyramids; Small Gods _These are all standalones about Discworld, and all good_ Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman) _NOT a Discworld book, this one is about the End Of The World_ *Melanie Rawn "The Dragon Prince Trilogy" - Dragon Prince; Star Scroll; Sunrunner's Fire "Dragon Star Trilogy" - Stronghold; The Dragon Token; Skybowl _Doug sez, "When I finished this series I felt a real sense of loss. Her description of some of the female characters in the series made me almost fall in love with them, and the use of magic as she describes it is new and innovative."_ "Exiles Trilogy" - The Ruins of Ambrai; The Mageborn Traitor (forthcoming); The Captal's Tower (forthcoming) _New trilogy set in a different world from the "Dragon" books_ Mickey Zucker Reichert (b. 1962) "The Last of the Renshai" - The Last of the Renshai; The Western Wizard; Child of Thunder "The Bifrost Guardians" - Godslayer; Shadow Climber; Dragonrank Master; Shadow's Realm; By Chaos Cursed _Loosely based on Norse mythology_ The Legend of Nightfall _Standalone fantasy. Sorcerers are a wicked bunch in this world, and they obtain more power in a particularly nasty way_ "The Renshai Chronicles" - Beyond Ragnarok (August '95) _Start of a new trilogy that continues the Renshai story_ Anne Rice (b. 1941) "Chronicles of the Mayfair Family" - Witching Hour; Lasher; Taltos "Vampire Chronicles" - Interview with the Vampire; The Vampire Lestat; Queen of the Damned; Tale of the Body Thief; Memnoch the Devil _Horror/fantasy series. "Vampire" books are mainly about the bisexual vampire Lestat and his lover Louis who are struggling with their vampirism and their apparent immortality. Be warned - they're fairly graphic, both sexually and violently (although nowhere near the latest splatterpunk offerings from Poppy Z. Brite & her ilk.) Your FAQmaker isn't fond of horror, but these are popular enough that I'm forced to give them a mention on the list_ Jennifer Roberson (b. 1953) "Chronicles of the Cheysuli" - Shapechangers; The Song of Homona; Legacy of the Sword; Track of the White Wolf; A Pride of Princes; Daughter of the Lion; Flight of the Raven; A Tapestry of Lions "Tiger and Del" novels - Sword Dancer; Sword Singer; Sword Maker; Sword Breaker _These are all due to be reprinted in Jan. '96 by Daw Publishing, so if you're missing any of them, keep your eyes open_ Lady of the Forest _Robin Hood, from Maid Marian's point of view_ Michael Scott Rohan "Winter of the World" - The Anvil of Ice; The Forge in the Forest; The Hammer of the Sun "Spiral" series - Chase the Morning; The Gates of Noon; Cloud Castles Lord of the Middle Air (forthcoming) _Stand-alone historical fantasy, taking place in the Scottish borderlands in the 13th century. It's out already in the U.K., but I don't have a date yet for the U.S. release_ Joel Rosenberg (b. 1954) "Guardians of the Flame (1st series)" - The Sleeping Dragon; The Sword and the Chain; The Silver Crown _One of the first of the 'Gamers jump for real into a fantasy world' series_ "Guardians of the Flame (2nd series)" - The Heir Apparent; The Warrior Lives _Continuing the first series with a new generation_ The Road to Ehvenor; The Road Home _Set in the world of "The Guardians of the Flame" and featuring many familiar characters - this story features Walter Slovotsky_ "D'shai" - D'Shai; Hour of the Octopus _Open-ended fantasy/detective series. In the same vein as Glen Cook's 'Garrett' books, only more of an homage to Rex Stout rather than Raymond Chandler_ "Keepers of the Hidden Ways" - The Fire Duke _A new series from Rosenberg, once again involving people from our world crossing over into another. This world is Norse-based, with lots of daring deeds and sword fighting_ Joanna Russ (b. 1937) Alyx (also published as 'The Adventures of Alyx') _Alyx is a thief and a vagabond, intelligent and witty, and very good with a knife. Alas, she only starred in a handful of short stories and the SF novel 'Picnic in Paradise,' all of which are in this collection. Maria and I both think you should read this one_ Fred Saberhagen (b. 1930) "The Books of the Swords" - The First Book of Swords; The Second Book of Swords; The Third Book of Swords "The Books of the Lost Swords" - Woundhealer's Story; Sightblinder's Story; Stonecutter's Story; Farslayer's Story; Coinspinner's Story; Mindsword's Story; Wayfinder's Story; Shieldbreaker's Story _Each of the "Lost Swords" titles is actually preceded by 'The First Book of Lost Swords:', 'The Second Book...' etc. I believe that most of the "swords" books can be read as stand-alones_ "Empire of the East" - The Broken Lands; The Black Mountains; Changeling Earth _A prequel to the 'Swords' books, taking place in the same world_ "Dracula" books _More tales of Dracula_ Merlin's Bones R.A. Salvatore (b. 1959) "Icewind Dale" - The Crystal Shard; Streams of Silver; The Halfling's Gem "Dark Elf Trilogy" - Homeward; Exile; Sojourn "Dark Elf Trilogy II" - Legacy; Starless Night; Siege of Darkness _"Icewind Dale" & "Dark Elf" and "Dark Elf II" take place in the TSR Forgotten Realms setting. I've had several people mention that 'Dark Elf II' shows a real drop in quality, although several others loved it as much as the first two trilogies_ The Woods Out Back; The Dragon's Dagger _Part of the "Spearwielder's Tale" world of TSR_ "The Cleric Quintet" - Canticle; In Sylvan Shadows; Night Masks; The Fallen Fortress; The Chaos Curse Elizabeth Scarborough (b. 1947) Song of Sorcery; The Unicorn Creed; Bronwyn's Bane; The Christening Quest _More humor. I read these long ago, and I don't really remember much about them, but I *think* they are all standalones that take place in the same world with some of the same characters. These are all long out of print_ The Godmother; The Godmother's Apprentice (forthcoming Dec. '95) _An overwhelmed social worker in modern Seattle gets a (slightly inept) fairy godmother_ Michael Shea (b. 1946) Nifft the Lean _Dark series of short stories. Republished in a limited hardcover edition by Darkside Press in November '94. Shea is reportedly working on a new book about Nifft. If you can find this, try it_ Josepha Sherman The Shining Falcon _Corinne says that if you like the Slavic influence of Stephen Brust and the heroines of Robin McKinley, try this book_ _Other, more recent fantasies by Josepha Sherman include:_ King's Son Magic's Son A Strange and Ancient Name The Shattered Oath James Silke "Deathdealer" books - Prisoner of the Horned Helm; Plague of Knives; Tooth and Nail _Inspired by Frazetta's paintings of Death Dealer (that's the dude with the incredible muscles, HUGE axe, and rather impractical helmet). There are currently 4 books out_ Robert Silverberg (b. 1936) "Majipoor Chronicles" - Lord Valentine's Castle; Majipoor Chronicles: A Novel; Valentine Pontifex; The Mountains of Majipoor _This is another series that pushes the boundaries between SF and fantasy, but I enjoyed LVC quite a bit, so since *Nathan* brought them up, I'll list 'em. 'Mountains' is the first new Majipoor book in more than a decade_ Julie Dean Smith "The Caithan Crusade" - Call of Madness; Mission of Magic; Sage of Sare; The Wizard King _Ongoing series. Tarja sez it 'is a rather typical fantasy, but [the author] has developed an interesting suggestion on how mage-powers develop'_ Midori Snyder "Oran" trilogy - New Moon; Sadar's Keep; Beldan's Fire _The land of Oran has been ruled by the tyrant Fire Queen Zorah for two hundred years. Her four granddaughters seek to come into their own powers and free the land. The recommender likes Snyder, and I've heard good things about her, too_ Zilpha Keatley Snyder (b. 1927) "Green Sky Trilogy" - Below the Root; And All Between; Until the Celebration _Peaceful world that is torn apart when their government is revealed as being a scam. Cyradis liked it a lot. You'll find it in the children's section of the library_ _Snyder has written many stand-alone Young Adult books, including the fantasies 'Black and Blue Magic', 'The Witches of Worm', and 'The Changeling', as well as mysteries and novels. I have very fond memories of her from my long-ago adolescence, but I admit that I haven't tried re-reading her as an adult_ Christopher Stasheff (b. 1944) "Warlock" series _Open-ended humorous adventure series that is past the 10-book mark, and is now beginning to focus on descendents of the original hero_ "A Wizard in Rhyme" series - Her Majesty's Wizard; The Oathbound Wizard; The Witch Doctor _Open-ended series. Matt Mantrell is transported into an alternate world where rhymes have magical powers_ "Rogue Wizard" - A Wizard in Mind; A Wizard in War (forthcoming Nov '95) _New open-ended series. I believe this features characters from the "Warlock" series_ "The Star Stone" - The Shaman (forthcoming Nov. '95); The Sage (forthcoming whenever) _Another new series. This apparently has no connection to his Wizard or Warlock series_ Carol Stevermer (b. 1955) Sorcery and Cecilia (with Patricia Wrede) _Amusing stand alone. A combination regency romance, adventure, and fantasy_ A College of Magics _Takes place in an Edwardian-period world that has magic, too. Witty, amusing, and a very enjoyable little period piece. Plus, it stands alone, so you're not committing yourself to nine zillion sequels_ Thomas Burnett Swann (1928-1976) The Tournament of Thorns _Quirky and interesting author, who is characterized by his odd mixtures of fantasy and history. This book in particular was recommended, but if you like him, you'll probably enjoy all his work. His stuff is out of print now, but it was fairly popular in the 70's and early 80's_ Judith Tarr (b. 1955) "The Hound and the Falcon" - The Isle of Glass; The Golden Horn; The Hounds of God ·_ _Corinne describes this as "a truly billiant series set in Richard the Lion Heart's England bordered on the Elflands"_ Alamut The Dagger and the Cross _Both set in the same world as "The Hound and the Falcon" trilogy_ A Wind in Cairo Ars Magica Lord of the Two Lands Throne of Isis "Avaryan Rising" - The Hall of the Mountain King; The Lady of Han-Gilen; A Fall of Princes; Arrows of the Sun; Spear of Heaven Roger Taylor "Chronicles of Hawklan" - The Call of the Sword; The Fall of Fyorlund; The Waking of Othlund; Into Narsindal _Not available in the U.S., this series has been described as "a pretty good read" and "highly recommended"_ Dreamfinder _Set in the same world as Hawklan_ Farnor Valderin Sheri Tepper (b. 1929) "The Land of True Game" series - King's Blood Four; Wizard's Eleven; Necromancer Nine (1st series) Jinian Footseer; Dervish Daughter; Jinian Star-Eyed (2nd series) The Song of Mavin Manyshaped; The Flight of Mavin Manyshaped; The Search of Mavin Manyshaped (3rd series) _Series made up of several separate trilogies. Her earliest work - can be difficult to find (Ace plans to reprint this series in the U.S. in trade paperback format)_ "The Marianne Trilogy" - Marianne, the Magus, and the Manticore; Marianne, the Madame, and the Momentary Gods; Marianne, the Matchbox, and the Malachite Mouse _I believe that the books in this rather light- hearted trilogy are actually fairly independent of each other_ Beauty _Now primarily known as a SF author, Tepper returns to her roots and gives a very different slant on the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. Sardonic and grim are descriptive terms I've heard about this one_ Patrick Tilley (b. 1928) "The Amtrack Wars" - Cloud Warrior; Sand Burrower; Iron Master; Blood River; Death Bringer; Earth Thunder _Donal says these are good, so *I'll* certainly be giving them a try. Its just that I can't seem to find them ANYWHERE...Apparently, only the first couple were published in the U.S. Going by commentary on the Net, these are about a post- apocalyptic society with magic and suchlike_ **J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) The Hobbit _Prelude to "The Lord of the Rings" - should be read prior to starting them, but it isn't absolutely necessary. Written as a children's book, and some readers find it a little simplistic (not me!)_ "The Lord of the Rings" - The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King _Oh, come on now - how can you claim to be a fantasy fan and haven't read this? If not for tLotR, Eddings would still be writing about deer hunting..._ The Silmarillion The Tolkien Reader _Anthology of poetry and short stories_ Trillium series by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, and Andre Norton "Trillium" - Black Trillium (by all three); Blood Trillium (by Julian May); Golden Trillium (by Andre Norton); Lady of the Trillium (by Marion Zimmer Bradley); Sky Trillium (by Julian May, forthcoming in '96) _An interesting mutation of the 'shared world' idea. The first book was written by all three, further books are to be written by the individual authors_ Harry Turtledove "Videssos Cycle" - The Misplaced Legion; An Emperor for the Legion; The Legion of Videssos; Swords of the Legion _Legion from Republican Rome meets Byzantine empire. "Highly recommended" sez Mark_ "The Tale of Krispos" - Krispos Rising; Krispos of Videssos; Krispos the Emperor _Continuing the story of Videssos_ "The Time of Troubles" - The Stolen Throne _Start of a new series, prequel to "The Tale of Krispos"_ Agent of Byzantium _Basil Argyros, spy for an alternate-history Byzantine empire, in series of adventures that originally appeared as separate novelettes. There are some hints of magic, but this is basically alternate-history SF_ The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump _Humor/adventure taking place in an alternate Los Angeles where magic works_ Jack Vance (b. 1916) "Lyonesse" trilogy - Suldrun's Garden; The Green Pearl; Madouc _Best known for his SF, Vance is an interesting writer in any genre_ "Dying Earth" series - The Dying Earth; The Eyes of the Overworld; Cugel's Saga; Rhialto the Marvelous _The first two are genuine fantasy classics, and Cugel the Clever is a great character (hey, I *like* rogues). These are all stand-alones_ Paula Volsky The Luck of Relian Kru _"Almost as good as its title"_ Karl Edward Wagner (1945-1994) "Kane" series - Darkness Weaves with Many Shades; Death Angel's Shadow; Bloodstone; Dark Crusade; Night Winds; The Book of Kane _This open-ended series is from the mayhem and magic school of fantasy. Kane is for those who like their sword and sorcery "dark". Wagner is a very good writer, and Kane is an interesting creation. Karl Wagner died 10/14/94 at age 48, and will be missed by the fantasy community_ Evangeline Walton (b. 1907) "The Mabinogi" - The Prince of Annwm; The Children of Llyr; The Song of Rhiannon; The Island of the Mighty _This may be hard to find, but it's included for the more serious fantasy fan. Heavily researched, classic retelling of the Welsh folklore cycle known as the Mabinogin. Many fantasy authors have mined this for themes_ Lawrence Watt-Evans (b. 1954) "The Lords of Dus" - The Lure of the Basilisk; The Seven Altars of Dusarra; The Sword of Bheleu; The Book of Silence "Ethshar" series The Misenchanted Sword; With a Single Spell; The Unwilling Warlord; Blood of a Dragon; Taking Flight; The Spell of the Black Dagger _I understand that, in theory, the Ethshar books can be read in any order. The above is the order they were published in_ **Margaret Weis (b. 1948) & Tracy Hickman (b. 1955) "Dragonlance Chronicles" - Dragons of Autumn Twilight; Dragons of Winter Night; Dragons of Spring Dawning "Dragonlance Legends" - Time of the Twins; War of the Twins; Test of the Twins _EVERYONE who recommended these books included a warning that other Dragonlance books by other authors should be avoided. There is also a book of short stories called "Dragonlance: The Second Generation". All but two of the stories are reprints from other Dragonlance collections_ "Dragonlance Chronicles IV" - Dragons of the Summer Flame (forthcoming Nov. 1995) _They're baaaaack. Weis & Hickman return to the world of Dragonlance with a new novel that takes the characters and stories from the novella collection "DragonLance: The Second Generation" and continues onward ever onward with them_ "Darksword" - Forging the Darksword; Doom of the Darksword; Triumph of the Darksword "Rose of the Prophet" - The Will of the Wanderer; The Paladin of the Night; The Prophet of Akhran "Death Gate Cycle" - Dragon Wing; Elven Star; Fire Sea; Serpent Mage; The Hand of Chaos; Into the Labyrinth; The Seventh Gate Angus Wells "The Kingdoms" - Wrath of Ashar; The Usurper; The Way Beneath "Godwars" - Forbidden Magic; Dark Magic; Wild Magic _"Kingdoms" and "Godwars" are not related to each other or to his most recent novel. Richard likes "Godwars," but Michael prefers "The Kingdoms" trilogy (Richard asks me to point out that he hasn't read "The Kingdoms" yet, which makes it difficult for him to compare them)_ Lords of the Sky _To quote Carolyn Cushman of 'Locus' magazine: "For once, a sprawling medieval fantasy epic that's self- contained!"_ Exile's Children (forthcoming Oct. '95 in U.K., Jan. '96 in U.S.) _Completists should note that Angus Wells published a series in the late '70's under the name 'Richard Kirk' about Raven, the Swordmistress of Chaos_ Martha Wells The Element of Fire _Excellent debut fantasy. A complex, fast-moving plot, intelligent characters, a well-thought-out world - this one's a keeper_ City of Bones _Just out in hardcover, and it has been getting great reviews_ T.H. White (1906-1964) The Once and Future King _THE classic retelling of the Arthur legend. And, yeah, it's the source of both Disney's 'The Sword in the Stone' and Lerner & Lowe's 'Camelot.' The original quartet of novels are being reprinted in England_ Mistress Masham's Repose _Did you ever wonder what happened to those Lilliputians followed Gulliver back to England?_ Jack Whyte "A Dream of Eagles" trilogy - The Sky Stone; The Singing Sword; ?? _setting is Arthurian - few fantasy elements, although Merlin is scheduled to appear in the forthcoming final book_ Elizabeth Willey "Kingdom of Argylle" series - The Well-Favored Man; A Sorcerer and a Gentleman (forthcoming Aug. '95) _A kingdom created out of Chaos by the family patriarch, Prince Gwydion left as regent after his parents have debunked, a royal family made up of warriors and magicians all busily plotting and counter-plotting...Elizabeth calls this 'the best new author's book I've read in years' and recommends it very highly. I enjoyed it, although one Net-wit's comment that it should have been titled _Nice Princes in Amber_ is painfully close to the truth_ Charles Williams (1886-1945) Many Dimensions, War in Heaven, Descent Into Hell, The Greater Trumps, The Place of the Lion, Shadows of Ecstasy, All Hallows' Eve _Williams is the least known of the Inklings (C.S. Lewis & Tolkien are the best known). In his novels, a different aspect of the Power that underlies reality comes into the hands of ordinary people in 30's/40's England. 'War in Heaven' has a quest for the Grail, 'Many Dimensions' has the Seal of Solomon falling into the hands of schemer who plans to use it to corner the transportation industry. Delightful books, their current obscurity is undeserved_ *Tad Williams (b. 1957) Tailchaser's Song _Williams' first fantasy novel - Tailchaser is a cat_ "Memory, Sorrow & Thorn" - The Dragonbone Chair; Stone of Farewell; To Green Angel Tower _At first glance, very similiar to "The Belgariad"- immature-boy-grows-to-fill-heroic-role. Williams' vision is a bit darker, however, and the secondary characters get a lot more fleshing out. Slow moving at points, but worth your time. Paperback version of 'To Green Angel Tower' is published in two volumes_ Child of an Ancient City (with Nina Kiriki Hoffman) _Stand-alone young adult novel_ Caliban's Hour _Takes up where Shakespeare left off_ _Williams' next will be a 4-volume SF series with the overall title of "OTHERLAND." According to Katharine Kerr, he has 'sworn a mighty vow that he'll never write about Osten Ard [the world of "MS&T"] again'_ Patricia Wrede (b. 1953) Snow White and Rose Red _Retelling of the classic fairytale, set in Elizabethan England. Part of the very highly regarded 'Fairy Tale' series_ "Lyra" series - Shadow Magic; Daughter of Witches; The Harp of Imach Thyssel; Caught in Crystal; The Seven Towers; The Raven Ring _Open-ended series (the books are stand-alone and can be read in any order) set in a world of many different cultures and religions, as well as three non-human races_ "The Enchanted Forest Chronicles" - Dealing with Dragons; Searching for Dragons; Calling on Dragons; Talking to Dragons _Open-ended series that has a lot of fun with the usual fairytale conventions. You'll find it in the young adult section. I especially recommend this to anyone who is looking for books for adolescent girls (and then be sure to read it yourself)_ Mairelon the Magician _Set in an alternate England where magic works, lots of intrigue. Frankly, it reminded me of a Georgette Heyer regency (which is a recommendation - Heyer is quite good)_ Janny Wurts "The Cycle of Fire" - Stormwarden; Keeper of the Keys; Shadowfane The Curse of the Mistwraith "The Wars of Light and Shadow" - The Master of the White Storm; The Ships of Merior; Warhost of Vastmark (forthcoming in U.K. August '95)(NOTE: U.S. edition of 'The Ships of Merior' INCLUDES 'Warhost of Vastmark') _best known for her collaboration with Raymond Feist on the "Empire series" and her paintings, Wurts is a fine author in her own right_ Jonathan Wylie "Servants of the Ark" - The First Named; The Centre of the Circle; The Mage-Born Child "The Unbalanced Earth" - Dreams of Stone; The Lightless Kingdom; The Age of Chaos _"Servants" and "Unbalanced Earth" are loosely related, with the events of "Servants" coming first. These two trilogies were published in the U.S. by Bantam, but are currently out of print_ Dreamweaver _Stand-alone. Wylie has written one other stand- alone ('Shadowmaze') which is NOT recommended_ "Island and Empire" trilogy - Dark Fire; Echoes of Flame; The Last Augury _One recommender considers this trilogy the best of the three. It is the story of a tiny island's fight for independence from the cruel Xantic Empire. This work hasn't found a U.S. publisher yet (so far as I can find), so most of us are going to have to hunt for these. Thanks to Tarja for getting me the titles in this trilogy_ Strange Lands _A new stand-alone. This came out in Britain in June '95, and isn't out in the U.S. My spies inform me that Wylie is really a pseudonym for Mark and Julie Smith (thanks stevie!)_ *Roger Zelazny (1937-1995) "Amber - 1st series" - Nine Princes in Amber; The Guns of Avalon; The Sign of the Unicorn; The Hand of Oberon; The Courts of Chaos "Amber - 2nd series" - Trumps of Doom; Blood of Amber; Sign of Chaos; Knight of Shadows; Prince of Chaos _Although the 2nd series is showing signs of exhaustion, the first series is quite enjoyable and very recommended_ Roadmarks "Dilvish" stories - Dilvish the Damned; The Changing Land -- Amy I. Sheldon "We cannot do without a view, and we ais3@po.cwru.edu put up with an illusion when we cannot get a truth." - Cardinal Newman faqserv the alt.fan.eddings newsgroup. Contains descriptive listings, forthcoming titles, book news, and numbers of recommendations. Archive-name: fantasy/recommended-authors/part3 THE RECOMMENDED FANTASY AUTHORS LIST - ver. 2.2 Part 3 of 3 ADDITIONS AND MAJOR CHANGES SINCE THE LAST POSTING David Brin The Practice Effect _A lone fantasy from an SF master. This is definitely Brin-lite, but even minor Brin is enjoyable. A light-hearted adventure in a parallel world where magic takes a strange form (the title pretty much gives it away). The book is a stand alone. It came out a while ago, and may be out of print_ William Goldman The Princess Bride _Boy, I'm embarrassed about this one. I thought I'd added this book MONTHS ago. A fast-paced, funny romp through every fantasy cliche you can think of (watch out for the rodents of unusual size). Written by an author best known for his screenplays, which may be why the movie actually does a good job of capturing the tone of the book_ BOOK NEWS PATRICIA MCKILLIP's fantasy, _The Forgotten Beasts of Eld_, will be out on the first list, Spring 1996, of the new paperback imprint Magic Carpet Books from Harcourt Brace. If the editor may be permitted a personal comment here, I would like to state that this is a classic, and it is an absolute sin that the book has been out of print for the last decade. Many thanks to Jane Yolen, the editor of the Magic Carpet Books line, for bringing this book back. Moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, ANNE RICE launched a thirty-city book tour for her latest Vampire blockbuster, _Memnoch the Devil_, in New Orleans in early July. Laid out in a vintage wedding gown, Rice was carried by pallbears in a closed coffin in a mock jazz funeral procession that wound its way through the streets of the city to the Garden District Bookshop, where she emerged from her coffin and signed books for five hours. _Memnoch_ immediately jumped to the number one position on most of the fiction bestseller lists. Columbia Museum in Wamego, Kansas just opened a new exhibit - "A Century of Oz." Featuring thousands of items from the personal collection of Tod Mackin, the show contains everything from first editions of L. FRANK BAUM's books to dolls to games to coathangers. And, naturally, it also includes a large selection of memorabilia from the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland. Wamego is hardly a tourist mecca, but the museum reports that they attracted more than 3,000 visitors the first week. The exhibit will open through Labor Day (that's September 4 for those of you not familiar with U.S. holidays). Speaking of Oz, the International Wizard of Oz Club is sponsoring a contest for a new Oz book. The winner will receive $5,000 upon publication, and an addition $1,000 each time the book is reprinted. For detailed guidelines, send a stamped self- addressed envelope to The International Wizard of Oz Club, P.O. Box 2359, Times Square Station, NY 10108. Fantasy authors are muscling their way into power over at the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA). BARBARA HAMBLY was recently elected President, MICKEY ZUCKER REICHERT is Treasurer, and ROBIN BAILEY is South/Central Regional Director. Other officers are Michael Capobianco, Vice President; J.D. MacDonald, Secretary; and Edo van Belkom, Canadian Regional Director. It was noted in the announcement from SFWA that "since none of the offices had more than one candidate running, the election was not exactly a cliffhanger." And USENET just keeps on growing....Fans of RAYMOND FEIST now have a newsgroup to call their own; alt.books.raymond-feist has started to turn up on terminals everywhere. If you can't find it on yours, contact your system administrator to get it added. SHORT TAKES _Ansible_ reports that DIANA WYNNE JONES is recovering from spinal surgery performed on May 29 ... TAD WILLIAMS and Deb Beale have relocated from London to Palo Alto, California. They will be spending six months there before returning to London. They plan to continue rotating between the two locations every six months ... _Locus_ reports that RICHARD KNAAK sold a new novel titled _The Horse King_ to Warner Publishing. It is related to the "Dragonrealm" series NOW APPEARING AT A BOOKSTORE NEAR YOU The following books have a release date of August 1 in the U.S. (which means they've probably been out on the shelves since mid- July). "Paperback reprints" are, so far as I know, the first paperback reprints of books that are already out in hardcover. Last names of authors are in capitals, hopefully making them easier to spot. Hardcover originals: _Orion Among the Stars_ by Ben BOVA; _Belgarath the Sorcerer_ by David and Leigh EDDINGS; _Beyond Ragnarok_ by Micky Zucker REICHERT; _A Sorcerer and a Gentleman_ by Elizabeth WILLEY Paperback originals: _Fifth Quarter_ by Tanya HUFF; _Dragonslayer's Return_ by R.A. SALVATORE; _Quicksilver's Knight_ by Christopher STASHEFF Paperback reprints: _The Bastard Prince_ by Katherine KURTZ RECOMMENDED AUTHORS The List contains every fantasy author recommended by one or more readers of a.f.e. Some authors turned up on enough lists to gain special status as either "Highly Recommended" or "Recommended." Leading the pack of Highly Recommended authors (appears on 20% or more of the recommendation lists) is: Raymond Feist Joining him are: Terry Brooks, Stephen Donaldson, Robert Jordan, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Margaret Weis/Tracy Hickman combo. Recommended authors (10% - 19%) are: Lloyd Alexander, Piers Anthony, Robert Asprin, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Susan Cooper, Dave Duncan, Barbara Hambly, Guy Gavriel Kay, Katherine Kerr, Katherine Kurtz, Mercedes Lackey, Ursula Le Guin, C.S. Lewis, Julian May, Michael Moorcock, Melanie Rawn, Tad Williams, and Roger Zelazny Following are the authors with recommendations from 5% (6 votes) or more of those sending in lists and their total number of recommendations (as of 6/1/95) Feist, Raymond. . . . .49 Jordan, Robert. . . . .42 Tolkien, J.R.R. . . . .37 Donaldson, Stephen. . .33 Brooks, Terry . . . . .31 Weis & Hickman. . . . .31 McCaffrey, Anne . . . .26 Pratchett, Terry. . . .26 Kay, Guy Gavriel. . . .22 Williams, Tad . . . . .21 Anthony, Piers. . . . .19 Lackey, Mercedes. . . .19 Rawn, Melanie . . . . .19 Kurtz, Katherine. . . .18 Kerr, Katharine . . . .16 Duncan, Dave. . . . . .14 Lewis, C.S. . . . . . .14 Alexander, Lloyd. . . .12 Bradley, Marian Zimmer.12 Cooper, Susan . . . . .12 Le Guin, Ursula . . . .12 Zelazny, Roger. . . . .12 Asprin, Robert. . . . .11 Hambly, Barbara . . . .11 May, Julian . . . . . .11 Moorcock, Michael . . .11 Brust, Stephen. . . . .10 Gemmell, David. . . . .10 Salvatore, R.A. . . . .10 Card, Orson Scott . . . 9 McKillip, Patricia. . . 8 Roberson, Jennifer. . . 8 Tepper, Sheri . . . . . 8 Lawhead, Stephen. . . . 7 MacAvoy, R.A. . . . . . 7 McKinley, Robin . . . . 7 Saberhagen, Fred. . . . 7 Cherryh, C.J. . . . . . 6 Cook, Glen. . . . . . . 6 Cooper, Louise. . . . . 6 de Lint, Charles. . . . 6 Edgerton, Teresa. . . . 6 Eisenstein, Phyllis . . 6 Jones, Diana Wynne. . . 6 Moon, Elizabeth . . . . 6 Vance, Jack . . . . . . 6 Wells, Angus. . . . . . 6 Wurts, Janny. . . . . . 6 All of the other authors currently on the list have 5 recommendations or less. FINDING THESE BOOKS Many of the books listed are currently in print (as of May, 1995), or were popular enough that you should be able to track them down in a used-bookstore or at the library. I have attempted to note those that will be particularly difficult to find. This is written from a United States viewpoint - those of you in Canada, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere may need to put forth quite a bit more effort. There are several bookstores specializing in SF/Fantasy can be reached through the net. The ones I am familiar with are: Future Fantasy (3705 El Camino, Palo Alto, CA; futfan@netcom.com) Good selection of new SF/Fantasy. If you have access to a WWW client, it is accessible at http://www.commerce.digital.com./palo-alto/FutureFantasy/ They ship worldwide. Other Change of Hobbit (202 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA; danee@backdoor.com) New and used SF/fantasy. They accept want lists, and ship worldwide. Nebula (1452, St-Mathieu, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; nebula@cam.org) New SF/fantasy. They say they have every SF book currently in print in North America available. For the *real* technophiles among us, BOOKS.COM is (at the moment) the only telnettable mail order bookstore. To reach it, telnet to books.com, then browse. It is supposed to have a decent searchable database. They do ship worldwide, and I have it by reliable report that shipping is reasonably priced and fairly quick. CREDITS Many people made suggestions and offered aid and comfort in the creation of this list. Many thanks to everyone who sent me lists of their favorite Recommended Authors, and if you read any *new* authors you want to recommend, let me know. Three cheers for: Anthony Chan - who started the Eddings FAQ, and, Mike Loux - who took over from Anthony and is in the process of creating a truly comprehensive Eddings extravaganza (at least, we think he is) Jani Joki - who has a cool homepage that includes this list (check it out at http://www.evitech.fi/~janijj/Books.html) Jonathan Yen - who has almost as many books on his recommendation list as I do Donal Fellows - ruler of the Eddings home page (as well as all that he surveys). View it at: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~fellowsd/ Special thanks to all of the following, who helped to fill in the blanks and/or suggested new authors to add to the list: Tim Abicht (Eriond), Henry Andrews, Corinne Aragaki, Krista Babstock, Zachary Mitch Binder, Elizabeth Blatt, Fredrik Blom, Doug Bowles, Jan Erik Breimo, Daphne Brinkerhoff, Edward Buckley, Andy Carlson, Steve Christensen, Cyradis, Amy Darke, Nathan Daniel, Jessika Diamond, Asher Dunn, Matthew Dworkin, Richard Faircloth, Donal Fellows, Michael Crist Ferguson, Maria Fox, the Gaspode Wannabe, Ngaire Genge, Clint Hauser, Glynne Jones, Mark Allen Jones, Derrek Kirk, Michael X. Koon, Jim Lahue, Glynis Long, Mike Loux, Dwayne MacKinnon, Beth Martin, Craig Meyer, Naomi, Ray Pugh, Tarja Rainio, Leigh Rooney, Kevin Roose, Steve Sams, Heather Sexauer, Joe "Uno" Shaw, Eric Siebert, one of the Simons, Martin Slade, Dean Smith, Lars H. Tombre, Garry Turkington, Luke Vaughn, B.J. van Look, Elaine Walker, Wardley the Wizzy, Brett Whinnen, Pamela Wolff The listing was created and is maintained by Amy Sheldon. Any corrections, comments or questions should be sent to: ais3@po.cwru.edu -- Amy I. Sheldon "We cannot do without a view, and we ais3@po.cwru.edu put up with an illusion when we cannot get a truth." - Cardinal Newman