George R. R. Martin was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on September 20, 1948. Who knew a Jersey boy could write like that?

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Richard T. Zuelch, M.Div
Ruling Elder, OPC (not currently serving)
Westminster Presbyterian Church, CA (OPC)
www.reiterations.wordpress.com
www.foft.wordpress.com

It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire and ice - there are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia. - Frank Zappa (1940-1993)

What about Fred Saberhagen? I thought his Book of Swords series was thoroughly entertaining. I will admit that is probably geared toward a 18-20 year old audience, but I still enjoyed it immensely. Besides, who wants to grow up anyway?

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~James Helbert~, Wytheville, VA
Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCUS
TheBibleAlone.com / The Edinburgh Inn
"Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” - Zechariah 3:2

Now, if you like fantasy with lots of history thrown in, there's the wonderful Neal Hutchinson...

I enjoyed the Sword books Saberhagen also when I was younger. His Sci-Fi Berserker series was even better.

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Traci
Lynnwood OPC
Psalm 52:8-9
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

Hello all:
Read Fantasy (and some SF) for many years (still have c.4,000), but basically stopped in '97, as it was becoming a major distraction.
Tolkien of course is/was the best.
Jordan...well, I read the first five, and was really intrigued when he began to mix in the sf, but I just don't see the value in 1,000 pp novels that seem to never end (my son, howev er, has read up to v.10!).
Donaldson, I really enjoyed in high school, and quoted him in my Social Studies essays. I really liked the leporsy/land motif. I only read the first set, however, and have no interest in the rest.
Goodkind (v.1) was a pleasant read, but seemed too outre, and I just couldn't get into another neverending series (and I used to be a Ayn Rand afficianado and never saw the connection?).
Eddings (I read both initial sets) was forgettable fantasy-lite but fast reads (which I appreciate, eg. in suspense, etc. like Crichton).
My favourite - in my younger years - was heroic fantasy (a la Lin Carter, Burroughs, Howard, etc.) and classical stuff like Lord Dunsany, William Morris, A. E. Merritt, etc. (and Andre Norton in sf).
Michael Moorcock was also a favourite in my younger years, when I read all of his that I could get my hands on (I enjoyed his hero being incarnated in various aspects of the multivberse - esp. Hawkmoon, and Corum - c.40 titles), as well as Roger Zelazny (Amber, first five, and other non-series). In my second phase, I liked the Philip Jose Farmer version which linked all his heroes back to an asteroid crash - Tarzan, Riverworld, Tiers, etc., - think: League of Extraordinary Gentleman). While my later true appreciation fell on C. J. Cherryh (mostly sf), an extraordinary writer. I also appreciated David Weber, and D. Feintuch, Harry Turtledove, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Julie (J.V.) Jones, Julian May, Barbara Hambly, and Cheryl Franklin among the newer ranks.
As for George Martin, he originally wrote sf, so though I looked at A Game of Thrones, I never tried it out. Thanks for the heads-up on him, etexas, I'll see if I have the time and resources to try him out.
(btw, your description of his work sounds like the recommendation I have heard for Gene Wolfe's stuff, which I had a hard time with.)

Wowee Etexas, I haven't read in years this kind of stuff. Philosophy has been my forte'. But maybe it's time again. CalvinandHodges, your post interested me. Ayn Rand is perhaps my favorite philosopher to read, and your mention of Tery Goodkind got me thinkin' it time again to read. And with her novels, ie Atlas Shrugged, does that count as fantasy?

Etexas, I really enjoyed Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné series, also his Corum, though not as good as Elric. Roger Zelazney's The Chronicles of Amber series was also very good. Lesser favorites were the Camber of Culdi series by Katherine Kurtz, of which I only read the first 3 with interest, by the 5th book it became lame, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant 6 book series by Stephen Donaldson, and of course the Sword of Shanara series. But Elric was my favorite next to Tolkien. I must be showing my age, as these are older books.

Good topic!

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Timothy Johnson
First United Presbyterian of Moline
PCUSA (Yea, I know)
Theology/Philosophy Sunday School Teacher
Davenport, IA

Hi:

Goodkind is an intelligent read. Richard, the protagonist, is on a par with Howard Roark, and, especially, John Gault. As the series progresses the Randian influence becomes more apparent. A major figure who appears is the Emperor Jagang (one whom Rand would label as a brute, a "mystic of muscle"), and Brother Narev (Rand would label him a witch doctor, a "mystic of spirit"). As I read Rand it is the witch doctor (one who represents organized religion) who gives power to the brute. Consequently, enslaving the whole human race under the illogical premises of altruism:

What is the moral code of altruism? The basic principle of altruism is that man has no right to exist for his own sake, that service to others is the only justification of his existence, and that self-sacrifice is his highest moral duty, virtue and value, - Ayn Rand.

As products of the split between man's soul and body, there are two kinds of teachers of the Morality of Death: the mystics of spirit and the mystics of muscle, whom you call the spiritualists and the materialists, those who believe in consciousness without existence and those who believe in existence without consciousness. Both demand the surrender of your mind, one to their revelations, the other to their reflexes. No matter how loudly they posture in the roles of irreconcilable antagonists, their moral codes are alike, and so are their aims: in matter - the enslavement of man's body, in spirit - he destruction of his mind. - Ayn Rand.

I think Rand considered her novels to be fiction and not fantasy. If you take up Wizard's First Rule you will not be dissappointed.

Blessings,

-CH

PS. Raymond Feist has a good series out, and I enjoyed Ann McCaffery's Dragon series as well - though the titles of both escape me.

-RPW

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In Essentials Unity, in non-Essentials Liberty, in all things Charity.

Robert Paul Wieland
Springs Reformed Presbyterian Church
Colorado Springs, CO
RPCNA

Oh yea, The Dragon Riders of Pern. Oh the memories that are being dragged up! Thanks CalvinandHodges for the analysis. I'll 'pick up and read'

At one point in my life ... I think I owned over 50 Piers Anthony books ... I always enjoyed his writing ...

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Anthony Beadles
Christ The King Presbyterian
Clearwater, Florida

I did too... about 20-something years ago.

I enjoyed Eddings as well. It's been a while, but I couldn't put them down back then.

"Camber of Culdi series by Katherine Kurtz" was fun and had a somewhat new twist to it with all the religioucity.

The Sword of Shanara series was good as well.

I found the Dragonriders of Pern series too pessimistic for some reason. I couldn't put a finger on it, but always came away from the books with a somber attitude.


I had forgotten many of these. It's been a long time since I read much fiction, except for a couple of G. A. Henty books with the family. Thanks for the ride down memory lane. Hmmm, I didn't know I was old enough for a memory lane...

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For the Glory of our King,
Joe Johnson
Married up in 1988 and blessed with two wonderful sons
TMS graduate
Preacherboy at Cornerstone Community Church, Escanaba, MI
http://www.SoundLife.org

Hi Scott! I really DO think you should give Martin another shot! See if Novel 1 :"A Game of Thrones" is in a local Library, don't even check it out! Just read the Prologue and Chapter one with an open mind and tell me if you can walk out without the book in your hand!

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~etexas~

I am avoiding reading Martin as I don't like stories where everyone is morally gray, which is what I've heard about his series.

I've enjoyed a lot of the authors mentioned here so far. I've also enjoyed the first Dragonlance Novels and especially the Death Gate Cycle by Weis and Hickman. I also have enjoyed Salvatore's Drizzit character and Edding's stories about Sparhawk the grumpy knight.

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Kenneth Murphy
Covenant of Grace Church - Member
St. Charles, MO

Morally Gray? Don't belive everything you hear.

If anyone wants to read good fantasy that is not morally gray but is written with a reformed Christian world view, you definitely have to check out L. B. Grahams "Binding of the Blade" series, it is my favorite second only to The Lord of the Rings.

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Dan Dorman
Member of Pilgrim OPC in my hometown-Bangor, Maine
Currently attending Christ the King OPC in Longview, Texas, where I am a college student

"All of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and His Son among all the peoples of the earth. Missions is not that goal. It is the means. And for that reason it is the second greatest human activity in the world." — John Piper

I believe I read several chapters before putting it down. That was the book I had.

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Scott Roberts
Ruling Elder, Lakeside Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Southlake, Texas

Did anyone say David Hunt?

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Bruce
PCUSA
Ocean City NJ

Now that would be a terrible fantasy! Men left to themselves to choose between sin and salvation? Yikes. We'd all end up in a not-fantastic place.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules-Signature Requirements-Suggestions?

Terry Brooks was good, but sort of told the same story every novel.

Eddings was an excellent intro.

Tad Williams is good, relatively creative. Not much cussing. Does'nt objectivy women. Not perfect read, though.

Big Robert Howard fan here.

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J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

I felt the same way (read the same amount). Everyone seemed sexually active (the authors' descriptions didn't leave much to the imagination). I browsed through a few later novels and the language didn't get any better.

Conan!!!





And just think, the books were better that the movie!! Perhaps the best fantasy movie ever!