What do you consider to be 'good' fantasy? (1 Viewer)

[kkewi90]

fantasy rocks my world but some of the stuff that comes out nowadays is a lot of, i think, is commercial trash.

not that it's bad but some of it just ... irks me. but i'll read it anyway just coz i'm a whre for fantasy.

i'm not sure what i would consider 'good' fantasy tho because fantasy, as a genre that relies so much on imagination, has become a bit cliched in its creativity. but i suppose i enjoy it just because of the cliche.

some favourites: david eddings (not his newest series), juliet marillier (sevenwaters and bridei although they border on historical fantasy), isobelle carmody (am desperate for the fifth book... finally!), sara douglass' troy game, patricia kenneally (keltiad), cecilia d-t (bitterbynde... crowthistle is at this time still to disjointed for me) and more and more and more...

I AGREE WITH ALL THAT! isobelle carmody, julliet marillier and robin hobb are the best!! i've reread isobelle carmody's books so many times and i cant belive the stone key is finally gonna be out in october!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Marinatos]

Fantasy is my favourite genre, and accounts for about 90+% of what I read!
Some favourites would have to be: Anne Bishop, Jennifer Fallon, Lynn Flewelling, Diana Wynne Jones, Isobelle Carmody, Sara Douglas, William Nicholson, Phillip Pullman, Kate Forythe, Tamora Pierce and many more!

 

[SouperGirl121]

AAaA! Isobelle Carmody is so totally the bomb. Tamora Pierce, Brian Jacques, Philip Pulman as well. Ursula Le Guin.

'Good' fantasy is when important issues in the world today are commented on/explored, in an imaginative way. I like to think that's the whole point of fantasy, it's like our Utopia, and things which can't be solved in the ordinary can be solved in the imagination because in a fantasy world the author makes the rules. Terry Pratchett, for example, has a discworld carried by four elephants on a turtle's back. Very imaginative.

But then like any good story, it can't be so much about the issue that connecting with the story is forfeited.

I really like Isobelle Carmody because her stories are so rich with symbolism and imagery, and yet at the same time the language isn't so complicated that it's hard to read, eg. EarthSea and Lord of the Rings.
However, the language in Harry Potter is almost too simple, despite it being a good story.

So in conclusion, I guess 'good' fantasy has enthralling and imaginative plot and characters that draw you in, while subtly commenting on social/political issues that affect us in the real world.

And needless to say, some form of MAGIC.

 

[ElendilPeredhil]

I've read The Hobbit.
id like to read The Children of Hurin and that other one, Simarilion.
liked the Hobbit coz it was the first one and introduced how the ring came into bilbo's hands and some of the others characters like Gandalf and Gollum involvement, but i read it second.
i think it still had the same elements like LOTR but i still prefer LOTR.
also, i like the whole good vs evil thing and the forces of good being the underdogs, thats probably why.

The Simarilion is unfortunately written. It has the elements of many good stories in it (of which the Hurin stories is one) however it may not appeal to you if you are actually looking for a narrative like LOTR as it is written in a kind of encyclopeadic style. The Story of Galadriel and Celeborn is great though, and I kind of wish Tolkien had actually written the story of the Feanor and the making of the Simarils instead of kind of sketching the outlines. I didn't like the Hobbit as much after I read LOTR. Before, it was just a decent fantasy tale. After LOTR all I could think aobut was how differnt the world was.

 

[shut up]

the simillarian killed me but i was about twelve at the time.. if even

good fantasy has brilliant characterisation, doesn't rely on action/sex/violence to drive the narrative. must be deep, evocative, relevant to the real worls while transporting you and fascinating you in every detail.everything should come together and it has to be good enough that you are emotionally involved and want to cry

 

[ekirii]

i find the fantasy series that really has the whole 'atmosphere' thing going is cecilia dart-thornton.

i think the last fantasy series i read was jennifer fallon's third sons trilogy. old series but it was the first time i saw them all present at my library so i went and borrowed it.

it was pretty good for plot and character. there was another similar series by an author whose name has momentarily eluded me. it was about order and chaos i think and how that power, now matter held by who and used for what means, corrupts. it was insightful.

however, desperately waiting for the stone key.

 

[simplistic]

i dont know if anyone has said it before but the tremaris trilogy by kate constable are really good (although its a bit short probably 300-400 pages each)