# Most Underrated Fantasy series



## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

Fantasy is on something of a hot streak theses days, what with the success of GAME OF THRONES and the dominance of urban fantasy/paranormal romance. A Song Of Ice And Fire has been called Lord of the Rings for our generation, and while I don't think ANYTHING can topple the mighty JRR from his mithril throne, GRRM does give the Old Master a good run for his money.

But what about the other series and sagas, the ones that set the blood racing and imagination aflame...yet for one reason or another never really caght up with the genre fanbase, let alone the reading public at large. What are your candidates for the most underrated fantasy series?

I would start with three forgotten serial masterpieces: Barry Hugharts MASTER LI series (featuring a drunken sage-detective in a China That Never Was) Michael Scott Rohan's THE WINTER OF THE WORLD (Finnish Mythology Meets Prehistori Ice Age) and just for the heck of it John Norman's GOR series (purely to stir the pot... )

Course that's my list..any one else care to venture an opinion?


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

T.H. White's _The Once and Future King_ -- a retelling of the Arthur legend -- has to be one of the best (and most underrated) fantasy novels of all time. But most people only know about the first section of it, _The Sword in the Stone_ ... yep, it was the basis for that so-so Disney movie. But that's only one small part of the novel, dealing with Arthur's boyhood. The rest goes into his adult life, the founding of Camelot, Guinevere and Lancelot, and so on. Seriously, it's a must.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

This is where I usually throw in--
*
"THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER" by Stephen R. Donaldson

1. Lord Foul's Bane (1977)
2. The Illearth War (197
3. The Power that Preserves (1979)*

--though I'm not sure they're exactly "undiscovered". What I do know is, outside of the internet, I know very few people who have actually read them. A couple other observations:

- I realize this trilogy is not universally loved. I've already read some pretty disparaging remarks right here on the KindleBoards. Many people have a strong adverse reaction to a scene early in Book I that dooms the remainder of the story for them. I am not one of these people. While I agree with you that Tolkien reigns supreme, Donaldson is one of the few fantasy writers I've read who "could give the Old Master a run for his money" (I have yet to read George R.R. Martin, but look forward to doing so when his saga is complete). No, Donaldson is no Tolkien. But he has a facility with prose that many fantasy writers don't possess, their talents seemingly honed more to meticulous imitation of the genre. The "Covenant" trilogy is somewhat dark, perhaps even grayer than most, but at least Donaldson knows how to put together a sentence.

- That said, the _second _chronicles of Thomas Covenant (the sequel trilogy) were an Epic Fail.

Anyway, when it comes to Thomas Covenant, I myself sometimes feel alone in "The Land", isolated atop "Kevin's Watch"...

...surrounded by unbelievers.

Todd


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

I must confess...I never read anything by Stephen Donaldson...always something of a regret. 

Part of the trouble people might have had with him was that his main character washer of an anti-hero than a hero. After all, there is an act of rape in the first book, which may have been off putting readers back in those days. I suppose people wanted their things more black and white.

Another good candidate might be Harry Harrison's EDEN trilogy. Technically it's considered scifi, but to my mind it's very much a fantasy series...


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## Pix (Feb 3, 2012)

Todd Trumpet said:


> This is where I usually throw in--
> *
> "THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER" by Stephen R. Donaldson
> 
> *


This is one of those books I keep telling myself I need to pick up again. My Da recommended it to me when I was in my early teens, and I was going through a phase of loving fantasy series. I didn't mind "that scene" really, I thought Donaldson set it up very well, in terms of just what the main protag had been through/would do as a result. It was the following parts, where the victim's mother helped him out with his journey, that caused some cognitive dissonance at my end.

Still, it was a good book. I should look at it again now that I'm older and ostensibly wiser (read: a smidgen more tolerant) . 

With regards to the OP, I'm going to go with all of Robin Jarvis' books. Yes, they're kid's books, but the Whitby Witches, Deptford Mice and Deptford Histories were really great stories. I still love them now, and I suspect I always will, just like Pullman's Northern Lights trilogy


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Zackery Arbela said:


> I must confess...I never read anything by Stephen Donaldson...always something of a regret.
> 
> Part of the trouble people might have had with him was that his main character washer of an anti-hero than a hero. After all, there is an act of rape in the first book, which may have been off putting readers back in those days. I suppose people wanted their things more black and white.


If wanting a protagonist who is not a rapist is 'wanting things more black and white' then sign me in.
My problem with the guy is that not only is he a rapist but when he does the deed he is_ infected with a sexually transmittable disease_ (leprosy) and he knows it. So not only he couldn't care less about the will of the girl, he is also knowingly exposing her to a potentially fatal illness.

That's when I stopped reading, the only way to make me go on would have been knowing that he died a painful and protracted death.

Then, well, I'm a woman for many of us rape isn't exacly a 'neutral' topic.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The rape scene in TC the U didn't bother me specifically: he's in a completely foreign place, no idea what's going on, probably half out of his mind and not at all sure what he's doing and, oh, by the way, suddenly feels more healthy than he has in years.  Forgivable? No. Understandable? Yes.  

HOWEVER, all that aside,  the guy is thoroughly unlikeable.  I can totally see why people would say "Why do I even care?" and give up.  I probably would have done so myself if not for Saltheart Foamfollower.   I mean, I totally get that a main character should have a few flaws to make them relatable. . .but they shouldn't be downright despicable, in my opinion.   I got really tired of reading about good deserving people who he kept stabbing in the back because he was such a poor excuse for a human being.  And, yes, a little tired of them letting him get away with it. 

Mind you. . . I read the things 30 years ago. . . .I'm relating the feeling that has stayed with me. . . .


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

Another book that tends to get forgotten nowadays is Nikolai Tolstoy's (yes of THOSE Tolstoys) the COMING OF THE KING, a retelling of the tale of Merlin that draws heavily from the original Celtic influences. Back in the 80's and 90's there was a huge boom in Arthurian fantasy. It was supposed to be the start of a new series, but for some reason no further volumes ever got written.


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

I would say the _Chronicles of Amber_ series by Roger Zelazny is "underrated" because I suspect not many people read them nowadays. I've read the first three, and they're a far cry from typical fantasy fare. For me, they're a once-in-a-while type of read, but when that times comes I enjoy them a great deal.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Sean Patrick Fox said:


> I would say the _Chronicles of Amber_ series by Roger Zelazny is "underrated" because I suspect not many people read them nowadays. I've read the first three, and they're a far cry from typical fantasy fare. For me, they're a once-in-a-while type of read, but when that times comes I enjoy them a great deal.


If by "first three" you mean the first three books of the original series, *how did you stop there and not read the final two books?!!!* 

Those five books (at most a few pages more than one G.R.R. Martin tome) are probably my favorite "book" of any genre, and I've been reading them more or less yearly since I discovered them in the late '70s.

(Disclaimer: I am a huge Roger Zelazny fan -- see my sig -- and own everything of his I could get my hands on.)


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Zackery Arbela said:


> Another book that tends to get forgotten nowadays is Nikolai Tolstoy's (yes of THOSE Tolstoys) the COMING OF THE KING, a retelling of the tale of Merlin that draws heavily from the original Celtic influences. Back in the 80's and 90's there was a huge boom in Arthurian fantasy. It was supposed to be the start of a new series, but for some reason no further volumes ever got written.


Didn't know about this one. I'll hunt it down. Huge thanks.


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## Guest (Feb 4, 2012)

The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy by Guy Gavril Kay (The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road). It always surprised me how often it gets overlooked, but it has some wonderful re-working of celtic myth.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

VH Folland said:


> The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy by Guy Gavril Kay (The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road). It always surprised me how often it gets overlooked, but it has some wonderful re-working of celtic myth.


Funny thing about the Fionavar tapestry...Guy Gavriel Kay references it in almost eevery other book he has written since. It is the First Of All Worlds...which means everything he writes operates in the same shared universe.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

Don't want to hijack this thread, so I'll make this my last comment here about Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (since a few people replied to my recommendation above). Specifically, here's my take on the rape scene in Book I, which seems to be the most polarizing event in the story. The way I saw it, on top of all the things mentioned by others (extreme disorientation, sudden health) Thomas Covenant _didn't believe he was experiencing reality_, i.e., he didn't know whether he was awake or even alive. To put it more simply, as far as he was concerned, it was all just some sort of elaborate and inexplicable dream, which gave him carte blanche to do anything he wanted. Now, some may argue that even if he thought he was dreaming, this colors his character. However, I tend more toward the philosophical camp that "no crime can be committed in one's mind". And even though his situation did turn out to be another form of reality (unless you interpret The Land to be nothing more than a construct of Covenant's mind), he didn't know it at the time, and later regrets his actions.

Whether he's a whiny, downer, anti-hero (or to what degree) is, of course, a matter of personal interpretation. However, I'll just add that in the long history of "Chosen One" characters, it's pretty much S.O.P. for that character to be reluctant, angry, or (initially, at least) actively against his/her appointed role.

I.e., an Unbeliever.

Todd


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## Carolyn62 (Sep 5, 2011)

The Sword of Shadows series by J V Jones is very under rated. I'm impatiently waiting for the next book.


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## AnneBrooke (Dec 22, 2008)

So lovely to see the Chronicles of TC discussed - I fell in love with those books years ago and still have fond memories of them - they got me through my teenage years, though I didn't like the latest outing much.

Anne
xxx


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

Here's another candidate...Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince series. Very much ahead of its time now that I look back on it. Back then it was also one of the first series written by a female author, which added a different approach to the typical fantasy fare of the time. Much of the stuff being written back them (the ye olde days of the late 80;'s/early 90's) was often little more than a Dungeons and Dragons session put down on paper, with all the good and bad that implies. Very much a testosterone fest...to my mind Rawn's big thing was to mix the conventions of the romance novel with epic fantasy. Pretty common nowadays but back then it was unheard of....


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## A. S. Warwick (Jan 14, 2011)

VH Folland said:


> The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy by Guy Gavril Kay (The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road). It always surprised me how often it gets overlooked, but it has some wonderful re-working of celtic myth.


And it is something of a tear jerker as well. Admittedly I was going through a bit of a rough period when I first red it, but I'm not ashamed to say that for large portions of the last book and a half it left me in tears.


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## StephenLivingston (May 10, 2011)

I'd suggest Storm Constantine's Wraeththu series, Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant books are very good too.
Best wishes, Stephen Livingston.


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## Colin Taber (Apr 4, 2011)

I really enjoyed Brian Ruckley's Godless World Trilogy, but it is a very dark read and for some too slow. Nonetheless, at the time, I found it both refreshing and invigorating.

Joe Abercrombie is also a good read, his characterisations are great.

Of the indies I've tried, the two that stood out for me (more because what they were doing struck me as fresh) were Moses' The Black God's War and Katie Stewart's Treespeaker.

Mostly I steer clear of what, I guess, could best be called typical or formula fantasy, so can't offer any suggestions in that arena, but I'm sure there's some great hidden gems out there.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

StephenLivingston said:


> I'd suggest Storm Constantine's Wraeththu series, Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant books are very good too.
> Best wishes, Stephen Livingston.


I've always wanted to read the Wraethru series, but am also a bit nervous. I've heard that Storm Constantine can be a very provocative writer, especially when it comes to sexuality.


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## wRiTiNgFiEn (Feb 4, 2012)

Tony Richards said:


> T.H. White's _The Once and Future King_ -- a retelling of the Arthur legend -- has to be one of the best (and most underrated) fantasy novels of all time. But most people only know about the first section of it, _The Sword in the Stone_ ... yep, it was the basis for that so-so Disney movie. But that's only one small part of the novel, dealing with Arthur's boyhood. The rest goes into his adult life, the founding of Camelot, Guinevere and Lancelot, and so on. Seriously, it's a must.


AWESOME!! I love love love King Arthur tales! MUST look this up!! Thank you for sharing


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

NogDog said:


> If by "first three" you mean the first three books of the original series, *how did you stop there and not read the final two books?!!!*
> 
> Those five books (at most a few pages more than one G.R.R. Martin tome) are probably my favorite "book" of any genre, and I've been reading them more or less yearly since I discovered them in the late '70s.
> 
> (Disclaimer: I am a huge Roger Zelazny fan -- see my sig -- and own everything of his I could get my hands on.)


I enjoy the books, but for me they're not something I can read a lot of at one time. Even though the books are short, it usually takes me a decent amount of time to get through each one just because the writing is so different. So I've been savoring each book one at a time.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Sean Patrick Fox said:


> I enjoy the books, but for me they're not something I can read a lot of at one time. Even though the books are short, it usually takes me a decent amount of time to get through each one just because the writing is so different. So I've been savoring each book one at a time.


Hmm...I fly through them like a wino consumes Muscatel. Well, maybe like a wino with hiccups, as I do have to pause here and there to let one of his great turns of phrase sink in.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I *loved* The Gandalara Cycle by Randall Garrett, and would purchase it again in an instant if it were Kindled... No one I know of other than my family has read it.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

Let us not forget the Videsso series by Harry Turtledove. Think Byzantine Empire with magic.


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## StephenLivingston (May 10, 2011)

Zackery you should try the Wraeththu books there's nothing offensive in them.
Best wishes, Stephen Livingston.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Totally second the _Chronicles of Amber _ recs. Love the main character Corwin's ironic, world-weary voice as he navigates the twisted intrigues and backstabbing of his unnaturally gifted royal family. Also _The Once and Future King _ is an excellent read.

I recommend Jan Siegel's Prospero's Children, which is the first book in a trilogy that deals with the lost city of Atlantis and witches. The prologue is worth reading if nothing else, one of the best, most chilling descriptions of a mermaid I've ever read.

Couldn't find the first book of this series on Amazon (_The Snow Queen_), so here's a link to the third book (a pretty visual of one of Michael Whelan's beautiful covers): 

The first book, _The Snow Queen_, is an odd fantasy/sci fi hybrid that retells the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale by the same title. A couple of the character portrayals were a little problematic for me, but overall a very good, entertaining read, including a deft handling of space politics and an interesting use of cloning.


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## flipside (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm just surprised at the Thomas Covenant and Chronicles of Amber series because as far as genre history is concerned, they're often cited and far from underrated. Thomas Covenant, for example, was an important series post-Tolkien as it along with Terry Brooks's Shannara series catered to the adult fantasy market and began what would be the glut of Tolkien and trilogy derivatives. Chronicles of Amber is now collected (either just the Corwin arc or including the Merlin arc). If you mention the name Roger Zelazny, the two titles that come to mind are his Amber series and Lord of Light.

Now the Barry Hughart novels--those are underrated (to the point that Hughart won't be writing any more novels in the series). In fact, it's a bit difficult to acquire the second and third books, and thankfully Subterranean Press reprinted all three volumes in one book.

One underrates series for me is Terry Brooks's Knight of the Word series. It didn't really do well, definitely not as popular as his Shannara series, and was actually one of the earlier urban fantasy novels before the noir detective sub-genre became associated with the term.

Right now, I think the Pathfinder Chronicles novels (from Paizo Publishing) are underrated. It's a wonderful D&D-esque series (without falling into the trap of telling your gaming group's RPG session) with various talented writers penning the books.

There's also Jeff VanderMeer's Ambergris series. The series tends to get critical acclaim, but not so much when it comes to mainstream fan popularity.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

purplepen79 said:


> Totally second the _Chronicles of Amber _ recs. Love the main character Corwin's ironic, world-weary voice as he navigates the twisted intrigues and backstabbing of his unnaturally gifted royal family. Also _The Once and Future King _ is an excellent read.
> 
> I recommend Jan Siegel's Prospero's Children, which is the first book in a trilogy that deals with the lost city of Atlantis and witches. The prologue is worth reading if nothing else, one of the best, most chilling descriptions of a mermaid I've ever read.
> 
> ...


Joan Vinge...I haven'r read her since high school. Anyone remember another book she wrote called Psion? Not strictly fantasy, but it did skit the edges,

Also, consider Margaret Weis's The Star of the Guardians. First time anywhere I came across the term "Science Fantasy."


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## Matt Larkin (Sep 27, 2011)

Jennifer Fallon's Hytrun Chronicles.


Great pacing. Read Wolfblade in, I think two sittings.


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## sandrasstories (Feb 1, 2012)

Shadowmarch by Tad Williams is a great fantasy read. Although I doubt Game of Thrones can be compared to LotR. I could barely manage to get through a few chapters of GoT because of all the sexual scenes. That really turns me away from novels, especially when none of it needs to happen to make the book better. I think it would be fine without it. And it's a shame, because the plot seemed to be good.

Also, I heard The Sword of Truth series was a good read too. I've only read the first book in the series, but I really liked it.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Looks like I win. No one here seems to have heard of Randall Garrett's Gandalara Cycle/River Wall series either.. ergo=most underrated.  unfortunately it is NOT kindled..

And no ASINs for them so I can't get the link-maker to work.
Book 1
http://www.amazon.com/Gandalara-Cycle-I-Randall-Garrett/dp/0553259423/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328566569&sr=1-1
Book 2
http://www.amazon.com/Gandalara-Cycle-II-Randall-Garrett/dp/0553259431/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328566569&sr=1-2
And Book 3
http://www.amazon.com/River-Magnificent-Conclusion-Gandalara-Cycle/dp/0553255657/ref=pd_vtp_b_1

I have worn out 2 copies of each book. I would LOVE it if they were Kindled... sigh..


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

sandrasstories said:


> Shadowmarch by Tad Williams is a great fantasy read. Although I doubt Game of Thrones can be compared to LotR. I could barely manage to get through a few chapters of GoT because of all the sexual scenes. That really turns me away from novels, especially when none of it needs to happen to make the book better. I think it would be fine without it. And it's a shame, because the plot seemed to be good.
> 
> Also, I heard The Sword of Truth series was a good read too. I've only read the first book in the series, but I really liked it.


Terry Goodkind is one of those authors who tends to polarize. You either love him or your hate him...usually depending on whether or not you agree with his politics. The later books in the series are influenced by the ideas of Ayn Rand.

Also, the Legend of the Seeker series didn't help.


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## A. S. Warwick (Jan 14, 2011)

Legend of the Seeker is probably better than the books.  At least it strips out the anvilicious political preaching.


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## Phyllis Lily Jules (Dec 5, 2011)

Todd Trumpet said:


> This is where I usually throw in--
> *
> "THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER" by Stephen R. Donaldson
> 
> ...


Not alone, no. I was so taken with Donaldson's trilogy. The leprosy issue was amazing, and has stuck with me ever since. It was a series unlike any other. My heart was with Thomas Covenant, no doubt about it. I was also equally taken with Tolkien's series. Those were the days...


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## B.A. Spangler (Jan 25, 2012)

Piers Anthony's Xanth Series.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I don't even remember "that scene" in Thomas Covenant. I did read it shortly after it was published, which was a long time ago.

Someone mentioned Tad Williams. If you want something a little different try Otherland. It's science fiction but people enter all sorts of mythological and literary worlds via a vast virtual reality system.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Zackery Arbela said:


> Joan Vinge...I haven'r read her since high school. Anyone remember another book she wrote called Psion? Not strictly fantasy, but it did skit the edges,
> 
> Also, consider Margaret Weis's The Star of the Guardians. First time anywhere I came across the term "Science Fantasy."


Psion (Cat) is the Joan Vinge you mentioned. There are also two more in that particular series called _Catspaw_ and _Dreamfall_. Those are next on my list to check out. Because of this discussion, I started rereading _The Snow Queen _ and will likely reread _World's End_, which falls between _The Snow Queen _ and _The Summer Queen_ and is, IMO, Joan Vinge's most haunting book--


Spoiler



poor BZ Gundhalinu, disgraced and cut off from the woman he loves, wanders into the desert on a mission and goes mad. There's a really neat plot point involving a ship's hyperdrive--just beautifully done.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

R. M. Reed said:


> I don't even remember "that scene" in Thomas Covenant. I did read it shortly after it was published, which was a long time ago.
> 
> Someone mentioned Tad Williams. If you want something a little different try Otherland. It's science fiction but people enter all sorts of mythological and literary worlds via a vast virtual reality system.


I always thought that Tad Williams should have sued for copyright infringement when Sucker Punch came out....

Here's an obscure reference...Judith Tarr's in the Halls of the Mountain King. One of those series no one ever thinks about anymore.

Or try Stephen Lawheads Arthurian series....


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## Joseph_Evans (Jul 24, 2011)

Joe Abercrombie's series that starts with The Blade Itself is great. Very grim, but darkly humorous.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

Joseph_Evans said:


> Joe Abercrombie's series that starts with The Blade Itself is great. Very grim, but darkly humorous.


Wouldn't consider it all that obscure...he's listed right up there with Steve Erikson, R. Scott Bakker and GRRM when it comes to "gritty" fantasy....


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

A.S. Warwick said:


> And it is something of a tear jerker as well. Admittedly I was going through a bit of a rough period when I first red it, but I'm not ashamed to say that for large portions of the last book and a half it left me in tears.


Me, too. I was in high school and totally wept through The Darkest Road.

On a far more cheerful note: Pamela Dean. Her Secret Country trilogy is beautifully constructed and captures the feeling of being an imaginative child perfectly.


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

purplepen79 said:


> Psion (Cat) is the Joan Vinge you mentioned. There are also two more in that particular series called _Catspaw_ and _Dreamfall_. Those are next on my list to check out. Because of this discussion, I started rereading _The Snow Queen _ and will likely reread _World's End_, which falls between _The Snow Queen _ and _The Summer Queen_ and is, IMO, Joan Vinge's most haunting book--
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


Oh, I loved those! I still have my hardcovers of World's End and Summer Queen.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

here' s something to consider...Robert Jordan (may he rest in peace) wrote several conan the barbarian novels, back before he hit it big with the WHeel of Time. To my mind they're some of the entries in the series since REH himself...definitely get the atmosphere of Hyborian down to the smallest detail.


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