Good Fantasy Authors

Margaret Weis and Tracey Hickman did an amazing job with the Dragonlance books - they were simply amazing. I'd have to say these two are among the best, and are certainly my favourites.

[Fred the Fat]

Ok heres my List...some may be repeats but I read A LOT and these are my favorites. Oh and IMHO Jordan is awful.
Feist-Start with Magician:Apprentice and there is no turning back
Joel Rosenburg -Guardians of the Flame series EVERY D&D FAN SHOULD READ THESE. IT IS A D&D FANS DREAM!!!!!!
Terry Brooks- Shannarra series (OF COURSE!)
Michael Moorcock- Elric.
Robert E. Howard-no no not Conan, SOLOMAN KANE!!! YEAH!!!
Fritz Lieber-Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser
The OK Authors
RObin Hobb-gets kinda dumb at the end of the Assasin series.
J.R.R. Tolkein- yeah yeah some say hes the father of all fantasy...i disagree...Howard and Lieber are.
Stephin King-Some may disagree because hes not a total fantasy author (more horror) but his Dark tower series is...quality.

C.S. Friedman- Sort of Sci-Fi when you know the history but maintains only medival technology throughout...lots of demons too...hehe.
well thats about it.
I REALLY suggest ALL of Feist's books and for everyone to try and find Rosenbergs first book in the Guardians of the Flame series. D&D fans will LOVE it.
See Ya.
Fred

[fable]

I'm glad to see somebody else recognizes the literary quality of Fritz Leiber. Being of an older generation whose works are not new, no company feels it important to promote him these days, but his work heralded a very different kind of fantasy world: a rather cynical place, much closer in many respects to our own, for all the presence of magic and swords. Leiber's deft understanding of human psychology (he was also a psychiatrist in reallife) informs his characters' motivations--rather than the usual placemarkers which inform so much techno-science fiction, and AD&D stuff.

I'd also like to mention Jack Vance, whose great fantasy began in the late forties and continues into the nineties, and the team of Pratt and de Camp, who wrote some delightful tales mixing humor and adventure--such as Land of Unreason, and the Incomplete Enchanter series. Well worth getting.

[Warhammer]

Here is my Top 10

1/ George RR Martin * A Song Of Ice and Fire

2/ Terry Goodkind * A Sword Of Truth
3/ LE Modesitt Jr * The Recluse Books
4/ Robin Hobb * Farseer & Liveship Trader trilogies
5/ RA Salvatore * Drizzt's books
6/ Robert Jordan * Wheel Of Time (I have only read 4 books as of yet)
7/ Zelazny * The Amber books
8/ David Eddings * The Belgariad
9/ Jack Vance * Tales Of A Dying Earth
10/ Fritz Lieber * Fafhrd (sp?) and the Grey Mouser

All of them mentioned above except Zelazny (RIP) and Modesitt

[GEEK]

Most of the writers that I like are mentioned already so I will trow one out that hasn't been mentioned so far.
Glen Cook's Black Company. The first ones are hard to find in book stores but it is worth the look. I like the fact that heros can die in his books.

[Saltheart Foamfollower]

I forgot about Leiber. I love reading his work over and over again. The Mouser and Fafhrd are classics. With the way his writing is I can actually visulize with clarity, the setting that are in his stories.

As for Glen Cook and the Black Company series, yes it is a must read. I am having difficulty finding his fifth book, but that has not stopped me from enjoying him.

Another entertainign anthology is the Thieve's World books. If I remember correctly, it is supposed to be rereleased this year. Very good characters and well fleshed out over the series, which i believe is 10 or so books worth of reading..

Don't forget the Chronicles of Amber... Very interesting characters and universes.

Chronicles of Thomas Covenant should be required reading for anyone who enjoys thought provoking books. Read it the first time for enjoyment, then read a second time to fully understand the moral dilemas of the characters.

Elric is fine, but you should also read other books about the Eternal Champion. Hawkmoon, Jerry Cornelius. Count Brass, Erokose, and all the others. Talk about the ultimate series about good vs evil and the morallity of mankind.

[Micah Foehammer]

Second the comments about the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant! That is an outstanding series for all the reasons mentioned above by Saltheart.

Ditto for Glen Cook and and The Black Company. (although i prefer the earlier books in that series)

[MILAMBER]

I know they have been mentioned before, but my favorite all time authors are:

Raymond Feist
Terry Goodkind
Robert Jordan
David Eddings

[Sir ReGiN]

Apart from the one's mentioned;

-Robert E Howard, the guy who wrote about Conan I just love those books, especially "hour of the dragon"

-Neil Gaiman, particularly "sandman"

-Douglas Niles, he has written "the icewall trilogy"

[Thoran]

Another author I'm enjoying again is Steven Brust. First I read a very interesting story called "To Reign in Hell" that was a Fantasy story about the fall of Satan from Heaven (somewhat difficult to follow at the age I was then... a teen)... A couple years ago I read a series about an assasin named Vlad Taltos... that was quite good, and he has a unique writing style that defies comparison to other authors. I just picked up another of his books... The Phoenix Guards, and again he has a delivery that's totally unique to my experience. It's not the kind of book that I find I MUST read in a single day... but I keep coming back for a chapter or two at a time and I find that the characters are growing on me as I read on.

All I can say is that I'd recommend giving him a try if you're looking for something a bit different.

and whoever mention Feist... YES! I'd forgotten about him but he has a very entertaining style and has built a wonderful fantasy world (one of those places you'd like to visit)

And then someone mentioned the Thomas Covenant series... again a must read! Book 1 was spectacular, his imagery put me on top of that outcropping of rock, the wind tearing at my clothes, disorientation and vertigo ripping my insides with fear. Then the joy of discovering a living world that he could feel... I was so jealous!

I remember the arrival scene like it was yesterday, and I last read that series 20 years ago!

The Thieves World series I also highly recommend. It's 10 books that were written like a tag team match. There were a number of authors who collaborated, each writing a chapter. Authors were allowed to "Use" the characters of another author.. but with strict rules (no killing off other authors characters and such). The unique styles of each author led to some very memorable stories.

[ 02-12-2002: Message edited by: Thoran ]</p>