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844 ratings | 586 reviews | avg rating:4.95

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Philip Athans’s Followers (249)

Philip’s Bookshelves

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Kenneth Simpson

826 books | 128 friends

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Philip Athans

Goodreads Author

Born

in Rochester, NY, The United States

Website

http://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com/

Twitter

PhilAthans

Genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror, Literature & Fiction

Influences

Harlan Ellison, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Iain M. Banks, ...more

Member Since

January 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/philathans

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I 100% support AUTHORS AGAINST BOOK BANS
https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com

I give every book 5 stars in protest against the concept of star ratings in general and the ever-unfolding algorithm dystopia!

Philip Athans, an anti-AI, anti-book bans liberal, is the founding partner of Athans & Associates Creative Consulting (www.athansassociates.com), and the New York Times best-selling author of Annihilation and more than a dozen other fantasy and horror books including The Best of Fantasy Authors Handbook Vol. I 2009-2013, The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Writing Monsters. Born in Rochester, New York he grew up in suburban Chicago, where he published the literary magazine Alternative Fiction & Poetry. His blog, Fantasy Auth ...more

823 posts
Philip Athans's Blog

DOWN 2000 SO FAR?

After reading 1000 Words by Jami Attenberg for our September 2026 GoodReads group read, I did promise myself I would try, starting November 1st when my crazy month-of-cascading-deadlines ended, to write 1000 words a day.

I put it in my to do list with the other promises I made to myself last month—based on that commencement address by Ray Bradbury—to read one poem, one short story, and one essa

Combine Editions
Philip Athans’s books

Average rating: 3.87 · 19,240 ratings · 748 reviews · 54 distinct works • Similar authors

	Annihilation (Forgotten Realms: War of the Spider Queen, #5) 4.11 avg rating — 8,260 ratings — published 2004 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Reader's Guide to R.A. Salvatore's The Legend of Drizzt 4.45 avg rating — 1,599 ratings — published 2008 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Baldur's Gate (Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate, #1) 2.71 avg rating — 1,388 ratings — published 1998 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction: 6 Steps to Writing and Publishing Your Bestseller! by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author), R.A. Salvatore 3.89 avg rating — 733 ratings — published 2010 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of the Dragons (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #9) by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Jess Lebow (Contributor), R.A. Salvatore (Contributor) 3.80 avg rating — 555 ratings — published 2004 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of Mystery (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #6) by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Mary H. Herbert (Contributor), Stan Brown (Contributor) 3.63 avg rating — 540 ratings — published 1998 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of the Elves (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #11) 3.83 avg rating — 481 ratings — published 2006 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate, #2) 2.71 avg rating — 626 ratings — published 2000 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing Monsters: How to Craft Believably Terrifying Creatures to Enhance Your Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction by Philip Athans (Goodreads Author), The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (Foreword) 3.97 avg rating — 395 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Realms of the Deep (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #7) 3.50 avg rating — 324 ratings — published 1999 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Philip Athans…

Series by Philip Athans

Dungeons & Dragons (1 book)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

4.11 avg rating — 8,260 ratings

Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate (3 books)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

2.77 avg rating — 2,497 ratings

Forgotten Realms: Watercourse (3 books)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

3.55 avg rating — 646 ratings

The Fathomless Abyss (5 books)
by

Philip Athans (Goodreads Author)

3.58 avg rating — 19 ratings

Philip is Currently Reading

Philip Athans is currently reading

Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different

by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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7 hours, 54 min ago

Philip Athans is currently reading

The End of the Matter (Pip & Flinx Adventures, #3)

by Alan Dean Foster

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Oct 30, 2026 09:15AM

Philip Athans is currently reading

War Against Crime Annual vol. 2

by Al Feldstein

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Oct 23, 2026 11:51AM

Philip’s Recent Updates

Philip Athans is on page 77 of 251 of Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?: A little bit of a struggle for me to really get into "Sixty Acres," but I blame the first paragraph. Once I figured out who was who the story felt considerably deeper than the events of the simple plot. Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2 hours, 55 min ago · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Philip Athans made a comment in the group Fantasy Author's Handbook — November 2026 Group Read: Consider This topic " From the introduction: If you’re dedicated to becoming an author, nothing I can say here will stop you. But if you’re not, nothing I can say will make ...more "
7 hours, 38 min ago
Philip Athans is currently reading Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7 hours, 54 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Philip Athans is on page 149 of 384 of The Collected Poems The Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7 hours, 57 min ago · like · see status
Philip Athans made a comment in the group Fantasy Author's Handbook — FAH: The Blog topic " DOWN 2000 SO FAR? https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com... ...more "
Nov 03, 2026 02:16PM
Philip Athans voted on a poll in the group Beyond Reality Final Poll to Choose Next Series (SF), starting 1/15/2027 He voted for: Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh, 22 books starting with Foreigner ...more
Nov 03, 2026 10:05AM · like · take the poll
Philip Athans made a comment on the poll: November 2026 Group Read Poll " And we have a winner! Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different And, once again thanks to the King County Library S ...more "
Nov 01, 2026 07:38PM
Philip Athans started reading The End of the Matter (Pip & Flinx Adventures, #3) by Alan Dean Foster	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 30, 2026 09:15AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The End of the Matter by Alan Dean Foster. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The End of the Matter by Alan Dean Foster <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Philip Athans rated a book Tom Swift In The Caves Of Nuclear Fire: The New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures #8 by Victor Appleton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book was originally published in 1956. Here, the general Tom Swift Jr. Adventures formula holds true, if rather less tightly constructed or entertaining than previous episodes. In this case Tom's explorations takes him to the Belgian Congo--and t ...more
Oct 30, 2026 09:13AM · like · see review
Philip Athans liked Brent Henry's review of Tom Swift In The Caves Of Nuclear Fire: The New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures #8: "This book is the 8th book in the series. In this volume, Tom and his friends travel to the Belgian Congo to explore caves that are emitting radiation. Interacting with friendly and unfriendly natives, Tom and his crew are locked in a battle against se" Read more of this review »
Oct 30, 2026 09:11AM · see review

More of Philip's books…

Quotes by Philip Athans (?)

“Upon the one thing every writer absolutely must have, and that is intellectual curiosity.”
― Phillip Athans, R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen, Volume II: Extinction, Annihilation, Resurrection

tags: adivce, curiosity, intellect, writers, writing-advice

5 likes

“Stupid foes were easy to defeat and angry foes even easier. Mix the two together, though, and you’re in for a fight.”
― Philip Athans, Annihilation

2 likes

“A religion without followers is just a weird guy with strange ideas.”
― Philip Athans, How to Start Your Own Religion: Form a Church, Gain Followers, Become Tax-Exempt, and Sway the Minds of Millions in Five Easy Steps

2 likes

See all Philip Athans's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Riyria Revela...: Fantasy Writers Helping Victims of Hurricane Sandy	2	18	Jan 12, 2013 07:27AM
Fantasy Book Club: Triumph Over Tragedy - an anthology to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy	2	22	Jan 12, 2013 07:29AM
The Sword and Laser: Fantasy Writers Helping Victims of Hurricane Sandy	1	32	Jan 12, 2013 07:54AM
The Riyria Revela...: New Release: Triumph Over Tragedy to Benefit Hurricane Sandy Victims	3	26	Jan 13, 2013 08:08AM
Retro Chapter Chi...: Stay Bookish: Everything & Anything Bookish or Historical 2024	20	15	Sep 04, 2024 07:04AM

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Philip’s Quotes

“You only go around once, but if you play your cards right, once is enough.”
― Frank Sinatra

51 likes

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero

tags: attributed-no-source, books, simile, soul

136284 likes

Philip’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-4) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 4: by Philip

Oct 07, 2011 08:27AM

Elaina wrote: "Thanks for accepting my friend request! As an aspiring fantasy author, I try to learn from other fantasy authors and their writings =]"

ME TOO!

reply | flag

message 3: by Elaina

Jul 15, 2011 08:19AM

Thanks for accepting my friend request! As an aspiring fantasy author, I try to learn from other fantasy authors and their writings =]

reply | flag

message 2: by Philip

Mar 02, 2011 05:51PM

Kevin wrote: "Hey I just got The Collected Stories of Drizzt, can't wait to read it, not as much as the third book in Neverwind Trilogy, Icewind, hope it is going to be good."

ENJOY!

reply | flag

message 1: by Kevin

Mar 02, 2011 04:48PM

Hey I just got The Collected Stories of Drizzt, can't wait to read it, not as much as the third book in Neverwind Trilogy, Icewind, hope it is going to be good.

reply | flag

Philip Athans’s Followers (249)

Philip Athans

Goodreads Author

Philip’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver

See a Problem?

Preview — Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk

See a Problem?

Preview — The End of the Matter by Alan Dean Foster

Topics Mentioning This Author