Flights of Fantasy discussion
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The Best "Entry Level" Fantasy
Chris wrote: "For God's sake, people.The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings"
Lord of the Rings (as an omnibus) was my first fantasy novel and it's my most favorite book ever! :)
I read them years ago. They are shorter than a lot of current fantasy so i thought maybe. Luke in my opinion the first 5 novels are great. the second series is okay but not as good as the first five.
So have we talked about a criteria for intro level fantasy? I mean many people read The Lord of the Rings first. It's probably one of the greatest books around but pretty involved. The Hobbit is good. As it was meant to be a children's book it might be good.
The Kingdom of Landover, at least the first couple might be good.
Nyssa wrote: "While I've enjoyed the first 3 or 4 of the series, I'm not sure I would label them as entry level. I'd have to think on that a bit.
I'd be curious to hear what others have to say. "
I think I'd agree.
Especially the latter ones.
Oh man I want to go see Brandon Sanderson so much. He's coming to Houston, which is about 4 hours away. SO tempted.
Emily wrote: "Oh man I want to go see Brandon Sanderson so much. He's coming to Houston, which is about 4 hours away. SO tempted."Do it. He's nice and so awesome!
Do you want to go with me to see him in VA, Becky?
Nyssa wrote: "Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "So anyway....entry level fantasy. Discounting YA books, did we mention Zelazny's Amber Books?"While I've enjoyed the first 3 or 4 of the series, I'm not sure I would label them as entry level. I'd have to think on that a bit.
I'd be curious to hear what others have to say.
"
MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "I think I'd agree.
Especially the latter ones.
"
I'm having difficulty articulating why I feel this way. I think its just too contemporary, and are better suited for those who are already fans of fantasy but looking for something a little different. Some of the descriptions sound like what I'd imagine coming from a person on an acid trip, instead of genuine fantasy world building.
I could agree with that. Especially the acid trip part. A lot of it was...strange and hard to comprehend (when I read I have visuals in my head - I had a hard time visualizing a lot of the stuff going on).
MrsJoseph (taking back my data & giving GR the middle finger) wrote: "I could agree with that. Especially the acid trip part. A lot of it was...strange and hard to comprehend (when I read I have visuals in my head - I had a hard time visualizing a lot of the stuff ..."I'm glad what I said made sense!
While I didn't find visualizing the scenes to be difficult, I did find them to be very strange and colorful.
Yes! Amber = acid tripI did like the first series quite a bit. Triply but enjoyable. Not sure I'd think of them as entry level though.
The second series? More trippy less comprende.
I never thought of it as "tripy" though I see where you get that (the trips through the shadows). Frame of reference I suppose.
Dragon Riders of Pern is actually Science Fiction, but it is a good lead into the scifi/fantasy category. I loved Thieves World as well, but stopped reading after book 5, I think, mostly because I didn't see new ones at the book shop near where I lived.
Sword of Shannara was actually what lead me into fantasy. I had read LOTR first and really didn't enjoy it that much. I loved the epic feel, but the language was difficult. I don't care if they call Shannara "LOTR light". It was EASY to read and had a good plot.
Stephanie wrote: "Dragon Riders of Pern is actually Science Fiction, but it is a good lead into the scifi/fantasy category. I loved Thieves World as well, but stopped reading after book 5, I think, mostly because ..."
Shannara was what really got me into "proper fantasy" (although for some reason I seem to remember that I started with "Wishsong" rather than "Sword". I loved them at the time but I don't think I would want to read them again today, having tried a couple of years ago.
If I was picking books to get a kid into reading fantasy though, I think the Shannara books would be on the list.
Summerland by Michael Chabon was one of the first fantasy books to really catch my attention. Loved the adolescent nature of the book, and also the underlying messages. Great read!!!!!!However, Terry Brooks's Shannara series is by far still one of my favorites!!
I believe that even someone who usually chooses not to read books that fall under the fantasy genre would enjoy The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue, published in 2006.The story is told in the first-person by a changeling - a word that describes within its own name what one is and does. It kidnaps a human child and replaces him or her with one of their own.
Jim wrote: "I believe that even someone who usually chooses not to read books that fall under the fantasy genre would enjoy The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue, published in 2006.The story is told in the first..."
This book was, I think, my first 1-star rating on goodreads...
Jim wrote: "I believe that even someone who usually chooses not to read books that fall under the fantasy genre would enjoy The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue, published in 2006.The story is told in the first..."
I never heard of that one before, but it sounds cool; I'll have to check it out :)
I'll address this by telling the books that drew me into fantasy as a child and never let go. I started with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the rest of the Narnia series, A Wrinkle in Time,and Ursula K. Le Guin and her Earthsea Cycle. I didn't know about The Last Unicorn and The Hobbit until I grew up - but I wish I had met them as a kid.
I read The Last Unicorn as an adult too. And I expected to hate it. I've never been too much of a girly girl and I never went thru a unicorn stage - I did go thru a dragon stage & never came out of it - but I love this book. It's quirky, sweet, and funny while being heart breaking at the same time. One of my favorite children's books that I've read - even though I wasn't a child when I read it. When I was a kid one of my favorite movies was The Never Ending Story but I don't believe I've ever read the book.
If you ever get the chance to read the alternate version of the Last Unicorn, I highly enjoyed it. Sadly, I think it's an extremely rare Subterranean Press novella (my library had a copy). But if it's available electronically, I found the comparison and the author's description of why he wrote the early version in the manner he did extremely interesting.Just my two cents ;)
The graphic novel is quite nice, as well.
Nienna wrote: "When I was a kid one of my favorite movies was The Never Ending Story but I don't believe I've ever read the book. "I absolutly love this movie, and equally hated the sequels. I've not read the book either.
Nyssa wrote: "Nienna wrote: "When I was a kid one of my favorite movies was The Never Ending Story but I don't believe I've ever read the book. "I absolutly love this movie, and equally hated the sequels. I'v..."
Me. either. but I have it on the list to buy...
Nyssa wrote: "Nienna wrote: "When I was a kid one of my favorite movies was The Never Ending Story but I don't believe I've ever read the book. "I absolutly love this movie, and equally hated the sequels. I'v..."
I'm not gonna lie, the flying dog thing in that movie was the star of my nightmares my entire childhood.
I love the book. Its has a much darker feel than the movie.
Although...I have not read it in quite a few years.
Always feel like i blurt out comments here. Then Im like, hang on - i have not read that for at least a decade or two. It might not really be as good as I remember. Sigh. So I might as well also mention that I loved the Mouse Butcher by Dick King-Smith. Disclaimer: I was probably 7 years old at when I last read it. So don't judge me! Lol
Luke wrote: "I'm not gonna lie, the flying dog thing in that movie was the star of my nightmares my entire childhood. "
Really? I love
Nienna wrote: "I read The Last Unicorn as an adult too. And I expected to hate it. I've never been too much of a girly girl and I never went thru a unicorn stage - I did go thru a dragon stage & never came out of..."Well, The Last Unicorn is to unicorn books what The Lord of the Rings is to high fantasy -- the defining type, and the rest are shadows of it, for a long time.
Eon wrote: "Atreyu and Falkor rocked. :)"^this
From what I remember as a kid.
Eon wrote: "I love the book. Its has a much darker feel than the movie."Does the book tell you (view spoiler)
I also loved 'Neverending Story' movie, but never read the book. It's also on my to-read list, but I'm half scared to read it 'cause I don't often have a good experience with reading the source material of childhood movies...As to the name, according to the internet - that bastion of all knowledge - the name (view spoiler).
Apparently this is the same as the book.
I read it years ago. As I recall not bad but not great.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I read it years ago. As I recall not bad but not great."maybe I shouldn't read it... :(
I don't recall enough to say. I remember I liked part of it as the boy held up in the school's attic to read the Never Ending Story Book. I just don't have much of an impression left about the rest.
I read The Never Ending Story many years ago and liked it. I was 32 at the time. The youngest of my four children, who was 10, thought it was great.It is easy to follow the storyline, even though it constantly jumps back-and-forth from the main character's home world to the world of Fantastica (Fantasia in the movie version), due to the clever utilization of two different colors of ink - black = Bastian's world and red = activity taking place in Fantastica.
Oh wow. THAT'S where they got the name....too weird...(I was just listening to a band named Atreyu the other day and thought they were pretty cool)
I've been thinking about this topic for a while now. My son will soon be transitioning into YA/adult fantasy. Initially I had planned on introducing him by retracing my steps - the first Dragonlance trilogy, followed by Shannara. I even bought the Dragonlance trilogy anticipating this. But upon flipping through them myself, the books don't hold-up well. He'll love them for sure - the kid plays D&D, so it's right in his wheelhouse. But I almost feel the Hobbit or maybe Harry Potter - good literature, in other words - would be a better way to go.
I can't remember - did we mention Alanna: The First Adventure series? I LOVED them growing up. I ran into them late and still loved them. I should do a re-read to see how they've stood. I have passed them on to at least one friend with kids.
ah, the wonderful discovery that the books we loved when young were rather more -- various in quality than we noticed at the time.Of course, there are books that we would or did hate when young that revealed their secrets when read again later. But as long as you are using books that you know other kids his age like Harry Potter or The Hobbit, probably you can guide him toward books you appreciate as an adult.
Hmmm this is difficult. I devoured fantasy books in my teens, so many that I can't even remember most of them. Some that stuck in my memory though are Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, the Wind on Fire Trilogy and Cry of the Ice Mark. I would also definitely agree with those of you that said the Hobbit and Shannara.
Mary wrote: "ah, the wonderful discovery that the books we loved when young were rather more -- various in quality than we noticed at the time."It's kind of a sad discovery, isn't it? And also eye-opening about how much perception colors reality.
He's a 4th grader, and a very advanced reader, so he's setting the curve here so to speak. Most of his friends are reading stuff like the Secrets of Droon.
I would definitely start with Harry Potter. Its a series most kids (and adults) easily get into even if they don't read - or read fantasy. Mostly - I would consider the movies and shows he enjoys best and go from there.
Or just let him loose in a book store. That's how I got my start. My mom would let me pick out a book - any book I wanted - every Saturday. It was a tradition that I loved.
E.W. wrote: "Mary wrote: "ah, the wonderful discovery that the books we loved when young were rather more -- various in quality than we noticed at the time."It's kind of a sad discovery, isn't it? And also ey..."
Sometimes. Sometimes it's the other way round. I can't stand the Mushroom Planet books anymore, but her Court of the Stone Children is far better than I remember.
Nienna wrote: "Or just let him loose in a book store. That's how I got my start. My mom would let me pick out a book - any book I wanted - every Saturday. It was a tradition that I loved."What a fun tradition!
My mom gives me a book at Christmas. I am always excited to see what she will pick out.
I still remember my favorite b-day present. Ever. My aunt bought me my 1st bookstore gift card (it was paper at the time though) - it was only for like $30 but I felt rich. It took me hours to pick which books I wanted. Now - I've had many other gift cards and I've spent much more than that in one trip. But my first time? Priceless. I still remember my favorite book from that haul too. Lol.
Flights of Fantasy
Books mentioned in this topic
The Martian (other topics)Alanna: The First Adventure (other topics)
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (other topics)
A Wrinkle in Time (other topics)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ursula K. Le Guin (other topics)Larry Correia (other topics)
While I've enjoyed the first 3 or 4 of the series, I'm not sure I would label them as entry level. I'd have to think on that a bit.
I'd be curious to hear what others have to say.