All about epic fantasy books!

[John]

Readers and writers alike, let's talk about great epic fantasy books and what you love about them. Who are your favorite authors? What books changed you? What makes an epic fantasy book great to you?

[E]

I have a long list of favorite authors including: Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinnley, Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Anne McCaffrey and various others.

One of my most favorite authors is Tamora Pierce. She really got me into wanting to write fantasy. When I started reading The Lioness Quartet in middle school, that's what sparked my writer mind.

[John]

You've piqued my curiosity for Tamora Pierce. My introduction to fantasy with Dennis L. McKiernan's Dark Tide Trilogy. That led me to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but I went on to read most of Dennis' other books. He has such a richly imagined world!

[E]

John wrote: "Your piqued my curiosity for Tamora Pierce. My introduction to fantasy with Dennis L. McKiernan's Dark Tide Trilogy. That led me to The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but I went on to read most of D..."

Her Song of the Lioness quartet is beautifully written. It has a female protagonist, magic, knights in training, great friendships, just enough romance for any romantic lover, and a full world building experience to make anyone swoon.

[John]

Just had a look -- sounds fantastic! Here's a link for others in the group: https://www.goodreads.com/series/4392...

(Oh, and feel free to add these books to the bookshelf. This goes for anyone here -- add your favorite epic fantasy books to our shelf so it can reflect all our tastes.)

[E]

I will! I belong to the Tamora Pierce group here.

[Melissa]

I did so much fantasy reading back in high school, that there are some I can't even remember the name of the series. One in particular was, I think, by David Eddings, I read Wheel of Time around that same time, but I don't know, both left me bored and I never finished them. The Dragon Bone Chair series I really liked, and all the Shannara ones. I also went out to a Terry Brooks book signing, but I'm hesitant about the new tv series they are starting for that one especially after how the Legend of the Seeker turned out. The series that really got me started was The Sword of Truth. I'm not saying that series was perfect, or the best, but there was something about it that I really liked. Yet... It didn't always go where I wish it had, or some bits left me disappointed, while other things I really liked. I think out of all I liked Wizards First Rule and book 6, Blood of the Fold, the best. (I know, the mord sith are too dominatrix-ee) but I tend to overlook things like that, and think about the story and how these events affect and shape a character, instead of the fact that there could have been more creativity or imagination put into the Mord Sith as a whole. Tho later, their development grew with the series.

It was this series, however, that got me started in writing, because of what I did like about it, and because of what I didn't like. So I decided, and since I am so picky about what I like, to write my own, my way. It's been a pure joy, of an eye opening, self discovering journey, and challenging experience, I must say. If I ever finish, I will most likely feel lost! Hmm, maybe then I'll have to write about survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious... Oh wait... Never mind.

[Yicheng]

I think there's simply too many books that I had read that I consider inspiration.

[Elan]

It's interesting to think about which books inspire us to read versus which books inspire us to write. Oddly enough, I can see fairly clearly which books inspired me in either direction.

When I started reading fantasy and science fiction (middle school), I was content to be a reader. Harry Potter, Dune, LotR...those were the books that formed me as a reader. Even then, I enjoyed crafting stories, but nothing on a *serious* scale. I'd write short stories here and there...all very angsty and "love is woe" in nature.

Then, after college, I started reading the Wheel of Time, which lead me to Brandon Sanderson, which lead to a resurgence of obsessive reading in my life, and the more of this "new" generation of fantasy that I read, the more I wanted to write, and *really* write. Sanderson is probably my #1 influence as a writer, but there's so much more out there that makes me want to put pent to paper.

[John]

This is a good provocation, Elan. I think almost every fantasy book I've ever read inspired me as a writer, but there are a few that pulled me in as a reader. Lord of the Rings (all three readings), Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire, Harry Potter, part of the Sword of Truth series. These books came to life for me in a way that the writing analyst was overwhelmed. Even books which I've powered through for the sake of appreciating others in the field (I am working through Gardens of the Moon right now) the reader in me comes out. I personally don't think the two can be separated. If anything, the ability to think as a writer as we read is an added dimension to an already inbuilt phenomenon (more of that in Lisa Cron's "Wired for Story").

[Melissa]

Once I started writing it definitely changed me as a reader. Even watching movies or tv shows, I'm paying more attention to the writing and the plot and the way stories are put together. I like thinking about why they made the plot decisions that they did. I do the same thing with 3D computer graphics and special effects, now that I know how to do it.