Fantasy Favorites
Here is my recent essay entry on the Casablanca Blog. What I love so much about our authors’ blog site is the wonderful community of writers who share all kinds of stuff; from the totally silly to the personal to the educational to the sheer promotional, we have it all! My post for this cycle was a bit more personal. You who regularly visit here know that romance is not my prime genre when I read. I am learning to appreciate the romance world gradually through my fellow Casa Sisters and now know it is not as frivolous as I once thought. But, fantasy and sci-fi have too long owned my heart for me to completely toss aside. So this essay focuses on that deep love of mine. Read, enjoy, and let me know if any of you closet fantasy readers have your own favorite books or authors!
I have long since accepted the twist of fate that brought me to the world of romance and have learned to laugh at the irony that this life-long reader of fantasy and sci-fi is now writing sappy stories of happily-ever-after! Vague twinges of guilt remain when folks mention popular romance authors with an awed respect that I could only honestly muster if suddenly face-to-face with JRR Tolkien or Isaac Asimov, but gradually I am being educated. Still, I can’t deny that when I curl up with a good book, I grab for something more in the sword-and-sorcery genre – after I finish reading all of the Casablanca novels that is. To honor my first love – and figuring some of you weirdoes who write about sexy alien-cats, vampire and witch affairs, and time traveling dragons might just know a little about what I am saying – I shall pay homage to my fav fantasy writers.
J.R.R. Tolkien: Yep, the grandpa and master of all modern fantasy. No debate. I read The Hobbit when I was 12 and never looked back. I fell in love with fantasy while trekking through Middle Earth with Bilbo and those dwarves, and have read everything Tolkien wrote more times than I can count. And don’t even get me started on my obsession with the movies! Truly scary stuff and my house eerily resembles an LOTR shrine. Tolkien created the most amazing fantasy world with history, poetry, characters, and mythology that is beyond compare.
David Eddings: After the good Professor, Eddings’ world and characters are the best around, IMHO. The 10 novels that comprise The Belgariad and The Mallorean are a sumptuous treat. The world is wildly diverse, the magic unique, the wealth of characters phenomenal, the mythology complex, the quests exciting, and the reigning sorcerer (Belgarath) one of the best ever created. Yes, he gives Gandalf a run for his money! Serious story, but also extremely humorous and entertaining. A must-read for anyone who loves fantasy.
Anne McCaffrey: Her Pern series seems to be never-ending, but her created dragons are the very best. The later novels gradually mix in larger and larger doses of sci-fi to the pure fantasy of the original books, but everything written is great. Start with Dragonflight, then Dragonquest, and then The White Dragon. Plus, tinges of romance in these books with more than a few folks gettin’ lucky!
Mary Stewart: Right after I read The Hobbit my sister turned me on to what would become a long passionate affair with all things Arthurian. Over time I would read dozens of novels about those chivalrous knights of merry old England with Merlin the Wizard pulling the strings, including Geoffrey of Monmouth and Sir Thomas Mallory. But, Stewart’s version – The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment – remain my favorites.
Raymond Feist: Begin with The Riftwar Saga trilogy and move on from there. All of them are fabulous and it is a huge saga that is still ongoing. Another terrific wizard, Pug/Milambar, and a well-developed world. In fact, two worlds as we are dealing with rifts between universes here. Honorable mention to Feist’s only non-Midkemia novel, Faerie Tale – you will never think of fairies in the same way!
Terry Brooks: Between the Shannara books (including the Word & Void series) and the Landover series, Brooks will keep one busy for years. All are truly excellent, even if the first Shannara (The Sword of…) treads a bit close to Tolkien’s heels.
Barbara Hambly: Way too many to mention, but some of the best time-travel/multi-universe stuff out there. Tends to be very dark, but really great. Along with the requisite wizards and warriors, she also writes vampires and dragons. Frequently blends sci-fi and modern technology in with her fantasy in unique ways, and has even contributed to the Star Wars and Star Trek mythos.
Terry Pratchett: Insane! His Discworld is the oddest place ever envisioned and inhabited with the most bizarre collection of misfits created. I challenge you not to laugh, and to not fall in love with Death. Can’t happen.
More-than-honorable mentions: Terry Goodkind, JK Rowling, Stephen King (the Gunslinger series), Robin Hobb, Katherine Kurtz, and Fred Saberhagen. Anybody else read fantasy or sci-fi? Who are your favorite writers?
Haha my room is also quite like a shrine to LOTR. my mom started me on them by reading them to me and my brother when i was seven and ive been reading them for the last 11 years nonstop. i even did my thesis in 11th grade on it and it was 30 pages! anyway, my main reason for posting was to say thanks, sharon, for posting several authors in scifi. its my fav genre along with all things austen and im so excited to hear about so many more. they all went on my list of books to get. thanks for sharing the authors and as always love your blog!!
~katie
I agree with you one hundred per cent Steve. Lovely sentiments for a well deserving gal.
Sharon has a special gift and we are so lucky she shares it with all of us in the form of her incredible novels.
Happy birthday dear friend.
Lots of love and hugs
TSBO devotee
Vee
First twenty years of marriage – Sharon with a book.
Now Sharon with a book,a lap top and an editor.
I used to say she reads like most people breath air. Now I can say she imagines and creates her own words, which I always thought was a natural progression for an avid reader,like most people breath air.As we celebrate her birthday the 26th of this month I must say Im happy she finds such joy in story telling, which in an elctronic age of movies and video games, one hopes never becomes a lost art. Word crafters and imaginations are great human characteristics we hope never becomes lost.
This is amazing!!!! I must admit my foray into science fiction isn’t very deep. However I do remember reading The Hobbit by Tolkien at school around the same age as you Sharon and finding it so very interesting that someone could conjure up a world that is like no other.
I did love War of The Worlds by H G Wells, not sure if that one counts but I was absolutely fascinated with it for a long while. Even bought the tapes with all the eerie music and listened to it over and over. I always throw myself into a story (as you would know Sharon). I almost imagined it was real Ha!
Another book I read was "The Day of The Triffids" and I think that was another book from school. I was totally freaked out by it because I tend to immerse myself too deeply.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy on movie screen was brilliant I really enjoyed it totally! Unfortunately I didn’t ever get through the novel though.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful thoughts
TSBO devotee
Vee