F A N T A S Y

A L P H A B E T I C A L
B Y
A U T H O R

Adams, Richard
Watership Down
     One of the few books I've read three times, Richard Adams' story of
     rabbits (yes, rabbits) has it's own mythos, legends and even language in
     some areas. Very well-done and even believable to an extent because of
     the extent to which Adams' prepared and populated his world with legends...
     a rabbit version of Middle Earth in the sense of well-researched and
     documented. You can easily tell that Adams wrote this during the Cold War:
     the socio-economics and control of the populace are very intrinsic to governments.
     - Marcus Pan

Bradley, Marion Zimmer
The Mists of Avalon
     [Feminist Paganist Arthurian novel, HOTLY debated, another
     love-it-or-hate-it]

Brust, Steven
Agyar
Gypsy
Jhereg
The Phoenix Guard

Bull, Emma
Finder

Constantine, Storm
Wraeththu
     Science fiction dealing with magic, sexual ambiguity, and the
     reconciliation of the shadow self. - blueviolet
     [Here because it's more likely to be found as "Fantasy" and doesn't
     really have a SF "feel"... debatable.]
The Grigori
     (Stalking Tender Prey, Scenting Hallowed Blood, etc)
     [Said to far surpass the Wraeththu books, but not yet available in the U.S.]

Cooper, Louise
The Time Master Trilogy
     (The Initiate, etc.)
     Sweetness and light doesn't win out. Very well portrayed sympathetic "dark"
     characters. - ~E.V.

Cooper, Susan
The Dark Is Rising sequence

DeLint, Charles
Memory and Dream
     okay, look. ;) It's shlocky fantasy, I know... but it was just un-shlocky
     enough to remind me of myself and feed my fantasies. It's a damn good
     day-read. - Leanan Sidhe

Donaldson, Stephen R.
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
     (six books)
Mordant's Need
     (consists of The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through)

Ende, Michael
The Neverending Story
     A unique fantasy for readers of all ages, and perhaps a particular delight
     for those of us who preferred exercising our imaginations to excelling in
     gym class. The story stars Bastian Balthazar Bux, a chubby and unpopular
     boy who "borrows" a mysterious storybook. He holes up in the attic of his
     school, and begins reading about the adventures of bold Atreyu, a young
     native of Fantastica who is sent on a quest to save the dying Childlike
     Empress. Bastian himself becomes involved in the fate of Fantastica in ways
     beyond his imagination. The Neverending Story has been a worldwide
     bestseller for many years, and I'd particularly recommend finding a hardcover
     copy printed in red and green ink--it adds even more magic to the tale.
     - Merciful

Feist, Raymond
Faerie Tale

Gaiman, Neil
anything, but particularly
Good Omens (w/ Terry Pratchett)
Neverwhere
The Sandman
     [Another goth favorite and general must-read. A series of graphic novels
     about "athropomorphic personifications" of universal concepts - Destiny,
     Death, Dream, the Prodigal, Desire, Despair, Delirium - this story mostly
     focuses on Dream. Several miniseries have been released focusing on the
     other Endless.]
Stardust

Gentle, Mary
Golden Witchbreed
Rats and Gargoyles
     Mary Gentle is one of my favourite authors and I wish she was more
     prolific, though seeing the work and apparent research she puts into her
     novels it's not surprising they take a long time. See Rats & Gargoyles
     (medieval alternate world fantasy) or Golden Witchbreed (alien contact SF).
     - Scott Promish

Goldman, William
The Princess Bride

Hand, Elizabeth
Winterlong
     I cannot recommend this book enough. It would probably be found in
     fantasy, but it has distinctly sci-fi elements as well as mythic themes. I
     really love the way that she can mix the mythic with the science fiction feel.
     Also, I can really identify with the main character, who is quite tragic.
     - ~E.V.

Kay, Guy Gavriel
A Song for Arbonne
Tigana

King, Stephen
Eyes of the Dragon
     King's first attempt at fantasy, [written] long before the Dark Tower
     trilogy. Eyes of the Dragon was extremely well written and showed the
     experimentation that King was doing at the time: going from horror to a
     more fantasy type of novel. I highly recommend it and quite enjoyed the
     different twists and turns. There are a few cliches in it, of course (aren't
     there always?), but they're not as blatant [as they might be] in other fantasy
     series, adding an other-worldly feel to the novel. - Marcus Pan

Martin, George R.R.
A Game of Thrones
Fever Dream

McKillip, Patricia A.
The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Winter Rose

     This is just so wonderfully written that I got absolutely lost in it. Very poetic,
     and just confusing and dream-like enough to completely enthrall me. - ~E.V.

McKinley, Robin
Beauty
The Hero and the Crown
Deerskin

Moon, Elizabeth
The Deed of Paksenarrion
      It is actually a trilogy, but I had the compiled edition. If I remember
     correctly the three books were Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided
     Allegiance
, and Oath of Gold. This is the best fantasy book I have ever
     read, far better than any of the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms crap.
     - imx

Moorcock, Michael
Elric of Melnibone [and any other Elric books]
The Fortress of the Pearl [another Elric book]
Gloriana
     [Moorcock won the World Fantasy Award for this tribute to Mervyn
     Peake based on an alternate Elizabethan England and/or Spenser's
     "The Faerie Queene" - T.]

Peake, Mervyn
The Gormenghast Trilogy
     Titus Groan
     Gormenghast
     Titus Alone

     [Recommendations too numerous to mention, may be *the* definitive "goth
      novel". About a bizarre isolated castle and its eccentric inhabitants. Begins
      with the birth of its hero, Titus Groan; the first book covers the first year
      of his life, the second takes him through childhood. Mervyn Peake was
      very ill during the writing of Titus Alone, and the majority consensus is
      that it is inferior in quality to the first two books. In the US, the trilogy is
      available as a large trade paperback from Tusk/Overlook Press for $25.
      People from Robert Smith to Michael Moorcock have in some way paid
      tribute to Peake in their work.]

Tolkien, J.R.R.
The Lord of the Rings

White, T.H.
Mistress Masham's Repose
The Once and Future King
     [MANY recommendations, probably the classic Arthurian novel of the
     20th century, basis for Disney's The Sword in the Stone and for the musical
     Camelot. There is an alternate version of The Sword in the Stone, which is
     published in a slim volume under its own name, and a sequel, called The Book
     of Merlyn
; the version of The Sword in the Stone which makes up the
     first volume of The Once and Future King is a combination of the two.]

Zelazny, Roger
A Night in the Lonesome October
A familiar's eye view of the Secret Doings of two rival Cabals. The plot
culminates in a ritual combat on October 31st, the outcome of which will
determine the fate of the world. The canine protagonist, Snuff, and his
master Jack (knife collector), meet and interact with such characters as
The Great Detective, The Mad Monk, and The Count. Great campy fun.
Interesting illustrations by Gahan Wilson. - Buboe the Rat


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