I seem to have developed a taste for <<<shhhh>>>fantasy (no, not rude stuff)

[DrMarthaMcMoo]

I've always been partial to a bit of Stephen King (and loved the Gunslinger books - which I guess are fantasy - though they got very silly towards the end, as is SK's wont) and on the recommendation of a friend I started reading Robin Hobb. I loved them - especially the Farseer Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy (which had the same characters) though I didn't like the Madship series so much. And now...I've read them all (her earlier books, as Megan Lindholm, don't appeal so much) and I'm twiddling my thumbs.

So - as a novice to the genre - any recommendations? Trudi Canavan? Feist? Gemmell? I've been browsing amazon and The Book depository but can't make my mind up. I don't think I fancy Pratchett (reminds me of geeky ernest blokes at University...sorry).

look on this thread - we can recommend terry pratchett's discworld series!

Have posted (though am not convinced Pratchett is going to be my thing).

What sort of Fantasy?

Anne McCaffery - there is her dragon world plus lots others

Mercedes Lackley - the heralds of Valdemar (might be a bit young for you)

Piers Anthony - Xanth (which I hate) plus stuff like Incarnations of Immortality (which I love)

They might all be a bit light though

I have always wondered whether Doris Lessing might be the acceptable face of fantasy. If it has an acceptable face

You have to read the dark elf books by R.A.Salvatore, absolutely amazing.

Raymond Feist - absolutely fabulous start with Magician

Robert Jordan - great but not bloody finished yet.

David Eddings - very readble but quite light

Trudci Canavan - great readbale more female characters
Stephen Donaldson - good v weird quite odd at times
Terry Goodkind - very reabable romps along

James Barclay - love it proba the best I have read for ages.

Moo, Pratchett. I know you don't want to. It's good for you. Trust me.

These books by Terry Goodkind are really good as are these by Raymond E Feist - there's a whole set of books based around this first book which are great.

Et tu, mi? I night have to go and have my bath if anyone else comes out as a fantasy fan.

Not a Gemmell fan either but Terry Brooks pretty good.

Depends which bits you like. I like well developed characters and understandable worlds with magic nach and quest, big meaners etc.

I am not a fan of Science Fiction which sometimes gets lumped in with Fantasy. I like mine a bit grail questish.

kp it's not just mi

I loved The Talisman - agree that The Black House wasn't anywhere near as good (I've read all Stephen King's books - The Stand is my favourite).

I've an idea I read some Anne McCaffery at University...

What sort of fantasy - well, I like big sweeping epic type things; I have no problem with suspension of disbelief but it's got to be well written with decent characters I can 'engage' with. Does that help?

I'm making a list of these to look up on amazon, thanks

Oooh, more suggestions while I was posting - lots to be going at (goody !)

Has Terry Goodkind finished the wizards rule series?? I started out reading them and ermmm got bored after faith of the fallen I think...it took too long for the next book to come out...

Mrs Apron - yup, that kind of thing. Not sci-fi.

Magician - Raymond E Feist
Majipoor - Robert Silverberg

I liked Weaveworld

Orson Scott Card - can't remember the series one book was called Speaker for the Dead very good

David Eddings is very good - but once you have read one series the others are quite predictable

Do you like SciFi

Mmmm Fantasy......Wonderful escapism!

Try Stephen Donaldson

His chronicles of Thomas Covenant are amazing but you may want to ease into them they get very dark and complex. However his short story collections are ace as is Mordants Need.

Otherwise how about Tad Williams?

No, not keen on sci-fi (unless you count having seen all the Star Wars films umpty-million times).