As a big Fantasy/Sci-Fi fan, I was sad to hear of Robert Jordan's passing. I was reading through the thread and noticed many solid recommendations in it. I know there have been threads like this before, but perhaps it's time for a new one.
I'm a guy who enjoys reading for the sake of itself. Thus, I was never annoyed when Jordan's series dragged, because as far as I cared, I was never in a hurry to get to its conclusion. (Still, I am a bit disappointed that he wasn't able to finish it.)
Adsman made a good point in the RJ thread that most fantasy follows the same formula, and often that formula is geared towards a younger audience. As a guy who likes reading long series (and one who is willing to take his time reading through a long series), I've found this trend to be very disappointing as I have found very few long involved series for adult readers.
Thus, I figure I'll get a list of the series I like the best started (and yes, I realize there are probably many of these lists out there in searchland), with a good description of each series and the reasons why I find them better than the average book. Remember that I place the most importance on multiple character development and true trials of emotional and intellectual significance.
<u>The Obvious Ones</u>
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Dune - In my mind, the greatest Sci-Fi/Fantasy single novel ever written. The noble House Atreides is granted possesion of the spice planet Arrakis (Dune) by the Emperor, but must receive it from their sworn enemies, the Harkonnens.
The book has
everything: politics, warfare, romance, religion, prophecy, death, and life. Unfortunately the sequels are horrible.
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Wheel of Time - The Dark Lord, Shai'tan, imprisoned by the Dragon in an age long past, is rising again. Three boys and two women from a small isolated village will find themselves caught up in great events that will shape a new world.
Once again, I love this series because of how deep it goes. Great development of multiple characters and interesting story arcs. I do believe that it peaked at book 4 (the Perrin/Faile saga was wonderfully written), but again, I am a person that enjoys reading for its own sake, so I never felt as cheated with a lack of conclusion. Note that the only reason I was ok with this was because I truly enjoyed the world that Jordan had constructed. Also, it's very obvious that many of the ideas were borrowed from Tolkien and Dune, but I don't think he ever meant to hide them (and even made some obvious references to Tolkien in the geography names around Two Rivers).
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A Song of Ice and Fire - The story of the Starks, rulers of Winterfell (the northern province of Westeros) and guardians of the great northern wall. Jon Arryn, the Hand of King Robert Baratheon has died and the King has called Lord Eddard Stark south to replace him. Lord Stark must leave his province behind to join the King in Court. But all is not right in the kingdom and Eddard will be forced to confront the rival house Lannister. Meanwhile, the five Stark children must find their own path to greatness, the descendants of the great Dragon Kings of Targaryen are rising, and things are stirring beyond the great northern wall.
Quite possibly my favorite series at the moment. I love the fact that this is
not written for kids. The books have real teeth to them, and have affected me more strongly then most any other series I have read. Again, there is a little of everything in this book, politics, intrigue, warfare, betrayal, romance. But unlike other series which may target a younger audience, there is no 'formula' for how things turn out, and you are forced to realize that nothing and no one is sacred. I
love that about this series, although I have friends who complain that often things are too bleak. Personally, I think we need more authors who are not afraid to write to a more adult crowd.
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Rendezvous with Rama - A mysterious spacecraft flies through the solar system and a team is sent to explore. They find the makings of an advanced society, but are unable to find the inhabitants. One thing they learn, the 'Ramans' always do things in threes. Anticipating another visit, a team of scientists is assembled...
I include this over other series because I want to focus on longer, deeper books. It is important to note that when I speak of the Rama series, I am specifically referring to books two through four. The first one is mostly fluff. The last three books follow the science team sent to the second spacecraft. It starts very technical, but soon blossoms into a wonderful character drama, only using the spacecraft as a tool to investigate the human condition. It is a very deep and fulfilling read, and also targets mature readers.[/list]
<u>The Obvious Ones (Not Included)</u>
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Ender's Game - Brilliant but written for younger readers. You could argue that Speaker, Xenocide, and CotM are more mature, but I don't think they quite qualify.
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Tolkien - Again, not quite as deep, written for a younger audience. Not disputing its brilliance.
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Mars Trilogy - Never quite go into it, couldn't finish the 2nd book.
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2001 Series - Very good read for those who haven't gone through all four. I just haven't read them in a while and forget most of the details. I do remember being surprised at how good it was.
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Foundation - Great, but not a cohesive storyline, and thus very little character development.
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The Farseer Trilogy - Have heard it's very good and is probably the next on my list. Would love to hear more about it.[/list]