Found this tread when browsing through the old ones

My favorite 5 fantasy books, wow thats hard. I mainly read series, so I haven't read that many different authors (that's mostly because I live in such a remote place that the only way for me to get fantasy books is by buying them over internet and thats why I usually buy books from author I know of and have read earlier books by)

so in no particular order:

Harry Potter books
The first three books in the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind
Kelewan saga by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
The imortal serie - Tamora Pierce
Polgara the sorceress - David Eddings

hmmm....though I'm not through with the first one I'm sure its going to be a favourite! Also I'm still on library computers and this is off the top of my head.

1. Wicked
2. Inkheart
3. Inkspell
4. Tailchaser's Song (must read for cat lovers)
5. On A Pale Horse (yup, Piers Anthony)

Witchworld Series by Andre Norton
The Belgariad by David Eddings
The Wild Road & The Golden Cat by Gabriel King
Magic Kingdom for Sale by Terry Brooks
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever - Stephen Donaldson

1. The Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowlings
2. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever - Donaldson
3. The Incarnations of Immortality - Piers Anthony
4.The Finovar Tapestry – Guy Gavriel Kay
5.The Sword of Truth Series – Terry Goodkind (although I got tired of this before it ended)

1. The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls - Lois McMaster Bujold. A really incredible pair of books, with characters that I felt I knew better than myself, tight and epic plotting, and a brilliantly imagined 5-god religion to boot.

2. Tales of Alvin Maker - Orson Scott Card. These are set c. 1830, in a frontier America where folk magic (hexes, dowsing, etc) works. They're pretty special, and it's fun to spot the historical figures wending their ways through the plot.

3. The Time-Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger. I think this qualifies more as fantasy than as sci-fi, although it's set more or less in the present. The central conceit is more magical than not, but really it's a gorgeous layered love story.

4. The Elenium - David Eddings. Probably not the best stuff out there, but he has a delicious dry sense of humor.

5. Harry Potter - JK Rowling. A great set of books to read and reread, even if adolescent Harry does sometimes remind me all too thoroughly of the more awkward moments of my own adolescence.

5. The Postman, by David Brin. (Really an excellent story, don't pre-judge it based on your viewing of the Costner movie based on the book. They are two separate entities.)


I could not agree more!Really!! I read this when I was probably 14 or 15 and still stands out as one of the best books ever written! Darn that Kevin Costner and his story killing!

Chicky

TOlkien free?? geez....:D

anyways, here's my list
1. Harry POtter Series
2. Chronicles of NArnia series
3. Snow queen
4. Eragon and ELdest
5. are you sure no TOlkien?????
then there's only four..:D

tricky tricky...but I've had a go at a list, and here it is:

1. Sara Douglass' 'Troy Game' saga
2. 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'
3. I'm not sure what the series is called, but individually they are 'Daughter of the Empire', 'Servant of the Empire' and 'Mistress of the Empire' by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts
4. The Harry Potter series (but most especially Prisoner of Azkaban)
5. The Chronicles of Narnia...I love them dearly

but not necessarily in that order, depending on what day it is

The wheel of time - Robert Jordan
The sword of truth - Terry Goodkind
Harry Potter - JK rowling
The pearl saga - cant remember author's name
The battle of evernight - cecilia dart thornton

I've been a Sci Fi and fantasy fan for a number of years and looking back I find that at different times of my life I have followed different authors. It is a recent distinction, I think to set Sci Fi and fantasy apart. The trick is the ambience, environment and mind set rather than the mechanics?

I recommend the Amber series of novels (and other works) by Roger Zelazny.
Stephen Donaldson Covenant books all of them not just the first chronicles are hard hitting and prescient, to my mind.
Alfred Bester is a cunning plotter and well worth a go.
I enjoyed the whole lensman series when I was in my teens.
John Wyndham is a classic author and many of his books have been filmed or converted to plays.
Asimov was a strong early influence on many later writers.
And, for humour don't forget Slippery Jim Digriz The Stainless Steel Rat

Thanks guys for giving me great book ideas for the weekend. My husband turned me onto the Drizzt series by RA Salvatore and I have really enjoyed his character portrayal.

I can add Robin McKinley (I loved Hero & the Crown)

Connie Willis can sometimes be found in either Fantasy or Fiction depending on the bookstore, but BelWeather and To Say Nothing of the Dog are two great books.

Cornelia Funke has been mentioned. Any of her books (Inkheart, Thief Lord, Inkspell) have been excellent.

The first couple book of Terry Goodkind's were great, and then I became frustrated with the redundancy and preachiness.

Top five with a one book per author limit, otherwise I'd be heavy on Pratchett as well.

1. Thief of Time - Terry Pratchett [Deja Fu]
2. Wizard At Large - Terry Brooks (who does great comedic fantasy, by the way) [Great high lord! Mighty high lord]
3. Talking to Dragons - Patricia C. Wrede [I didn't know my mother could do that]
4. Visitation - Frank Peretti
5. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynn Jones

I would recommend anything by Andre Norton (especially the Witch World and the Forerunner series) and Sheri S. Tepper (I highly recommend Companions, The Visitor, The Fresco, and Grass).

Top five Fantasy books, difficult but at least I don’t have to agonise about not having Tolkien in my top five, he is not even in my top ten these days.

1. Pavane by Keith Roberts. After fission, fusion, not an alternative history or a fantasy as such a cyclic history of England controlled by the Roman Church. A series of interlinked stories it reaches its climax at the Siege of Corfe gate. Years after I read the book I visited Corfe Castle and relived Roberts words, wonderfully evocative.
2. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phil. Pullman. A young adults series but none the less a great humanist and anti-Christian work. I enjoyed it immensely especially all the little homages and jokes. The reference to Milton was particularly wry.
3. Little, Big by John Crowley. A house, a love story and a fairy tale. I am not sure I understand it all even now. Poetic, romantic and haunting.
4. The Anubis Gate by Tim Powers. Fantasy rather than SF. I loved Byron’s London with gypsies, mad clowns, beggar lords and immortal serial killer orbiting around one another whilst the Beatles play quietly in the back ground.
5. Merlin’s Ring H. Warner Munn. Merlin’s godson returns from Atlantis, stands against Satan in the house of Giles de Rais and watches the passing of the fairy from our world.

I also have great hope for George Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series but I shall wait until it is finished before I pass judgement on it. The first books were excellent the last “A Feast for Crows” rather poor.

"Tigana" by Guy Gavriel Kay
"Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley
"To Green Angel Tower" by Tad Williams
"Hunting the Ghost Dancer" by A A Attanasio
"A Song for Arbonne" by Guy Gavriel Kay

That wasn't as easy as I thought it would be!

Beowulf; I first read at age 10 and it impressed my life with how words can put you in whole new worlds.

The Light Bearer by Sam Nicholson; I used to read this obscure book about once a year because I was always happy with life when done.

Most books by Ursula LeGuin.

Lilith by George MacDonald; possibly the first in this genre.

Forgot to add the Heiro books by STERLING E. LANIER

Don't think he finished the trilogy but the first two books are great.

I believe only one of my favourite fantasy authors has been mentioned so far. Here is my list:

Moonheart by Charles deLint
Trader by Charles deLint (all his books are good so he is worth mentioning twice)
The Wood Wife by Terri Windling
Tithe by Holly Black
Gibbon's Decline & Fall by Sherri Tepper

Hard to name a favourite in the Discworld series. I love them all!

I like Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and can't wait for the twelfth book in the series.
Feist, Kerr - no way can I limit my favourites to only 5.

Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini, and am currently reading Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce, and it's quite good so far.

I don't have enough fantasy favorites for a top 5, unfortunately.

I haven't read a whole lot of fantasy books although fantasy is one of my favourite types to read. Hmm, I really am quite fond of Rowling's "Harry Potter" Series, especially book four. Then there's Eragon, which is not a favourite but still a neat book...And there's...oh darn...This is a Tolkien free zone. In that case, my list stops there. Pathetic isn't it?

Hmm..Harry Potter series, JKR
The City of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau
Sabriel, Lireal, Abhorsen, Garth Nix
I dont know if this counts its more sci/fi, but.. Enders Game, Orson Scott Card
His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman.

Ahh, I could go on forever...so many great books!

1. A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
2. The Harry Potter Series - J. K. Rowling
3. Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny
4. The Discworld Series - Terry Pratchett
5. Dune - Frank Herbert

I also liked the first four or five books of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan but the last few haven't held my interest as much. I really should try reading His Dark Materials. I have heard so much about these and I think I will like them.