h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ooops...got to rambling, and forgot what it was that I really wanted to say. Tolkein set the blueprint for fantasy with the LOTR series. Everwhere else I'd seen, elves were tiny things, but JRR's nearly human-height forest creatures appear in every fantasy novel since him, as do his dwarves, halflings, etc. The whole Dungeons and Dragons universe is based on the creatures he created, although later it decided to adopt stuff from mythologies as well.

At long last I've finished reading "The Silmarillion" - on the train back from Reading. I must say that yes, it is VERY difficult to read, but well worth reading. Admittedly keeping track of the characters is impossible - I managed it as I managed to find Robert Foster's Guide To Middle Earth in a second-hand book shop, and kept refering to that every ten seconds or so!

OH NO!! I'm about 7 weeks late!! I SHOULD have been here when this conversation started!! I LOVE LOTR!!! And Hobbit too and even Silmarillion was good when I read it the second time - that's when you start to understand something about it - first time was really confusing - and boring... (where did all these --- come from??)

There seemed to be a conversation about some other books up there too but I have no idea what they were... It's not nice when you've read all the books in a different language and then don't know what the original names are...

But... Anyone interested in talking about LOTR anymore? Or other fantasy?? I don't know why most books I read are fantasy... They're not even very good mostly... All alike... And still I can't stop reading after I start... I think that's weird...

There's nothing that wrong with that at all
I'm glad you've returned to talk Fantasy again. What have you read? Thomas Covenant, LOTR and a little Julian May?

Poor ol Beeble, just doesn't have time to get here of late. Alien & Bluebottle, I'm going to try and revive general discussion here, and have started a nice clean new thread at http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=29359&thread=45510
and hope y'all will join me there. Not that you can't continue talking of fantasy here ...

Lil

I visited that thread, Lil... And bookmarked it... But I didn't see any interesting conversation about fantasy there...

No, I haven't read Thomas Covenant or Julian May... Have I missed a lot? I always like to get new book recommendations... I've read Eddings, Pratchett, Jordan, Brooks, Salvatore and... There are others I'm sure... Can't remember... And I'm trying to find first parts to several series... Stupid memory of mine, can't remember the authors...

Well, I've only read a little Pratchett so far, mainly his non-discworld books so far. But I've read C.S. Lewis, who I forgot to include on the other list.

Other than Pratchett, I have read all of Alien's list thoroughly (except Salvatore. Only read a few of his, mostly because I tend to avoid those series where 20 authors contribute). Sounds like we have the same sort of tastes, so I would recommend you add Reichert, Rawn (Dragon Prince trilogy and its subsequent trilogy only... her newer stuff is crap) and Feist to that list. They're all on that level, in my opinion.

I'll be running to the library as soon as I can...
I haven't actually read that much Salvatore either - only the Drizzt-books... But they were good... And drow is a nice word... I like saying it... Drowdrowdrowdrowdrowdrow...
I'm reading Pratchett's Small Gods in English at the moment - it hasn't been translated in Finnish yet and I just thought I might try the original... I don't use to read much in English... Read -books- I mean...

http://www.lordoftherings.net has a trailer for the forthcoming set of films. If you have a fast machine it probably looks quite nice as well

Shame the trailer is a quicktime file and as such means I can't view it here at work

I get to view it at work... the big version. Looks very sharp. Too bad we have to wait nearly two years to see the first one.

Ok, I've been on a Larry Niven kick recently, I admit it I'm currently reading Sun Diver, a great book that starts the Uplift universe.

The book I want to recommend is Far Horizons, this is a compilation book of great Sci Fi authors writing pieces based in their most popular universes. All the stories are great, and if you are looking for more or different Sci Fi authors then this is a great plaace to sample some of the best.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Courtesy

I'm in desperate need to contact anyone who has read J. Meade Faulkner's "Moonfleet" and remembers it well or has a copy???

Retraction -

While Niven is great and I have been reading alot of him recently the Sundiver book is by David Brin.

I've just finished Sundiver and definitely recommend it to all Science Fiction fans. It's a great Sci Fi novel with true physics involved, along with a murder mystery that is actually fun and hard to solve. A great read.

Okay, I know that you people are out there, let's get this thread going again

Courtesy

I have a recommendation as well. Anyone who has read and enjoyed Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series will enjoy what I'm reading now, The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. In fact, I'd be interested in talking about the two of them, because there are some striking similarities...

Witha new thread even.
http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=29359&thread=48809

Ive just finished LoTR just recently along with the Hobbit and well is it just me when I say. Why wasn't there some kind of confrontation with Sauron or the Eye. I was expecting some kind of speech by Sauron how they should just give up or something. I don't feel like going back to check but was Sauron just a spirit in "The Return of the King." I feel there was a lack of presence of Sauron.

Um Anne McCaffrey is very wonderful and she has written fantasy on almost any futuristic topic you could think of. She is my favorite and today i just found a c. 2000 book that's brand new that i haven't read! very amazing and i am EXCITED to get into it. I have also been enjoying terry Pratchett recently.

Princess Bride, it is great to have you join our little discussion Welcome.

We have actually moved to the following forum, just follow the link and jump right in.

http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?forum=29359&thread=38936

BTW - I agree about Anne Mc, a great author with some astonishing breadth to her work.

See you in the new forum.

Courtesy