Spag, I was a Xanth fan when I was younger as well. They were something different for a while. Eventually, they became utterly unreadable.
Completely agree. Just how far CAN you take a pun? Or a series based on them?
I'll second the Ender series as well. First book - all time great. Second book - decent. After that, extremely downhill. I didn't pick up the last one, and can't stomach much from Card of late.
Yep. His star has fallen a lot. And while I always enjoy reading books about smart/heroic/save-the-day kids, Card returns to that well a LOT.
Also, the Robert Jordan (RIP) Wheel Of Time series is in this category. I starting reading them since everyone raved that it was the next LotR. By book 10, I was forcing myself to read them and try and keep track of everything. I still haven't read the last one.
Agreed, they are overwritten as all get-out...but the last-released book (maybe the last two) DID pick up the pace a lot, and it was clear that things were finally coming to a head (for one thing, everyone was generally headed toward Dragonmount, and that's where we know the climax takes place). VERY curious to see how the last book is finished now, and by whom.
As for authors that are still going strong:
Terry Pratchett - I believe he is the Mark Twain of our generation. The first two Discworld books are just okay, but after that they are all excellent.
Hey, I liked the first two books too, damnit! And he used to use more humorous footnotes back then, too.
But yeah, since then he's established a wealth of great recurring characters.
I remember enjoying the Amber books as well, but just couldn't finish. The Ender series ended at the first book for me, though I forced myself to read the next two.
Wow, I really did like the
entire original Amber series.
*sigh*
David Eddings... The newest series is so bad, I abandoned it after the second book. Elder Gods or something... The Belgariad, Malorean, Elenium, and Tamuli series and companion books all held my attention. Even loved The Redemption of Althalus, which seemingly nobody else liked. But those Elder Gods are just too much for me.
Whew, I read The Belgariad, and loved it. Then I read the Malloreon series, and knew Eddings had jumped the shark when he had characters commenting "gee, isn't it amazing how all of this has happened to us before?" And it had. So I bugged out.
Goodkind lost me a while back, too, but I did finish The Sword of Truth series. Yay!
Someyear, I'll go back and re-read it and then finish the series. I just...wandered away after the 4th or 5th book.
Jacqueline Carey - Kushiel series... the first trilogy was very edgy and graphic, and the heroine was like nothing else out there in the genre. The second trilogy's hero just doesn't measure up, in any possible way, and there's simply not as much going on.
Agreed, but I still love the second series. Carey messed up by creating one of the most powerful and interesting female characters in fantasy EVER, so it would be hard for anyone to measure up. Looking forward to book 3. And she's also a really nice lady, too.
George R.R. Martin - simply because of the wait between books. I used to defend him to the extreme, but even I'm starting to tire of the wait, especially considering the fact that the latest book was SUPPOSEDLY mostly finished two years ago.
Yeah. I'll still devour it when it comes out....if it ever does.....but sheesh! Get a move-on already!
Raymond Feist - I don't know if he's done anything recently, but his older (earlier-written) books are far more interesting than the later series he came out with.
Agreed.....and I'm always in a minority when I say that I enjoyed his
Empire trilogy collaboration with Janny Wurts at least as much as the regular Riftwar books....more in some ways. I just thought that the entire Tsurani culture across the Rift -- with its mix of Aztec and Asian influences -- was more interesting than yer basic England-like kingdom like Midkemia.
I can't read the Redwall series anymore. Every book is essentially the exact same as the one before it. Some innocent mole/otter/mouse/other prey animal is either opressed, or their beloved Abbey is in danger by a rat/stoat/fox/wildcat/other predatory animal, and a hero has to rise up and save the opressed populous, or the endangered Abbey. This is interspersed by mischevious Abbeybabes and elaborate food descriptions. And of course, the prey animals always win.
Just once, Mr. Jaques, let's make a predator a good guy, just to shake things up, eh?
Hey, interesting, as I was about to start into this series. Maybe I should reconsider......
