[Aerin]

I know that this is going out on a limb...but, I was just at the local book store, and the science fiction fantasy section is much bigger than I was expecting. You see... I bought the LOTR books when they were on a table in the middle of the room, I had not ventured back to the actual section untill I purchaced the Simarillion and the Book of lost tales Etc. I've read CS Lewis, pretty thouroughly, but as to many of these other authors, Do any of you have a suggestion? (read: "someone help me please!") Thank you!

[Miluiwen]

I have another great trilogy for you, by Garth Nix.
He is such a brilliant author- and is worthy of recognition, (although from what I've seen, he doesn't get much).
The trilogy, in order, are:
-Sabriel
-Lirael
-Abhorsen.
Pretty weird names, but if you read the story, they all make sense! So *shoo*! Go, read, now!

[NancyBrooke]

Another one I love, which doesn't seem to get much attention, is Patricia McKillip's "Riddle Master of Hed" series:

Riddle Master of Hed
Heir of Sea and Fire
Harpist in the Wind

Not as elaborate as Tolkien, Fantasy not SciFi, a very believable 'universe' with its own myths and many cultures. Read it first many years ago but still find it satisfying on re-reads.

[artanisoflorien]

Try Mercedes Lackey. Just about anything she's written is really good. I tend to stay away from things that she's co-authored with others, though. My absolute favorite is the Vows and Honor Series. Here are some of the series she's written.

Vows and Honor Series:
Oathbound
Oathbreakers

By the Sword

The Heralds of Valdemar Series:
Arrows of the Queen
Arrows Flight
Arrows Fall

The Mage Winds Trilogy:
Winds of Fate
Winds of Change
Winds of Fury

That ought to keep you busy for a while!

[Gwenevere]

Just to pile more authors onto your list: Ursula LeGuin and Anne McCaffrey are two of my favorites. McCaffrey's dragonrider books are great, but the order in which you read the series is a little confusing. Oh yeah, I suppose I should throw Robert Jordan into the mix. His Wheel of Time series strongly reminds me of LotR. Anyway, if you're looking for specific works by the authors I'd suggest a google search. Happy reading .

[Roisin]

I just read the beta version of Naome Kritzer (sp?) 's new book. I can highly recommend her as an author.

But if female/female relationships bother you, her stuff might not be for you.

Roisin

[Viv]

George R. R. Martin was an editor of fantasy for countless years and got so fed up with craptastic fantasy that he went out and wrote good stuff. I mean, really good stuff. Definitely squickier and dirtier than Tolkien (not appropriate for kids or puritans), but certainly with the same sense of fantastic world-building.

[Andreth]

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have a series of fantasy novels called Dragonlance, and I absolutely love them. It's about a world called Krynn and of course a fight between good and evil.

There's Caramon, a big Conan type, and his twin Raistlin who's a mage and the exact opposite of his twin ,both physically and personality-wise. They're a battle between good and evil all in themselves. Then there's Tanis Half-Elven, Flint Fireforge the Dwarf, Sturm Brightblade a Solamnic Knight, Tika a barmaid who falls in love with Caramon, Riverwind who's kind of a Native American type, who's in love with Goldmoon, a Que-shu priestess. Laurana a noble of sorts who's in love with Tanis Half-Elven, and Tasslehoff Burrfoot, a kender, which are a race of short kleptomaniacs. And the evil they're fighting against is Takhisis, the Dark Queen, and her Knights.

The series of books are Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night and Dragons of Spring Dawning. The Time of the Twins is the next three book series, and after that there are dozens of books to chose from.

My husband likes Terry Pritchard, and his books are very good, kind of sci-fi humor. If you want some more cerebral books, there's always Issac Asimov. Hubby says Terry Brooks's books in the Stones of Shannara series are good, too.

[Aerin]

Thank you all for your input, I really appriciate your help!

[Hathor]

Okay, technically kiddies books, but you wouldn't know. Try His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman:

Northern Lights (called The Golden Compass in the US, I believe)
The Subtle Knife
The Amber Spyglass

They're exquisitly written and absolutely fabulous. I want a daemon now too...

Have to second the recommendation for Ursula LeGuin.

Terry Pratchett! Go and read Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Won't list them all here (there's something like 30 if you include the sciency ones and whatnot...) but try and start with Mort as the first three are a little... weird. The rest are hysterically funny and generally brilliant, and wonderful fantasy. I love them with a passion, it has to be said.

Robert Rankin is always fun. Odd, but fun. Besides, I like trying to physically drag people into the Cult Of The Sprout. Sproutlore rules!

(Oh... and on the off-chance you've been living in a hole, try reading Harry Potter...?)

[SpaceWeavil]

Hathor has actually just stated all the things I was going to say. We must have similar tastes. Though I haven't read any Terry Pratchett for a while.

[Maram68]

And no one likes Michael Moorcock?

OK, more Elric of Melniboné and his many parallel identities for me ...


It was my very first fantasy and I still enjoy reading them again, and again and again ...

[Haleth]

I third the suggestion for Terry Pratchett. He takes the basic fantasy stereotypes and turns them on their ear.

Katherine Kurtz's Dernyi books are good, if you enjoy magic in a medieval setting.

Cecilia Holland mixes history with fantasy to very good effect.

Neil Gaiman. Writes occasionally macabre fantasies.

Guy Gavriel Kay. Fantasy set in a setting reminiscent of Byzantium and the Later Roman Empire. He also wrote the Fionavarr tapestries, which is more in the post-Tolkien fantasy tradition.

This author helped Christopher Tolkien edit the Silmarillion. I'd like to buy him a drink and get his opinion of canon/fanon, except that I'd probably have to stand in a very long line, and by the time I got to the front of it, he'd probably be completely incoherent.

And on to the obscure authors.

E.R.Eddison. Definitely not for everyone, Eddison writes in the high heroic style of Arthurian legends.

Mervyn Peake. The first two Gormenghast novels are...I don't have the proper words to describe them. Poetic simply doesn't do it justice. Reading Peake is like having an illicit love affair with the English language. His characters and setting are definitely NOT the typical fantasy stereotypes.

Allan Gardner. His books are definitely for younger readers. I read these before I discovered Tolkien. Unfortunately, his works are out of print.

[Aerin]

Harry Potter, Never heard of him...Just kidding. I've re read them dozens of times, finally know them by heart and need to move on before I "Swish and Flick" myself to death or leap into the fireplace and yell "Diagon Alley!" My screen name on Fictionalleypark is Hermionesbigsis.... I am so glad to have a bit of guidance into the whole fantasy books section!

[SpaceWeavil]

Actually, although he is, I suppose, a children’s author, another of my absolute favourites is John Gordon. I read ‘The Giant Under the Snow’ when I was in primary school and have kept a copy ever since. He’s very similar to Alan Gardner [which is what reminded me]. There is another book of his, which I believe is called ‘The Edge of Tomorrow’, [I could never remember the title of that one] which is worth reading as well.