Fantasy that's NOT Tolkien or C. S. Lewis?

[Bernadette]

I have a taste for fantasy lately, but don't know what to try. Any suggestions?

[Michael Wilson]

Brandon Sanderson is pretty good.
Terry Brooks (Sword of Shanarra Trilogy; Kingdom For Sale, Sold)
I read a 13 or 14 book series by Robert Jordan, "The Wheel of Time".
Don't read "Game of Thrones" by whoever wrote it, a lot of obscene themes.

[Maximilian]

I read a 13 or 14 book series by Robert Jordan, "The Wheel of Time".

Yes, this is a classic fantasy series, and much of it is clearly aimed at a female audience, so Bernadette might like it better than "Treasure Island." At some point Robert Jordan developed brain cancer, and it shows up as the later novels started to become unreadable. But the first 8 or 9 volumes will provide lots of entertainment.

Even though you say "Not C.S. Lewis," I wonder if you have looked into his "Space Trilogy"?

If you are willing to be a bit adventurous, there is a huge new world of Asian fantasy. There are major web sites posting dozens of fantasy novels. These websites are licensed, btw, so you can avoid any qualms of conscience. You can read so many chapters per day for free, and then if you want to read faster, you can pay to buy access to more.

I've read several of the novels on this site:

https://www.wuxiaworld.com/

Appearing as a recommendation on the homepage is "Fields of Gold." I think you might really love this story.

https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/fields-of-gold

One of my favorite novels of all time is "Grandmaster Strategist." Incredibly beautiful with lots of poetry incorporated into the story, it has all the epic scale of "War and Peace."

https://www.wuxiaworld.com/novel/the-grandmaster-strategist

[Bernadette]

Thanks for the suggestions, @Maximilian. I'll look into those Asian fantasy novels. No way to download them onto the computer, I suppose? I tried C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy a few years ago, and couldn't get into it. I might try it again.

[Maximilian]

I tried C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy a few years ago, and couldn't get into it. I might try it again.

You might want to skip the first two and go right to the third volume, "That Hideous Strength." It's much more readable and enjoyable than the first two, and the story stands alone so that there is little or no connection to the first two volumes of the trilogy.

[Bernadette]

I tried C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy a few years ago, and couldn't get into it. I might try it again.

You might want to skip the first two and go right to the third volume, "That Hideous Strength." It's much more readable and enjoyable than the first two, and the story stands alone so that there is little or no connection to the first two volumes of the trilogy.

I'll try that, thanks.

[drummerboy]

I tried C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy a few years ago, and couldn't get into it. I might try it again.

You might want to skip the first two and go right to the third volume, "That Hideous Strength." It's much more readable and enjoyable than the first two, and the story stands alone so that there is little or no connection to the first two volumes of the trilogy.

The first one "The Silent Planet" I found enjoyable. The second one was rather dull.  Pretty much a sci-fi rendition of Adam and Eve but on a new planet and the hero has to save them from the Fall.

[Michael Wilson]

I found all three of them pretty dull.

[Maximilian]

I found all three of them pretty dull.

You found "That Hideous Strength" dull? Hmm, looks like I have to reassess my evaluation.

[Michael Wilson]

I think if I hadn't read Tolkien first, I wouldn't have been so down on Lewis; I loved the LOTR so much, I wanted "more"; somebody recommended C.S.Lewis's Narnia series, and I was mildly disappointed; I was unrealistically expecting Tolkien, and got Lewis, who is not nearly the story teller; then I read the Trilogy, and the same.

[TradGranny]

I liked Lewis' trilogy. Also George MacDonald who like Lewis was a member of the Inklings. MacDonald wrote for children but allegory is ageless IMHO. Another writer I like in the tradition of the Inklings is John Bibee, author of eight books in the Spirit Flyer Series. These also were written for children, the first of which was published in 1987 and focused on SOCIAL CREDIT SCORES.

[Maximilian]

I was unrealistically expecting Tolkien, and got Lewis, who is not nearly the story teller; then I read the Trilogy, and the same.

That Hideous Strength was never trying to be in the same genre as Lord of the Rings. It can better be compared to Brave New World or 1984. Compared to those two classics, I think it is better, at least in some ways. There is a deeper examination of the underlying causes of our current political dystopia.

[KreKre]

I think if I hadn't read Tolkien first, I wouldn't have been so down on Lewis; I loved the LOTR so much, I wanted "more"; somebody recommended C.S.Lewis's Narnia series, and I was mildly disappointed; I was unrealistically expecting Tolkien, and got Lewis, who is not nearly the story teller; then I read the Trilogy, and the same.

To me, it was completely the opposite. I encountered Narnia as a child and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was quite obsessed with it, actually. I first heard about Tolkien during the final years of high school and I read LOTR in the first year of university. Yes, clearly, Tolkien's writing is superior, he was a better storyteller, but I can't make up my mind which one of them I like more. I think the period of childhood innocence is the best time to read Narnia.

Only recently I found out about the existence of The Screwtape Letters, when a friend gave me a copy of that book, translated to our native language. I liked it very much, but the translation was pretty bad so I re-read it in English. To me, sometimes English is more legible than my native language. It's now one of my favorite books.

[james03]

I read a 13 or 14 book series by Robert Jordan, "The Wheel of Time".

Skip.  The replacement author (Jordan died) came in and made everyone gay.  There's faggotry in the last book.

[Bernadette]

@KreKre My experience was similar to yours. I read the Narnia books in childhood, and was an adult when I read The Lord of the Rings. I definitely prefer Lewis.