Great video. I love the fantasy genre and so I love the respect you give to these authors. Also thank you for the recommendations. I love George R.R. Martin's writing but my favorite fantasy writer overall is Miura Kentaro even though he's not a narrative prose storyteller, he is a comic book writer and ilustrator most known for BERSERK.
'Berserk' is a masterpiece. Victor Rodriguez and I recorded a podcast about the series and its adaptations a few years ago: wrongreel.com/podcast/wr478-going-berserk-over-kentaro-miuras-berserk/
Thanks for this, James. I’m going to delve further in to fantasy in the next little while, and your list (and recommendations in the comments) will help me build up my little library. I tend to read a lot more of historical fiction, and so I don’t have too much to recommend on the fantasy end of things. The only one that comes to mind is Bernard Cornwell’s Warrior Series. Normally, Cornwell creates his stories around historical events and characters, but the Warrior Series was crafted around Kjng Arthur. It reads like much of his other work, but there are fantastical elements that I’m glad he left in from the romantic Arthurian legends that came to us from the Medieval period. Keep up the great work, and thanks again!
Rob you want to subscribe to the Brothers Gwynne soon as they plan to do a re-read of the Warlord Chronicles and after each book they plan to do top 10 moments! There is also a tv show in the works right now, they are calling it the Winter King, not sure what streaming channel it will be on.
Robin Hobb is my personal favorite. I've never read another author that does characters as well as she does. Nighteyes the wolf has more personality and character than most humans written by other authors.
Robin Hobb and Tad Williams. Absolute masters of the genre. George Martin raves over both and they are some of the few that are at or exceed his level of fantasy storytelling. Enjoyed the video!
@@geekinwithJamesHancock yes! That’s the one. Her books can be of a slow burn but unbeatable characters. By the end they’re like family members. And hope you enjoy Dragonbone chair!
The first two Rigante books are sit on the couch, open up a book, and be lost for hours. The rest of the Rigante series was really good, but didn’t have that magic of the first two. Gemmell wrote some other books that were great too. Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn was my favorite fantasy trilogy when I was a teenager.
🐧 Just finished a video ! Great job! Master and Margarita is russian 😇 Witcher is most certainly Elric )! Also about DnD book, you are right. Trilogy set in Forgotten Realms about drow Drizzt were my personal favourite at the grand age of 12 - 14. I don't want to re-read it now , cos they are ... "Promotional material". They are good as an entry level, but not for me with 20 years of experience in fantasy literature ☺️
I feel a little guilty that I never read all of Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden's stories but I worry that my window might have closed due to my age. Perhaps I'll listen to audiobooks while walking around New York. Very excited to get started with 'Master & Margarita'.
Great vid James. Agree with your all recommendations and would suggest you read (if you have not already), possibly the greatest writer of heroic fantasy of all time; David Gemmell. He hasn't really written a bad book, but some are stand outs. You mentioned Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lemora, I would definitely recommend that trilogy, but I also really enjoyed the Audible version. The narrator is next level.
I bought David Gemmell's 'Legend' years ago and I'm long overdue in checking out his stuff. He seems to have a lot of rabid fans judging from the comments on this video.
Deborah Chester, the Sword Ring and Chalice series, 7 books in total. Adrian Tchaikovsky, The Shadows of Apt series, absolutely phenomenal 10 book series. He's amazing. Lynn Flewelling, The Trilogy that starts with The Bone Doll's Twin. Really dark, but amazing. Catherynne Valente, her Fairyland books, 5 in total. Totally smart and charming, funny and a beautiful exploration of how fantasy and fairytales work and how they're all connected. Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned, 2 books so far, grimdark fantasy mixed with the gods of the Cthulhu mythos, absolutely amazing. C S Freidman the Coldfire trilogy, a fantasy world that grew from the wreckage of a colony ship. It's dark but so good. There's more, but I can't think of them right now.
You might get a kick out of the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It's about a modern (2000s in book one) day wizard who solves magical crimes in a world that doesn't know magic exists.
Tolkien is simply the best. Reading The Lord of The Rings for the first time is (to this day) the greatest literary experience I’ve had from any book/film/show/video game.
David Gemmell books are always a decent read. I would recommend The Lion of Macedon & Dark Prince but pretty much any book he wrote is good or better, his character of Druss is a decent pastiche/homage of Conan. I am surprised you have not read the Solomon Kane stories, some of the shorts are very good, well worth reading.
I've got David Gemmell's 'Legend' gathering dust on my shelf. Would that be a good place to start? As far as Solomon Kane goes, I've got a collection ready to rock when the mood strikes.
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Yes Legend is his first book and a good place to start, his writing style is a little rough and ready but the book is still a fun read.
my recommendation is Terry Pratchett difficult to put into words why he is so good because the man has written about everything. but at the end of the day it's like having the nicest stranger in a pub tell you a story you never wanted to hear but even less want them to stop telling you
I was honestly listening to the second book in first law when this vid dropped! I'm relatively new to fantasy besides lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. Thanks for the list and I'll definitely be checking out some of these.
I just finished both Kingkiller Chronicles books by Rothfuss. Absolutely fantastic and, of course, infuriating, as I just want these to keep going. I very much appreciate this recommendation.
Lol, excellent question. I would guess Book 3 of The Kingkiller Chronicle in that Rothfuss claims he has already written a draft that he did not think was good enough to publish.
Ben Hale’s Chronicles Of Luminea are epic fantasy at its finest. As for Brandon Sanderson, I don’t think he’s had a bad book! Also, look into Larry Correa’s Son Of The Black Sword and Hard Magic are the start of two amazing series! Black Sword is pure fantasy, while Hard Magic is Urban fantasy with a hard boiled detective bent. Then there’s Jeff Wheeler… anything he does is good. He’s much more classic fantasy, but still awesome. Then I’ll add Michael J. Sullivan. The Ryria Chronicles and every book he’s wrote in that world is magnificent! The authors I’ve named today can keep you reading for years.
Great list! Bakker and Erikson are two particular favourites of mine, Malazan being my favourite series ever! I think if you ever get round to finishing the series it'll rise in your ranks for sure. Two authors you absolutely have to check out if you haven't already are Robin Hobb and John Gwynne! Hobb writes some of the best characters in all of fantasy, Fitz is one of the greatest fictional characters ever and Mr Gwynne is just a blast all around!
@@geekinwithJamesHancock With Robin Hobb the best place to start is with Assassins Apprentice, the first book in the Farseer trilogy. Farseer is the first part of Hobbs 16 book series called the realm of the elderings which consists of four trilogies and one quartet. Each trilogy/quartet tells it's own story while have strong connections etc to later works. For John Gwynne I'd recommend stating with Malice which is the first book in his first series - The Faithful And The Fallen. Hobb and Gwynne are very different authors though, Gwynne writes fast pace action fantasy while Hobb writes extremely intimate character/familial fantasy.
I just bought the new Elric Saga omnibus editions chock full of artwork! I never read any Elric and I am so excited to start them as they come so highly recommended. Glad Michael Moorcock is on your list!
James you need to read ASAP: The Faithful & the Fallen by John Gywnne & Memory, Sorrow & Thorn by Tad Williams! Also the Five Warrior Angels by Brian Lee Durfee, the third book coming out next week!
Malazan..... Those who manage to finish that series should be awarded the 100% Platinum achievement of Fantasy reading. Amazing but terrifying books. :)
Looks incredible and just found this very high bit of praise, “Magic stuff...a masterpiece...the best science fiction I've read in years!” -Ursula K. Le Guin. I'll definitely be ordering book 1 in the series.
Hey, James! Have you had a chance to read David Gemmell's "Legend" yet? Ever consider doing an episode devoted to the many faces of the Eternal Champion in Moorcock's multiverse?
I've had 'Legend' sitting on my shelf for years but I've received so many comments recommending it that I'm going to place it at the top of my to-read pile. As far as Moorcock goes, I'll definitely be returning to the topic once I've had the chance to read more of his material.
Enjoyed the list and have 2 new authors to check out. Here are a couple recommendation: David Gemmell's books are excellent, start with Legend and then dive deeper. A new author I just found is Nicholas Eames. He only has 2 books set in a unique and interesting world. Eagerly awaiting for his next book.
Thanks for the reminder about Gemmell. I bought 'Legend' years ago and it has been gathering dust ever since. Nicholas Eames is new to me but I'm looking up his stuff now.
I came for the Thumbnail!!! I don't read books anymore, I know I should. I would keep watching if you would be kind enough to shed some light on the thumbnail!
lol, well my first attempt at the thumbnail nearly led to all the books falling on top of me so I figured I would just lean into how awkward a stack of books can be to hold.
Dive into Raymond Feist. My favourite right after Tolkien. Wrote Magician in 1982 and ended the Magician series in 2018. Great stories of a more medieval low-fantasy nature, but with fantastic elements and great characters you can get behind. I bought Magician in paperback in 1988 at a used bookstore and gobbled up everything since. Epic stories that have spoiled my fantasy taste since the first page. Also recommend Fred Saberhagen's Ardneh series of books. He's more well known for Sci-Fi, but these fantasy books are great. I started with The First Book Of Swords, but that was jumping into Ardneh in the middle.
Only 4 fantasy authors have make me want to pick up more than one of their books: Joe Abercrombie, George Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials, especially Northern Lights - is one of the few books I blitzed. P.S. the Orville frickin rocks
People don't know where to start with Moorcock... but start with Elric books (of the 1960s and 1970s) and read them in the order they were written in. Then the other early Eternal Champion characters that relate to Elric. On another tack, shout out to author Ben Galley... love Chasing Graves , and also Heart of Stone. Most people start with The Written though.
mid period authors Julian May - the Saga of the Pliocene Exile (4 books) C.S. Friedman - The Coldfire trilogy both have SF elements as part of the framing also other Friedman books are also good
I haven’t read them in a while but the Last Apprentice series it’s dark fantasy horror. It’s about Spooks dealing with witches etc…. the author is named Joseph Delaney.
Excellent video and list! I've always enjoyed spotting notable books in the background of your videos, so it's great hearing some opinions from you on favorite authors, and the fantasy genre as a whole. Joe Abercrombie does character work better than just about anyone else, and I adored the First Law trilogy. Absolutely plan to jump into the standalones as well. Btw, I have that exact same version of Dragonlance Chronicles, though my Dragons of Autumn Twilight has seen better days lol. Keep up the great work, James. I've enjoyed your videos for a couple years now, going back to your recap of The Expanse episodes. It's always greatly appreciated and enjoyed!
I'm very jealous that you still have Abercrombie's standalone novels left to read. So damn good. Dragons of Autumn Twilight would be such a fun jumping off point for a great film or television series, but it should have already been made back in the Eighties when the books and modules were flying off the shelves.
Great List. The minute I saw this list I knew you'd have Joe Abercrombie on it. You need to read Brandon Sanderson, start with the original Mistborn trilogy, great stuff. Forget Terry Goodkind.. at best it's a bad rip of of Robert Jordan but it maybe worse than that.
Good to know about Terry Goodkind and I'll definitely be doing the deep dive on Sanderson. He's so damn prolific and I'm long overdue in checking out his stuff.
Massive fan of 'Berserk'. Tackled the manga and its adaptations on my podcast a few years back wrongreel.com/podcast/wr478-going-berserk-over-kentaro-miuras-berserk/
Great list! A few recommendations: The Gormenghast trilogy by Mervin Peake; the Dying Earth series by Jack Vance (not his sci-fi) and The Magicians by Liev Grossman (ignore the tv series)
Although you've asked for fantasy recommendation, Here is something you'll definitely appreciate if not love. Mahabharata or Ramayana from Hindu mythology.
Fritz Lieber is the Lost King of the Swords in the Dark. Truth. Don’t sleep on his works. Joe Abercrombie IS good. Moorcock told the story that is ALL the stories. For your list, probably the most influential to the list. You’ve missed Glen Cook and the Chronicles of the Black Company. How?
Glen Cook's name seems to be coming up more than anyone else. I've had the first book in the Black Company sitting on my shelf for years. Time to crack that sucker open.
i prefer syfy then fantasy but i have read some of these authors dont know if you like syfy i remember your videos on the expanse but you should do a syfy and horror list those are my favorite genres
100% agree. I love horror and science fiction as well. I haven't read quite as much in those two genres but I definitely have enough favorite authors where I could easily cook up some good lists.
Kayan Kollyn ❤ The great fantasy adventure saga book series by V VN Mangukiya 😊 My favourite book after Harry Potter 😊 & lord of the rings 😮 Waiting for your review ❤❤❤
6:02 I disagree on the distinction. First of all, Arabian Nights is certainly folklore, like Afanasiev or Grimm, but not Mythology. Arabian Nights, Afanasiev, Grimm - agreed. We don't know the original authors of these fictions, we do know those of LotR. But Mythology is different insofar as it is about events that grown and even wise men have believed to be true. It further subdivides into two categories - divine myths and heroic legends. Divine myths are prophecies or speculations (often baseless) about what happened before there were human observers, or in some cases very far from them. But heroic legend, like other historic folklore, is about things which, if true, were observed by people. A further distinction. It would have been easier to see Hercules walk around in Tiryns than to observe him participating in the Gigantomachia or speaking to Hades and Persephone. Not all in the heroic legends is truly observed (but neither is all of it in what still passes as history) at least by independent and disinterested observers. But the overall story falls within defineable times, like "Argonauts were a generation before the Trojan War" and "Hercules was an Argonaut" and "Theseus and Hercules met" and "Perseus was ancestor of Hercules" or "Orestes killed his mother after growing up, he was a child when his mother killed his father on returning from the Trojan War" - and obviously there may be chronological mix-ups, like Theoderic beating Ermaneric at Ravenna, when in reality there were two battles of Ravenna, and Ermaneric and Theoderic the winners in the right chronological order.
And STILL no Stephen R. Donaldson and "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" - still the only piece of high literature ever written as a direct response to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
George RR Martin, as good as he is will never be on my list of greatest fantasy writers if he does not complete the story he started. I cannot understand why he doesn't do that, he has wasted so many years, arguing with publishers, then writing histories and prequels and short stories and other novels and yet he will not complete the work he is famous for. I totally disagree that GOT fell off and ended badly, to me that is complete nonsense, sure there were elements that did not work but hey, if GRRM has actually written the bloody books then the writers of the show would have nailed down text to base the episodes on. I think the reason he will never complete these books is because he screwed up not finishing them before the show ended and it got such bad reviews he knows that he cannot change the ending or he will be vilified, so best to leave it unfinished and that is a disgrace
I'd recommend Glen Cook and his Black Company series. I think it reads easier than Erikson, but gives a similar feel.
I've had the first book in the Black Company series gathering dust on my shelf for years. Time for me to move it higher up in my must-read pile.
Great video. I love the fantasy genre and so I love the respect you give to these authors.
Also thank you for the recommendations.
I love George R.R. Martin's writing but my favorite fantasy writer overall is Miura Kentaro even though he's not a narrative prose storyteller, he is a comic book writer and ilustrator most known for BERSERK.
'Berserk' is a masterpiece. Victor Rodriguez and I recorded a podcast about the series and its adaptations a few years ago: wrongreel.com/podcast/wr478-going-berserk-over-kentaro-miuras-berserk/
That thumbnail is the best thing I've seen all day. Got to make time for some of these books!
lol, thanks! Hope you enjoy my suggestions!
Great list. Always good to see Moorcock get some recognition as well.
Oh hell yeah. I'm thrilled that I still have so much of his material left to discover.
Thanks for this, James. I’m going to delve further in to fantasy in the next little while, and your list (and recommendations in the comments) will help me build up my little library.
I tend to read a lot more of historical fiction, and so I don’t have too much to recommend on the fantasy end of things. The only one that comes to mind is Bernard Cornwell’s Warrior Series. Normally, Cornwell creates his stories around historical events and characters, but the Warrior Series was crafted around Kjng Arthur. It reads like much of his other work, but there are fantastical elements that I’m glad he left in from the romantic Arthurian legends that came to us from the Medieval period.
Keep up the great work, and thanks again!
Rob you want to subscribe to the Brothers Gwynne soon as they plan to do a re-read of the Warlord Chronicles and after each book they plan to do top 10 moments! There is also a tv show in the works right now, they are calling it the Winter King, not sure what streaming channel it will be on.
@@heidi6281 Wow! Absolutely.
Thanks!
Robin Hobb is my personal favorite. I've never read another author that does characters as well as she does. Nighteyes the wolf has more personality and character than most humans written by other authors.
Just ordered 'The Assassin's Apprentice'. Her name keeps coming up in the comments so it looks like it is time for me to dive into her work.
Robin Hobb and Tad Williams. Absolute masters of the genre. George Martin raves over both and they are some of the few that are at or exceed his level of fantasy storytelling. Enjoyed the video!
I thought Robin Hobb is too "kiddie"
Would 'Assassin's Apprentice' be a good place to start with Robin Hobb? Just pulled the trigger for 'The Dragonbone Chair' on Amazon.
@@geekinwithJamesHancock yes! That’s the one. Her books can be of a slow burn but unbeatable characters. By the end they’re like family members. And hope you enjoy Dragonbone chair!
Stephen R. Donaldson's "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" is a great series.
Very cool! Going on my list.
The first two Rigante books are sit on the couch, open up a book, and be lost for hours. The rest of the Rigante series was really good, but didn’t have that magic of the first two. Gemmell wrote some other books that were great too. Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn was my favorite fantasy trilogy when I was a teenager.
I've got Gemmell's 'Legend' ready to rock. Judging from the comments, seems like he has legions of fans.
🐧 Just finished a video !
Great job!
Master and Margarita is russian 😇
Witcher is most certainly Elric )!
Also about DnD book, you are right. Trilogy set in Forgotten Realms about drow Drizzt were my personal favourite at the grand age of 12 - 14. I don't want to re-read it now , cos they are ... "Promotional material". They are good as an entry level, but not for me with 20 years of experience in fantasy literature ☺️
I feel a little guilty that I never read all of Salvatore's Drizzt Do'Urden's stories but I worry that my window might have closed due to my age. Perhaps I'll listen to audiobooks while walking around New York. Very excited to get started with 'Master & Margarita'.
Great vid James. Agree with your all recommendations and would suggest you read (if you have not already), possibly the greatest writer of heroic fantasy of all time; David Gemmell. He hasn't really written a bad book, but some are stand outs. You mentioned Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lemora, I would definitely recommend that trilogy, but I also really enjoyed the Audible version. The narrator is next level.
I bought David Gemmell's 'Legend' years ago and I'm long overdue in checking out his stuff. He seems to have a lot of rabid fans judging from the comments on this video.
Deborah Chester, the Sword Ring and Chalice series, 7 books in total.
Adrian Tchaikovsky, The Shadows of Apt series, absolutely phenomenal 10 book series. He's amazing.
Lynn Flewelling, The Trilogy that starts with The Bone Doll's Twin. Really dark, but amazing.
Catherynne Valente, her Fairyland books, 5 in total. Totally smart and charming, funny and a beautiful exploration of how fantasy and fairytales work and how they're all connected.
Jonathan Maberry, Kagen the Damned, 2 books so far, grimdark fantasy mixed with the gods of the Cthulhu mythos, absolutely amazing.
C S Freidman the Coldfire trilogy, a fantasy world that grew from the wreckage of a colony ship. It's dark but so good.
There's more, but I can't think of them right now.
Fantastic list! It's great to see more people reading R. E. Howard today.
You might get a kick out of the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It's about a modern (2000s in book one) day wizard who solves magical crimes in a world that doesn't know magic exists.
Love when you do these types of videos!!
Thanks, Luke! I've already got another Top 10 video cooking in the oven which I'm about ready to record.
Tolkien is simply the best. Reading The Lord of The Rings for the first time is (to this day) the greatest literary experience I’ve had from any book/film/show/video game.
You won't get any argument from me.
Nice to hear the bakker love. Hope we get the rest of TSA as well. This last year Bakker has started getting the appreciation he deserves
David Gemmell books are always a decent read. I would recommend The Lion of Macedon & Dark Prince but pretty much any book he wrote is good or better, his character of Druss is a decent pastiche/homage of Conan. I am surprised you have not read the Solomon Kane stories, some of the shorts are very good, well worth reading.
I've got David Gemmell's 'Legend' gathering dust on my shelf. Would that be a good place to start? As far as Solomon Kane goes, I've got a collection ready to rock when the mood strikes.
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Yes Legend is his first book and a good place to start, his writing style is a little rough and ready but the book is still a fun read.
my recommendation is Terry Pratchett
difficult to put into words why he is so good because the man has written about everything. but at the end of the day it's like having the nicest stranger in a pub tell you a story you never wanted to hear but even less want them to stop telling you
I was honestly listening to the second book in first law when this vid dropped! I'm relatively new to fantasy besides lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. Thanks for the list and I'll definitely be checking out some of these.
I am very jealous that you have so much of this series left to read. Enjoy 'Before They Are Hanged'!
I just finished both Kingkiller Chronicles books by Rothfuss. Absolutely fantastic and, of course, infuriating, as I just want these to keep going. I very much appreciate this recommendation.
Great video!!! So many great authors on here! You gotta get into Sanderson! Based on the stuff you love you'll enjoy a lot of his stuff!
Saw this video a year ago and finally I have taken the time to read The Prince of Nothing so I am taking up your advice good sir. Cheers!
So do we think we'll see Book 6 of Song of Ice and Fire or Book 3 of the Kingkiller Chronical first?
Lol, excellent question. I would guess Book 3 of The Kingkiller Chronicle in that Rothfuss claims he has already written a draft that he did not think was good enough to publish.
Ben Hale’s Chronicles Of Luminea are epic fantasy at its finest. As for Brandon Sanderson, I don’t think he’s had a bad book! Also, look into Larry Correa’s Son Of The Black Sword and Hard Magic are the start of two amazing series! Black Sword is pure fantasy, while Hard Magic is Urban fantasy with a hard boiled detective bent. Then there’s Jeff Wheeler… anything he does is good. He’s much more classic fantasy, but still awesome.
Then I’ll add Michael J. Sullivan. The Ryria Chronicles and every book he’s wrote in that world is magnificent! The authors I’ve named today can keep you reading for years.
Great list! Bakker and Erikson are two particular favourites of mine, Malazan being my favourite series ever! I think if you ever get round to finishing the series it'll rise in your ranks for sure.
Two authors you absolutely have to check out if you haven't already are Robin Hobb and John Gwynne! Hobb writes some of the best characters in all of fantasy, Fitz is one of the greatest fictional characters ever and Mr Gwynne is just a blast all around!
I've been meaning to check out Robin Hobb for a while. Where's the best place to start with both authors?
@@geekinwithJamesHancock With Robin Hobb the best place to start is with Assassins Apprentice, the first book in the Farseer trilogy. Farseer is the first part of Hobbs 16 book series called the realm of the elderings which consists of four trilogies and one quartet. Each trilogy/quartet tells it's own story while have strong connections etc to later works.
For John Gwynne I'd recommend stating with Malice which is the first book in his first series - The Faithful And The Fallen.
Hobb and Gwynne are very different authors though, Gwynne writes fast pace action fantasy while Hobb writes extremely intimate character/familial fantasy.
You’re a beast.
Thank you and happy holidays to you and yours.
Sincerely,
-Dale Griffith
Thanks, Dale! Right back at you!
I just bought the new Elric Saga omnibus editions chock full of artwork! I never read any Elric and I am so excited to start them as they come so highly recommended. Glad Michael Moorcock is on your list!
James you need to read ASAP: The Faithful & the Fallen by John Gywnne & Memory, Sorrow & Thorn by Tad Williams! Also the Five Warrior Angels by Brian Lee Durfee, the third book coming out next week!
Y'all from Mike's Book Reviews huh
Malazan..... Those who manage to finish that series should be awarded the 100% Platinum achievement of Fantasy reading. Amazing but terrifying books. :)
Please read The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe if you haven't already!
Looks incredible and just found this very high bit of praise, “Magic stuff...a masterpiece...the best science fiction I've read in years!” -Ursula K. Le Guin. I'll definitely be ordering book 1 in the series.
Hey, James! Have you had a chance to read David Gemmell's "Legend" yet?
Ever consider doing an episode devoted to the many faces of the Eternal Champion in Moorcock's multiverse?
I've had 'Legend' sitting on my shelf for years but I've received so many comments recommending it that I'm going to place it at the top of my to-read pile. As far as Moorcock goes, I'll definitely be returning to the topic once I've had the chance to read more of his material.
Enjoyed the list and have 2 new authors to check out. Here are a couple recommendation: David Gemmell's books are excellent, start with Legend and then dive deeper. A new author I just found is Nicholas Eames. He only has 2 books set in a unique and interesting world. Eagerly awaiting for his next book.
Thanks for the reminder about Gemmell. I bought 'Legend' years ago and it has been gathering dust ever since. Nicholas Eames is new to me but I'm looking up his stuff now.
Just checked my bookshelf and found a copy of 'Kings of the Wyld'. Thanks for the reminder!
I came for the Thumbnail!!! I don't read books anymore, I know I should. I would keep watching if you would be kind enough to shed some light on the thumbnail!
lol, well my first attempt at the thumbnail nearly led to all the books falling on top of me so I figured I would just lean into how awkward a stack of books can be to hold.
Dive into Raymond Feist. My favourite right after Tolkien. Wrote Magician in 1982 and ended the Magician series in 2018. Great stories of a more medieval low-fantasy nature, but with fantastic elements and great characters you can get behind. I bought Magician in paperback in 1988 at a used bookstore and gobbled up everything since. Epic stories that have spoiled my fantasy taste since the first page.
Also recommend Fred Saberhagen's Ardneh series of books. He's more well known for Sci-Fi, but these fantasy books are great. I started with The First Book Of Swords, but that was jumping into Ardneh in the middle.
Only 4 fantasy authors have make me want to pick up more than one of their books: Joe Abercrombie, George Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials, especially Northern Lights - is one of the few books I blitzed. P.S. the Orville frickin rocks
36:34 It can be mentioned, Koshchey the Deathless is kind of a model for Sauron and the ring wraiths ...
People don't know where to start with Moorcock... but start with Elric books (of the 1960s and 1970s) and read them in the order they were written in. Then the other early Eternal Champion characters that relate to Elric. On another tack, shout out to author Ben Galley... love Chasing Graves , and also Heart of Stone. Most people start with The Written though.
mid period authors
Julian May - the Saga of the Pliocene Exile (4 books)
C.S. Friedman - The Coldfire trilogy
both have SF elements as part of the framing
also other Friedman books are also good
I haven’t read them in a while but the Last Apprentice series it’s dark fantasy horror. It’s about Spooks dealing with witches etc…. the author is named Joseph Delaney.
Erikson is the man but I think Joe is the best.
A Scott Bakker fan - its probably the best world building since Middle Earth imo.
James, you are awesome. Would like to see more book/video game reviews on your channel. Greetings from Ukraine.
I think you will like Malazan book 4. There is a character that is heavily inspired by Conan.
Very cool! I've been saving up my energy for 'House of Chains'. I almost feel ready to take the plunge again, lol.
Excellent video and list! I've always enjoyed spotting notable books in the background of your videos, so it's great hearing some opinions from you on favorite authors, and the fantasy genre as a whole. Joe Abercrombie does character work better than just about anyone else, and I adored the First Law trilogy. Absolutely plan to jump into the standalones as well.
Btw, I have that exact same version of Dragonlance Chronicles, though my Dragons of Autumn Twilight has seen better days lol. Keep up the great work, James. I've enjoyed your videos for a couple years now, going back to your recap of The Expanse episodes. It's always greatly appreciated and enjoyed!
I'm very jealous that you still have Abercrombie's standalone novels left to read. So damn good.
Dragons of Autumn Twilight would be such a fun jumping off point for a great film or television series, but it should have already been made back in the Eighties when the books and modules were flying off the shelves.
Great List. The minute I saw this list I knew you'd have Joe Abercrombie on it. You need to read Brandon Sanderson, start with the original Mistborn trilogy, great stuff. Forget Terry Goodkind.. at best it's a bad rip of of Robert Jordan but it maybe worse than that.
Good to know about Terry Goodkind and I'll definitely be doing the deep dive on Sanderson. He's so damn prolific and I'm long overdue in checking out his stuff.
For manga G.N. It would be “Berserk”
Massive fan of 'Berserk'. Tackled the manga and its adaptations on my podcast a few years back wrongreel.com/podcast/wr478-going-berserk-over-kentaro-miuras-berserk/
Great list! A few recommendations: The Gormenghast trilogy by Mervin Peake; the Dying Earth series by Jack Vance (not his sci-fi) and The Magicians by Liev Grossman (ignore the tv series)
Although you've asked for fantasy recommendation, Here is something you'll definitely appreciate if not love. Mahabharata or Ramayana from Hindu mythology.
Most definitely! Are they any editions or translations out there that are regarded as the best?
@@geekinwithJamesHancock Ramayana by C Rajagopalchari & Mahabharata by John D smith.
Fritz Lieber is the Lost King of the Swords in the Dark.
Truth. Don’t sleep on his works.
Joe Abercrombie IS good.
Moorcock told the story that is ALL the stories. For your list, probably the most influential to the list.
You’ve missed Glen Cook and the Chronicles of the Black Company.
How?
Glen Cook's name seems to be coming up more than anyone else. I've had the first book in the Black Company sitting on my shelf for years. Time to crack that sucker open.
i prefer syfy then fantasy but i have read some of these authors dont know if you like syfy i remember your videos on the expanse but you should do a syfy and horror list those are my favorite genres
100% agree. I love horror and science fiction as well. I haven't read quite as much in those two genres but I definitely have enough favorite authors where I could easily cook up some good lists.
25:45 Do you think fantasy can be originally published in comic book format?
I noticed the absence of Jeff Smith's BoNe in your list ...
Just bef. 34:00 - BoNe _is_ a finished series, plus a few prequels and "paraquels"
I got into fantasy by reading Stephen R. Donaldson, don't hear much about him anymore, but I thought he was pretty good.
Kayan Kollyn ❤
The great fantasy adventure saga book series by V VN Mangukiya 😊
My favourite book after Harry Potter 😊 & lord of the rings 😮
Waiting for your review ❤❤❤
6:02 I disagree on the distinction.
First of all, Arabian Nights is certainly folklore, like Afanasiev or Grimm, but not Mythology.
Arabian Nights, Afanasiev, Grimm - agreed. We don't know the original authors of these fictions, we do know those of LotR.
But Mythology is different insofar as it is about events that grown and even wise men have believed to be true.
It further subdivides into two categories - divine myths and heroic legends.
Divine myths are prophecies or speculations (often baseless) about what happened before there were human observers, or in some cases very far from them.
But heroic legend, like other historic folklore, is about things which, if true, were observed by people.
A further distinction. It would have been easier to see Hercules walk around in Tiryns than to observe him participating in the Gigantomachia or speaking to Hades and Persephone.
Not all in the heroic legends is truly observed (but neither is all of it in what still passes as history) at least by independent and disinterested observers. But the overall story falls within defineable times, like "Argonauts were a generation before the Trojan War" and "Hercules was an Argonaut" and "Theseus and Hercules met" and "Perseus was ancestor of Hercules" or "Orestes killed his mother after growing up, he was a child when his mother killed his father on returning from the Trojan War" - and obviously there may be chronological mix-ups, like Theoderic beating Ermaneric at Ravenna, when in reality there were two battles of Ravenna, and Ermaneric and Theoderic the winners in the right chronological order.
RA Salvatore?
Good call! I cracked open 'The Crystal Shard' decades ago but I am long overdue in reading the rest of the Drizzt Do'Urden saga.
you shoud reed Prince of nothing By Scott Bakker it will rock you
And STILL no Stephen R. Donaldson and "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" - still the only piece of high literature ever written as a direct response to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Ruuuuuuuuuuby Rod for the win!!!
Bzzzzzzzzzzz, Bzz, Bzzz!!!!
also roger zelazny
so whithout nowhing tell you about Bakker ,and the next minute jumps in to your video Wtf.Prince of nothing it s amazing
The Witcher books are super including the prequel but last book , The Lady of the Lake is dreadful, just end it at The Tower of Swallow.
i ts a tritogy of books
We live in a crazy world where Rings of Power gets renewed but Westworld gets cancelled. 💩
Rings of Power is such a train wreck. One of the biggest missed opportunities in recent memory.
whattt
I am willing to bet that a lot of you commenters here are from Mike's Book Reviews lol
wtf
George RR Martin, as good as he is will never be on my list of greatest fantasy writers if he does not complete the story he started. I cannot understand why he doesn't do that, he has wasted so many years, arguing with publishers, then writing histories and prequels and short stories and other novels and yet he will not complete the work he is famous for. I totally disagree that GOT fell off and ended badly, to me that is complete nonsense, sure there were elements that did not work but hey, if GRRM has actually written the bloody books then the writers of the show would have nailed down text to base the episodes on. I think the reason he will never complete these books is because he screwed up not finishing them before the show ended and it got such bad reviews he knows that he cannot change the ending or he will be vilified, so best to leave it unfinished and that is a disgrace