this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2024
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Tend to agree with all of that. I much prefer L E Modesitt Jr if I want stock characters with a predictable plotline. He's a much better wordsmith than Feist.
Oh.... Well. Some strong opinions. I'll strike Feist of the list then. ....scared to ask now... What about Brandon Sanderson?
I used to read LE modesitt ages ago and own a few too.
Interesting take on magic from what I remember.
I don’t think I ever got onto Feist myself.
I was a big fan of Anne McCaffrey but was biased because of my love for dragons.
Tolkien was very hard for me to digest, The Hobbit was the hardest read I’d ever done.
Modesitt has one huuuuuge failing - all his tall dark and handsome heroes are pretty much identical. And the female characters are strong alright, but also smug and kinda offensive in how they interact with people. I do like how he puts emphasis on how magic comes at a price, and that price can be high. He got better as he got older - his recent ones are much more readable too. The Imager Portfolio is imo his best long work to date.
I used to love Anne McCaffrey too - the dragons are adorable, but she too did the same saleable story over and over. After a bit you could predict the end by the finish of the third chapter or so. If not earlier, and I got bored with that.
Tolkein I met as a reader when I was 8. The Hobbit was wunnderful at that age. LOTR came soon after and I loved it until I had to study it in year 12 high school. Which killed it for many years. I haven't seen the films - don't know that I want to as I'm not a film person for the most part.
For light sci-fi/fantasy, I still have a strong affection for Mercedes Lackey - simple stories, well told and believable. May include dragons/magic but not guaranteed. Perfect light reading. Along with T Kingfisher - The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking was some of the best YA stuff I've read recently.
George RR Martin has been a favorite for years - once you get past his obsession with zombies and cartoon characters he tells a good yarn well. Along with Kim Stanley Robinson. The Tuf Voyaging collection is a standout for me. However, the Divine Lois and Connie Willis are my current fab fave authors. Because intelligent and self and socially aware and not in the slightest bit condescending. They make you work but it's worth it.
I haven’t really sat down to read any novels in a very long time.
I can sort of remember collection some graphic novels and odd things and a vampire series and tried to keep up with Sarah J Maas books but could t keep up with everything.
I did read George RR Martin but hit a wall when I caught up with his writing of Game of Thrones and had to wait for him to finish the last few books.
Only thing I’d probably want to chase up is The Death Gate cycle by Weis and Hickman since I’ve always wanted to read them and I quite enjoyed the Dragonlance books by them.
I think the entire reading public is cheesed off with GRRM for not finishing ASOIAF. Who knows? We might get the next instalment sometime in the next 20 years ....
I didn’t keep up because it took so long.
I haven’t even seen the series show. Are you serious in that he never finished writing the books?
Completely. The latest instalment is still A Dance with Dragons - published in 2011. Still waiting for the next one ... Two more projected - The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. As the bloke is now 76, we are all hoping he does not run out of life before finishing the series.