Anyone here read.....

[Locke421]

Any works by Tad Willams?
I have not, but im looking for an author (like moorcock) who strays from the norm in fantasy.
I heard Tad Willams was good.
I have not read any of the old conan books either wich i heard were awsome
Any suggestions?

[M-A_19]

I have read "Caliban's hour" by Tad Williams. It's a book using the characters from shakespeare's "The Tempest".

I'm trying to think if liked it or not, I didn't like his characterisation of Caliban, I thought he made him far too noble (Caliban might be abused and misunderstood, but he is also cunning and sneaky). I also think he made prospero too black and white.

That said, the writing was good and I believe his normal fantasy stuff is rather different to Caliban's hour.

[MissDreamy]

I'm just reading 'War Of The Flowers' which has started off promisingly. I've read the 'Memory, Sorrow and Thorn' books too, but d'you know I cannot for the life of me remember if I enjoyed them or not!! (I did read them ten years ago, and there have been a lot of books between now and then!)

He's definitely above avarage in my point of view. Good imagination on his shoulders and isn't afraid to cross over plenty of ideas, i.e. he isn't trapped in the standard fantasy mould, although 'Memory...' is quite traditional, I seem to recall.

Damn my memory.. oh god, I just made a crap pun, without realising 8O

[Locke421]

Yea its hard for me to find those "rare" books that "break the mold"
and do it well. Mr.Moorcock was a great discovery for me, even though it took me over 20 years to find him. Now my standards are a bit different then they were when it comes to reading books. THATS what i love AND hate. When i discover something that changes my standards and makes me look at other things and say "that could be better.. i dont like that one, its to cliche". Now im having trouble finding books that fit my new mold. Im reading a western that I absolutley love.. i read other fiction as well but fantasy/science fiction are my true love and i cant change that.
So after the Elrics, the eternal champions, and the others I dont know where to go!

Mike

[Doc]

I found Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn to be pretty ordinary. I enjoyed it, but I didn't feel like I had read anything new. For that kind of fantasy, I've always enjoyed Patricia McKillip.

I mostly like stuff that blurs the lines between fantasy, horror, and literary fiction. I would suggest Neil Gaiman (especially American Gods), China Mieville (Perdido Street Station), Graham Joyce (especially Requiem), Robert Holdstock (especially Mythago Wood), Jeffrey Ford (The Physiognomy), Jeff Vandermeer (City of Saints and Madmen), and anything by Jonathan Carroll (who is also one of MM's favorite writers- I think Bones of the Moon is a good place to start). All of these writers do things that you won't expect, and they don't rely on the same plot devices that you've already read a hundred times.

[MissDreamy]

...Ahh, probably why I can't remember it then.... :D

His 'Otherland' books are meant to be good, blurring the lines, etc.

I've just read 'American Gods' - brilliant, really enjoyed that.

Roger Zelazny's another goodun if you're looking for something a bit different... 'The Chronicles Of Amber' in particular...

[Doc]

I haven't yet read Otherland. I have them sitting on my shelf, but I'll admit they intimidate me, sitting there together. Over 3000 pages. But I really, really want to read them. :)

As for American Gods, I can't say enough about it. I had never read any of Gaiman's comics, so I wasn't quite prepared for his creative narrative. The story is so deceptively simple. I've since read Neverwhere, Coraline, and Stardust, and I've just started Good Omens, his book with Pratchett. It promises to be great fun, but completely different than his darker stuff.

[MissDreamy]

Yes, that was my first Neil Gaiman book, after being a fan of Sandman for years. It kept my interest all the way, and twisted and turned in a very satisfying manner. Now that I've finished it, I can't actually put my finger on what I liked about it so much!! But I love books (and films) like that - the ones that keep you thinking long after the lights come up, as it were!

I think 'Stardust' is my next read after 'War Of The Flowers' Still good, I haven't a clue where it's going to go, very enjoyable, I like to be surprised.

[Doc]

I'm very much like that. When I finish a book and I just sort of forget about it, I feel a little cheated. Maybe it's pathological, but I love a book (or film) that just stays with you, and makes you go back to things in it. Ususally it's the stuff that has that hard to identify something, whatever it is, that sticks with you. I think that's why I like genre-bending novels and films, because you mind has to stay with them. You do the work instead of the genre doing it for you.

[Everydayislikesunday]

Tried to read his first book when it first came out but... just couldn't finish it. Not really impressed though others seem to like him or her.

[flutegirlrockz]

Haven't read anything by Williams yet but he is on my list. I would recomend Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun if you haven't read that yet. It kind of blurs the line between Fanasy and SciFi. As for non genre fiction I recomend Tom Robbins early stuff.

[S_Ombre]

I havn't red any Williams, though one of my friends really recomends it.

If I had to recomend some authors to look for if you want something a bit out of the ordinary, I would have to recomend: Patricia Briggs, Lynn Flwelling, Lois McMaster Bujold and Steven Brust. These authors are all really original and can be very amusing.

I also liked Neil Gaimon's American Gods, but i haven't read anything else by him yet. The friend who likes Williams is the one who reccomended it to me.

S. Ombre

[HawkLord]

I'm just reading 'War Of The Flowers' which has started off promisingly.

Ah I couldn't remember who that was by! Its a great book, I read it in the summer. I think Tad Williams is a brilliant author. The Otherland books were definitely brilliant and very clever! War of the Flowers has some great quotes in it. At one point, one of the fairies is talking about how he had his wings cut off. This is met by the question of whether it hurt, to which he replies something in the vein of 'This is the modern world, they could cut your whole life away and you wouldn't feel a thing'. I just liked that quote.
Anyway, I think he is a great author, and would definitely recommend his books.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman was also very clever, I have also read one of his other books (about a secret world where homeless people go, cant recall the name) and it was great too.

[spaced_moorcock]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman was also very clever, I have also read one of his other books (about a secret world where homeless people go, cant recall the name) and it was great too.

That'll be Neverwhere. Really good book with some fantastic characters (the Marquis great!). I preferred it over American Gods, partly because I found it more accessible and easier to read.

I've only read the first Otherland book (City of Golden Shadow). I liked the way it blended SF and Fantasy together detective and thriller elements. Some of those scenes in Mr J's also bordered on horror. A very good book. Hopefully I'll get around to reading the rest of the series (after I finish my latest aquisitions, The Skrayling Tree & Vellum).

[HawkLord]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman was also very clever, I have also read one of his other books (about a secret world where homeless people go, cant recall the name) and it was great too.

That'll be Neverwhere. Really good book with some fantastic characters (the Marquis great!). I preferred it over American Gods, partly because I found it more accessible and easier to read.

That was it! Wasn't it also made into a TV show or something? I'd probably agree that it was better than American Gods, just because it had such cool characters!