Favourite fantasy series other than LotR

BoromirOfWinterfell

BoromirOfWinterfell

Rohan
Since we all read Tolkien (I hope), I've been wondering what everyone's other favourite fantasy series is. Sorry if there already has been a post like this.
 
Game of Thrones, because it's the series I currently read and watch. Though I'm also fond of the Riftwar Cycle, Harry Potter and the Fionavar Tapestry.
 
Although they had many elements derived from LOTR as many critics have pointed out. Narnia is well and good given that it's Lewis' work and not derived from Tolkien. The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series is quite enjoyable, but really most fantasy books don't hold me for long, simply because they can't compare to LOTR or open up anything particularly new and exciting, and therefore I often feel that I'm wasting my time reading them (only my opinion, mind).
 
Anything from the same genre that comes afterwards is just a shadow of its greatness.

Discworld is my favourite. It makes fun of everything in good humour.
 
I really enjoyed the Amber series by Roger Zelazny. There are an endless number of new worlds to explore in his stories, and none of them seem familiar. He managed to create something truly imaginative (and not derivative of Tolkien.)
 
Because it's so vastly different from LOTR, that is one of it's strengths that it can stand on it's own. The setting is the same and you can tell he's been inspired by Tolkien but the story is original.

I like Potter to an extent. Narnia... feels like a sugar-coated verision of Middle-earth to me - not my cup of tea.
 
I've only read the first book in the Game of Thrones series. I liked that one a lot but I can't say anything about the series till I read more.

I enjoy the Harry Potter books for what they are. Not perfect but lots of good stuff to enjoy and satisfy.

So, I picked the Pern books. The first ones were really enjoyable. The series lingered too long and the later ones were not at all.

I enjoyed the Darkover novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley very much.

Are the Dresden Files book fantasy? I like them.. although I put them a little closer to 'pulp fiction' than 'good art.'

But, series, in general, don't fare well in terms of consistent quality. And, for that matter, LOTR is not a series. It's one tale broken into three books.

I'd much rather read a non-serial story that is creative and original and well told than follow a familiar and comfortable concept way past it's natural life span.
 
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Despite being a fan of Tolkien, he managed to create something very unique. I adore his characters as much as Tolkien's.

Harry Potter is good for light reading. Narnia became a bit odd near the end - the last book seemed so out of place and forced.
 
You would probably enjoy them, they are beautifully written with amazing visual descriptions. A stand-alone book by Zelazny that is one of my favorites is Jack of Shadows, or you might check out some of his short stories. The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth is an excellent collection. That said, it's a bit difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Zelazny's stories don't have Tolkien's moral compass.
 
Since Anne McCaffrey is very careful to given scientific explanations for all of her plots, I maintain that her Pern stories are science fiction, not fantasy. Although they do seem to be wearing some of Fantasy's clothes[;)]
 
I voted for Harry Potter because I enjoyed those books, but I would give a close 2nd to the Earthsea series for originality. You don't read those books and think "oh, disguised Middle-earth again." They have some nice philosophy underlying them, but they're also brooding, and I get the sense reading them that no one in Earthsea is ever happy and never will be, or if they are enjoying life, they'll keep it a tight secret, so it's not a place I really want to visit. Middle-earth had plenty of tragedy and melancholy Elves, but there was plenty of joy to offset that, making it seem a place you'd want to revisit.
 
I still haven't read any of Martin's The Songs of Ice and Fire books.

I would leave the Dragonriders series on the list on the basis that science fiction is a sub-genre of fantasy and McCaffrey uses plenty of fantasy tropes in the series.

Other well-regarded fanatasy series:

- Fritz Leiber's The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (other favorite of mine).
- Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain.
- David (and Leigh) Eddings' The Belgariad and The Elenium (as well as their respective sequels).
- The Thieves' World books (edited by Robert Asprin).
- Wendy and Richard Pini's ElfQuest series (to get a comics reference in here).
 
Cracking storytelling.

However the Pern series holds a special place in my heart as I devoured those books in my teen years.
 
I never warmed up to Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time books nor am I interested in Piers Anthony's Xanth series. However, I have enjoyed the Martin-edited Wild Cards series and will probably get around to GoT eventually! I am liking the HBO adaptation.
 
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