Poll: Best fantasy series

[GrimTuesday]

I was looking at the Sword of Truth thread and that got me wondering, what is the Escapist's favorite fantasy series. Is it The Chronicles of Narnia? The Sword of Truth? The Lord of The Rings? A Song of Ice and Fire? The books of R.A. Salvatore?

Personally I love A Song of Ice and Fire. George RR Martin has crafted a story that is far better than anything that Tolkien has ever done. The magic is toned down and the political intrigue is top notch. Many people complain that he is cruel to his characters, constantly making bad shit happen to them, but I say thats what makes the books so damn good, you are actually concerned about the well being of your favorite character because Martin has made such well defined three dimensional characters.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Your poll lacks the Kingkiller Chronicles. Son, I am disappoint.

 

[GrimTuesday]

I vote other.

'The Wheel of Time', by Robert Jordan.

It's the only series I've read over 6 times.

Fuck... I can't believe I forgot that. Let me see if I can edit the poll.

 

[Saelune]

I was expecting games. Ya know, Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls, maybe also DnD, and LOTR still in there too.
I would vote DnD for my choices, but since I only am familiar with two, and only know A song of Fire and Ice because of a reference to it in Morrowind ( A song of Chitin and Ice, a skill book)

 

[theComposer]

I vote other.

'The Wheel of Time', by Robert Jordan.

It's the only series I've read over 6 times.

Six...six times?! You sir must read incredibly fast. I've been reading the series for over a year (on and off however) and am still only halfway through A Crown of Swords.

That said, it is easily my favorite fantasy series, so I voted "Other". I feel like The Wheel of Time deserves its own poll option however.

 

[GrimTuesday]

Your poll lacks the Kingkiller Chronicles. Son, I am disappoint.

I just picked up The Name of the Wind the other day, but I haven't gotten around to reading it. I've heard good things though, and I'm excited to read it.

 

[Darwins_Folly]

The Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson. Just picked up book ten, can't wait to read it! The most epic series I've read in terms of history and scope. I have to say tied with A Song of Ice and Fire though.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Many people complain that he is cruel to his characters, constantly making bad shit happen to them, but I say thats what makes the books so damn good, you are actually concerned about the well being of your favorite character because Martin has made such well defined three dimensional characters.

You know, it's perfectly possible to do that without springing awful shit on your characters. That reputation is part of what's keeping me from that series, it just sounds exhausting. ..the other parts are general disinterest and the tendency of people who recommend it to me to bash the Wheel of Time books in the same breath.

I'm not accusing you of anything (you chose Tolkien, instead, who I'm slightly less attached to), just pointing it out. <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7J_3MKZNQc>Have a peace offering.

...oh, right, I should probably answer the question.

Well, I've read a few of the ones mentioned. I love Tolkien's works and the Wheel of Time series, loved Harry Potter, enjoyed the Narnia books until the last one, and Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy is one of my favorite works ever (the Icewind Dale and Legacy of the Drow ones aren't bad, either), and I'm working my way through Discworld. Never read ASoIaF or the Sword of Truth, or Mistborn.

Still, I think I have to give my vote to the Belgariad/Malloreon books by David and Leigh Eddings. They're deliberately derivative, but fantastically written (and often quite funny), especially regarding dialogue and character interactions, and Belgarath, Polgara, and Silk are some of my favorite characters ever.

 

[GrimTuesday]

The Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson. Just picked up book ten, can't wait to read it! The most epic series I've read in terms of history and scope. I have to say tied with A Song of Ice and Fire though.

I started Gardens of the Moon but couldn't really get into it. It's slow, and this is coming from someone who had no problem getting through the first part of A Game of Thrones.

 

[Masonhome]

While I dearly, dearly, DEARLY love George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, I can't say that, to me, it's the BEST. It either is tied with, or comes second to, depending on when you ask me, the Acts of Caine series by Matthew Stover. Third place would probably be Stover's Iron Dawn and Jericho Moon duet.

Yes, I'm a Stover fanboy. But FUCK the man knows how to write. If you can find the books, which I can tell you from personal experience is difficult (at least with solid book versions, don't know about e-books), give them a look. Brilliant characters, a gripping plot, blah blah blah, excellent.

Honorable Mention: The Dresden Files. Wizard living in Chicago who works as a Private Investigator and helps the police fight the supernatural. Reccommended (sp? i don't know).

 

[Kakujin]

Close call between LoTR and SoIaF but I have to got with the one that got me started on fantasy in the first place. J.R.R Tolkien, I choose you!

 

[NeutralDrow]

I vote other.

'The Wheel of Time', by Robert Jordan.

It's the only series I've read over 6 times.

Shoot, I think you've got me beat. I only have five reads under my belt, only two for the books after Winter's Heart (and I haven't reread Towers of Midnight, yet). I'm seriously excited for the last book coming out, even though it's still going to be a while[footnote]Fun fact: apparently, Sanderson hasn't started writing it, yet. He's rereading the series first.[/footnote]. It also remains the only series where I've ever felt compelled to stop reading, put on music, and continue reading...specifically during the

Spoiler

Seanchan attack on the White Tower

in The Gathering Storm. You'd be surprised how well Devil May Cry music goes to Egwene's utter badassness.

And naturally, I'll probably be playing another song nonstop when A Memory of Light does come out...

 

[hittite]

It was close, but I had to choose Tolkien over Jordan.

If the ending is as utterly amazing as I think it will be, WoT may move into my #1 slot, but until the last book comes out, I reserve judgment.

Edit: Agree with NeutralDrow on the music choice, with one addition for any scene with Moridin.

 

[GrimTuesday]

Many people complain that he is cruel to his characters, constantly making bad shit happen to them, but I say thats what makes the books so damn good, you are actually concerned about the well being of your favorite character because Martin has made such well defined three dimensional characters.

You know, it's perfectly possible to do that without springing awful shit on your characters. That reputation is part of what's keeping me from that series, it just sounds exhausting. ..the other parts are general disinterest and the tendency of people who recommend it to me to bash the Wheel of Time books in the same breath.

I'm not accusing you of anything (you chose Tolkien, instead, who I'm slightly less attached to), just pointing it out. <url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7J_3MKZNQc>Have a peace offering.

...oh, right, I should probably answer the question.

Well, I've read a few of the ones mentioned. I love Tolkien's works and the Wheel of Time series, loved Harry Potter, enjoyed the Narnia books until the last one, and Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy is one of my favorite works ever (the Icewind Dale and Legacy of the Drow ones aren't bad, either), and I'm working my way through Discworld. Never read ASoIaF or the Sword of Truth, or Mistborn.

Still, I think I have to give my vote to the Belgariad/Malloreon books by David and Leigh Eddings. They're deliberately derivative, but fantastically written (and often quite funny), especially regarding dialogue and character interactions, and Belgarath, Polgara, and Silk are some of my favorite characters ever.

I would definitely tell you to read A Song of Ice and Fire, it's very good. I think that it is necessary to have your characters in danger a large amount of time considering the books take place during a civil war with some actually in the field and others maneuvering politically, it's very high stakes, and if there are no real consequences, I don't feel that it would be near as interesting. That's actually one of my main problems with a lot of fantasy, things just tend to work out, there is very little long term consequences to their actions.

 

[Xixikal]

The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks was beyond amazing.
Assassins, death, dragons, swords, magic, war... it had everything... EVERYTHING!

 

[GrimTuesday]

The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks was beyond amazing.
Assassins, death, dragons, swords, magic, war... it had everything... EVERYTHING!

Does it have midget sex? If it doesn't, it is not better than A Song of Ice and Fire

 

[Xixikal]

Does it have midget sex? If it doesn't, it is not better than A Song of Ice and Fire

I concur... Midget sex trumps assassination...
wait... the book has midget sex? That's a clear attempt at catering for everyone if I ever saw one

 

[GrimTuesday]

Does it have midget sex? If it doesn't, it is not better than A Song of Ice and Fire

I concur... Midget sex trumps assassination...
wait... the book has midget sex? That's a clear attempt at catering for everyone if I ever saw one

Yep, Tyrion Lannister is a dwarf (in real terms not like in fantasy terms) and he has sex... a lot. I think the only types of sex that are missing is old people and bestiality, but there are three more books in the series, so there is still time[footnote]God I hope not[/footnote].