Russ' Favorite Fantasy Authors

I love reading. Books open up whole new worlds. This is never more true than in the area of fantasy. Maybe that is why I have always enjoyed fantasy books so much. Here are some of my favorite authors. I highly recommend them all.

J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings are the foundation of any good collection of fantasy books. Tolkien's world of Middle Earth heralded in the modern fantasy epic and is most often sited as the primary influence on today's fantasy authors.

The story of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins begins a tale that has enthralled generations. I'd have to list The Lord Of The Rings as my all time favorite fantasy book. (Though often sold as a trilogy, the author intended it to be a single volume.) For those who have yet to read it, start by reading The Hobbit, which is the prequel. Honesty, The Hobbit is written more like a children's book and most adults won't find it as engrossing as The Lord Of The Rings, but it does help to understand some of the background of the story and characters in the the other book.

The Lord Of The Rings is being made into a movie trilogy. The first movie, "The Fellowship of the Ring" was released in December 2001 and was the first time in my life I've ever seen a movie twice while it was still in the theaters! The second movie is to be released in December 2002 and the final part is scheduled for a December 2003 release.

Possibly Tolkien's best work is The Silmarillion, which is a collection of stories about the early days of Middle Earth. If you have enjoyed Tolkien's other books, this one is simply amazing as it takes you through the creation of Middle Earth and stories about the struggles and achievements of the early elves before the arrival of dwarves and men in Middle Earth.

Robert Jordan
No other fantasy writer since Tolkien has garnered the following that Robert Jordan has with his series The Wheel Of Time.

Jordan's books go into great detail in creating a world that is both believable and facinating. The people and places are developed in details that draw in your imagination and hold you there.

The first book in the series is called The Eye Of The World. After reading it, you won't stop until you've caught up with Jordan; book 9 in the series was released in October 2000 with at least a couple more to follow!

Katherine Kurtz
My personal favorite author is Katherine Kurtz. I consider her series of books about the Deryni the best written books I've read. The detail and research in her writing, the description of ceremony and life, and her in-depth character development are the best going today. The Deryni books are a series of trilogies. The first book written in the series is called Deryni Rising and is the first book of The Chronicles of The Deryni. As good as it is, it's my least favorite of the trilogies. Camber of Culdi is the first book in the next trilogy called The Legends of Camber of Culdi and takes place about 200 years earlier. The third trilogy is called The Histories of King Kelson, which chronologically follows The Chronicles of The Deryni and the fourth trilogy is called The Heirs of Saint Camber and takes off where The Legends of Camber of Culdi leaves off. There is also a "stand alone" Deryni book that came out in spring 2000 called King Kelson's Bride which is somewhat of an epilogue to the whole thing.

Katherine Kurtz also has a series of books out with co-author Deborah Turner Harris called The Adept. While not as well writen as the Deryni books, the Adept books are great stories about Sir Adam Sinclair, who is probably the best protagonist in literature since Sherlock Holmes. There are now 5 books in the Adept series--books 3 and 5 are my personal favorites, but they really should be read in order. Another of Katherine Kurtz's recent books is called Two Crowns For America and deals with the American Revolution from a revolutionary point of view! Her most recent book is called St. Patrick's Gargoyle which is a very amusing short story.

David Eddings
Another of today's most popular authors of epic fantasy is David Eddings. The Belgariad is a series of 5 books that brings to life the world of Garion and his friends. David Eddings writes about characters that are amusing and fun to read about. He is well known for the charm and humor in his dialog and the way his characters are brought to life. Pawn Of Prophecy is the first book of the Belgariad.

The Mallorion is another 5-book series that continues where The Belgariad leaves off. Eddings most recent books are called Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress which are wonderful precursors to The Belgariad -- but make sure you read The Belgariad first.

Another series (trilogy) of Eddings is The Elenium which begins with the book The Diamond Throne. This series continues in another trilogy called The Tamuli. Personally, I didn't find these series as interesting as the others... but if you are an Eddings fan, I think you'll enjoy these as well.

Terry Brooks
Best selling author Terry Brooks has written one of the best loved fantasy books of all time in The Sword of Shannara. But this book is only the start of a trilogy which is then followed by The Heritage of Shannara -- a series of four books. Brooks' stories of the Druid Allanon and the descendants of the Elven house of Shannara are a real treat for the imagination. There is also a book called First King of Shannara, which is a wonderful precursor to the whole Shannara series, but again, I don't recommend reading it until you've read the rest of the books first.

Mr. Brooks is currently in the middle or releasing a wonderful new trilogy of books about the characters of his Shannara world. Taking place a couple of generations after the other books end, these books take the reader to new lands as the last of the Druids follows clues to regain lost knowledge from earlier times. The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch is the first book of this very imaginative new trilogy.

Terry Brooks has also written a series about The Magic Kingdom of Landover. These books are not quite the calibur of the Shannara books, but great in their creativity and lighter enjoyment. The first book in this series is called Magic Kingdom For Sale -- Sold.

Mary Stewart
The classic tale of Merlin of Camelot is told by Mary Stewart in a trilogy of books beginning with The Crystal Cave. The story of Merlin is told (with evidence of extensive research) in a way that explains much of the mystery surrounding this legend of 5th Century Britain. Continuing in The Hollow Hills and concluding with The Last Enchantment Mary Stewart tells about a young boy who grows up to be the famed magician of Camelot. Much of the story is told from Merlin's point of view and allows us to see the person behind the legend.

This series is a must for any lover of the Authurian legends!

Wendi & Richard Pini
Another fun fantasy series is called "Elfquest." This is not really a series of books, but rather a series of graphic novels (also called comic books). The drawings by Wendi Pini are what originally drew me to this series back around 1981. The illustrations in the original series of 20 comics are nothing short of brilliant. The first 5 comics were put into book form and titled Elfquest: Journey To Sorrow's End which elaborates on the original storyline. The characters have since been made into several different ongoing comic books, although I admit that I haven't been following them in many, many years. There are now a series of books of short stories about the characters created in Elfquest. The books are edited by Richard Pini and are excellent reading, but I recommend familiarizing yourself with the characters first by reading the original graphic novels. The original stories are still among my favorite fantasy of all time and are now available in paperback novel form.

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