[jbcohen]

I am a rather new comer to the Dragon Lance and fantasy book world, but I have been reading Dragon Lance novels for some time. I was wondering about a couple things about Dragon Lance and Fantasy novels. No one ever mentioned any of the Dragon Lance novels in there list of favorite books, does this mean that Dragon Lance is not a well respected saga of fantasy novels? Nor did anyone mention any of the popular Dragon Lance authors? How does Dragon Lance novels compare to the rest of the fantasy novel arena? Are Dragon Lance novels well thought of by fantasy literature fans?

[mundanemies]

I personally read only few DL/FR et al. books when they first started to come out and soon realised that they weren't for me.
As too the general respectability, I'd be both saddened and stunned if someone would consider them to be some of the best fantasy has to offer.
I don't think that many consider them to be neither important nor impressive examples of fantasy as literature. I'm sure there are many who like them, enjoy reading them and even consider them to be some of the best books they have ever read.
I better stop before I say something I shouldn't. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Cadfael]

JBC... I read and collect the DL and FG books, simply for the enjoyment. They are not by any stretch of the imagination deep and meaningful books... they are fun... pure and simple. If you like them, go for it.

The biggest negative point about them in my view, is that a few of the 'series' have a different author for each book, and this can mean there are good books and bad books in a trilogy... but as I say, the books are not to be taken to seriously.

The first Dragonlance series by Weis and Hickman Chronicles, is a different animal though... this series is brilliant and can hold it head up with other 'traditional/classic' fantasy books IMHO.

[allanon]

I love Dragonlance! They are really nice!

[~FaireGuenevere~]

Finally people are talking about DragonLance! I too was wondering about people's general opinions. Me, I'm halfway through the Chronicles and am surprised by how irreversibly and completely hooked on them I have become. You guys say the rest of the DragonLance books don't measure up? Which ones do?

[jbcohen]

Let me offer Genevier some advice, since she is still reading the Cronicles. The next sub-series to read after the Chronicles is Legends. After that here is what I would recommend that you read:

Dragons of a Summer Flame (a single novel)
Bridges of Time
Dragons of a New Age trillogy
War of Souls
Preludes
Meetings Sextet

Thats twenty-four novels total and should keep you busy for a while. Here is an interesting web site for people that like to read dragon lance novels: www.dragonlance.com (http://www.dragonlance.com)

[~FaireGuenevere~]

thanks alot, I really needed that(there are so many DL books out there I didn't have any clue what to read after the chronicles). Oh yeah, thanks alot for the website too- I went there not long ago and amused myself for,uh,a REALLY long time(I have no life)!!

[Gooch]

DL's Fun, (At least the Weis/Hickman ones) so read up.

I would also consider them an important part of Fantasy, because they make (and have made) a great entry point/stepping stone into the genre for a great many people, and a lot of times are the start of a heavy addiction to fantasy.

Was for me anyways http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Cadfael]

The most comprehensive, and easily navigated website for the 'Forgotten Realms' and 'Draganlance' books I know of is...

Elminster's Library (http://people.wiesbaden.netsurf.de/~engler/el_main.html)

Obviously... there must be better, but this site has been a good help to me.

I am trying hard to think of a 'Dragonlance' series that compares to 'Chronicles'. That series was so good, the other have a hard task to follow. But 'Forgotten Realms' has a hell of a lot of good books... we have 'Icewind Dale', 'Dark Elf' and 'The Cleric Quintet' by RA Salvatore. 'The Druidhome' and 'Moonshae' trilogies by Douglas Niles and so on.

The ironic thing is... Forgotten Realms is the setting for the very worst TSR/WoTc book I have ever had the misfortune to read... 'Baldur's Gate' by Philip Athans(sp?) was total drivel, just a half hearted re-run of the brilliant computer RPG.

[jbcohen]

Some of the authors in many of the Dragon Lance books are really good writers and would hate to have missed their writting by avoiding sagas like Dragon Lance. Weis & Hickman, Chris Pierson, Jean Rabe and many more. If you avoid Dragon Lance because it is not one of the mainstay novels one is missing out on a lot of great litterature.