[tsharpfilm]

Or fantasy without as much plot...

I love stories that establish and explore interesting characters and environments, and do not put as much, or any, emphasis on good, evil, heroics, or some ultimate goal. Things just happen as they do in real life, but in a very intriguing and believable (doesn't have to be realistic) way.

Does such a book exist in the fantasy genre?

[kged]

Try Aegypt or Little, Big by John Crowley. Nothing really happens in either book, at least not in the sense of big plot twists or shock revelations or massive climactic scenes. These books are very dreamlike - they drift along, but permeate the imagination so deeply that I was left thinking about them for days and weeks after finishing them.

[tsharpfilm]

Try Aegypt or Little, Big by John Crowley. Nothing really happens in either book, at least not in the sense of big plot twists or shock revelations or massive climactic scenes. These books are very dreamlike - they drift along, but permeate the imagination so deeply that I was left thinking about them for days and weeks after finishing them.
Wow. That sounds right up my alley.

Thank you.

[Cranky Hamster]

Most of Guy Gavriel Kay's books would probably fit this description (I'm thinking particularly of The Lions of Al-Rassan, the Sarantine Mosaic duology, and -- although I didn't love it quite so much as the rest of his work -- The Last Light of the Sun). The stories are just about people who happen to be in a particular moment of history and how they react to that. There really isn't a strong plot structure. This is particularly so in Last Light of the Sun, which sprawls after so many different threads and covers the story's impact on so many incidental characters that the book overall seems almost shapeless. I found that to be a flaw, but many other readers view it as a virtue.

[tsharpfilm]

Thanks, Cranky Hampster. I'll look into those books later tonight.

[Werthead]

Brian W. Aldiss' Helliconia Trilogy, which is set on a world where the seasons last for centuries (due to its orbiting of a binary star system). The trilogy is a series of snapshots of the various civilisations that arise and fall on the planet over the course of 3,000-odd years, so there is no plot to speak of, merely viginettes showing how people survive during winters that are ice ages or summers where the equatorial belt bursts into flames. Fantastic stuff.

[tsharpfilm]

Another great suggestion.

Thank you, thank you!

I really appreciate your replies and suggestions, folks. I'm going to have some great reading for this coming holiday, and my typically slow 2009 Winter season.

[Shadowguard]

Lovecraft's Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath for sure. Very rambling, and eventually the reader loses sight of the plot (and forgets if there even was one in the first place), but its worth it just for the weird creatures and freaky dreamscapes described throughout the narrative.

[Alessan]

I'd never really thought about it, but since John Crowley and Guy Kay are two of my favourite authors, I guess I'm a fan wordy, plotless fantasy. Another favourite of mine, Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy, isn't particularly heavy on plot, but has strange, unforgettable characters and a dark, gothic setting that comes to life with Peake's delicious prose.

[quajack]

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susannah Clarke has no particular plot thread. If you're a fan of 1800's Great Britian, buy this book!