[trentdick2882]

This is my first post in any forum, sffworld should consider itself lucky! :D Anyway, I am interested in learning about "fringe" fantasy authors. Authors that aren't standard fantasy, with elves and dwaves and the like, or are known for other genres but still write interesting fantasy.

The only ones I can think of off the top of my head are Stephen King and Clive Barker. I see that multiple people have recommended The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, but only a post or two about Clive Barker! I haven't read very deeply into the fantasy genre, but I have enjoyed Clive Barker's fantasy-like novels, like Imajica and Weaveworld, far more than "traditional" fantasy like Jordan, Brooks, Eddings, Goodkind.

Those four authors are the only reading I've done in the fantasy genre, and from reading in this forum I realize I'm probably missing a lot, and I'm working on correcting this!

[ChrisW]

If someone tells him to read aSoIaF i'll kick them. GRRM is not a "fringe" Fantasy author!

Try "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. I've only read about 100 pages but its pretty good.

Heh i just saw you bought The Dark Elf trilogy. You can't get more traditional than that!:rolleyes:

[trentdick2882]

Yes, I did buy the Dark Elf Trilogy, which I kind of regret now, but it was recommended by a friend. I am planning on reading some GRRM, since he seems to be highly recommended, but I still like Jordan!

I was completely crushed when I came to this forum and all of the fantasy authors I loved when I was younger were being completely bashed. I'm looking at it positively though, cause if all these other authors are better than the ones I have read, I have a lot to look forward to!

[Rob B]

trentdick:

Fringe authors that jump between "fantasy," "science fiction" and other genres:

Orson Scott Card
His fantasy series The Tales of Alvin Maker is a very good spinning of American History and a good infusion of fantasy.

J. Gregory Keyes
Another twist on American History. Better than OSC, IMHO. Here Keyes examines the 'what if' of Isaac Newton discovering Alchemy rather than Gravity.

MICHAEL MOORCOCK
A giant in the field of Speculative Fiction. His Elric saga is one of the best and most widely read fantasies. Nomad of the Time Streams is a time-travel romp and Corum and is another excellent sword & sorcery sagas. Von Bek has a dark, feel to it, blending alternative history, science fiction and fantasy.

Can't disagree with Caldazar about American Gods, it is One Damned Fine Novel.

I would be re-miss if I didn' mention Matthew Woodring Stover, author of Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle. He takes fantasy conventions like elves and dwarves and turns them on their arses.

4 other authors you should try that are 'Fringe-y'
John Marco, China Mieville, Mary Gentle and James Barclay.

[ChrisW]

I can't understand why the Elric books are more popular than the Corum books:confused: . Corum is a lot easier to read and follow than the Elric stuff.

[Cygnus]

Interesting topic, especially since I've been reading a lot of "fringe" fantasy lately. I need the occassional break from kitchen boys saving the world! I'll list some of the authors that I like in this category.

Jonathan Carroll- You may have seen a topic on him recently. He's a very talented author who writes some interesting stuff. You may have to look in fiction sections to find him, though he is also sometimes in fantasy. Try Land of Laughs or The Wooden Sea.

William Browning Spencer- I picked up Zod Wollop on the recommendation of someone from the Jonathan Carroll topic, and I was quite pleased. Part fantasy, part weird! :)

China Mieville- His book, Perdido Street Station was the subject of long-standing debate awhile back. It definitely goes beyond your standard fantasy characters and plot.

I'll also second the vote for Neil Gaiman.

Trent, don't worry about your favorite authors getting trashed on here. We're pretty democratic, so it has happened to all of us! It can be a little elitist here at times! :) Terry Brooks, David Eddings, Terry Goodkind, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are authors that brought me into fantasy, and that I really loved. Though I have changed my opinion of some of these authors, I still value them.

[Rob B]

Originally posted by Caldazar
I can't understand why the Elric books are more popular than the Corum books:confused: . Corum is a lot easier to read and follow than the Elric stuff.

There is an uneven continuity to the Elric books. Moorcock writes books out of sequence in the Elric saga, so yeah, Corum is much easier to follow.

I think part of it is the fact that Elric is more of identifiable than Corum. Elric was in part Moorcock parodying Conan AND he was trying (successfully) to write fantasy that was darker than LOTR.

It also helped Elric out that Michael Whelan did many of the paperback covers for the Elric books (at least in the US)

[neologik]

Some other excellent 'fringe' fantasy that hasn't been mentioned, but should be on everyone's reading list:

THE IRON DRAGON'S DAUGHTER by Michael Swanwick, the original steampunk fantasy.

CITY OF SAINTS AND MADMEN by Jeff VanderMeer, a sort of oddball examination of a surrealistic city and its inhabitants.

The VIRICONIUM sequence, by M John Harrison. The first, and best, post-Tolkien apocalyptic fantasy series. Better than Moorcock's ELRIC saga by far.

NEVERYON sequence, by Samuel R. Delany. A bizarre excursion into fantasy and linguistics. Very surreal, very charged, very visual. Good stuff. 'specially if you've read DHALGREN by same.

Pretty much any of Graham Joyce's 'dark fantasy' novels could be included, ranking right up there with Jonathan Carroll.

And man, that's just off the top of my head!

--gabe chouinard
http://hypermode.blogspot.com

[Alucard]

Ah. Fringe Fantasy. Good stuff. Here are my suggestions.

Niel Gaiman:
American Gods (I'll third that suggestion)
Stardust
Neverwhere
Good Omens

I'll second the Jonathan Carroll suggestion:
Bones of the moon
The Wooden Sea
Land of Laughs (finally got to read it, really enjoyed it).

I'll second the Graham Joyce suggestion:
The Tooth Fairy (start with that, see what you think)

I'll second the William Browning Spencer suggestion (New for me too, Cygnus):
Zod Wallop
Resume With Monsters (Especially if you're a lovecraft fan)

I have heard some good things about City of Saints and Madmen. I'll have to pick up a copy. I've also heard good things about J. Gregory Keyes, too. Looks like I'm due for another trip to the library.

[hollyshort]

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

What about Philip Pullman, Eoin Colfer?

They use very original and different worlds