British Fantasy authors

[Mithfânion]

It struck me that most of the authors I read are American, with only a few others being Canadians, Brits and an Aussie or two. British Fantasy authors that I'm familiar with are Tolkien, Lawhead, Holdstock, Horwood, Gemmell, George Green, Michael Scott Rohan, and some New Wierd writers like Mieville and Cockayne.

Am I missing some? It could be that I've simply depleted the stack of Fantasy authors from the UK with the above list, but I hope not, since some of them have this really interesting, somewhat quirky touch that sets them apart and makes them interesting. Plus, I always love to find a new author (new includes Fantasy authors from the past that I've never heard of but whose books are still in print btw).

[kramerica]

Rowling?
Phillip Pullman
CS Lewis
Mervyn Peake(Born in China, but lived in UK)
Piers Anthony
Richard Adams(Watership Down)
Susan Cooper(The Dark is Rising)
Terry Pratchett

Just to name a few...

[Jamza1986]

Me! hopefully!

[Iskaral Pust]

David Gemmell and Micheal Moorcock are the most famous ones that I can think of that haven't been mentioned.

[Hobbit]

Oldies first:
Lord Dunsany (old style Fantasy - see E.R. Eddison style)
and ER Eddison (Worm Ouroboros amongst others)
John Brunner (Compleat Traveller in Black)
M John Harrison (Viriconium series)

And of the more recent,

Sarah Ash
James Barclay
Chaz Brenchley (Outremer series but also horror)
Mark Chadbourn
Simon F. Green
Tom Holt (comedy)
Miller Lau
Robert Rankin (comedy)
Jessica Rydill
Jan Siegel / Amanda Hemingway
Freda Warrington
Steph Swainston looks very good too.

[rune]

I've read

Sara Ash
Jan Siegel
China Mieville
Jessica Rydill
K.J Rowling

And think they are all very good author's. I too would like to find more good UK authors, as I agree they seemed to have a more distinctive style of their own.

[Priestvyrce]

Brian Jacques of Redwall fame.

Though not British, they do have something in common: Pat O'Shea writer of The Hounds of The Morrigan and Garth Nix, respectively Irish and Austrailian.

[Mithfânion]

Some good ones here which I hadn't included, like Adams, Jacques and Chadbourn. I'd forgotten Pratchett, Pullman and Rowling because their stuff isn't to my liking but obviously they're big names from Britain. Gaiman would be another name to include.

After some disappointments I'm not keen anymore on the classic (pre-Tolkien) Fantasy authors, and that is the area where the Brits are best represented. I do feel that the Fantasy output from the UK has been underwhelming in recent year, whereas SF is really going strong with some remarkable writers.

John Brunner (Compleat Traveller in Black)

This is one book I'd love to see back in print. I keep hoping I'll run into a copy at a secondhand bookstore. The same applies to Silverlock bu Myers Myers btw.

[Priestvyrce]

Originally posted by Mithfânion
Some good ones here which I hadn't included, like Adams, Jacques and Chadbourn. I'd forgotten Pratchett, Pullman and Rowling because their stuff isn't to my liking but obviously they're big names from Britain. Gaiman would be another name to include.

After some disappointments I'm not keen anymore on the classic (pre-Tolkien) Fantasy authors, and that is the area where the Brits are best represented. I do feel that the Fantasy output from the UK has been underwhelming in recent year, whereas SF is really going strong with some remarkable writers.

John Brunner (Compleat Traveller in Black)

This is one book I'd love to see back in print. I keep hoping I'll run into a copy at a secondhand bookstore. The same applies to Silverlock bu Myers Myers btw.

Yes, the British have done some remarkable scifi stories. I have only read one Brunner novel and that was Crucible of Time , a very alien culture, yet still very human.

[Hobbit]

The same applies to Silverlock bu Myers Myers btw.

Funny you should say that, Mith - NESFA Press have just rereleased it with the Silverlock Companion. Details here if you haven't seen. I quite fancy that one myself, as I've not seen it here in the UK, though it is recommended. Think it was in Pringle's 100 Best Fantasy, though I'm not sure. 1949!

I was thinking generally when I added mine on the list, btw - I would edit my list if you're looking for books for yourself.

(Don't think you'd enjoy Gemmell, Green for starters!)

I'm not a big fan of humour myself (or at least contemporary, though I do like some Pratchett and Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat & Douglas Adams' Hitchiker series, at least to start with). Rankin and Holt I can leave, frankly... but I would recommend (as ever!) that you try stuff yourself.

And yes, I agree - I think that at the moment British SF is stronger than Fantasy (with the exception of the Pratchett, of course!).

Last one from me. I missed out Paul Kearney - who is Irish - and his Monarchies of God series. Very much in the Glen Cook/Steven Erikson mould, but tighter. Just starting to be available in the US - violent but very much recommended.

Hobbit

[Mithfânion]

Hobs

(Don't think you'd enjoy Gemmell, Green for starters!)

Hmm. Why not George Green? Have you read Hound?

I like some humour books, HH Guide is truly hilarious for instance. I've never tried Holt or Rankin but seen their stuff and was never convinced to buy.

Not too sure about Kearney, I do like my magic in Fantasy and he seems to be very low on that (you could argue it works for Martin so why not here but this one seems even more sparse in that regard).

Re;

Silverlock

The reason he came up was that I was reading Locus the other day and a New edition, including companion, was mentioned. Indeed, it's the one you linked to. So I looked it up on Amazon UK and they've already chipped something off the price but it's still pretty steep. And I'd have to buy from Amazon as well, since not a single shop here (online or offline) has it.

Still, I'm considering again now that I've seen it. It really does look intriguing, I just wonder if it actually has a plot aside from it's many meetings with characters from other books.

[Hobbit]

Oops - too many Green's!

I meant Simon, rather than George. Haven't read Hound but seen some interesting reviews...

Hobbit

[Priestvyrce]

Originally posted by Hobbit
Oops - too many Green's!

I meant Simon, rather than George. Haven't read Hound but seen some interesting reviews...

Hobbit

Love Simon Green's Hawk and Fisher novels. He is a pretty wide spread writer fantasy,scifi and horror.

[Priestvyrce]

I've read one Holt novel(can't remember the title right now) and he seemed more interested doing social commentary than telling a story. He's funny, but laugh out loud funny.

[funky_fantasist]

...to SF. Have you tried Jon Courtenay Grimwood? Excellent! (He just won the BSF Award for 'Falaheen' at Easter)

Of course I HAVE to disagree about British Fantasy being 'underwhelming!'
Steph Swainston is def one to watch. Oh, and our very own Liz Williams is brilliant (interviewed in this months Locus) Liz pulled off a very rare feat indeed by being published in the US BEFORE UK publication!
Michael Cobley - Heroic fantasy. V. dark - Moorcock on a downer! ;-) But not yet published in the US...
... oh, and me, of course! (Also not in the US *yet* (but watch this space!))
Sarah Ash - 'Tears of Artemon' (I think?) Haven't read it myself yet but have heard GOOD things about her. She IS in the US.
Jess Rydill - beautiful, folk-lory (is that a word?) prose.
Philip Pullman.

Ok, stopping now for coffee break - suffice to say, British Fantasy is in good hands IMHO! Possibly, the US perception is of less happening in the genre over here cos it's so dammed hard to 'break into America!'

Cheers
Funky