Authors you like but the majority loathes!

[Davis Ashura]

I have also been reminded in this thread that I did not really enjoy LOTR, which I know is practically blasphemy. I think I appreciated the story but felt like actually reading the books was an effort.

UNHOLY BLASPHEMER!!!!! My fingers have knotted into arthritic lumps in just trying to type an adequate response to your cursed words.

 

[Rob B]

An author that I liked, but doesn't seem to popular around these parts: John Marco. I loved the idea of the flame cannons. Cannons are pretty cool to begin with, but making them shoot flames is cool. The trench warfare tactics was kinda neat too, not something you see too often in fantasy. Not to mention Biaggio, best character in the series.

I like Marco's work quite a bit myself, but I've seen more who don't like his work than do as of late.

Zsin, half the books/writers you like are liked by a majority of the people round here! However, not many people like Eddings 'round here.

 

[KatG]

And kudos to you, Alex, for approaching it in that way.

I'm still confused about the level of Goodkind hate. Is this purely objectivism hate?

Some people do seem to be focused on his political views, but the majority seem to either think he doesn't write very well or that he started off well, then sank, as others have said. I couldn't get into the characters, though I found the pain concept to be interesting.

But seriously, I would like to see more discussion on mid-list authors as well. Does C.J. Cherryh's Fortress series count? I don't see it discussed very often. I really enjoyed it, but don't see it discussed much.

It's harder to do the mid-list authors because fewer people have read them. We've had good success with group threads, such as the Supernatural Fantasy thread, British Fantasy Writers thread and What Can You Tell Me About thread, that sort of thing. In the New Year, I'm going to try to set up a thread that might help with this a bit. And there's also the SFFWorld Fantasy Book Club, where a wide range of fantasy is read and discussed.

C.J. Cherryh is actually a bestseller with an impressive sales record. We had at least one thread on her work, possibly more, and we discussed the Fortress series there. I loved the first one of those, didn't like the second as much and haven't yet managed to grab the third in the trilogy.

I like some Stephen King books very much and my husband really liked Eye of the Dragon, which some fans dislike. We read The Gunslinger, and I was happy to finally get the chance to read it. There was some great writing in it, but we both decided that we weren't interested enough to continue. Which makes me a blasphemer too, I suppose, especially as my favorite King novel is one which many feel is his weakest -- The Green Mile.

Sara Douglass...l've like them all.

LOL, I read one of hers and she wasn't bad on the writing, but I wanted to slap her characters silly, so it was a no-go for me. I got her novel as a giveaway at the World Fantasy Convention, and I put it on the exchange table and it was snapped up in seconds, so a lot of folk do like her. I think it's great that the Australian authors are being imported to the U.K. and North America.

I liked Eddings more than a lot of folk around here, but ultimately, I didn't continue with the series. I also was lukewarm about Terry Feist, which I guess is an opinion some folk have, but some people love him and I think I should probably try out some more of his stuff. He is also an excellent speaker.

 

[Severn]

C.J. Cherryh is actually a bestseller with an impressive sales record. We had at least one thread on her work, possibly more, and we discussed the Fortress series there. I loved the first one of those, didn't like the second as much and haven't yet managed to grab the third in the trilogy.

I believe there's four in the series, the fourth being Fortress of Dragons, assuming I wrote the order down correctly. I have the first in my to-read pile.

Another mid-list author that I don't think is too popular is Jennifer Roberson. She wrote an odd eight-book series, The Chronicles of the Cheysuli, which is generational fantasy about a race of shape-shifters. I quite liked it. It was, at times, poorly written and overly sentimental in places, but still, I liked it. And the book The Golden Key, which she co-wrote with Melanie Rawn and Kate Elliot is pure gold. One of my favourite novels.

I don't see her mentioned around here though.

 

[Lowlander]

I think Jennifer Roberson is most known for her Tiger & Del novels. These novels are a guilty pleasure of mine. I really like them but it's also a series reviled and hated by many fantasy readers.

Fantasy is of course often character-driven. If one doesn't like the main character(s) it's often hopeless to try and like a series. For instance Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel novels. I admit they are well written, sensual, exciting but since I just can't stand the two main characters the whole series - despite the obvious qualities - is a total loss for me.

 

[Davis Ashura]

I think Jennifer Roberson is most known for her Tiger & Del novels. These novels are a guilty pleasure of mine. I really like them but it's also a series reviled and hated by many fantasy readers.

Guilty as charged as well. I even have the omnibus editions.

 

[KatG]

Cherryh is, for me, brilliant with characterizations and dialogue, and her first Fortress book is a beautiful look at a golem who has to deal with life when his master disappears, and with his master's enemy. The second book didn't have quite so intriguing a premise, so it sort of spun wheels a little, I thought.

Jennifer Roberson was a category bestseller, but maybe isn't quite as popular nowadays because alt. realm fans really went for the big war epics. But she still has an ardent fanbase, and a lot of fans are now going for shorter novels. I unfortunately have never gotten around to reading her, but you could try starting a thread and see what happens.

Orson Scott Card is best known for his SF, some of which I really like, but his Alvin Maker fantasy series I didn't like at all. It deals with American alt. history, and on that front, I prefer J. Gregory Keyes' Newton's Cannon series. People seem very divided on both of those series.

 

[Corporal Blues]

I like Marco's work quite a bit myself, but I've seen more who don't like his work than do as of late.

Yeah he doesn't seem to get too much love around here. I've only read his first series, and it was a number of years ago, but I thought he had some cool new ideas.
I think while I'm home for the holidays I'll grab that series off the old shelf and bring it back to re-read some time in the next year.

 

[Dieda]

I have lots of guilty pleasures I love Kelley Armstrong, for instance, and I'll read pretty much anything as long as it is about werewolves. This is not fantasy, but I was very much into Jedi Apprentice series (as an adult, not as a kid), but I don't think I could reread it. It takes much of suspension of disbelief to read them, I guess.

I love Patricia Briggs, I really do. People keep pointing out weak points in her plots and whatnot, but I enjoy her books immensely, although I'm aware of the flaws.

I'm enjoying Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series at the moment. Not fantasy, but I thought I'd mention it. It's probably the first romance novel/series I've ever liked.

As for the dislikes...

I *gasp* didn't like Hobb's Liveship Traders. I've finished the series, but it took me almost a year. It's strange actually, because I love the Farseer trilogy. I could see how the Liveships were well writen, how the characters were well developed, but I just couldn't get into it. I couldn't make myself care what happened to the characters, and I was bored. I haven't tried reading The Tawny Man as yet. My sister (we have very similar tastes) tried to fight her way through the first Fool book, and couldn't. I'll probably read it at some point (I wanna see if my theories are right, if nothing else), but I guess I'm kinda saving it for retirement/hospital/prison

I disliked Thomas Covenant books (I've read the first book and a half of the second book). I didn't hate it, like some people do, I even liked the Covenant character (on a purely fictional level, of course; I thought he was an interesting chcracters to explore) but the rest of the characters are so flat, the world itself seemed stereotypical, and it bored the hell outta me. I got to the evening before a battle, and then I just couldn't make myself read on. It was three years ago, I think. Now I don't remember any character names, and I forgot all the plot points, that's how big an impression the books made.

Witches Abroad and Soul Music by Pratchett. Now, Pratchett is (together with Zelazny) my favourite author, but I just hated these two.

Cornelia Funke - Inkhearts: I still can't figure out what all the fuss (on some other forums) was about. The only reason I finished the book was that I had to spend 25 hours on a bus and din't have any other book in my handbag (a mistake I will never repeat).

 

[Bluestar]

I like Kim Harrison's "The Hollows" series. Mainly her take on vampires. I've only read the first two books or so but so far they're entertaining.

 

[Michigan]

I disliked Thomas Covenant books (I've read the first book and a half of the second book). I didn't hate it, like some people do, I even liked the Covenant character (on a purely fictional level, of course; I thought he was an interesting chcracters to explore) but the rest of the characters are so flat, the world itself seemed stereotypical, and it bored the hell outta me. I got to the evening before a battle, and then I just couldn't make myself read on. It was three years ago, I think. Now I don't remember any character names, and I forgot all the plot points, that's how big an impression the books made.

I pretty much agree on the Covenant books. I read through the first trilogy and while I think Covenant is a fascinating character and I appreciate how Donaldson handles the character, the books just bored me. Strangely enough I love his Gap series.

 

[Fitzy]

Well I'm sure some of the books I liked/disliked are skewed by when I read them, as some were read when I fairly young. Though I did read LOTR before any of these so at least I had something good to compare them too..

Likes:

Robin Hobb Soldier Son - Many seem to dislike Hobb's Soldier Son trilogy but I rather like it. Hobb has a great talent for making characters come alive, even if I think the character is behaving like a moron I still get the sense that the character is very much a real person, which makes pretty much anything Hobb writes worth reading to me.

Goodkind - I did enjoy the first 2 books, they certainly aren't great literature or anything though. After the 2nd book the characters devolve and he seemed to be writing only for the paycheck.

Jordan - Liked the first 5/6 books well enough... I guess thats not that uncommon though..

Disliked:

Eddings - this guys an embarrassment to the genre.

Donaldson's Thomas Covenent - forced myself to read the 1st book, characters are flat, story bores.. no reason to continue.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel - Way overated, while it isn't utter crap it does not deserve the amount of praise it received. I did finished it hoping there was some purpose to all that buildup.. but as I expected based on the phony 18th century British style it was all show with no real meat.

Harry Potter - Another example of overated mainstream garbage like ^. A light, brainless childrens series that has somehow conviced far too many semi-illiterate adults that it is the pinnacle of modern fantasy.

Stephen Erikson - Read GOTM; problem is erikson just isn't a very good writer, especially when it comes to characters, and the whole thing just feels like a cliche ridden D&D game.

Tad Williams - It amazes me some people actually like the his dragonchair series, I guess if all I'd read prior was Eddings...

 

[Amaunette]

UNHOLY BLASPHEMER!!!!! My fingers have knotted into arthritic lumps in just trying to type an adequate response to your cursed words.

Just the response I was expecting It definitely does seem that critiquing LOTR is along the lines of blasphemy for many fantasy fans.

It's harder to do the mid-list authors because fewer people have read them... C.J. Cherryh is actually a bestseller with an impressive sales record. We had at least one thread on her work, possibly more, and we discussed the Fortress series there. I loved the first one of those, didn't like the second as much and haven't yet managed to grab the third in the trilogy.

Yeah I know there's more specific threads out there, but the nice thing about a thread like this is to get a general idea for how most people feel about a particular author/series. And the first book was definitely the best. I think I liked the rest of them because I caught up in the other main characters besides Tristan, like the prince and his friend (The Crow? Raven? I'm fuzzy on the names).

And as regards Roberson -- I sort of liked the Cheysuli stuff because of the animal familiar aspect, but the writing wasn't that great. Alltogether, it didn't really make a positive impression.

...Harry Potter - ...A light, brainless childrens series that has somehow conviced far too many semi-illiterate adults that it is the pinnacle of modern fantasy...
Tad Williams - It amazes me some people actually like the his dragonchair series, I guess if all I'd read prior was Eddings...

While I can see your point of view on a lot of the books you've discussed, Fitzy, I definitely think you could aim your critiques at the literature instead of the people who read them.

 

[KatG]

Just the response I was expecting It definitely does seem that critiquing LOTR is along the lines of blasphemy for many fantasy fans.

Whereas for other fans, it's a sport to criticize it.

While I can see your point of view on a lot of the books you've discussed, Fitzy, I definitely think you could aim your critiques at the literature instead of the people who read them.

Fitzy is just inside the line, as he is expressing puzzlement with why others would like the series in a humorous fashion. But yeah, good reminder. This thread, after all, is about the shameless skeletons on our book shelves -- or those things that others tell us we should consider shameless skeletons, etc.

 

[Severn]

Harry Potter - Another example of overated mainstream garbage like ^. A light, brainless childrens series that has somehow conviced far too many semi-illiterate adults that it is the pinnacle of modern fantasy.

Hah! That's exactly what I think. Nail on the head.

And I love Soldier Son also, quite a bit. I love it's slow, slow pacing and character development. Hobb is a mastermind at creating characters who are so flawed they're almost unlikeable, but I end up loving them because they're so damn human. I don't understand the hate toward that series..other than its Fitzlessness..

 

[DailyAlice]

I don't get the HP craze myself, though to be fair most literate lovers of the series don't claim they're high art, just that they're loveable and fun, fun, fun. I don't think they're all that, just sort of diverting, but not so much as to justify the poundage. The last one was sheer tedium. (I sell them, so am sort of obligated to read; thank God no one made me dress up witchy. Oh, right--fun, fun, fun.)

I don't think anyone's mentioned my peeve; within scant pages of any given intro, the kids start *yelling* at each other. There are fantastical stressors, of course, but everyone is so irritable!

 

[Severn]

As an irrelevant aside: I remember, not so long ago, when the last HP book came out, our 'popular' bookstore (ie, seriously useless when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy) held a fun night for kids and parents. The kids would come dressed up as their favourite HP character. Nothing wrong with that, but what got me is that the 'best' one would win a free copy. Sheesh, way to go Whitcoulls. How to make every other kid feel like shite. The retail assistant who served me agreed wholeheartedly...

 

[Devaney]

I am a huge fan of both Terry Goodkind and Margaret Weiss.

I am part of several authorial communities...and lemme tell you...they HATE those two authors. Personally, I found the Dragonlance Chronicles very well done. Though, I have to admit, War of the Twins Troilogy was the best.

 

[Sfinx]

Fun topic! If not for this thread i don't think i'd ever admit in public i actually enjoy(ed) Tanith Lee Not sure if everyone is familiar with the lady but the books (eg Birthgrave trilogy) are gothic stuff, full of stereotype ravenhaired, alabaster-skinned, red-lipped women and muscled warriors etc...etc...I myself am somewhat surprised i like the stuff since the very same archetypal drivvle as spouted for instance by Eddings, Hobb or Williams in his Dragonbone cycle sends me foaming at the mouth...still, there we are. I'll allso admit to enjoy Harry Potter (although in the same way i like a hamburger: enoyable while still eating the thing, but left with both an empty feeling and a bad after-taste)

Books i use as paperweight or to start a nice fire but are sold by the millions: Dan Brown (davinci code has to be the most agonizing read of my life, an honor claimed by Zen and the art of... before i encountered mr Brown); as mentioned: Jordan, Hobb, Eddings [weirdly though, i do enjoy Goodkind , Williams (but big fan of Otherworld books); LeGuin, Hainish cycle (although i very much appreciate the Earthsea series); Foundation series by Asimov; Scott Card, Ender's game...but getting somewhat off(fantasy)topic here

 

[Severn]

Fun topic! If not for this thread i don't think i'd ever admit in public i actually enjoy(ed) Tanith Lee

I love Tanith Lee - but I haven't read the ones you've mentioned. Her YA duology Silver Metal Lover & Metallic Love (although I think the titles are terrible) I find really moving. And her Snow White retelling White as Snow.