Name your top 5 grim, down and dirty, fantasy novels

[WaspDog]

A series counts as one selection.

Here's my 5:
1. A Song of Ice and Fire (series)
2. Stephen Erikson's series that begins with gardens of the moon.

That's all I can think of! Probably explains why I started this thread. Need some recommendations after reading #1 up above.

 

[Davis Ashura]

That's only 2.
There's Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing (probably the grimmest and dirtiest)
Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Brian Ruckley (full of gore, I hear), China Mieville.
One of the originals would be the Black Company by Glen Cook. Older would have to include Michael Moorcock especially Elric. Maybe even Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. The last is a bit of a reach, but what a great series. Just re-read it, and the series is still fantastic. I actually enjoyed it more now then when I read it 25 years ago.

 

[bloggeratf]

Richard Morgan, the Steel Remains.

Very 'dirty' as such things go and also pretty recent.

 

[Heather Myst]

1. Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin
2. The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie
3. Rai-Kirah series by Carol Berg
4. Percheron series by Fiona McIntosh
5. Tyrants and Kings series by John Marco

 

[Seak]

Good call on Tyrants and Kings, Heather.

 

[kater]

Don't forget the Caine series by Matthew Woodring Stover

 

[Scrambles]

Grim, Farseer Trilogy, i dont think Fitz ever had a positive outlook on anything lol, down as well for the most part, depressing, dirty when he goes all mental in battle, love it.

Most of Hobbs books seem to be very cruel and ruthless with the protagonist.

Dunno really, read heaps of books this last year and not many of them have been overly brutal.

 

[Cymric]

1.) The Black Company - Glen Cook
2.) Legend- By David Gemmell
3.) Waylander-David Gemmell
4.) Night of Knives - Ian C Esselmont
5.) Dead House Gates - Steven Erikson

 

[Rilzik]

All the ones I have read have already been named.

Night of Knives I include with the Malazan books even though its a different author.

some people say greg keyes, I wouldn't say its in the top 3 though but it fun (in my opinion)

I'd rank them as:

GRRM
Steven Erickson
R. Scott Bakker is a close third with all the other recent dark gritty types.

I enjoyed the older orginal dark gritty guys like Morrcock, and Cook but the writing style just seems outdated. Dark overload this and that kind of thing.

maybe add Stephen R. Donaldson to the older authors, the main character has leprosy for crying out loud.

 

[owlcroft]

"grim, down and dirty" is subjective, or at least relative . . .

As the header says, the criteria are not very well defined, especially "dirty"--is the protagonist required to kick someone in the nuts every second chapter? Or will morally dirty suffice? Anyway, look these up and see what you think (many are rather off the beaten fantasy track).

Particular works:

• Shardik by Richard Adams
• Other People by Martin Amis
• Kingdom of the Grail by A. A. Attanasio
• In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster
• The Bridge by Iain M. Banks
• The American Book of the Dead by Stephen Billias
• The "Latin American" Trilogy (The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts; Senor Vivo And The Coca Lord; The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman) by Louis De Bernieres

Authors (most works by each probably qualify)

• Michael Cisco
• Glen Cook
• David Gemmell
• Simon Green
• Tanith Lee
• Eric Van Lustbader
• China Miéville
• Edward Whittemore

 

[kostiakot]

Rai-Kirah series by Carol Berg
Tyrants and Kings series by John Marco
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[TheEvilKing]

1. A Song of Ice & Fire - GRRM
2. Prince of Nothing - R. Scott Bakker
3. First Law Trilogy/Best Served Cold - Joe Abercrombie
4. Dragon In Chains - Daniel Fox
5. The Ten Thousand - Paul Kearney

 

[Bastard]

That's only 2.
There's Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing (probably the grimmest and dirtiest)
Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Brian Ruckley (full of gore, I hear), China Mieville.
One of the originals would be the Black Company by Glen Cook. Older would have to include Michael Moorcock especially Elric. Maybe even Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. The last is a bit of a reach, but what a great series. Just re-read it, and the series is still fantastic. I actually enjoyed it more now then when I read it 25 years ago.

I've been thinking of reading Chronicles of Amber, my only doubt about the series is wether the series got a proper conclusion. Did Zelazny manage to finish the series before his death? Or at the very least, did the last novel at the least have something that seems like a proper conclusion...

That's pretty much the only thing that's holding me from getting this series, other than finding the time to read it.

 

[PeterWilliam]

1.) Any Thomas Covenant Chronicle - Donaldson
2.) The Jerusalem Man series - Gemmell
3.) Any Tale of the Malazan - Erikson & Esslemont
4.) First Law - Abercrombie
5.) Rai-kirah series - Berg

honorable mention: Night Angel series by Kent Years, or is it Sussex Months?, er...whatever that guy's name is.

 

[Heather Myst]

PeterWilliam did you mean Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks?

PS Is your Shankapotomus from the baby who puts the skins beatdown on the old geezer on the television commercial?

 

[PeterWilliam]

PeterWilliam did you mean Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks?

PS Is your Shankapotomus from the baby who puts the skins beatdown on the old geezer on the television commercial?

Yeah, Brent Weeks. Recently, Joe Abercrombie was bagging on Weeks (in a light-hearted comedic way) about his name, commenting on the combination of British regional geography and time pieces.

As for the Shankapotomus, yep, you got it. The commercial had me blowing Coca-Cola bubbles of the nasal variety.

 

[NickeeCoco]

As the header says, the criteria are not very well defined, especially "dirty"--is the protagonist required to kick someone in the nuts every second chapter? Or will morally dirty suffice? Anyway, look these up and see what you think (many are rather off the beaten fantasy track).

Particular works:

• Shardik by Richard Adams
• Other People by Martin Amis
• Kingdom of the Grail by A. A. Attanasio
• In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster
• The Bridge by Iain M. Banks
• The American Book of the Dead by Stephen Billias
• The "Latin American" Trilogy (The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts; Senor Vivo And The Coca Lord; The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman) by Louis De Bernieres

Authors (most works by each probably qualify)

• Michael Cisco
• Glen Cook
• David Gemmell
• Simon Green
• Tanith Lee
• Eric Van Lustbader
• China Miéville
• Edward Whittemore

Tanith Lee? Really? Interesting choice.

 

[Davis Ashura]

I've been thinking of reading Chronicles of Amber, my only doubt about the series is wether the series got a proper conclusion. Did Zelazny manage to finish the series before his death? Or at the very least, did the last novel at the least have something that seems like a proper conclusion...

It has an ending that solves most the of the issues raised in the series. There were a series of unfinished short stories by Zelazny that are unnecessary when reading the Chronicles, although they may flesh out the story in a different arc. The first five books of Amber are from the first person narrative of Corwin. The second 5 are from the narrative of Corwin's son, Merlin. Wonderful series. Deep and thoughtful and philosophical, but also full of action and dramatic tension.
Tanith Lee. How could I have over-looked her? Well, probably because she's overlooked a lot. She had a book titled Heartbeast, which I read about 15 years ago. Uncontrollable lust and sorrow and love that fails to stop evil. Some of the scenes from it still disturb me to this day. Wicked book.

 

[Bastard]

It has an ending that solves most the of the issues raised in the series. There were a series of unfinished short stories by Zelazny that are unnecessary when reading the Chronicles, although they may flesh out the story in a different arc. The first five books of Amber are from the first person narrative of Corwin. The second 5 are from the narrative of Corwin's son, Merlin. Wonderful series. Deep and thoughtful and philosophical, but also full of action and dramatic tension.
Tanith Lee. How could I have over-looked her? Well, probably because she's overlooked a lot. She had a book titled Heartbeast, which I read about 15 years ago. Uncontrollable lust and sorrow and love that fails to stop evil. Some of the scenes from it still disturb me to this day. Wicked book.

Thanks, that helps. I really have no interest the short stories, really on the 2 five novel series.

 

[Amaunette]

I would also say Alan Campbell's work has been grim and dirty, though not necessarily in my top 5. All I've read is Scar Night, so I can't comment about the rest. Just wanted to make sure he got a mention.

Anyway I don't know my top 5, but my #1 is definitely Abercrombie's First Law (I haven't gotten to read Best Served Cold yet, but I think it can easily be included).