Unknown authors (Anyone who've read them?)

[Lady_Linda]

I just found some tip about good fantasy books, and most of the authors are ones I've never heard of - so I thought I'd pass on the tip and try to get some advise at the same time, any of them worth to buy?

'Guinevere' would be the first part of a trilogy by Sharan Newman - and, of course centered around the 'aurtherian' queen. I'd buy it for something that seemed like an interesting relation between the lead character and a unicorn. Anone read it?

A serie called 'Split Infinity' by Piers Anthony - that is supposed to be about the differences between a world of magic and a world of science. Six books.
I noticed when I searched at amazon.com that he'd written _lots_ of books - but I've never heard of him.

The Magic and the Healing
by Nick O'Donohoe seems to be a very original, but perhaps childish book - about a veterinary who get the chance to practise his work in a magical world. Out of print, as far as I know (anyone have a copy for sale? :0)

Four more books I'm interested in. The Particolored Unicorn by Jon DeCles, The Unicorn Creed, Songs of Sorcery by
Elizabeth Scarborough and The Unlikely Ones by Mary Brown.

Here is the whole list of books I found... http://www.unicorn-dream.co.uk/unicorn8.html

~Linda~

 

[Cadfael]

Hmmm, Piers Anthony is actually quite well know, the only series I have read by him is the Incarnations of Reality books. They are rather funny. Each book deals with one of the 'fates', ie. Death, Chronos, Satan (who is a nice guy really

). The 1st book is called On A Pale Horse Riding, Death accidentially gets killed, and the guy who was responsible has to take over the job!! His horse can turn into a sports car for traveling in the real world.

Geeze, what is the name of that darn horse?

[This message has been edited by dennizm (edited May 29, 2001).]

 

[Rhaegar]

I don't mean to sound harsh but I have found that the reason some authors are "unknown" is that they aren't all that good. I went through a phaze a few years back when I sought out these unknown's books. I came away not too impressed with the majority that I read. The Unlikely Ones by Mary Brown is definitely one I remember loathing. But this is just one man's opinion.

 

[bookfreak13]

Dennizm,
The horse's name is Mortis. And Piers Anthony is quite well known, especially for his Xanth series. It is pretty amusing.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Rhaegar, no doubt most of the less known authors are less known simply because they are less good, but here and there you can find an author that is good enough to be from the first line and writers but didn't make it somehow.
Those are minority, but for those few it's worth your time to check some less known authors.

 

[Barbarossa]

To second FC's opinion, who had heared of GRRM before SoIAF? I read as much as of his backlist as i could get my hands on, and never was dissapointed, but the pre-SoIAF GRRM would have been considered an unknown here. Hey basically all his books were out of print, even though he had won a fair share of rewards for them,

 

[Rob B]

I read GRRM before he published aSoIF. He had 3 short stories published in an anthology series called Night Visions. The other two authors in his volume of NV were Stephen King and Dan Simmons, my dad is a Stephen King fan, he bought it and all stories were good in it.

bookfreak13 Dennizm stated that Anthony was well known.

 

[Cadfael]

I actually stated that Anthony was quite well know, but I meant known

I think Bookfreak was agreeing with me.

 

[Lady Fox]

I can't agree with you on classifying any of these authors as "unknown" - especially Anthony, Scarborough, and Brown. These three have been around for quite a while and have numerous fantasy books published. Anthony is one of the most prolific writers in the genre. His Xanth series alone is monstrous long - in fact, he got quite out of control with this series. My sister swore off Xanth around book 10 and vowed never to buy another one. Me, I'm a pun fan so I just keep torturing myself. LOL!

 

[AuntiePam]

Sharan Newman might be unknown in fantasy, but she has written a good medieval mystery series that has quite a following.

Martin's been popular in horror for years. Not the Stephen King-type of popular -- more the Dan Simmons-Peter Straub type of popular.

Boy, is this an inane post or what?

 

[Lady_Linda]

I don't think it was inane.

Thanks guys! I apprechiate it :0)

Lady Fox, the authors might be well known without me knowing about them, since I mostly hear about books translated to swedish - nevertheless, the really big authors in english comes around too...

Just one thing, anyone who actually has read Newman's 'Guinevere'? (I'm thinking about buying it, but it was kinda expensive, so I want to know if it is something to go for...

~Linda~

 

[Cadfael]

I din't think it was an inane post either, the fact is I just may get a good recommendation from it, and to be honest Mary Brown and Sharon Newman are unknown to me... but not for long I hope

 

[Cicero]

James Branch Cabell author of Jurgen a Comedy of Justice written 1919 It was at one point banned in Boston and New York for obscenity . This book was at one well known widely read ,celebrate snd admired . He was the Terry Pratchett of his era, a master Ironic humor and wit In all he wrote 50 fantasy novels and was admired by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett By in the 1930's he fell out of favor with readers and is largely unknown and unremembered by most modern readers.

his most famous quote " The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the Pessimist fears that this is true"

He's well worth reading and deserves to be remembered again.