I read quite a bit. Some say that I read too much and spend too much time in a "fantasy world"... Personally, I think that reading, any reading, expands the mind and that people, especially children, should be encouraged to read. There's a tendency today to get instant gratification from our entertainment. You see a movie and the whole thing is spelled out for you in glorious colour, or you play your favorite video game and you become lost in the mindless violence and flashy graphics -- You don't need to think, it's all done for you! Reading, however, forces you to make the pictures in your own mind -- each person who reads a book will have different ideas as to what the hero (or heroine) looks like, who the bad guy is, or what the world looks like, etc. It takes a lot of work to read, which is probably why a lot of people don't bother... I enjoy reading, I do it whenever I get a free minute, and I thought I would display some of the better books that I've read here on this page and give my opinions of them. My apologies to text-only viewers -- some of the items on this page may not display very well if you're viewing with Lynx, but I tried my best... Table of Contents [Page 1] Page 1 J.R.R. Tolkien Charles de Lint Raymond E. Feist Terry Goodkind Tad Williams David Farland Alan Dean Foster Glen Cook Harry Harrison Robin Hobb Page 2 Dennis L. McKiernan L.E. Modesitt Jr. David Drake Robert Jordan George R. Martin Robert A. Heinlein Lawrence Watt Evans Dave Duncan Terry Pratchett Melanie Rawn

J.R.R Tolkien Tolkien has always been called the "Father of Fantasy," and although there were several people writing fantasy around the same time, he is the most widely known. No journey into fantasy is complete without reading the "Lord of the Rings," which begins in "The Hobbit" -- The story of a young hobbit's adventure into the unknown with a unlikely group of dwarves and a wizard. A young Bilbo Baggins finds himself having far more adventure than he can handle when he meets up the fiendish shadows, an army of orcs and a dragon named Smaug. The Hobbit The Works of J.R.R. Tolkien The Silmarillion The Fellowship of the Rings   The Two Towers   The Return of the King Other works by J.R.R.Tolkien include; Unfinished Tales The Book of Lost Tales 1 The Book of Lost Tales 2 The Lays of Beleriand The Shaping of Middle Earth The Lost Road Charles de Lint Mister de Lint doesn't just write fantasy novels, he writes magic! He blends ancient beliefs with urban folktales and adds a dab of mythology to weave together a magical modern-day city called "Newford" in which most of his tales are set. The ancient spirits still walk among us, unseen except by a few special who populate this city (which is loosely based on Ottawa). It would be very difficult to put into words what Charles de Lint writes, you really need to pick up one of this books and immerse yourself within his mind to understand what he is. Charles de Lint is my favorite Canadian author. The Works of Charles de Lint Yarrow Moonheart Spiritwalk Greenmantle Memory & Dream Jack of Kinrowan Dreams Underfoot Someplace to be Flying Trader Trader The Ivory and Horn Moonlight and Vines Forests of the Heart (Newest Book) Raymond E. Feist I've been a fan of Feist ever since I first read "Magician: Apprentice." His writing style is quite fluid, and you'll quickly find yourself being drawn into the story, excited about what the characters will be doing next. The social interaction between the characters is also magical -- you'd almost think that you were standing in the room, watching the action -- and that action doesn't stop throughout the whole series. Another novel by Feist, Faerie Tale, is set within the modern world, yet it still reflects Feist's fluid writing style and remains a very good reading experience. It also helps if you have an imagination... The Works of Raymond E.Feist Riftwar Saga To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. But though his courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, he was ill at ease with the normal ways of wizardry. Yet Pug's strange sort of magic would one day change forever the fates of two worlds. For dark beings from another world had opened a rift in the fabric of spacetime to being again the age-old battle between the forces of Order and Chaos.   Magician: Apprentice Magician: Master Silverthorn A Darkness at Sethanon Prince of the Blood The King's Buccaneer Serpentwar Saga Two unlikely friends, a bastard heir and a thieving rogue, take up arms to defend their native Midkemia against the terrible Emerald Queen and her gargantuan reptile army.   Shadow of a Dark Queen Rise of a Merchant Prince Rage of a Demon King Shards of a Broken Crown Riftwar Legacy Squire Locklear has been sent to the Northlands after some trouble with a married man's wife. There, he captures Groath, a renegade Dark Elf who warns him that the Dark Elves are again rising up in a plot against the humans. The dream name "Murmandamus" has been revived and all manner of folk are flocking to his banner, even though those few in the know are aware that Murmandamus was simply a ruse in the last war, an illusion in which the Dark Elves were forced to believe and for which they were made to give their lives. Together, the Squire and the Elf travel to give this dire news to the Prince of Krondor, meeting along the way young Owyn, a magician with more desire than skill. Also joining in the deeds of derring-do are Jimmy the Hand, a former thief now promoted to King's Man, and Patrus, a field magician who was Owyn's first mentor. As disasters pile up, these valiant hunks struggle to foil the various evil plots that surround them... If you read the whole Riftwar series from the beginning, you'll find yourself caught up in the magic of Feist's Krondor.   Krondor the Betrayal Krondor: the Assassins Krondor: Tear of the Gods (forthcoming) With Janny Wurts Magic and murder engulf the realm of Kelewan. Fierce warlords ignite a bitter blood feud to enslave the empire of Tsuranuanni. While in the opulent Imperial courts, assassins and spy-master plot cunning and devious intrigues against the rightful heir. Now Mara, a young, untested Ruling lady, is called upon to lead her people in a heroic struggle for survival. But first she must rally an army of rebel warriors, form a pact with the alien cho-ja, and marry the son of a hated enemy. Only then can Mara face her most dangerous foe of all -- in his own impregnable stronghold.   Daughter of the Empire Servant of the Empire Mistress of the Empire   Faerie Tale Phil Hastings was a lucky man. He had money, a growing reputation as a screenwriter, a happy, loving family with three kids, and the house of his dreams in rural upstate New York. But then came the Magic, the Bad Thing, the Faerie, and the Fool -- and the resurrection of a primordial war that the whole human race could lose. Terry Goodkind The Works of Terry Goodkind The Sword of Truth Wizard's First Rule: People are stupid and will believe almost anything. Elected to bear the powerful Sword of Truth when dark times fall upon the Three Kingdoms, woodsman and warrior Richard Cypher is forced to confront his enemy, Darken Rahl, a royal mage who commands a deadly magic.   Wizard's First Rule Stone of Tears Blood of the Fold Temple of the Winds Soul of the Fire Faith of the Fallen (forthcoming) Tad Williams The Works of Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn As Prester John, the High King, lies dying, war and chaos are imminent for the peaceful land of Osten Ard, and only a small group, the League of the Scroll, recognizes the true danger awaiting its world. The Dragonbone Chair is the story of Simon, a young kitchen boy and magician's apprentice whose dreams of great deeds and heroic wars come all too shockingly true when his world is torn apart by a terrifying civil war--a war fueled by ancient hatreds, immortal enemies, and the dark powers of sorcery.   The Dragonbone Chair Stone of Farewell To Green Angel Tower (Part I) To Green Angel Tower (Part II) Otherland In the very near future, a global conspiracy known as The Grail Brotherhood threatens to sacrifice the Earth for a more exclusive place--Otherland, a virtual reality world of the wildest imaginings and the most horrific nightmares. A far-reaching cyberpunk saga with Renie Sulaweyo, a teacher in the South Africa of tomorrow, realizing something is wrong on the network. Some of the younger kids, including her brother Stephen, have logged into the net, but they can't get back out. The clues point to a mysterious golden city called Otherland, but everyone who tries to find out what's going on ends up dead. Helping her are a Bushman tribesman, a World War I soldier lost in time, a physically and mentally lacking role-playing gamer, and an eccentric Englishman who may be engaged in duplicity.   City of Golden Shadow River of Blue Fire Mountain of Black Glass David Farland The Runelords Young Prince Gabon Val Orden of Mystarria is traveling in disguise on a journey to ask for the hand of the lovely Princess Iome of Sylvarresta when he and his warrior bodyguard spot a pair of assassins who have set their sights on the princess's father. The pair races to warn the king of the impending danger and realizes that more than the royal family is at risk -- the very fate of the Earth is in jeopardy. The intriguing hook behind Farland's first novel is a complex magical technology whereby abilities such as wit, brawn and stamina are transferable from person to person. The Runelords:The Sum of all Men Brotherhood of the Wolf Alan Dean Foster Nor Crystal Tears Before Man and insectlike Thranx had become allies, when the reptilian AAnn were just occasional raiders of Thranx colony worlds, one young Thranx agricultural expert lived a life of quiet desperation. A dreamer in a world of sensible, stable beings, Ryo buried himself in his work -- reclaiming marshland from a tenacious jungle -- until he came across a letter describing a relative's encounter with horrid, two-legged, soft-skinned space-going beasts... Pip and Flinx Moth was a beautiful planet, the only one with wings -- two great golden clouds suspended in space around it. Here was a wide-open world for any venture a man might scheme. The planet attracted unwary travelers, hardened space-sailors, and merchant buccaneers -- a teeming, constantly shifting horde that provided a comfortable income for certain quick-witted fellows like Phillip Linx known to his friends as Flix, an orphan sold at the Drallar slave markets and his pet flying snake Pip. With his odd talents, the pickings were easy enough so that Flinx did not have to be dishonest ... most of the time. In fact, it hardly seemed dishonest at all to steal a starmap from a dead body that didn't really need it anymore. But Flinx wasn't quite smart enough. He should have wondered why the body was dead in the first place... The first book, "Nor Crystal Tears," provides the setting and history behind Flinx's universe.     The Tar-Aiym Krang Orphan Star The End of the Matter For Love of Mother Not Mid Flinx Flinx in Flux Spellsinger It has all the things that make a great fantasy novel: the battle of good against evil, an unwilling hero, Jon Tom, reaches within himself for his inner strength to overcome great adversity, lots of twists and turn before the conflict is finally resolved. What makes the Spellsinger different is Foster's use of common things (music, talking animals) to achieve these goals.     Spellsinger The Hour of the Gate The Day of Dissonance The Moment of the Magician The Paths of the Perambulator The Time of the Transference Chorus Skating Journeys of the Cathechist The tall herdsman/warrior Etjole Ehomba of the Naumkib tribe lives by the sea. When a number of strange warriors wash up dead on the sand, only the nobleman Tarin Beckwith survives long enough to whisper a dying request: It seems that the Visioness Themaryl of Laconda has been abducted by Hymneth the Possessed and carried off to the remote land of Ehl-Larimar. Etjole accepts the dead man's entreaty to rescue her, and sets off on a very long journey. Along the way he aquires a sidekick, the garrulous treasure-hunter Simna Ibn Sind and he saves Ahlitah, a large black cat--part lion, part cheetah--who feels obligated, and joins the expedition. Oh, did I mention that Etjole can also speak to animals? He can. Carnivores of Light and Darkness Into the Thinking Kingdoms A Triumph of Souls Other books by Alan Dean Foster Greenthieves Glory Lane Cyber Way Codgerspace When machines cease their required functions in order to search for a nonhuman species of higher intelligence, their quest produces a threat to man and machine. Now the fate of the galaxy lies in the hands of five senior citizens and their faithful food processor. Midworld For hundreds of years, the globe-spanning rain forest of Midworld sustained a peaceful primitive society. Then, the aliens came. Ignorant of Midworld's Upper and Lower Hell, they were taught by the natives to survive. But the visitors have destructive plans for Midworld--and the natives will have to take desperate measures. With Friends Like These Who Needs Enemies? Glen Cook The Garrett Files Garrett is an ex marine turned detective living in the city of Tunfaire, a gathering place for orcs, dwarves, halflings, trolls, pixies, and other unsavory creatures. He hates legwork, actually he hates any kind of work, but a guy's gotta eat. His nearest friends are Morley Dotes, a half elf living in the dark side of the city, a large creature known as a Loghyr who's been dead for 400 years but who's spirit hasn't bothered to leave his body yet, his housekeeper Dean, and a variety of women who cause Garett nothing but problems. A sort of Tolkien-esque Sherlock Holmes...with attitude.   Sweet Sliver Blues Bitter Gold Hearts Cold Copper Tears Old Tin Sorrows Dread Brass Shadows Red Iron Nights Deadly Quicksilver Lies Petty Pewter Gods Faded Steel Heat The Chronicles of the Black Company Adrift in a world torn by sorcery gone wild, the Company is the last remnant of a once-great mercenary army. Led by Croaker, former physician and primary chronicler, they must search the world for the last ray of hope--the White Rose. The tough mercenaries of the Black Company risk their lives and their souls as they set out to find the White Rose, a mystical figure who embodies the very essence of good.   The Black Company The Black Company Shadows Linger The White Rose Silver Spike Shadow Games Dreams of Steel Black Company - The Glittering Stones Bleak Seasons She Is the Darkness Water Sleeps Soldiers Live Harry Harrison Stainless Steel Rat Slippery Jim DiGriz. The galaxy's greatest thief and con artist: the Stainless Steel Rat. For novel upon novel, Jim DiGriz has outfoxed the forces of conventionality, cutting a stylish swathe through dozens of star systems. A James Bond for the 25th Century.   The Stainless Steel Rat The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World A Stainless Steel Rat is Born The Stainless Steel Rat for President The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You The Stainless Steel Rat Joins the Circus The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues Stainless Steel Visions (anthology)   Bill the Galactic Hero Series Starship Troopers meets The Three Stooges. Bill the Galactic Hero is a very silly series about a fellow who does everything wrong, and yet seems to survive the explosions. If you like Red Dwarf, you'd like Bill. Eden Sixty-five million years ago, a disastrous cataclysm eliminated three quarters of all life on Earth. Overnight, the age of dinosaurs ended. The age of mammals had begun. But what if history had happened differently? What if the reptiles had survived to evolve intelligent life? In West of Eden, bestselling author Harry Harrison has created a rich, dramatic saga of a world where the descendants of the dinosaurs struggled with a clan of humans in a battle for survival. Here is the story of Kerrick, a young hunter who grows to manhood among the dinosaurs, escaping at last to rejoin his own kind.   West of Eden Winter in Eden Return to Eden Robin Hobb The Works of Robin Hobb The Liveship Traders Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships--rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her--a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, Vivacia is a life sentence. But the fate of the Vestrit family--and the ship--may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles...and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will...   Ship of Magic Mad Ship Ship of Destiny The Farseer Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him sectetly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.   Assassin's Apprentice Assassin's Quest Royal Assassin [Reading Page 2] The entire contents of this page is Copyright ©1997-2000 FoxDesigns - All Rights Reserved.