Fantasy authors you (and I) should NEVER read - Page 17

JSWolf · 07-21-2011, 05:24 AM

Who to avoid....

Avoid any author that write romance and tosses in vampires to try to appeal to teen girls.

nikkers · 07-22-2011, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Who to avoid....

Avoid any author that write romance and tosses in vampires to try to appeal to teen girls.

That covers about 50% of all female fiction at the moment. But does any one else thinkPatriuck Rothfuss's Wise Mans Fear books are a boys own Twilight . Well written , good yarn but its like watching paint dry. Can't he get on with it instead of going off and playing with the fairies for a couple of hundred words etc

GreenMonkey · 07-28-2011, 02:11 AM

Oh, old thread, but lots of good reading. I'll comment on some of the names brought up.

Personally I liked Terry Brooks, mostly. Shannara- Sure, Sword was a bit of a LOTR clone, but it was his first book. They got better. Up to the end of the Heritage of Shannara I really enjoyed. I read the High Druid/Jerle Shanarra ...meh. I think he derailed a bit - I didn't think either of these trilogies were very good. Word/Void was very good, and the newer Armageddon's Children prequel was alright.

Another one criticized - Weis & Hickman - the first book and a half or so of the original Dragonlance books are pretty cliche, but the end + Legends is still great reading to me. I love Raistlin & Caramon. After that things become hit and miss, but that's the influence of TSR/Wizards of the Coast screwing up the gameworld.

Mercedes Lackey came up, and I love her books. Especially the last Herald-Mage trilogy. The last Valdemar book or two, I admit, have started to feel strained - kind of like Brook's Jerle Shannara/High Druid trilogies - so maybe she's run out of stuff for the world. I dunno.

I read Gene Wolf's Book of the New Sun...boy, that's a tough, tough read to me. I felt like reading it again, and I wasn't really sure if I loved it or not. I liked "There Are Doors" a bit better on first read. I'm not surprised he is controversial, mainly because he is a tough read - it's a very different style of books.

I can't believe Neil Gaman's American Gods came up - it wasn't a favorite book for me, but it was pretty good.

I think the most controversial on my disliked list would be The Wheel of Time. I got through about book 5...it just didn't seem to be going anywhere, nothing happened of note, and the fight descriptions were ridiculous. (so and so used the wheeling crane that flows down the river...or something like that).

The funny thing is, I avoided G.R.R. Martin for a long time, because I thought he was going to be the same sort of writer - big books, hyped up.... boy, was I wrong. My 2nd favorite author now.

carld · 07-28-2011, 02:38 AM

I really enjoyed Brook's Sword of Shanara and his later Elfstones books. American Gods was a great read once I really got into it. In-fact I liked a lot of the books listed as avoid at all costs.

I will say though that I was so turned off by "that scene" in Donaldson's book that I set it down and won't read any more of him.

William F · 07-28-2011, 03:07 AM

On the off chance that he hasn't been mentioned, I would like to nominate Dennis L McKiernan. Although in a certain way he is a hero to me, I'd rather not reveal how.

EatingPie · 07-28-2011, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Who to avoid....

Avoid any author that write romance and tosses in vampires to try to appeal to teen girls.

... or uses Vampires to appeal to anyone on a romantic/sexual level.

I find True Blood fans the highest form of hypocrisy. I've met so many that despise Twilight and somehow deny they're reading basically the same thing, adults replacing teens, sex replacing romance. I'd even heard Twilight was banned from last year's (2010) Comic Con (don't know if that's true), but True Blood was not. Sheesh!

-Pie

caleb72 · 07-29-2011, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatingPie

I find True Blood fans the highest form of hypocrisy. I've met so many that despise Twilight and somehow deny they're reading basically the same thing, adults replacing teens, sex replacing romance. I'd even heard Twilight was banned from last year's (2010) Comic Con (don't know if that's true), but True Blood was not. Sheesh!

-Pie

I'm one of those hypocrites I'm afraid. I like True Blood because it's so skanky. I wouldn't call Twilight skanky at all so I have no problems differentiating between the two.

EatingPie · 07-29-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caleb72

I'm one of those hypocrites I'm afraid. I like True Blood because it's so skanky. I wouldn't call Twilight skanky at all so I have no problems differentiating between the two.

Differentiating is certainly one thing. All out hostility is another!

Kevin Smith actually gave a speech at Comic Con deriding the geeks for being such geeks to Twilight fans. (Comic Book / Gamer / Science Fiction / Live-in-the-Basement Geeks thinking they're above this thing called Twilight!) This speech was so effective, it actually inspired an episode of the cartoon Phineas and Ferb with Smith reprising his role as ... er.... himself kindasorta!

I see the ultimate expression of this attitude Smith was talking about is found in people that read/watch True Blood and still hold Twilight in disdain.

-Pie

queentess · 07-29-2011, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

Oh, old thread, but lots of good reading. I'll comment on some of the names brought up.

Personally I liked Terry Brooks, mostly. Shannara- Sure, Sword was a bit of a LOTR clone, but it was his first book. They got better. Up to the end of the Heritage of Shannara I really enjoyed. I read the High Druid/Jerle Shanarra ...meh. I think he derailed a bit - I didn't think either of these trilogies were very good. Word/Void was very good, and the newer Armageddon's Children prequel was alright.

Another one criticized - Weis & Hickman - the first book and a half or so of the original Dragonlance books are pretty cliche, but the end + Legends is still great reading to me. I love Raistlin & Caramon. After that things become hit and miss, but that's the influence of TSR/Wizards of the Coast screwing up the gameworld.

Mercedes Lackey came up, and I love her books. Especially the last Herald-Mage trilogy. The last Valdemar book or two, I admit, have started to feel strained - kind of like Brook's Jerle Shannara/High Druid trilogies - so maybe she's run out of stuff for the world. I dunno.

I read Gene Wolf's Book of the New Sun...boy, that's a tough, tough read to me. I felt like reading it again, and I wasn't really sure if I loved it or not. I liked "There Are Doors" a bit better on first read. I'm not surprised he is controversial, mainly because he is a tough read - it's a very different style of books.

I can't believe Neil Gaman's American Gods came up - it wasn't a favorite book for me, but it was pretty good.

I think the most controversial on my disliked list would be The Wheel of Time. I got through about book 5...it just didn't seem to be going anywhere, nothing happened of note, and the fight descriptions were ridiculous. (so and so used the wheeling crane that flows down the river...or something like that).

The funny thing is, I avoided G.R.R. Martin for a long time, because I thought he was going to be the same sort of writer - big books, hyped up.... boy, was I wrong. My 2nd favorite author now.

It appears that you are the Yin to my Yang. My opinion is the exact opposite on every single one of those (though I've not yet read GRRM, so I can't say about him).

carld · 07-30-2011, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatingPie

I see the ultimate expression of this attitude Smith was talking about is found in people that read/watch True Blood and still hold Twilight in disdain.

-Pie

While I don't hold Twilight in disdain as such, I did watch the movies, I think the two are very different. To me the biggest difference is that the Sookie Stackhouse books are much better written than the Twilight novels. I read all the books in the True Blood series, but just couldn't get through even one of the Twilight books.

EatingPie · 07-30-2011, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

While I don't hold Twilight in disdain as such, I did watch the movies, I think the two are very different. To me the biggest difference is that the Sookie Stackhouse books are much better written than the Twilight novels. I read all the books in the True Blood series, but just couldn't get through even one of the Twilight books.

While I myself am not the target audience by any means, I still fully understand about Twilight.

I actually thought the last book was absolutely awesome! And I say this as one who hated all the previous books (I'm a stubborn reader); they were either hair-pullingly torturous or laugh out loud stupid (he sparkles!). I don't recommend you read them, but she did improve amazingly as a writer and basic story teller.

-Pie

cearbhallain · 07-30-2011, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatingPie

While I myself am not the target audience by any means, I still fully understand about Twilight.

I actually thought the last book was absolutely awesome! And I say this as one who hated all the previous books (I'm a stubborn reader); they were either hair-pullingly torturous or laugh out loud stupid (he sparkles!). I don't recommend you read them, but she did improve amazingly as a writer and basic story teller.

-Pie

Or, she got a better editor.

xg4bx · 07-30-2011, 11:19 PM

not only did i read and enjoy the entire Sword of Truth series but i found myself literally falling in love with Kahlan. if that's not embarrassing then i don't know what is lol.

i used to read a ton of fantasy. i can't do it anymore, it just seems so silly. i can't read these made up words and keep a straight face. however i did start Ari Marmell's The Conqueror's Shadow and i'm enjoying it immensely, probably because he uses good old fashioned english and plain speech.

Xanthe · 08-02-2011, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junkml

Don't feel bad, I've tried to read it three times in the last three decades and have never been able to finish the trilogy. I find it so tedious and boring that I put it down and never pick it up again.

Count me in as another person who can't stand to read Tolkien. My eyes just start rolling up in my head whenever I try.

I read the first three books of David Eddings "Dreamers" series and stopped because they were all basically the same book.

JK Rowlings' books will never pass my doorstep.

I just can't get into Terry Prachett's books, even when the theme is one that should interest me.

I tend to avoid any authors whose paperback covers have either a dragon, a unicorn, or a bipedal creature with a cat's head on it.

I really want to read George R. R. Martin, but everytime I pick up one of his books, I put it down after reading about five pages.

I can't bring myself to read Terry Goodkind or Robert Jordan or Jean M. Aurel. I've looked at the covers and read the blurbs many times in the bookstores, but I just can't make myself buy those books.

I've started "Outlander" by Gabaldon several times, but I always get to a certain point and then I realize that I couldn't care less about Claire and stop reading.

carld · 08-02-2011, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xanthe

JK Rowlings' books will never pass my doorstep.

Because you feel they're badly written?

07-28-2011, 02:11 AM	#243
GreenMonkey DRM hater Posts: 945 Karma: 2066176 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Michigan Device: Nook ST glow, Kindle Voyage	Oh, old thread, but lots of good reading. I'll comment on some of the names brought up. Personally I liked Terry Brooks, mostly. Shannara- Sure, Sword was a bit of a LOTR clone, but it was his first book. They got better. Up to the end of the Heritage of Shannara I really enjoyed. I read the High Druid/Jerle Shanarra ...meh. I think he derailed a bit - I didn't think either of these trilogies were very good. Word/Void was very good, and the newer Armageddon's Children prequel was alright. Another one criticized - Weis & Hickman - the first book and a half or so of the original Dragonlance books are pretty cliche, but the end + Legends is still great reading to me. I love Raistlin & Caramon. After that things become hit and miss, but that's the influence of TSR/Wizards of the Coast screwing up the gameworld. Mercedes Lackey came up, and I love her books. Especially the last Herald-Mage trilogy. The last Valdemar book or two, I admit, have started to feel strained - kind of like Brook's Jerle Shannara/High Druid trilogies - so maybe she's run out of stuff for the world. I dunno. I read Gene Wolf's Book of the New Sun...boy, that's a tough, tough read to me. I felt like reading it again, and I wasn't really sure if I loved it or not. I liked "There Are Doors" a bit better on first read. I'm not surprised he is controversial, mainly because he is a tough read - it's a very different style of books. I can't believe Neil Gaman's American Gods came up - it wasn't a favorite book for me, but it was pretty good. I think the most controversial on my disliked list would be The Wheel of Time. I got through about book 5...it just didn't seem to be going anywhere, nothing happened of note, and the fight descriptions were ridiculous. (so and so used the wheeling crane that flows down the river...or something like that). The funny thing is, I avoided G.R.R. Martin for a long time, because I thought he was going to be the same sort of writer - big books, hyped up.... boy, was I wrong. My 2nd favorite author now. Last edited by GreenMonkey; 07-28-2011 at 02:18 AM.

07-28-2011, 02:38 AM	#244
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I really enjoyed Brook's Sword of Shanara and his later Elfstones books. American Gods was a great read once I really got into it. In-fact I liked a lot of the books listed as avoid at all costs. I will say though that I was so turned off by "that scene" in Donaldson's book that I set it down and won't read any more of him. Last edited by carld; 07-30-2011 at 03:48 PM.

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07-21-2011, 05:24 AM	#241
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,796 Karma: 146391129 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Who to avoid.... Avoid any author that write romance and tosses in vampires to try to appeal to teen girls.

07-28-2011, 03:07 AM	#245
William F Pirosopher Posts: 55 Karma: 166972 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: kindle, pc	On the off chance that he hasn't been mentioned, I would like to nominate Dennis L McKiernan. Although in a certain way he is a hero to me, I'd rather not reveal how.

07-30-2011, 11:19 PM	#253
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	not only did i read and enjoy the entire Sword of Truth series but i found myself literally falling in love with Kahlan. if that's not embarrassing then i don't know what is lol. i used to read a ton of fantasy. i can't do it anymore, it just seems so silly. i can't read these made up words and keep a straight face. however i did start Ari Marmell's The Conqueror's Shadow and i'm enjoying it immensely, probably because he uses good old fashioned english and plain speech.

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