Other Science Fiction & Fantasy

Recommended Reading

Epic (Quest) Fantasy

David Eddings -- The Belgariad
Pawn of Prophecy (Book 1)	Queen of Sorcery (Book 2)	Magician's Gambit (Book 3)	Castle of Wizardry (Book 4)	Enchanters' End Game (Book 5)

Micro review: Decent pace, memorable characters, awesome setting, and humor. These books had it all. A must for fans of epic quest fantasy. Robert Jordan should be more like Eddings. Eddings actually finishes a series.

Stephen R. Donaldson -- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
	Lord Foul's Bane (Book 1)	The Illearth War (Book 2)	The Power That Preserves (Book 3)

Micro review: I had a love/hate relationship with these books. I rarely have a book piss me off so bad that I throw it against the wall. Donaldson did that to me. He has a rare power because I picked it up again. I loathed the protagonist of this series, a sick, self-involved, self-indulgent coward, who just never seems to get his head out of his butt. If it were not for the awesome supporting cast that lug his dead weight through the series I would never have finished the books. You get Covenant's character in the first four or five pages of Lord Foul's Bane, but Donaldson pours it on... I found myself not pitying or empathizing with this lepresy infected gent but hating him. I skipped the first 50 pages of that book-- it was all repetitive and dreary. Once the story moves into the fantasy setting, few do it better. The main character is a continual and frustrating disappointment. Don't read these books to follow the-- uhhh, hero. Read it to enjoy the setting and the awesome characters that surround the crummy main character.

After many years, Donaldson added a second series to the first. I hoped in vain that Covenant given a second chance at things would have at least adjusted his attitude. No, the character remains the same angsty, whiney, makes-me-want-to-throttle him self... to top it off, he adds a female counterpart almost as bad. I won't ruin the ending for you, but it made me hit my forehead against the wall until it bled. Is that a good thing?

Episodic Fantasy

Diane Duane -- The Tales of the Five
The Door into Fire (Book 1)	The Door into Shadow (Book 2)	The Door into Sunset (Book 3)	? The Door into Starlight (Book 4)

Micro review: These are hard to find books, especially the mythical Door Into Starlight which she still promises to write. I started the series with Door into Fire and was fascinated with the offbeat world and even more offbeat characters and fascinating approach to magic. The books are a little slow but everything is so intricate and well crafted you are drawn in just the same. The books are rather— loose with sexuality, so if you are easily shocked or offended you might want to take a pass. Duane wrote like a pro back in 77 when she released the first of these. She's since logged 40 books more— you're in good hands, a read you won't regret (except that the books end).

Lynn Abbey -- Daughter of the Bright Moon/The Black Flame
	Daughter of the Bright Moon (Book 1)	The Black Flame (Book 2)

Micro review: I can't really elucidate why these books stuck with me. I guess it's primarily the character, Rifkind, who is so well done. The first book is great, the second book however is more gratuitous and a harder go. You'll want to like it simply because of what you remember from the first book.

( More reviews to come as I find covers and think of them... )

John Varley -- The Titan series
	Titan (Book 1)	Wizard (Book 2)	Demon (Book 3)

Micro review: The titles may seem simple and the covers not much to look at, but wow-- this guy can write. Perhaps it's his twisted imagination that appeals to me-- the image of the goddess Gaia trying to put a camel through the eye of a needle... Yes, it's different—a little slow in places, but there be some fruit for your mind to pick in these.

( More reviews to come as I find covers and think of them... )