Recommended Reading · 6:22pm Dec 28th, 2011
Derp. Guess I still can't delete blog posts, or at the very least, I can't figure out how to. So I'm just gonna revise this one to alter my list of things I've read that I enjoyed and feel are worth sharing. Definitely not up to MLA standards, but hey.
The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (being finished by Brandon Sanderson)
For better or worse, this one's a huge influence on my writing. I'd be lying if I said I loved it, but I like it enough to recommend it to anyone interested in reading through a truly epic adventure. Clocking in at 14 novels (the last still TBP, though it should be out Q1 of 2012), this one is worth your time at least once through.
Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin
An excellent fantasy series that downplays the importance of magic while still weaving it in as an integral part of the world. The risk of picking up the first book is getting to the end of the fifth and realizing that the author is going to finish book six (of seven planned) sometime after the heat death of the universe. An excellent read, however. HBO did a miniseries of the first book, and while it didn't cover everything I would have liked (what could?), it did a very, very good job of doing the work justice. I suppose having the author on staff to advise really helped matters.
The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
I picked this one up at the recommendation of the guys who run Penny Arcade, and I've loved it. Naturally, because it's good, it's also incomplete. The current series is 2 for 3 with no due date on the third, but the first two are quite entertaining, even more so if you're a bit of a science geek to appreciate the way the magic system works in his universe.
Dragonlance: Chronicles by Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman
I'll admit, this one's probably in more vaunted company than it deserves, but my base writing style and vocabulary are based on the books written by these two authors. Chronicles is composed of only 3 books out of several that they wrote, but it forms the backbone of the rest of the D&D setting, I feel. Then again, I've only sampled the parts that they've written, so perhaps I have the wrong idea. Still, I loved these books as a kid and I love them now. They're some of the very few that travel with me when I move from place to place and audit my stuff.
Dune by Frank Herbert
Just the first one. I mean, I liked the other books (written by this author, though to be fair, I haven't read his son's stuff, just heard the terrible word of mouth), but this one is just fantastic. It builds an entire world and dynasty within the span of a few hundred pages. Among all of these, this one is probably the one I'd recommend the most. It's stood the test of time for a good reason.
The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman
Though it's in a graphic novel format, the stories contained within are captivating. Each is drawn by a different artist, lending an odd, patchwork feel to the overall storyline that. While at times I don't fully like this effect, it still makes for an enjoyable read. The series has a somewhat unique take on several mythological figures, and I often find myself sitting down to reread them when I need something more visually stimulating.
If you have not read them, there is a trilogy that supplements the Dragonlance Chronicles (I think it was The Lost Chronicles) that was written more recently. It is about events that are mentioned but never detailed in the original such as how they find the Hammer of Kharas (spelling?).