Better late than never...

[capmarvel]

Recently reading about the origins of D&D inspired me to read some of the novels I never got around to.

So, I finally read a "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser" and a Conan ("Red Nails").

I enjoyed both and and kind of amazed that both are 75 plus years old.

Anyway, please throw out some suggestions for further reading. I've actually started by second Conan this afternoon (""The Phoenix on the Sword").

thanks!

[Litzen Tallister]

The Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser books are great reads. In the realm of the early fantasy literature, Peter S. Beagle's The Lost Unicorn (also a cartoon of the same name) is a great read. Somewhat later on in genre history, there's also Ursla K. LeGuin's Earthsea novels and Michael Moorcock's Elric novels, both of which have ominbus editions, though I think the former's are out of print. Also, if the more urban low-ish fantasy of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser appeals to you, the Thieves' World anthologies (the original ones as I've yet to read the newer releases) are worth reading and include works by a number of long-standing genre staples, such as Robert Asprin and Marion Zimmer Bradley, to name a few.

[AGNKim]

I love me some Conan. "And A Witch Shall Be Born", "The God In The Bowl" and "The Tower of the Elephant" are some of my favorites.

Modern day? Patrick Rothfuss's "The Name of the Wind" is possibly the best book I have ever read.

[Omote]

Red Nails. Love it. Howard's Conan rocks my face off.

~O

[ThrorII]

I love me some Conan. "And A Witch Shall Be Born", "The God In The Bowl" and "The Tower of the Elephant" are some of my favorites.

Modern day? Patrick Rothfuss's "The Name of the Wind" is possibly the best book I have ever read.

'A Witch Shall Be Born', 'Black Colossus', and 'Frost Giant's Daughter' are my all-time REH favorites.

[Fiffergrund]

It was a long time before I got to read Howard's Conan, but when I did, it was an amazing experience.

The imagination there is incredible. I'm not sure I have a favorite, but I liked The Hour of the Dragon, Black Colossus, and The Tower of the Elephant as standouts.

Red Nails was Conan at his most visceral level.

[capmarvel]

One other thing that amazes me is that these people wrote long-hand or on a typewriter.

[Lurker]

One other thing that amazes me is that these people wrote long-hand or on a typewriter.

Rgr that, After finishing all those papers and assignments for my degrees, on a computer with word and the God send of spell checking, I cannot imagine doing that work by hand ...

Now for a book to read from back in the day that I like, the Thieves world novels. A lot of short stories that are loosely related at best but great ideas for seeds for games. After the first books, I think they lose something (what, book 3 or 4 is where they drop off for me but it has been ages since I've read them so I could be off by a book or so), but the first few are great.

Of course, It is me so I have to mention it, Tolkien's Hobbit followed by the Ring trilogy. I know it/they are not everyone's cup of tea. However, The Hobbit is the first book to make me love reading and the first that opened my eyes to (in a way literally, I can still close my eyes and picture Bilbo's house in detail from Tolkien's opening of the Hobbit) the amazing worlds of fantasy.

[capmarvel]

I found this page which also had some good suggestions:

http://bestfantasybooks.com/best-sword- ... books.html


I just finished Howard's "Tower of the Elephant". While I enjoy the Conan stories, they often "just seem to end" - but I realize that is a limitation of the serialized pulps and not a knock on Howard.

I'm going to go for a more modern Sword and Sorcery story for my next round.

[Litzen Tallister]

I found this page which also had some good suggestions:

http://bestfantasybooks.com/best-sword- ... books.html

Neat website. I'm definitely going to browse for some reading suggestions from there.