Originally posted by geh4th:
The Earthsea trilogy, Ursula K. LeGuin: small books, easy reading; very good story for the small size. The main Character in many ways still defines for me what a Wizard should be.
Cheers to that. Although, with their stress on balance and reluctance to actually use magic, I've often wondered if the Wizards of Earthsea aren't more akin to AD&D Druids... still, as you say, these books define the mage's ethos for me. Leguin really comes closest to Tolkien, I think, in really creating the culture of a world unlike our own. Actually just re-read the series and bought all four novels for my brother and his wife for their anniversary. Interseting threesome, us:
I was introduced to Fantasy by my father who read "The Once and Future King" to us at bedtime... moved on to Tolkien and Leguin, got Basic D&D for Xmas 1979 (I think), and mad my brother play, which got him into the fantasy groove... 20 years later, his wife is wondering what the hell I'm doing at their house sitting beside her husband playin some strange game on the computer until 6 am, so she starts playing the game, then reading Tolkien... three routes to the same end: Fantasy Literature first, PnP first, CRPG first, all ending in the same place: 2 hours of sleep on a week night.
Getting long, so I'll add another series:
9 Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny. Doesn't hold up as well as Leguin, but it ruled when I was a teen...
Oh, and is there any contemprary fantasy out there that compares to Jordan? I drifted away and lost track of authours...
mh
