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I recently posted a queston on the How to Think Sideways forum and the Dreaming in Ink writer’s forum, with a request for book recommendations, and thanks to the helpful folks at both forums, I’ve compiled a reading list. Here’s the question (as seen at Dreaming in Ink):
I’m taking Holly Lisle’s How to Think Sideways course, and the last lesson was about choosing a genre for a novel, and switching to a new genre. I’m not very widely read in my chosen genre (Fantasy), and Holly says that if that’s the case I should research my genre as if I were switching. (I have read a lot in Romance, but Fantasy is my genre of choice.) Since I can’t read every book in the genre of course, I want to read as many books and authors as possible that have similar elements to my own stories. So here’s my question:
Are there Fantasy authors who write stories that feature a lot of symbolism (you might call it fairy-tale symbolism: strong recurring visual motifs like Patricia A. McKillip for instance), taciturn heroes as main characters or the heroine’s love interest, secret love (or forbidden love), and elvish/fairy elements? What are the best books like this you’ve read, if any? I know almost every Fantasy book has at least one of these elements, but I’m looking for stuff that combines all of them (or as many as possible).
So, quite a tall order I think. Although most of these elements appear singly in any given Fantasy novel, finding all four of them together is a bit more difficult. My fellow writers are up to the task, however, so here’s a list of the books they gave me (in the order in which I received them, and only one removed because just reading the description made me want to poke out the author’s eye. :p)
List of reading material chosen with my exacting specifications in mind:
(* indicates books on my shelf right now; † indicates a book won or was shortlisted for a Mythopoeic Award—so I can tinker with my challenge list.)
Wizard’s First Rule - Terry Goodkind
†Patricia McKillip (esp. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld)
†*The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold
The Shape-Changer’s Wife - Sharon Shinn
†Valiant - Holly Black (also Tithe and Ironside)
Saga of the Noble Dead - Barb and J.C. Hendee
Farseer series by Robin Hobb
*Judith Tarr (aka Caitlin Brennan)
The Dragon Prince series by Melanie Rawn
Mercedes Lackey - Gryphon series, Owl series
*The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
†Thomas the Rhymer - Ellen Kushner
Lyonesse - Jack Vance
Midnight Never Come - Marie Brennan
Andre Norton, esp. Witch World
†David Eddings (esp. Queen of Sorcery)
*The Four Forges - Jenna Rhodes
†*Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Black Snow, White Raven Datlow/Windling Anthologies
†Tam Lin - Pamela Dean
Firelord - Parke Godwin
†Deerskin - Robin McKinley
The Ill-Made Mute - Cecilia Dart Thornton
Mask of the Wizard, Veil of Shadow, The Hidden Temple
Eleven Kingdoms series - Katherine Kurtz (actually found this on accident, but it looks interesting so I added it)
†Neil Gaiman, esp. Stardust>
The Tempest, Macbeth - William Shakespeare
If you have any recs to add that contain the elements I requested, or any opinions on the books above, please comment away!
Interesting list! I hope some of those help you out! :)
I think I tried to read the Ill-Made Mute and just could NOT get past the first chapter. A lot fo the others look interesting. If I could get some money, I’d be picking up the rest of my Mytheopic challenge books too, but it looks like I’m not going to make it, especially with Sagara’s book taking me so long to get through.
The second book in the Godwin books is Beloved Exile.
I thought of you when I saw Ill-Made Mute on there, because I remembered your experience with it. Apparently a good-looking guy shows up later in it, so I’ll give it another try, lol.
I’m going to revamp my challenge list, and try to put more books on it that I already known. Most of these I’ll probably get at the library. I don’t really like doing that, but I think considering the current state of my finances, it’s necessary.