What are your top 10 fantasy novels?

[Carpet_pissr]

I’ve abandoned Stephen King’s Faery Tale, and am starting to read “It” to ‘wash my mouth out’ as it were.

Worst. King. Ever. (That I’ve read at least).

[disarm]

I’ve abandoned Stephen King’s Faery Tale, and am starting to read “It” to ‘wash my mouth out’ as it were.

Worst. King. Ever. (That I’ve read at least).

To each their own I guess. I thought Fairy Tale was fantastic...but I will say that it takes a bit long for the real story to get going.

[Smoove_B]

Wow, that really surprises me. I also thought it was fantastic.

[Isgrimnur]

I’m kind of partial to Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

[Blackhawk]

I’m kind of partial to Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

Great books. Or, at least The Dragonbone Chair was great - the others weren't out when I read it. I do have fond memories of Binabinkbannockburnabick, although apparently not fond enough to remember how to spell his name.

I should probably return to those someday, given that I gave them an honorable mention in my own list.

[Carpet_pissr]

Wow, that really surprises me. I also thought it was fantastic.

Dang it. You guys are killin’ me. Someone upthread said the second half is worse than the first, and I’m just about half way.

Now two of you chime in saying it’s a great book, which makes me think it’s gotta get better in the second half.

It’s King, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and keep plugging.

Edit: for the fans, I think my issue could be that I’ve only read what many consider to be King’s best stuff: The Stand, The Dark Tower, 11/22/63…all of which I loved.

[Smoove_B]

Maybe I'm just a sucker for stories about a boy and his dog? I felt good when it was done; it left me feeling good. And I want so desperately to believe he's connected to The Dark Tower, some how, some way. He's a literal gunslinger for Ka's sake!

[disarm]

Wow, that really surprises me. I also thought it was fantastic.

Dang it. You guys are killin’ me. Someone upthread said the second half is worse than the first, and I’m just about half way.

Now two of you chime in saying it’s a great book, which makes me think it’s gotta get better in the second half.

It’s King, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and keep plugging.

There is definitely a point where the story takes a major turn and you realize that everything up to that point was just establishing the main character and his motivations. If you have made it to that unmistakable shift in the story and aren't hooked, it may not be the book for you...but if you haven't hit the big twist, you should definitely keep going.

The amount of time it takes to reach the actual 'fairy tale' is my only complaint about the book. While I enjoyed the whole thing, I will acknowledge that he spends too much time building to the main event. You're not the first person that I've had to convince to keep going, but every one that's stuck with it has enjoyed the payoff.

[Hipolito]

If I ever read Fairy Tale, I'll be following this advice.

[Carpet_pissr]

LOL

step 1: accomplished (that’s how I read 99% of my books)
Step 2: not sure what the hardback equivalent page would be on kindle, so… ??

[Scuzz]

Wait, you don’t like Andy Weir?

All respect gone.

Yeah, sorry. Just hate that writing style, which feels written by an engineer as opposed to a writer.

It’s not even prose, just excessive detailed descriptions and very little creativity, making that book (have not read any of his others) super boring IMO.

I know it was widely praised, and fully accept it’s “me”, and I’m OK with that.

It reminded me very much of a neighbor I used to have that would come back from a trip, or describe an event at work, and he would literally spend 5m describing, say, his hotel room, what was where, what wall was north facing, where the bed was, and it’s relative size to the room, what you saw when you walked in…all completely irrelevant to whatever ‘story’ he was eventually going to tell me. Used to drive me insane.

“So you walk into the room, you’ve got your main living area in front of you, then if you turn left there’s a kitchenette there, with a Kenmore Elite refrigerator, glass top stove, then you keep going and you see …”

Weir is an easy read compared to where Neal Stephenson goes sometimes. He will spend pages trying to explain something that Weir will make sound easy in a page.

[Isgrimnur]

Nothing tops Neal Stephenson talking about eating Captain Crunch.

[disarm]

If I ever read Fairy Tale, I'll be following this advice.

Follow that advice and you miss out on the best part of the story...the part that actually makes it a fairy tale.

[ImLawBoy]

I also (obviously) enjoyed Fairy Tale, as I think I'm the first one who raised it in this thread. In any event, it cannot be the worst King book ever because it's not named Cujo.

[YellowKing]

My vote for worst King book is LISEY'S STORY. I've never hated a main character more than Lisey. So "smucking" annoying.

I'm generally annoyed by all of King's books featuring a female lead. I don't think he knows how to write women very well. (Edit - except for Holly Gibney, which is one of this best characters).

[Max Peck]

It's been a really long time since I read Cujo. As I vaguely recall, it's one of the King novels that convinced me that he's a really good writer that just happens to write horror, which is why he could spend half a book making me really care about the characters without anything bad happening, then spend the rest of the book torturing me as he destroys their lives.

[Smoove_B]

I'm generally annoyed by all of King's books featuring a female lead. I don't think he knows how to write women very well.

Not a fantasy novel, but his latest ("Holly") is getting really good reviews. She's one of the characters from the Bill Hodges trilogy and has apparently been spawned off into her own series now...

[YellowKing]

Yeah before I even read your post Smoove I edited mine to mention Holly. She is a great character and definitely an exception to the rule.

[ImLawBoy]

It's been a really long time since I read Cujo. As I vaguely recall, it's one of the King novels that convinced me that he's a really good writer that just happens to write horror, which is why he could spend half a book making me really care about the characters without anything bad happening, then spend the rest of the book torturing me as he destroys their lives.

I read Cujo as a teen, so it's been a while. In retrospect it's possible that I wasn't "ready" for King that wasn't supernatural horror. I do wonder whether I might have a different opinion of the book if I read it now.

[Pyperkub]

King's worst is still his cocaine haze Tommyknockers.

I still like IT for his best. The combination of kids/adults and the history of Derry being so intertwined with IT comes together so we'll in that book.

[ImLawBoy]

It's weird to me that I didn't hate Tommyknockers. I recognize it as lower-tier King, but I also thought it was fine. Not good or anything, but fine.

[Carpet_pissr]

King's worst is still his cocaine haze Tommyknockers.

When asked, King himself said this is his worst novel.

His best, in his opinion, is Lisey's Story.

[YellowKing]

His best, in his opinion, is Lisey's Story.

With all apologies to Stephen King, who has always been my favorite author and probably always will be, I never trust his opinion on anything. This is the same guy who gave his blessing to that horrendous Dark Tower adaptation, hates Kubrick's Shining, and thought the Under the Dome TV show was good.

I didn't hate Tommyknockers either, but I read it when I was young and reading absolute classics like IT and The Stand at the same time. He could do no wrong in my eyes during that period. I'm guessing if I were to re-read it today my feelings towards it would be a lot more critical.

[hepcat]

When I got older, I started to think of King as overrated. Especially when I realized most of his books ended with scenes that you could play "The Power of Love" over top of and it would thematically make sense.

[Blackhawk]

I have yet to read a single Stephen King novel. I read the first half or so of The Stand, but never finished it (I have no idea why - I was enjoying it.) That's the only King I've ever read.

[Isgrimnur]

If you're inclined to go back, start with the story collections like Night Shift.

[Max Peck]

King's "Survivor Type" (a short story in Skeleton Crew) is the only thing I've ever read that actually left me shivering. Or shuddering. Whatever. It was horrifying. I read it in 1986, and never since, but it still makes me feel a little squeamish to think about it.

[Isgrimnur]

King's "Survivor Type" (a short story in Skeleton Crew) is the only thing I've ever read that actually left me shivering. Or shuddering. Whatever. It was horrifying. I read it in 1986, and never since, but it still makes me feel a little squeamish to think about it.

Creepshow (TV series)

Both stories in this episode are fully animated in a comic book style.
...
"Survivor Type": Richard Pinzetti (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) is an unscrupulous surgeon with ties to New York City's criminal underworld.

https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch/a- ... 918b1c73ca

[Max Peck]

Nope, I'm good.

[Hipolito]

It's kind of funny that once upon a time, I could have said that I've read most of Stephen King's novels. But now, I probably haven't even read a quarter of them.

Also, I read or heard somewhere that although King is known for horror, at this point, he's published more non-horror than horror.

[Jaymann]

One thing that bugs me about King is he will often set up an intriguing story, only to cop out with a supernatural explanation. His version of "a wizard did it."

[Carpet_pissr]

I have yet to read a single Stephen King novel. I read the first half or so of The Stand, but never finished it (I have no idea why - I was enjoying it.) That's the only King I've ever read.

The Stand was great, and it holds up pretty well even today (I read year before last I think). If you want something a little less...heavy-handed though, I can't recommend 11/22/63 enough. There's little if any horror there, but the "just one more page" effect is off the charts, and the journey is amazing considering it's just one book. I remember nearing the end of the book, wishing he had made it longer, or broken it into multiple books like The Dark Tower, because I didn't want it to end.

[Isgrimnur]

One thing that bugs me about King is he will often set up an intriguing story, only to cop out with a supernatural explanation. His version of "a wizard did it."

Intergalactic Space Turtle