SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hi everyone,

Most of us have read a fantasy epic series with the old 'quest' based storyline or 'farmboy is powerful hero'. And I love them as much as anyone else. But I really enjoyed The Dark Tower series by Mr King, and Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake. Roofs with a different edge.

Does anyone have a favourite Epic with a difference they'd like to share?

Craig

Book of the New Sun sort of starts out like a "farm boy is a powerful hero" but it really plays on that convention, among other things.

The hero in Book of the New Sun is flawed and very human. He does manage a few victories but has some even greater defeats. In the end, he's human, not superhuman. But that is good enough.

That sounds like a good suggestion, cheers Michael.

It's a long one though :)

Four volumes!

Thomas 'The Leper' Covenant. Talk about being a flawed hero!

Curt wrote: "Thomas 'The Leper' Covenant. Talk about being a flawed hero!"

Indeed he was, I spent most of the series hating him. Didn't stop me from reading the whole series, mind you.

I sympathized him. I too would've been screaming " This a dream! This a dream! No more Nestle's Quik and Sausage Pizza before bedtime!

Guy Gabriel Kay's stuff. The Fionavar Tapestry and his more pseudo-historical books like Lions of Al-Rassan. Not to mention the man can write birds out of the trees.

I hate Thomas Covenant. The guy is just so damn loathsome.

But I still read two of the trilogies :P

Oh, man, you guys are giving me flashbacks. I read that first trilogy as a young teen, and the whole time, I was muttering, "Ok, fine, it's a dream, whatever. Would it kill you to just shut up and roll with it?"

Out of curiousity, I picked up the first book again as an adult, and couldn't get past the first few chapters.

These are all great suggestions, thanks. My reading list grows and grows!