5 Best Fantasy Books for Readers Who Want True Entertainment
Fantasy Readers Underground is dedicated to discovering and sharing the best of Fantasy fiction, wherever it may be hiding…
It is my belief that the best work often goes unnoticed for a long time, possibly forever, due to hiccups in our society:
• Publishers must bring you what they think is going to be popular, not what's truly good.
• Fads, trends and marketing often make the worst Fantasy the most popular.
• Critics may praise what they don't understand and blow off what's simply great entertainment.
• Many writers seem to think "fantasy" is some kind of porn. Others think writing's a good way to slip their weird values, debased morals or bizarre beliefs into our subconscious while our defenses are down.
So here, you'll find the recommendations of a reader based on what's fun to read, with no pretense, payment, bid for social status, or desire to promote indecency.
I lean slightly in favor of stories which are at least a little more original, since nobody wants to read the same thing over and over again. This is fantasy, let it be fantastic.
I'll do what I can, to preserve professional writers and promote those who serve the readers best. If a writer's good, I'll tell you about him or her. Otherwise, I'll ignore them.
You'll notice this site is very lopsided at first. That's because it's going to take a long time to integrate each artist, so I'll start with one at a time and you'll see more writers encompassed as the site develops.
For now, I'll give you my top 5 recommended PRACTICING fantasy writers, based on entertainment value:
1. JK Rowling for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/
2. David Farland for Of Mice and Magic http://www.davidfarland.net/
3. Orson Scott Card for Alvin Maker http://www.hatrack.com/osc/books/seventh.shtml
4. Anne McCaffrey for The White Dragon http://annemccaffrey.net/index.php?page_id=31&bid=65
5. Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians http://www.brandonsanderson.com/book/Alcatraz/
6. Brandon Mull's Fablehaven http://www.fablehaven.com/
I know, I know, that's six, but I just couldn't help myself.
Now, one quick look at this short list and you'll see that there's a range from our most famous authors of today to some you've never heard of. That's why I linked their sites.
Every one of these authors has the potential to write the next epic fantasy classic. They're all at or nearing the peak of their careers. Watch them.
I hope to see you again soon…
Mog Maddog
P.S.—See related article at fantasyreadersunderground.com/fantasy