Previously eaten and now reconstructed post

[green_truth]

Not sure that my first recommendations are on here.

Fantasy Magazines list survey of would you recommend to a first time fantasy reader books:

Comments

[megspencer]

I've really got to get a copy of Name of the Wind. I'm not sure I've heard anything except good things about it. It's funny that you haven't read Kindred because I was convinced you'd loaned me the copy I'd read (I know I don't own it myself). Maybe that was Jana. I keep picking up and putting down Sunshine, as it's the only McKinley I keep finding at the bookstore that I don't already own (my favorite of her books is Deerskin, which is one of my favorite books ever). I'm not sure why I keep putting it down - maybe a combination of the younger protagonist, modern setting and my general lack of interest in vampires?

[megspencer]

Also, now I want to know which bits of mine surprised you! The main point of departure I see (other than you not liking humor fantasy as much) is the Mists of Avalon. I've been trying to think of how to put it better than I did and I can't really. Maybe some of the tricky bits I have with the Mists of Avalon as a fantasy is that I see it as a book about religion, not in the sense of someone made up a religion and is writing about it as a form of allegory or whatever (like Small Gods) but that it's actually about a real form of religion. I don't know if you've read the Red Tent, but I see them as very similar sorts of books - a fictionalized version of a myth that is very important to a lot of people. A lot of Arthurian leans that way, actually. It's not that I don't like it, it's just not what I view as strictly fantasy.

[green_truth]

I think that I was suprised that you hadn't read A Wrinkle in Time or Lamb.

I think that some of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy books are those that either make up entirely new mythologies or play with ones that are already around. It is neat to see all the different ways the stories can be told.

[megspencer]

I've read parts of Lamb and liked it. I don't know why I haven't read A Wrinkle In Time. I read through most of my library when I was a kid and I'm sure they had it there.