Get me into fantasy!

[CmdrShep2154]

I used to be a guy who only played Call of Duty then I finally played Mass Effect at the recommendation of a friend. I have read and loved Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War. I love space opera but I want to get into new things.

Watch are some books, games, or movies that can act as a good intro to fantasy?

[OrcsRLame]

Movies: Lord of the Rings trilogy.
TV: Game of Thrones.
Books: The Legend of Drizzt series.
Games: The Witcher series.
Anime: Berserk.

Those are all hard fantasy of various sub genres.

[Powerogue]

Books: The Legend of Drizzt series.

It's got great worldbuilding but a pretty boring protagonist IMO. I'd swap books out for Harry Potter.

Since you've got some footing into sci-fi in particular Star Wars for movies and the Half-Life series for games are definitely big names to check out if you haven't yet.

[OrcsRLame]

It's got great worldbuilding but a pretty boring protagonist IMO. I'd swap books out for Harry Potter.

Regardless of how I personally feel about Harry Potter, (I dislike it) it's not hard fantasy.

[Deleted]

Regardless of how I personally feel about Harry Potter, (I dislike it) it's not hard fantasy.

I like your recommendations, except Books and Anime which have much better examples:

Books

Harry Potter may look cheesy in the movies, but the books are extremely well-written. I doubt any other fantasy book series in the world, at least not since the time of Tolkien's Hobbit (epic fantasy), has pulled in as many children, adults and people who would normally never read fiction, let alone fantasy books. This includes non-English speaking readers since it is very widely translated.

If OP really does want to start with the Drizzt series, then either the Dark Elf Trilogy by Salvatore would be a fun start. Alternatively, if you're into brutal, rogue/assassin type stuff, then Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks. Personally, I think the Night Angel trilogy is better written, but they are both good intros to the genre.

If you truly want the least painful way into any part of the wide fantasy genre, then the equivalent of easy listening would be the quite well-known "The Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher. They are about a magical detective who just tries to make a living, keep out of everyone's way, and a LOT of very different types of "people" keep interrupting his casual life and even trying to kill him!

Anime

- hard fantasy = "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood", though long because it is a series, is a perfect starting point
- however, the OP didn't say hard or even epic fantasy, so another great introduction is "Spirited Away", a type of paranormal fantasy and one of the most well-known intros into all of anime. It is a movie, so much quicker to get through.
- epic fantasy = "Record of Lodoss War" - this is the best of the closest you can come to traditional D&D style fantasy in anime. It is not as well known these days as it used to be though, which is a shame.

[frogger237]

The Hellboy movies are pretty cool.

[General Junos]

Books: the Deverry Cycle by Katharine Kerr or Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan are my personal favorites. Just note, both series are 14 or 15 books long. 'tis a long investment. But well worth it, IMO.

[Shadowferal]

The one thing that got me into fantasy long ago were the paintings done by the Brothers Hildebrandt back in the late 70s. The fired up my imagination.
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks when it was first written got a lot of people hooked. Nowadays I think people are a bit jaded for that.
When Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings first came out it was a breath of fresh air. (I'd say that series, and the Elenium are good reads. Unfortunately Eddings' later stuff lacks a bit)
The Lyonesse trilogy by Jack Vance is amazing, inventive and imaginative. (The author is quite the word-smith)
The Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook is a bit of a gritty military-type fantasy that really moves well.

A couple of series that really kick ass on an emotional level if one really sinks his/her teeth in them;

The Dragonlance Chronicles and the following trilogy Dragonlance Legends by Weis and Hickman. They have it all; dragons, magic, elves, dwarves. And it'll make you laugh out loud, and cry. (Six books total)

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan is 14 books long, and each book is quite thick.
At first I thought it was a trilogy and when it didn't end in the 3rd book I got annoyed. I ignored the 4th book when it came out and in the following year when the 5th book came out, I figured what the hell. Bought the 4th book, and was glad that I had the 5th book readily available because that 4th book ended on a very curious note. And then that 6th book came out and I was yelling at it at times (Dumai's Wells chapter) and it ended on such a peak...gah! Jordan later did some "experimental writing" that didn't come across too well on a couple of later books, and then he up and died before finishing the series. The last three books were co-authored by Brandon Sanderson under the aegis of Jordan's wife who had done all the editing on the other books. The series ended on a very satisfying note.

[Deleted]

Books: the Deverry Cycle by Katharine Kerr or Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan are my personal favorites. Just note, both series are 14 or 15 books long. 'tis a long investment. But well worth it, IMO.

OP is a beginner and trying to get into the genre.

You've just listed two huge series that would put off the vast majority or readers, especially Wheel of Time due to his unbelievably glacial pacing (even within this slow-paced genre) and his horrible, stereotypical characterizations. If OP is a woman, she may as well already start biting her nails, grinding her teeth and *cough* pulling her braid ...

Even many veteran fantasy readers cannot get past book 5 of Wheel of Time!

[Fencers]

I think the Dresden Files is pretty enjoyable modern fantasy. The barrier to entry is low and the author has a breezy. east-to-read style that allows for very casual reading of the books.

[apepi]

Read the Stormlight Archive. Pretty sure you will like it if you like the Expanse. Ill be honest, I tried Wheel of Time, but it is just too long with nothing happening.

[Shadowferal]

I think the Dresden Files is pretty enjoyable modern fantasy. The barrier to entry is low and the author has a breezy. east-to-read style that allows for very casual reading of the books.

*nods*
It should be noted that the series is based on more current times, as the hero is based in Chicago.
More of a gothic-fantasy type series, the first couple of books were pretty formulaic as it was the author's first efforts. But he really amped up his writing style in subsequent books and if a person gets to know the series, you'd be grabbed by the first page.

[Bushtuckrman]

I used to be a guy who only played Call of Duty then I finally played Mass Effect at the recommendation of a friend. I have read and loved Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War. I love space opera but I want to get into new things.

Watch are some books, games, or movies that can act as a good intro to fantasy?

ELDER SCROLLSSSS

I guess skyrim

[Jawless Jones]

Books: The Witcher Series and The Chronicles of the Black Company

[General Junos]

OP is a beginner and trying to get into the genre.

You've just listed two huge series that would put off the vast majority or readers, especially Wheel of Time due to his unbelievably glacial pacing (even within this slow-paced genre) and his horrible, stereotypical characterizations. If OP is a woman, she may as well already start biting her nails, grinding her teeth and *cough* pulling her braid ...

Even many veteran fantasy readers cannot get past book 5 of Wheel of Time!

And for that I'd counter that it depends on the person. Both were my very first two fantasy novels which I started at a very young age. Had no idea either were long series (or were going to be), but I was excited as hell when I found out they were. So yes, maybe the idea is daunting to some people, but hey, when people give recommendations, its what they like and what got them into something (such as the fantasy genre.) So, to each his own. =D Maybe it'll turn someone off, maybe it'll get someone into either series. Who knows!

As a sidenote: being a woman myself, I found the "stereotypical characterizations" and the "braid pulling" freaking hilarious.

[Shadowferal]

If OP wants to get into fantasy. Watch and read game of thrones.

Had that been the only fantasy around it would have turned me off with it's gratuitous violence and rape scenes.

Fortunately that's not exactly what fantasy is really about to me.

[Amala]

Books I would really recommend are
The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
and the Dragonriders of Pern saga by Ann McCaffrey

[Deleted]

It's got great worldbuilding but a pretty boring protagonist IMO. I'd swap books out for Harry Potter.

Harry potter? um...ok,....

Drizzt is well written up to a point, then the books become generic absurd crap.

Best series is the dark elf trilogy IMO.

Um, you may like Weis and Hickman, they do some decent fantasy books, some in D&D settings some not. Their Chronicles and Twins trilogies are pretty good, and their deathgate cycle series is pretty decent, though some are better than others.

The devery books are also pretty decent fantasy. By katherine Kerr.

R.Hobb's books are a bit hit and miss imo, though the earlier ones are better, teh farseer series and the liveship traders. after that...not so much.

Ian irvine does decent books (apart from his latest, the summon stone, which really needed more things happening in it, but his earlier books are solid).

Guy Gavriel Kay's Summer Tree trilogy is pretty good, though not read it for ages, not seen it around much either, but its a good read.

Prattchet for a killer sense of humour.


Kind of hard to make recommendations really, fantasy covers such a broad range of stuff. Just avoid David Gemmell....or try one book, if you like it, great, but having read one book by him, you've read them all, he just rehashes the same shite over and over again.

As for games, if planescape torment is not on the list of best fantasy games ever, and at no.1 on that list, its a shit list.

[Aterin]

Wheel of Time is so, so good! I can't recommend it enough. Yes, there are quite a few books and they're large but trust me: they're well worth it!

[Crawclaw]

I'm gonna recommend reading something that's a bit less known: The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. Although I'd say that should be after reading something more traditional like Lord of the Rings.