Today being Valentine’s day, it seemed appropriate that I should talk about my long-time love for fantasy novels. No, its not the same kind of love as I feel for my family or dear friends, but fantasy worlds have been a part of my life for decades now and I love it. Some of the fantasy books that are the dearest to me aren’t necessarily the ones that I would call the best written or the ones with the grandest world building. I think it more has to do with where I was at in my life when I first read each of these books. Now, when I go back and re-read them (which I do every few years), I think I get a little taste of those memories mixed in and it makes each book that much more satisfying. So here are some of the novels that I have most dearly loved over the years (in no particular order):
1. Lord of the Rings trilogy– You can’t get any richer than Tolkien’s Middle Earth, with its imagined languages and grand sweeps of history. It is a land that can swallow me whole. I’m not as enamored with the Hobbit or the Simarilion, but LOTR is a true fantasy classic. What do I love the most about LOTR? Well, I would say the various enchanted lands (Shire, Minas Tirith, Rivendell, Lorien, Fangorn ), the humble hobbits and their camaraderie, and the terribleness of the evil. It is a black-and-white world where I certainly know who to cheer for. I’ll admit that I will sometimes skim through some sections (you have to be in a certain mood to appreciate Tom Bombadil), but it is such a great adventure overall.
2. Riddle-Master trilogy– This one is a little harder for me to explain. For some reason, I have found Patricia McKillip’s word to be haunting with its powerful, chaotic sea people and the struggling Prince Morgon who is trying to understand what is happening and looking for a way to resist these frightening attackers.
3. Wizard of Earthsea trilogy– This trio of thin books by Ursula LeGuin are magical. Somehow, she succeeds in entrancing me while keeping the writing sparse. She makes Ged very real, with some deep flaws but also some wonderful traits. I love the many islands with their unique cultures, the wonder of the wizard school, and the awfulness of Ged’s shadow.
4. Dragonsong trilogy– Another trio of thin books, this one from Anne McCaffrey, has caught my imagination even more than her more-sweeping Dragon Riders of Pern novels. Maybe it is because I get to become so close to vulnerable Menolly, but for some reason I find that I have re-read these three (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums) far more than her other books.
5. Saga of Recluse– This huge series of books by L.E. Modesitt Jr. is one of the few large series that I will re-read. Because each book is its own story, I can jump around and pick up the one that I’m in the mood for at the time. Most other series, like Jordan’s Wheel of Time, just become tiresome in their size. The story never seems to end. There are many such long series that I haven’t even finished because the tales became bogged down in their side-stories. However, Modesitt wisely made each of these books independent of the others, so you can jump around without losing the story-line. The Recluse world isn’t the richest or most- sweeping, but it builds with each new book and develops into quite a fantasy tale.
Are these five the best fantasies ever written? I’m not arguing that at all. I think there are some tales that are far grander. However, I do find myself going back to these five more often. It might just be because of where I was at in life when I originally read them, but they each have a special place in my heart and I’m thankful to the authors who wrote them. These authors have brought me with them into some fantastic tales.
I hope that my own novels will someday entrance readers in a similar way.
What are your favorite fantasy novels? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Eric Lorenzen 