[ChrisW]

[RSM616]

hes not my favourite but hes in the top 5, i couldnt say who is top though.
in no particular order theres GRRM, SE, JRR Tolkien, Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

[crowbarsf]

Tolkien......then Jordan, Donaldson, Erikson, Cook & Modesitt. Martin & Rothfuss cannot make a list unless they actually finish a series which is doubtful

[Nevyn]

crowbarsf, on 26 August 2016 - 07:05 PM, said:

Tolkien......then Jordan, Donaldson, Erikson, Cook & Modesitt. Martin & Rothfuss cannot make a list unless they actually finish a series which is doubtful

Rothfuss only has one book to go and is fairly young. He'll finish in 5 years or so.

[Brujah]

Erikson by a wide margin.

I'd read fantasy novels for far too long before I finally stumbled on to The Malazan series. I couldn't believe I'd overlooked them.

I believe I first started with the Shannara series. The Sword of Shannara came out in the late 70s. I moved on to(in no order) all the Dragonlance books, Salvatore, too many to name, etc...

All those books I thought were great until I found Robert Jordan, and I was blown away. I felt I'd found my new favorite series.

After that(not the finished series yet, Jordan had more books to write, then die, and have Sanderson finish) everything was still good, but subpar.Goodkind, the rest of Sanderson's books, and a ton of other standard fantasy books/series.

Bam. I find Malazan and a new all time great.

It wasn't until I read Butcher's The Dresden Files, recommended by many here from this site, that I once again was so thoroughly entertained.

As an author, though, Erikson is tops.

[Adhara]

Erikson is a top, but I don't have a favorite. I love many authors, within fantasy or not, but I am not the type of person who worships a single author, simply because I can' t choose! Erikson is a genius, I really believe it, but he is not the one and only great author in the world. Fortunately.

[End of Disc One]

While Malazan is my favorite series, I'm not sure I could call Erikson my favorite author. I don't really like his stuff outside of his full Malazan novels. I'm also not a big fan of the trend his books are going in, where characters spend pages debating something philosophical, seemingly for Erikson's own enjoyment. I don't want to get too negative so I'll just leave it at that.

I'd almost say Sanderson is my favorite author.

[Aptorian]

End of Disc One, on 29 January 2018 - 03:06 PM, said:

I'd almost say Sanderson is my favorite author.

Which Sanderson is this? Surely not Brandon Can't-write-a-story-son.

As an aside, who is this ChrisW? I seem to remember him. Was he a mod or something at one point?

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 29 January 2018 - 03:11 PM

[Abyss]

Alternative Goose, on 29 January 2018 - 03:10 PM, said:

End of Disc One, on 29 January 2018 - 03:06 PM, said:

I'd almost say Sanderson is my favorite author.

Which Sanderson is this? Surely not Brandon Can't-write-a-story-son.

As an aside, who is this ChrisW? I seem to remember him. Was he a mod or something at one point?

ChrisW... wasn't that 'Kallor'?

Saying Sanderson 'can't write a story' just because you personally don't like his work is like saying Bruce Lee couldn't make movies just because you personally don't like his style of martial arts.

[Aptorian]

Abyss, on 29 January 2018 - 04:06 PM, said:

ChrisW... wasn't that 'Kallor'?

I don't think so. I feel like Chris W was some early mod that had some issue with... Anomander... or something. I remember him leaving and coming back a few times and having nothing nice to say.

Abyss, on 29 January 2018 - 04:06 PM, said:

Saying Sanderson 'can't write a story' just because you personally don't like his work is like saying Bruce Lee couldn't make movies just because you personally don't like his style of martial arts.

So, you agree with me then?

EDIT:

Found some old threads featuring ChrisW. Here's one:

https://forum.malaza...ms/page__st__20

Now I remember him. He owned the forum before Anomander took it over/came back and before Hetan took over.

Famously I believe he was the one who took offence to somebody making a joke in poor taste about Robert Jordan when he was sick and he sort of exploded.

Think he moved over to Westeros forums or something.

This post has been edited by Alternative Goose: 29 January 2018 - 04:25 PM

[Abyss]

Alternative Goose, on 29 January 2018 - 04:15 PM, said:

...

Abyss, on 29 January 2018 - 04:06 PM, said:

Saying Sanderson 'can't write a story' just because you personally don't like his work is like saying Bruce Lee couldn't make movies just because you personally don't like his style of martial arts.

So, you agree with me then?

Yes, except about everything.

[Aptorian]

I continued to go through old threads with Chris W.

Man reading old forum posts from around 2006-2008 is otherworldly. We were a much more fickle bunch back then. Well, except me, I was always awesome.

But the Goodkind, GRRM and Robert Jordan discussions were super serious on here at one point.

[Abyss]

A serious Goodkind discussion that doesn't devolve down to evil chickens?

[Aptorian]

Aye, ChrisW was into Goodkind's ideology I think.

[End of Disc One]

My appreciation of Sanderson goes beyond his actual books (which I love but they do have their annoyances). There are few other authors I'm aware of who are so open with their fans. Part of that is how well he knows his own shit. Fans ask him the most ridiculous questions about the workings of his universe, and he always has an answer. And he's not ashamed to do good fanservice. Mistborn: The Secret History was for the fans, and it was awesome. All the extra artwork in his books, it doesn't need to be there but it adds a lot IMO.

He's certainly not writing high literature, but it's nice to have a few authors who are geeks and know what other geeks like.

[NefaraisBredd]

SE is one of my favorites. There are many.

Tad Williams, Stephen Donaldson, etc

[NefaraisBredd]

Raymond Feist

[HungLikePung]

End of Disc One, on 29 January 2018 - 05:22 PM, said:

My appreciation of Sanderson goes beyond his actual books (which I love but they do have their annoyances). There are few other authors I'm aware of who are so open with their fans. Part of that is how well he knows his own shit. Fans ask him the most ridiculous questions about the workings of his universe, and he always has an answer. And he's not ashamed to do good fanservice. Mistborn: The Secret History was for the fans, and it was awesome. All the extra artwork in his books, it doesn't need to be there but it adds a lot IMO.

He's certainly not writing high literature, but it's nice to have a few authors who are geeks and know what other geeks like.

I recently listened to The Stormlight Archives on audiobook and quite enjoyed them.

[Anzeus]

Steven Erikson is High King of Fantasy for me. No doubt about it.

Followed by (in no particular order), Brandon Sanderson, JRR Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook...

I know Manga doesn't fit in this category, but I have to mention Kentaro Miura. Berserk has some similarities to MBOTF series. And it is freaking awesome.

This post has been edited by Anzeus: 30 September 2018 - 06:44 PM

[Steamer]

crowbarsf, on 26 August 2016 - 07:05 PM, said:

Tolkien......then Jordan, Donaldson, Erikson, Cook & Modesitt. Martin & Rothfuss cannot make a list unless they actually finish a series which is doubtful

LOL Patrick Rothfuss is the most overrated fantasy author of all time

2.5 books and he is rated as some kind of Elder God.

He is average at best and from what I'm seen at conventions and heard from author friends, he is a massive drama queen too!