What the??? You haven't read Thomas Covenant? You haven't read Viriconium?? You haven't read "Silverlock"??? You haven't read "The Well of the Unicorn"???? You haven't read the Chronicles of Amber?????? But you've read "The Chessmen of Mars" or "Beyond the Black River" how many times???????? This is MADNESS!
A Song of Ice and Fire is imo the best fantasy series of books that I have ever experienced. Have read them multiple times now. I recommend to read them multiple times (if you have the time), because once you start connecting the dots, you will realize the detail that went in this, is INSANE. Plus there are some nice Lovecraft references (Dagon, Sarnath, K'Dath, Church of Starry Wisdom etc.)
I remember the huge interest in Donaldson's "Thomas Covenant" books when they were released. They are near the top of my SHRIBN pile (Should Have Read It By Now). Old person? Elderly person? No Michael, a more mature person. GRRM seems to have a knack for finding other projects instead of getting on with "A Song Of Ice And Fire", though admittedly I did enjoy his "Old Venus" and "Old Mars" anthologies which he edited with Gardner Dozois.
I'm surprised how many books I don't know from this list. I've read LOTR, ASOIAF. Currently coincidentally reading Elric (the three book chronological saga. After reading the first book in the first book (lol) on my ereader I really want to get the beautiful physical hardcover copies, but their delivery is 2 weeks from now, by then I will have finished the first book in the saga and since it's amazon or bol that I have to order from there is a 92% chance they will be delivered damaged and I'll have to return them.) Thomas Covenant and Malazan are both on my list. One of the reasons I have not started Malazan yet is its length. I heard it's complex which I actually enjoy a lot.. I prefer books with very unique prose, style which don't hold your hand etc. But I also am someone that takes my time with such books ( e.g. Book of the New Sun, which is one of my favorite series ever, even though I think the message of the book is garbage lol, it's so brilliantly written I can't help but love it). My point is. I'm breezing through Elric. But while reading something like the book of the new sun, I will read very attentive, obsessive and methodically. I'll read it like I'm studying it. I'll want to catch every detail, twist and turn. Every hidden meaning. Get everry metaphor. So it takes me 3 times as long to read a book like that. I've heard Malazan although not as complex as BOTNS is a very complex series. And considering the length of the series makes it really daunting. because the 10 books might read like 20 or 30 for me. Then again, I was kinda nervous starting BOTNS, English isn't my first language and I saw people with PhD's claim that they only understood like 25% of the book after first reading it. 50% on the second try and 70 to 90% on the third or fourth try. Now I've read it though, I feel like that's bs. You can easily follow the entire story and only the final chapters of book 4 are like "wtf.. am I reading right now?" .. and then at the end you realize why everyone recommends rereading it. And rereading it would definitely give a lot of value. But I felt like I got it all and it wasn't necessary to re-read it like some claimed. I am planning on rereading it since the ending gives the entire story, characters and their motivations a completely different perspective. But I'll do that on a later date.
You have a penchant for setting yourself impossible tasks. For me it would get in the way of reading with such a weight on the shoulders. I applaud your desire. Good luck with this.
It's so hard to find stand alone fantasy books and not a series or trilogy haha. I would recommend the book 'the invisible life of Addie LaRue' btw.. if you haven't read it yet. In my opinion it's fantastic! It's from V.E.Schwab.
Even more good reading ahead of you! I recommend reading Silmarillion last for the first read-through. Even on a re-read the reader should be SUPER-hyped to read them in chron-order. Otherwise, it's just not a great introduction to the main stories; it's more for super-fans who want to fill in some of the cracks in their knowledge. I think most will prefer to keep the half-forgotten past mostly forgotten; seems more magical that way. Anyway, I'm hoping you blow through a huge stack of shorter sci-fi reads before you bury yourself in Malazan. :)
I think whether you are a newcomer to Elric or not the published order is probably better than the order they are set. Moorcock wrote them over such a long time, and changed the way he thought of the character so much, that trying to make sense of them in chronological order doesn't really make sense and results in people on Goodreads saying things like "I don't understand why Elric's personality changed so much from the previous book," when the answer is - well, because the "previous book" was written about twenty years later than the one you are looking at now. So, I think published order is a good way to go. Or, at least, get hold of the earliest stories _(The Dreaming City, While the Gods Laugh)_ and the first full novel _(Stormbringer)_ and then you can check out the rest in any order you like. (Technically you can think of them all as prequels to _Stormbringer.)_ (And then read the Moonbeam Roads books separately, because they aren't really Elric books, no matter how prominently he appears on the cover, they are von Bek books, with Elric as a subsidiary character.)
I hope for the purpose of your 500 book challenge, you ditch your fantasy math and count two trilogies as six books and not one.😂 I was already stressed out over this challenge but now!!!🤯
Read a ton of Fantasy as a kid and young adult. Not as much nowadays. You're so right about Fantasy writers. They are definitely a long winded rambling lot.
Why do you do these things to yourself? 😆 I wish you all the luck in the world getting these tomes read. That being said, there are some great books there, and I admire your determination. You won't regret reading the Amber Chronicles. Great series by Zelazny!
Listen to all of the Tolkien books narrated by Andy Serkis, & listen to the Simarillion last. Watch Brian Lee Durfee’s review of Serkis’s narration of the Silmarillion too!
The Silmarillion covers events happening before the hobbit and the trilogy, but wasn't completed until much later. I guess it's like a prequel. I've tried reading it when I was in highschool but just couldn't get through it. It's a lot more overarching than LOTR and doesn't follow one story as closely. Felt a bit more like a book of lore than a novel, at least as I remember it. Might make sense to read it after for this reason? I could see it either way.
I didn't realise you hadn't read any of the chronicles of Amber. I really hope you love them. They are one of my favourite series, full of awesome concepts and characters.
There's a special pleasure in reading The Silmarilion after reading LOTR and discovering the full story behind people, things and events only alluded to or made reference of in LOTR.
Never heard of the Fletcher Pratt one. I'm definitely going to search that one out! Cheers for the recommendation. Sounds like an absolute stack of great reading for you over the next year or so!
Wooo, that’s pretty ambitious. There’s a number of pretty hefty series there. But hey, big plans and lofty dreams are half the fun of this hobby, right?
Great thumbnail, Roger glammed up from his appearance in Excalibur as one of the fallen questing knights. Lots of weighty tomes, most of my books are like these, big thick omnibus collections that have replaced most of my old paperbacks. The Dunsany book is on my wants list.
I read A Song of Ice and Fire in one go and it is a different experience because you are completely absorbed in the world for so long. You eat, drink, and sleep it. I plan to read The Wheel of Time in one go soon as I have never read it and it's now complete.
In regards to just reading the same author's books one after the other without any interruption, I just came off 1 1/2 years of reading Tolkien. I got so immersed into everything and therefore read ten books. It was effortless taking that path, since I was enjoying them so much. There's still other books of his or about him that I plan to read soon-ish, but I took a break to read a Lovecraftian mythos anthology. In any case, there really is something to be said for depth over breadth, and just saying, "Yes, there's lots of amazing other stuff out there but I just have to accept that I'm not going to read it all" then making a CHOICE and committing to it, then snuggling in to that particular niche and riding out into the deep unknown. In the end, it should be about what makes us happy, and maybe not worrying about missing out, not being well rounded, etc. You can only really have one pleasure at a time. I'm even tempted now to go back and reread all that Tolkien again! They say that you've only really "read" the Silmarillian once you've read it once, then read it a second time. I loved it the first time (last year), but I feel like I'd get so much more out of reading it again!
Viriconium has peaked my intressed, so are really interested to hear your thoughts on it! Loved many of Clark Ashton Smith's Zotique-stories, so hope his other works lives up to it!
I cant decide whether watching your videos has developed my taste in these genres or simply my interest mirrors your but you always choose authors and books that i find so interesting. I recently picked up the GoT in mass market because as with everything else, especially horror, they are just disappearing from the market or just way overpriced. I am convinced that your old school book interests is why so many have subscribed to your channel. Never change as you rekindle so many latent interests.
@GentleReader-rv5yg Between MKV and Steve Donoghue, I am seriously considering adding on a separate room just for all these "recommendations " of vintage classics that I never even knew existed before starting to watch their channels. When I retire, I may not have much to live on, but I will have a lot of books to read.
Virconium by M John Harrisson is one of the fantasy novels mentioned by the Outlaw Bookseller as amongst his list of the best fantasy novels to read. I have wanted to read it after the Outlaw Bookseller mentioned it on his channel.
What, no Wheel of Time!? My husband is about halfway through a read through, and finally talked me into joining him, even though I’m already reading three other series, and I really wanted to finish one before starting it… I do have just a few books in one of those series left though. I got pushed over the edge by a Kindle challenge this month, so I absolutely must finish book 1 by the end of September…
Like yourself, I tend treat sagas as one book. I did so with the STAR WARS: THRAWN TRILOGY, STAR TREK: DESTINY. THE WITCHER and others. My TBR list could cover Federation Star Maps. To top that off, many BookTube channels, yours included, have introduced me to writers I've never read. I recall you mentioning Ramsey Campbell in a video not long after I first subscribed to your channel. At times I feel like Burgess Meredith in that TWILIGHT ZONE episode. Recent writing deadlines have cut my reading time down considerably. I'm going to have check out a lot of these books and authors, except George R.R. Martin, one of these days. I can't get into Martin like other fantasy writers for stome reasin. I've tried one of his books, but it didn't appeal to me like others. How can you call yourself elderly? You just got out of high school last yesterday. I turned 50 in March, but I am terrible with math. hanks for this video. All The Best, James Heath Lantz Freelance Writer Staff Writer for Back Issue magazine 2021 Eisner Award nominee, 2019 winner, "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism"
I believe there's 10 volumes of the Thomas Covenant books & while the guy is an utter turd through most of the books the change in character he goes through as well as the introduction of Linden Avery makes the journey well worth the read..
Read Lord of the Rings first, then Silmarillion and any other posthumous volumes. I dearly love the Thomas Covenant books. The Land is one of the most *thoroughly* magical settings I know of, and one of the most rigorously moral, with no shortcuts for anyone with plot coupons. People who inflict harm can’t wave it away. Love that. Don’t feel obliged to read the other trilogies - they’re great, but this is complete. Reading Dunsany makes me want to sit up straight and dress sharp. This is not a complaint. (For best results, I sometimes listen to Max Raabe’s albums of rock and pop songs covered in the style of 1920s Berlin jazz.) Clark Ashton Smith is so great. I reread a bunch in 2019-20, and it was a delight all over again. I need to read Eddison again for the same reasons as you. Onto the pile for next year. You’ve got my favorite edition of Elric there. Moorcock evolved so much, and the internal chronology is all over the map tonally and stylistically. I really like the first Amber series and have little use for the second, but that’s just me. Zelazny brings the good time and then some. I’ve never read Malazan and plan to start this autumn.
"The Well of the Unicorn" I remember as being good. But somewhat different. "The Worm Ouroboros" I found to be difficult. Land of Goblins and Faerie and someone gets kidnapped. All I remember LOL.
What a fantastic collection of books (in all senses of the word). Definitely start with The Fellowship of the Ring for the Tolkien. After reading the trilogy, then read the others. That Del Rey edition is my favorite way to read Eric. I think I have read everything you discussed except for two. You are in for some GREAT reading.
If you want the best edition of Clark Ashton Smith, you can't beat the 5 volume "Collected Fantasies" series by, I think, Nightshade Press. It is to CAS, what the Del Rey series is to Howard.
That is Quite the list. Almost a "final" list. Mythago Wood is just perfect, and Silverlock is an almost forgotten classic. In fact you might want to hit Mythago Wood first because it may recontextualize all other fantasy novels. Come to think of it, so my Silverlock. . . So many great choices.
You never know, he might finish it. I thought that Tardi would never finish the Adele Blanc-Sec series and low an behold after 16 years waiting for the last comic this year he finally finished it. He is well into his 70s now. So I had lost all hope, but he did it.
Wow, a bunch of fantasy I've not heard of, some even older then the 1950's! Honestly, the Silmarillion is going to be a complex read regardless of if you read it before or after, knowing the legends present in tLotR will ground you a little bit, but either way you can get into it, and especially since you have read it all before, start with the Silmarillion (like Tolkien did in his writing) and build up the grandeur of the mythology behind the trilogy. For extra enjoyment, get a hold of Children of Huron and read it when you get to chapter 21 (of Túrin Turambar) because it's incredible and a different tone for Tolkien. And if you don't mind reading epic Poetry, Tolkien's very good at it and there's an amazing poetic version of chapter 19 (or Beren and Luthien) found in "the Lays of Beleriand" which although is incomplete, you can finish it by reading the prose chapter in the Silmarillion. Then there's the most resent "the Fall of Numenor" book which gives a lot more details about the second age then the last 2 chapters provide, but it's more bits of disparate writing and not a consistent narrative, so maybe just read it afterwards, before you start the Hobbit, if you're interested. So yeah, I'm a proponent of chronological! 😅 I just like to go a few steps beyond. See if your library has these if you're still not buying books.
Malazan Book of the Fallen does not benefit from reading it in one continuous binge. I'd even go so far as suspecting it will be detrimental to your enjoyment.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 as a fellow lunatic I can say that reading Malazan straight through without a break is one of the best things I have ever done in my reading endeavors. You will enjoy it.
The reason I like Sword and Sorcery is that the stories are short and therefore tighter. I mean I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings but does everything have to be huge?
Reading Malazan all the way through in one go is the best way to experience it. I loved it. I am going to start the Amber books by Zelazny in the near future. I have read a lot of his other books and short stories and I adore them.
I disagree. I tried reading all of Malazan in one go, but I got burnt out before finishing Book 3. I plan on trying again, taking breaks in between books.
I haven't read The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings since I was 14, in other words, before you were born! 😆 I never finished the Silmarillion. The Thomas Covenant stuff really divides people. Some love it; some (including me) hated it. You kinda have to try them to see which side of the divide you fall. The Library Ladder made some great videos about them. I haven't read David Wiley, Brian Lee Duffee or Charles McGarry's books, so I can't comment. King of the World's Edge is actually the first part of a trilogy. The best thing about having the Amber books in one volume, is that you won't suffer from the way books 4 & 5 are more, or less split in the middle of the story. I love so much GRRM, but I couldn't bring myself to tackle that series. Same goes for Stephen Erikson. At least you're not going to try to read all of Wheel of Time too. Everything else is stuff I'd recommend, albeit some of them are heavier going than others.
Other books by H Warner Munn: Merlin’s Ring and Merlin’s Godson. I’ve had these since the mid 70’s, but never read. At this point I probably never will, but Merlin’s Ring cover is gorgeous and I do a lot of cover judging.
Silmarillion-Hobbit-LoTR is the order I reread in but honestly I've listened to the audiobooks more so in the last few years than the books and I usually just do the trilogy.
I really struggle with fantasy… sci fi not so much.... and I love conan… but I really struggle with it. I’ve tried lord of the rings and dnf… I’m hoping to get through this…you are as ever inspirational..
Same here, I love my science fiction but Fantasy is more often than not a miss. I have read a bit of Conan and lived it and I read most of The Dark Tower but I barely finished the first book in the Lord of the rings and I didn't make it the first hundred pages of Wheel of Times first book. I feel like I should like some of it since I love horror special stuff like The Stand and The Great and Secret Show which has heavy supernatural tone. But most of the fantasy I have triad to read bores me.
There are many different kinds of fantasies. It is a broader term than Sci fi in my opinion. Maybe, like with Conan, it is just a matter of finding the one that is for you.
@@Dacre1000 I am going to have to make a point for next year to really try find some fantasy books that grabs me. In theory there should be something out there that I might like.
Michael, I remember you saying that you had too many reading projects going. So have you given up your 500 book challenge or your Edgar Boroughs Deep Dive projects or your daily Superman reading? Maybe I missed something, but I'm getting confused.
Malazan Book of the Fallen is only 10 books, not 11. There are many other Malazan books, but Book of the Fallen is 10. Took me years to finish but I was reading between entries. They are now my absolute favourite series by my now absolute favourite writer. But even so the thought of getting through all 10 volumes in a row is daunting. Good luck!
Set in 19th-century Russia, The Brothers Karamazov is a passionate philosophical novel that discusses questions of God, free will, and morality. By Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1880.
Do you think you could read ONLY fantasy for a whole year with the Steven Erickson books (besides JOTR)?? Glad you're going to read Elric! I read the first five Amber books in 2008. Really liked Nine Princes in Amber and The Hand of Oberon. Enjoy all of your books!
For once I've actually got some of the same editions as you do in this video. Just remember that the Masterworks edition of Dunsany incomprehensibly includes his first book, The Gods of Pegana, as the last in this collection. I've always been baffled by this decision (which continues in the ebook edition for some reason). That's a pretty good Clark Ashton Smith collection, albeit kind of one-sided by its nature. Regarding H. Warner Munn, the latter did indeed know Lovecraft but beyond that Lovecraft actually suggested the idea of a werewolf story told from the werewolf's perspective. I have many problems with Ouroboros. Its system of nomenclature is ludicrous and I found the pseudo-Elizabethan language pointless, both of which kept me from fully connecting with it. I do want to check out his other books but if they're all like Ouroborus I may not get far. I... dispute your decision to count the series as one title each, given that their authors almost certainly didn't see them as single works (Tolkien being a noted exception). It's almost like you're trying to drag out the 500 book challenge for a few more years doing that...
I am a huge Ouroburos fan. Have reread it several times since I took it out of the library when I was 11 because the blurb on the cover said he was the next Tolkien (I hope they meant in appreciation, not chronology), but you need to be in the mood for it.
Have you read any of the Dragon Lance books? There's about 1 million of them. The first few are like a clone of the Lord of the Rings books. Also the Anne McCaffrey Dragon books are good too. Not sure if they are fantasy or sci-fi.
The Silmarillion should be read before the LoTr, definitely. However it is very dense so will substantially add to the length of this read. But undoubtedly I would read the Silmarillion then the Hobbit and then the Lord of the Rings 👌
The silmarillion can be slogfest so read it last preferably with added commentary by the UA-camr aelfwines road she added to my enjoyment immensely and take your time like a fine wine not to be rushed
I really enjoyed the Amber series. Looking forward to your take on it. Thomas Covenant series ~ Don't do it!, Lol. Really, it's pretty bad (controversial parts aside), it's still just bad.
Let a coin toss determine the order for Tolkien. It doesnt matter. A wise man reads Tolkien once, a fool reads him twice (shamelessly borrowing from a Japanese proverb there). 🤭 Get on to the Donaldson trilogy first. Drop everything, read it now, today, giddyup 🏇🏇 Munn's wiki entry says The Lost Legion (historic fiction - Roman!) is his other big novel, and Merlin's Ring (fantasy). I'm very curious about The Lost Legion 🤔
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 it's one of those books that you feel in your gut more than you understand with your head. Although, I'm from near where its set, so it may be that had an impact too.
The Thomas Covenant books seem to be like Marmite; you either love or hate them. I tried the first one, “Lord Foul’s Bane” recently. Liked it initially, but it fell apart for me, and not because of “that” scene. Farcical characters, and lame magical solutions to problems. I persevered to the bitter end, only to wish I had DNFed.
You're doing it the hard way. You will never get to five hundred books if you count 11 mammoth books as one. They were all written and released at different times. But I know how you can get those 11 books read. Get them on audio and when you are going to work, listen, when you come home listen. I count audio books as being read. You just use your ears and not your eyes.
Thomas Covenant is the series I really hated. Since you have to finish every book you start you may be very sorry you didn't listen to your mother and toss the whole mess into the garbage.
What the??? You haven't read Thomas Covenant? You haven't read Viriconium?? You haven't read "Silverlock"??? You haven't read "The Well of the Unicorn"???? You haven't read the Chronicles of Amber?????? But you've read "The Chessmen of Mars" or "Beyond the Black River" how many times???????? This is MADNESS!
In Mike's defence: he IS a slow reader. :)
Well, I wanted a good grounding in the classics first.
"Ridiculously oversized" is a great way to describe fantasy books. :)
Fair enough. Then again if you go by omnibuses containing several individual book then it is a bit on us... 😅
Moorcock's Corum series is very good. He is the Eternal Champion to Eric's anti hero.
Start with Mythago Wood. You’ll love it-such a great concept, such atmosphere.
Welcome back to Malazan! It am on book 9 of 10 ofter beginning in march or so. It has been so fun.
A Song of Ice and Fire is imo the best fantasy series of books that I have ever experienced. Have read them multiple times now. I recommend to read them multiple times (if you have the time), because once you start connecting the dots, you will realize the detail that went in this, is INSANE. Plus there are some nice Lovecraft references (Dagon, Sarnath, K'Dath, Church of Starry Wisdom etc.)
I remember the huge interest in Donaldson's "Thomas Covenant" books when they were released. They are near the top of my SHRIBN pile (Should Have Read It By Now).
Old person? Elderly person? No Michael, a more mature person.
GRRM seems to have a knack for finding other projects instead of getting on with "A Song Of Ice And Fire", though admittedly I did enjoy his "Old Venus" and "Old Mars" anthologies which he edited with Gardner Dozois.
Fantasy pile.....it is a fantasy that he will ever get thru it😮
You're under arrest for choosing too many books
Book Police…In Color! Today’s episode: “Too Many Fantasies!” (Narrator: “Brother, Can You Spare A Shelf?”)
I'm surprised how many books I don't know from this list. I've read LOTR, ASOIAF. Currently coincidentally reading Elric (the three book chronological saga. After reading the first book in the first book (lol) on my ereader I really want to get the beautiful physical hardcover copies, but their delivery is 2 weeks from now, by then I will have finished the first book in the saga and since it's amazon or bol that I have to order from there is a 92% chance they will be delivered damaged and I'll have to return them.)
Thomas Covenant and Malazan are both on my list. One of the reasons I have not started Malazan yet is its length. I heard it's complex which I actually enjoy a lot.. I prefer books with very unique prose, style which don't hold your hand etc. But I also am someone that takes my time with such books ( e.g. Book of the New Sun, which is one of my favorite series ever, even though I think the message of the book is garbage lol, it's so brilliantly written I can't help but love it). My point is. I'm breezing through Elric. But while reading something like the book of the new sun, I will read very attentive, obsessive and methodically. I'll read it like I'm studying it. I'll want to catch every detail, twist and turn. Every hidden meaning. Get everry metaphor. So it takes me 3 times as long to read a book like that.
I've heard Malazan although not as complex as BOTNS is a very complex series. And considering the length of the series makes it really daunting. because the 10 books might read like 20 or 30 for me. Then again, I was kinda nervous starting BOTNS, English isn't my first language and I saw people with PhD's claim that they only understood like 25% of the book after first reading it. 50% on the second try and 70 to 90% on the third or fourth try. Now I've read it though, I feel like that's bs. You can easily follow the entire story and only the final chapters of book 4 are like "wtf.. am I reading right now?" .. and then at the end you realize why everyone recommends rereading it. And rereading it would definitely give a lot of value. But I felt like I got it all and it wasn't necessary to re-read it like some claimed. I am planning on rereading it since the ending gives the entire story, characters and their motivations a completely different perspective. But I'll do that on a later date.
You have a penchant for setting yourself impossible tasks. For me it would get in the way of reading with such a weight on the shoulders. I applaud your desire. Good luck with this.
Thanks. I’ll need it.
It's so hard to find stand alone fantasy books and not a series or trilogy haha.
I would recommend the book 'the invisible life of Addie LaRue' btw.. if you haven't read it yet. In my opinion it's fantastic! It's from V.E.Schwab.
Even more good reading ahead of you! I recommend reading Silmarillion last for the first read-through. Even on a re-read the reader should be SUPER-hyped to read them in chron-order. Otherwise, it's just not a great introduction to the main stories; it's more for super-fans who want to fill in some of the cracks in their knowledge. I think most will prefer to keep the half-forgotten past mostly forgotten; seems more magical that way. Anyway, I'm hoping you blow through a huge stack of shorter sci-fi reads before you bury yourself in Malazan. :)
I think whether you are a newcomer to Elric or not the published order is probably better than the order they are set. Moorcock wrote them over such a long time, and changed the way he thought of the character so much, that trying to make sense of them in chronological order doesn't really make sense and results in people on Goodreads saying things like "I don't understand why Elric's personality changed so much from the previous book," when the answer is - well, because the "previous book" was written about twenty years later than the one you are looking at now.
So, I think published order is a good way to go. Or, at least, get hold of the earliest stories _(The Dreaming City, While the Gods Laugh)_ and the first full novel _(Stormbringer)_ and then you can check out the rest in any order you like. (Technically you can think of them all as prequels to _Stormbringer.)_
(And then read the Moonbeam Roads books separately, because they aren't really Elric books, no matter how prominently he appears on the cover, they are von Bek books, with Elric as a subsidiary character.)
I hope for the purpose of your 500 book challenge, you ditch your fantasy math and count two trilogies as six books and not one.😂 I was already stressed out over this challenge but now!!!🤯
500 book what? I have no idea what you are talking about…🙄
I came here to say exactly this. The notion that he’ll possibly count nine books as one for his challenge is bound to drive him, and me, insane!
Read a ton of Fantasy as a kid and young adult. Not as much nowadays. You're so right about Fantasy writers. They are definitely a long winded rambling lot.
Why do you do these things to yourself? 😆 I wish you all the luck in the world getting these tomes read. That being said, there are some great books there, and I admire your determination. You won't regret reading the Amber Chronicles. Great series by Zelazny!
Listen to all of the Tolkien books narrated by Andy Serkis, & listen to the Simarillion last. Watch Brian Lee Durfee’s review of Serkis’s narration of the Silmarillion too!
The Silmarillion covers events happening before the hobbit and the trilogy, but wasn't completed until much later. I guess it's like a prequel. I've tried reading it when I was in highschool but just couldn't get through it. It's a lot more overarching than LOTR and doesn't follow one story as closely. Felt a bit more like a book of lore than a novel, at least as I remember it. Might make sense to read it after for this reason? I could see it either way.
I didn't realise you hadn't read any of the chronicles of Amber. I really hope you love them. They are one of my favourite series, full of awesome concepts and characters.
Whenever I'm stressed I look at your vids and I am at peace. Not sure why.😂😂😂
Glad this dumb channel is good for something.
Mythago Wood is fascinating. The next 3 books in the sequence are good as well. Enjkoy!
There's a special pleasure in reading The Silmarilion after reading LOTR and discovering the full story behind people, things and events only alluded to or made reference of in LOTR.
I'm still waiting for the 'other stuff' stack.
Never heard of the Fletcher Pratt one. I'm definitely going to search that one out! Cheers for the recommendation. Sounds like an absolute stack of great reading for you over the next year or so!
You are aware… it’s Silmarillion September… better get crackin.
Wooo, that’s pretty ambitious. There’s a number of pretty hefty series there. But hey, big plans and lofty dreams are half the fun of this hobby, right?
At least half!
Great thumbnail, Roger glammed up from his appearance in Excalibur as one of the fallen questing knights.
Lots of weighty tomes, most of my books are like these, big thick omnibus collections that have replaced most of my old paperbacks. The Dunsany book is on my wants list.
I read A Song of Ice and Fire in one go and it is a different experience because you are completely absorbed in the world for so long. You eat, drink, and sleep it. I plan to read The Wheel of Time in one go soon as I have never read it and it's now complete.
In regards to just reading the same author's books one after the other without any interruption, I just came off 1 1/2 years of reading Tolkien. I got so immersed into everything and therefore read ten books. It was effortless taking that path, since I was enjoying them so much. There's still other books of his or about him that I plan to read soon-ish, but I took a break to read a Lovecraftian mythos anthology. In any case, there really is something to be said for depth over breadth, and just saying, "Yes, there's lots of amazing other stuff out there but I just have to accept that I'm not going to read it all" then making a CHOICE and committing to it, then snuggling in to that particular niche and riding out into the deep unknown. In the end, it should be about what makes us happy, and maybe not worrying about missing out, not being well rounded, etc. You can only really have one pleasure at a time. I'm even tempted now to go back and reread all that Tolkien again! They say that you've only really "read" the Silmarillian once you've read it once, then read it a second time. I loved it the first time (last year), but I feel like I'd get so much more out of reading it again!
Viriconium has peaked my intressed, so are really interested to hear your thoughts on it! Loved many of Clark Ashton Smith's Zotique-stories, so hope his other works lives up to it!
I cant decide whether watching your videos has developed my taste in these genres or simply my interest mirrors your but you always choose authors and books that i find so interesting. I recently picked up the GoT in mass market because as with everything else, especially horror, they are just disappearing from the market or just way overpriced. I am convinced that your old school book interests is why so many have subscribed to your channel. Never change as you rekindle so many latent interests.
Mr. Vaughan, he’s a shifty influence, he is. You be careful down to the lodge end of BookTube.
@GentleReader-rv5yg Between MKV and Steve Donoghue, I am seriously considering adding on a separate room just for all these "recommendations " of vintage classics that I never even knew existed before starting to watch their channels. When I retire, I may not have much to live on, but I will have a lot of books to read.
I’ll do my best to never change. That might require more dark magic courtesy of Roger.
Yes Malazan 💪 I was wondering if you’d lost them for a second 😅. I am starting these in the new year.
I am so excited for your AsOiAf read through 😮
Virconium by M John Harrisson is one of the fantasy novels mentioned by the Outlaw Bookseller as amongst his list of the best fantasy novels to read.
I have wanted to read it after the Outlaw Bookseller mentioned it on his channel.
What, no Wheel of Time!? My husband is about halfway through a read through, and finally talked me into joining him, even though I’m already reading three other series, and I really wanted to finish one before starting it… I do have just a few books in one of those series left though. I got pushed over the edge by a Kindle challenge this month, so I absolutely must finish book 1 by the end of September…
I have heard so many conflicting reviews on Wheel of Time that I think I’ll wait a while before I take it on.
Like yourself, I tend treat sagas as one book. I did so with the STAR WARS: THRAWN TRILOGY, STAR TREK: DESTINY. THE WITCHER and others. My TBR list could cover Federation Star Maps. To top that off, many BookTube channels, yours included, have introduced me to writers I've never read. I recall you mentioning Ramsey Campbell in a video not long after I first subscribed to your channel. At times I feel like Burgess Meredith in that TWILIGHT ZONE episode. Recent writing deadlines have cut my reading time down considerably. I'm going to have check out a lot of these books and authors, except George R.R. Martin, one of these days. I can't get into Martin like other fantasy writers for stome reasin. I've tried one of his books, but it didn't appeal to me like others. How can you call yourself elderly? You just got out of high school last yesterday. I turned 50 in March, but I am terrible with math. hanks for this video.
All The Best,
James Heath Lantz
Freelance Writer
Staff Writer for Back Issue magazine
2021 Eisner Award nominee, 2019 winner, "Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism"
I got out of high school so long ago I barely remember it!
Some great picks!
I believe there's 10 volumes of the Thomas Covenant books & while the guy is an utter turd through most of the books the change in character he goes through as well as the introduction of Linden Avery makes the journey well worth the read..
Read Lord of the Rings first, then Silmarillion and any other posthumous volumes.
I dearly love the Thomas Covenant books. The Land is one of the most *thoroughly* magical settings I know of, and one of the most rigorously moral, with no shortcuts for anyone with plot coupons. People who inflict harm can’t wave it away. Love that. Don’t feel obliged to read the other trilogies - they’re great, but this is complete.
Reading Dunsany makes me want to sit up straight and dress sharp. This is not a complaint. (For best results, I sometimes listen to Max Raabe’s albums of rock and pop songs covered in the style of 1920s Berlin jazz.)
Clark Ashton Smith is so great. I reread a bunch in 2019-20, and it was a delight all over again.
I need to read Eddison again for the same reasons as you. Onto the pile for next year.
You’ve got my favorite edition of Elric there. Moorcock evolved so much, and the internal chronology is all over the map tonally and stylistically.
I really like the first Amber series and have little use for the second, but that’s just me. Zelazny brings the good time and then some.
I’ve never read Malazan and plan to start this autumn.
"The Well of the Unicorn" I remember as being good. But somewhat different. "The Worm Ouroboros" I found to be difficult. Land of Goblins and Faerie and someone gets kidnapped. All I remember LOL.
What a fantastic collection of books (in all senses of the word). Definitely start with The Fellowship of the Ring for the Tolkien. After reading the trilogy, then read the others.
That Del Rey edition is my favorite way to read Eric. I think I have read everything you discussed except for two. You are in for some GREAT reading.
If you want the best edition of Clark Ashton Smith, you can't beat the 5 volume "Collected Fantasies" series by, I think, Nightshade Press. It is to CAS, what the Del Rey series is to Howard.
That is Quite the list. Almost a "final" list. Mythago Wood is just perfect, and Silverlock is an almost forgotten classic. In fact you might want to hit Mythago Wood first because it may recontextualize all other fantasy novels. Come to think of it, so my Silverlock. . .
So many great choices.
It's good that you like oddities who like language
You never know, he might finish it. I thought that Tardi would never finish the Adele Blanc-Sec series and low an behold after 16 years waiting for the last comic this year he finally finished it. He is well into his 70s now. So I had lost all hope, but he did it.
Michael composes a ballad about Myers Myers, who he'd never heard of "before before" at 13:44
Wow, a bunch of fantasy I've not heard of, some even older then the 1950's!
Honestly, the Silmarillion is going to be a complex read regardless of if you read it before or after, knowing the legends present in tLotR will ground you a little bit, but either way you can get into it, and especially since you have read it all before, start with the Silmarillion (like Tolkien did in his writing) and build up the grandeur of the mythology behind the trilogy.
For extra enjoyment, get a hold of Children of Huron and read it when you get to chapter 21 (of Túrin Turambar) because it's incredible and a different tone for Tolkien. And if you don't mind reading epic Poetry, Tolkien's very good at it and there's an amazing poetic version of chapter 19 (or Beren and Luthien) found in "the Lays of Beleriand" which although is incomplete, you can finish it by reading the prose chapter in the Silmarillion. Then there's the most resent "the Fall of Numenor" book which gives a lot more details about the second age then the last 2 chapters provide, but it's more bits of disparate writing and not a consistent narrative, so maybe just read it afterwards, before you start the Hobbit, if you're interested.
So yeah, I'm a proponent of chronological! 😅 I just like to go a few steps beyond.
See if your library has these if you're still not buying books.
Malazan Book of the Fallen does not benefit from reading it in one continuous binge. I'd even go so far as suspecting it will be detrimental to your enjoyment.
Perhaps, but I’m a lunatic so doubtless I’ll do it anyway eventually.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 as a fellow lunatic I can say that reading Malazan straight through without a break is one of the best things I have ever done in my reading endeavors. You will enjoy it.
The reason I like Sword and Sorcery is that the stories are short and therefore tighter. I mean I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings but does everything have to be huge?
Apparently
Reading Malazan all the way through in one go is the best way to experience it. I loved it. I am going to start the Amber books by Zelazny in the near future. I have read a lot of his other books and short stories and I adore them.
I disagree. I tried reading all of Malazan in one go, but I got burnt out before finishing Book 3. I plan on trying again, taking breaks in between books.
Roger is my spirit animal.
Hobbit. Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion.
Just the name Monster Huntress makes me want to read it 😅
I haven't read The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings since I was 14, in other words, before you were born! 😆 I never finished the Silmarillion.
The Thomas Covenant stuff really divides people. Some love it; some (including me) hated it. You kinda have to try them to see which side of the divide you fall. The Library Ladder made some great videos about them.
I haven't read David Wiley, Brian Lee Duffee or Charles McGarry's books, so I can't comment. King of the World's Edge is actually the first part of a trilogy.
The best thing about having the Amber books in one volume, is that you won't suffer from the way books 4 & 5 are more, or less split in the middle of the story.
I love so much GRRM, but I couldn't bring myself to tackle that series. Same goes for Stephen Erikson. At least you're not going to try to read all of Wheel of Time too.
Everything else is stuff I'd recommend, albeit some of them are heavier going than others.
Library Ladder makes great videos about everything cool. I wish I had his knowledge and creative ability.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I wish I had his book collection!
Other books by H Warner Munn: Merlin’s Ring and Merlin’s Godson. I’ve had these since the mid 70’s, but never read. At this point I probably never will, but Merlin’s Ring cover is gorgeous and I do a lot of cover judging.
Thanks for letting me know!
According to Fantastic Fiction, those 3 are a series beginning with King of the World's Edge. He also wrote 2 stand alone novels and 3 collections.
Correction: Merlin's Godson is an Omnibus edition of the Trilogy. The Ship from Atlantis is the second with Merlin's Ring as the third.
Silmarillion-Hobbit-LoTR is the order I reread in but honestly I've listened to the audiobooks more so in the last few years than the books and I usually just do the trilogy.
I really struggle with fantasy… sci fi not so much.... and I love conan… but I really struggle with it. I’ve tried lord of the rings and dnf… I’m hoping to get through this…you are as ever inspirational..
Same here, I love my science fiction but Fantasy is more often than not a miss. I have read a bit of Conan and lived it and I read most of The Dark Tower but I barely finished the first book in the Lord of the rings and I didn't make it the first hundred pages of Wheel of Times first book. I feel like I should like some of it since I love horror special stuff like The Stand and The Great and Secret Show which has heavy supernatural tone. But most of the fantasy I have triad to read bores me.
There are many different kinds of fantasies. It is a broader term than Sci fi in my opinion. Maybe, like with Conan, it is just a matter of finding the one that is for you.
@@Dacre1000 I am going to have to make a point for next year to really try find some fantasy books that grabs me. In theory there should be something out there that I might like.
Michael, I remember you saying that you had too many reading projects going. So have you given up your 500 book challenge or your Edgar Boroughs Deep Dive projects or your daily Superman reading? Maybe I missed something, but I'm getting confused.
That’s okay. I’m confused as well. I wish I could give up the dreaded 500 book challenge, but it will be tormenting me for years!
Perhaps either this fall or next year I should give fantasy a try again. It along with western has been the genre I have had a hard time getting into.
Stephen try Ambercrombie’s First Law or Gywnne’s Bloodsworn, my favorites!!
@@heidi6281 I'll have to look them up next time I hit my local library
Malazan Book of the Fallen is only 10 books, not 11. There are many other Malazan books, but Book of the Fallen is 10. Took me years to finish but I was reading between entries. They are now my absolute favourite series by my now absolute favourite writer. But even so the thought of getting through all 10 volumes in a row is daunting. Good luck!
Hello Michael (from India). Can you bring some information about Brother Karamazov?
Btw hello to Roger as well. 🙃
Set in 19th-century Russia, The Brothers Karamazov is a passionate philosophical novel that discusses questions of God, free will, and morality. By Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1880.
Do you think you could read ONLY fantasy for a whole year with the Steven Erickson books (besides JOTR)?? Glad you're going to read Elric! I read the first five Amber books in 2008. Really liked Nine Princes in Amber and The Hand of Oberon. Enjoy all of your books!
Well, if I read Malazan I don’t think I’ll have time for anything else.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 You'd be a stronger person than I! I wouldn't last a month! 😄
Silmarillion definitely after LOTR, but I feel reading it once should be enough
You are certifiable. 😂 Counting some of those series as one book. Good luck with that. SMH
For once I've actually got some of the same editions as you do in this video. Just remember that the Masterworks edition of Dunsany incomprehensibly includes his first book, The Gods of Pegana, as the last in this collection. I've always been baffled by this decision (which continues in the ebook edition for some reason).
That's a pretty good Clark Ashton Smith collection, albeit kind of one-sided by its nature. Regarding H. Warner Munn, the latter did indeed know Lovecraft but beyond that Lovecraft actually suggested the idea of a werewolf story told from the werewolf's perspective.
I have many problems with Ouroboros. Its system of nomenclature is ludicrous and I found the pseudo-Elizabethan language pointless, both of which kept me from fully connecting with it. I do want to check out his other books but if they're all like Ouroborus I may not get far.
I... dispute your decision to count the series as one title each, given that their authors almost certainly didn't see them as single works (Tolkien being a noted exception). It's almost like you're trying to drag out the 500 book challenge for a few more years doing that...
I am a huge Ouroburos fan. Have reread it several times since I took it out of the library when I was 11 because the blurb on the cover said he was the next Tolkien (I hope they meant in appreciation, not chronology), but you need to be in the mood for it.
Oh, I certainly wouldn’t count them as one book for the 500 book challenge. Even I’m not that insane.
Have you read any of the Dragon Lance books? There's about 1 million of them. The first few are like a clone of the Lord of the Rings books. Also the Anne McCaffrey Dragon books are good too. Not sure if they are fantasy or sci-fi.
I’ve never read Dragon Lance.
The Silmarillion should be read before the LoTr, definitely. However it is very dense so will substantially add to the length of this read. But undoubtedly I would read the Silmarillion then the Hobbit and then the Lord of the Rings 👌
I’m getting a lot of conflicting advice here!
The silmarillion can be slogfest so read it last preferably with added commentary by the UA-camr aelfwines road she added to my enjoyment immensely and take your time like a fine wine not to be rushed
Mythago wood is brilliant.
I've been reading Tolkien for over 50 years. My advice? Read the Silmarillion first.
(Pronounced Sil-ma-ril-e-an)
Thanks!
First, read the Hobbit. Then, LotR. Then, Silmarillion. But then you'll want to go back. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I really enjoyed the Amber series. Looking forward to your take on it. Thomas Covenant series ~ Don't do it!, Lol. Really, it's pretty bad (controversial parts aside), it's still just bad.
Let a coin toss determine the order for Tolkien. It doesnt matter. A wise man reads Tolkien once, a fool reads him twice (shamelessly borrowing from a Japanese proverb there). 🤭 Get on to the Donaldson trilogy first. Drop everything, read it now, today, giddyup 🏇🏇 Munn's wiki entry says The Lost Legion (historic fiction - Roman!) is his other big novel, and Merlin's Ring (fantasy). I'm very curious about The Lost Legion 🤔
Mythago Wood is incredible
That’s what I hear.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 it's one of those books that you feel in your gut more than you understand with your head. Although, I'm from near where its set, so it may be that had an impact too.
The Thomas Covenant books seem to be like Marmite; you either love or hate them. I tried the first one, “Lord Foul’s Bane” recently. Liked it initially, but it fell apart for me, and not because of “that” scene. Farcical characters, and lame magical solutions to problems. I persevered to the bitter end, only to wish I had DNFed.
Of course LOTR is ONE story, and The Hobbit is the introduction to it, and Sarmillionis the prequel.
oh boy that's a lot of readin'
It really is.
Epic Comic Book Wednesday?😢
Sorry. I didn’t have time to record one this week.
I love Wagner but Kane didn't hit for me.
You're doing it the hard way. You will never get to five hundred books if you count 11 mammoth books as one. They were all written and released at different times. But I know how you can get those 11 books read. Get them on audio and when you are going to work, listen, when you come home listen. I count audio books as being read. You just use your ears and not your eyes.
I haven’t had much luck with audio. I certainly wouldn’t count all those books as one for the challenge. Im not THAT insane.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 So you say. The evidence does not well support the hypothesis.
I would read the Simarillion after lord of the rings
Thanks.
That's a lot of reading to do, so to save some time I'd advise skipping the the Thomas Covenant books, as they are terrible.
I get very different opinions on those books. I guess I am going to have to read them even if they are terrible, just so I can form my own opinion.
Is this video a fantasy? Can you guarantee that you will read all these books before reading any other fantasy books.
No guarantees!
Read Silmarillion after the Lord of the Rings.
Thanks
By the time you have finished your 500 book challenge, you will have read approx 1250 books. Cut yourself some slack!
I got ~40 pages into Thomas Covenant and had to stop. I don't mind that he's an asshole, but I couldn't get past the rape.
Yeah, around 40 pages is as far as many people seem to get.
Thomas Covenant is the series I really hated. Since you have to finish every book you start you may be very sorry you didn't listen to your mother and toss the whole mess into the garbage.
I’m getting a lot of conflicting reports on this series.