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Originally Posted by William Cloud Hickli
Oh, recommendations: not classic "fantasy," but Watership Down is one of the greats. Ursula LeGuin is superb, although most of her work is SF. For a much better cynical take on deities than Pullman's read Gaiman's American Gods. If you like your fantasy decidedly wierd, in a brilliant sort of way, Gene Wolfe is your man. And if you want to laff till your sides split, try any of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.
Avoid: Brooks, Eddings, Jordan. Stephen Donaldson has some interesting ideas but executes them terribly. George R R Martin is OK but overrated, and starting to fall victim to Jordanism.
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I agree regarding Watership Down (particularly when you discover you can comprehend expletives in Rabbitish). As far as Stephen R. Donaldson, I thought the first four books of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant were excellent (but do not pass the fourth, for you shall regret it); derivative, but excellent nonetheless.
But I am not much interested in the current crop of fantasists. It seems I read less and less fantasies as the years pass. Once one has read T.H. White and Tolkien, the rest seem rather blase'.