I'm a guy who likes his fiction thoughtful, and fantasy just ain't there too often when it comes down to it; give your characters a sword, staff and an undefeatable evil to defeat, and suddenly you've got a good cartoon.
But, like any rule, there are exceptions, and some are truly.. well, exceptional. T.H. White's The Once and Future King is most definitely one of those.
Based around the classic Arthurian legend written in the Mallory, this set of five books puts an entirely new spin on Arthur, Lancelot, Gueneviere et. al, and actually turns it from just another legend into something very, very relavent to today's society. White's characters are a joy to watch unfolding; Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, Mordred; they're all atypical and completely unexpected.
The novel is surreal in places, and is often more of a metaphor than a story, but it still holds together well. If you like your philosophy, and if you're set for a whirlwind assault on politics, philosophers and society in general, this is for you. I'd recommend it as one of my favourite books of all time, just because of the thinking it makes you do when you're done. A real tour de force.
