Favourite Fantasy Writer

ali 2 wrote:Anthony Horowitz

I just love the Alex rider series i have read them all loads of times and they still don't get boring.
i guess he's just brilliant writer.

Ali i don't think Anthony Howeietz is a fantasy writer well i know the Alex Rider books arn't fantasy it more action i say erm mine are Ian Irvine,Jk Rowling,Chris Riddel, Lemony Snicket,CS Lewis,The person who wrote Ravens Gate

C.S. Lewis, Terry pratchet, Philip Pullman, and Robin Jarvis (when I was younger)....and I can't remember the rest. That was off the top of my head. I have a not particularly great memory and also I don't really read that much fantasy....

I reckon Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell are the best fantasy writers with the possible execption of Lemony Snicket. They've written some of the most un-clichèd books I've ever read and they're really good books too.

THAT'S what I forgot... Geeze... that's what I get for posting before eight in the morning... *smacks forehead*

Okay, I meant to add:

C.S. Lewis. I love all his writing, but both The Chronicles of Narnia and Till We Have Faces are exceptional. I've always loved the Narnia books (even though I'm scared of The Silver Chair, is anyone else freaked out by that one? wait... I read that in eighth grade... never mind...) and Till We Have Faces (note to self: reread that book) made me cry at the end. Lewis' faith is more than admirable and his writing is exquisite.

Peter S. Beagle

Someone mentioned him already, but he deserves to be mentioned again for his absolutely fabulous story, The Last Unicorn. The story is delightful. You have beautiful scenery described that makes you want to rear up and jus wander around (the first chapter totally sucked me in) and the plot, the characters, everything was so well plotted and everything that whenever I write a descriptive piece, I think of him. Awesome guy...

C.S. Lewis

Yes, it's for kids, but it's totally awesome. And what's totally awesome cannot be for just kids alone! With a simplistic voice, he tells a compelling story where children can be more than the adults on Earth previously believed, and where Aslan is never too far away.

Philip Pullman

I'm half-tempted to say that his trilogy "His Dark Materials" wasn't a fantasy, that it was a genre of its own, but then I would be stretching it a bit far. Nevertheless, his characters are awesomely drawn out (there are no evil characters!) and his ideas are highly original. The storytelling could use a bit work *coughs*Amber Spyglass*coughs* but all in all, it's good fare.

JK Rowling

Some think she's over-rated. Regardless, she an extremely popular writer with a style akin to Roald Dahl's, which endears her even more to me. Speaking of which...

Roald Dahl

I remember reading his stories about witches and giants and supernatural powers -- it was awesome! In a completely readable manner, yet intriguing nonetheless.

Tamora Pierce

If there's any writer who inspired me to write fantasy (and yes, I write quite a bit) it's her. More precisely, Alanna, but also some of her other work. It turned me on to the fantasy genre, and I've been in love with it ever since.

Madeleine L'Engle

What can I say? Incredibly awesome writer who made me interested in science and writing. She puts a lot of love in her books, and you can tell, just by reading A Wrinkle in Time.

Diana Wynne Jones

COULD IT BE? A comedy writer who intertwines comedy with fantasy? Yes! Ala TTAC, she has written some of the most humerous fantasy I have ever read, and I love her very much for it. Coincidentally, she inspired my brother to fall in love with gryphons. Why? Because she has written stories with some of the greatest gryphon characters ever! Read Dark Lord of Derkholm... I command thee!

Bruce Coville

When I was a young lassie, I loved his work with the magic shop... perhaps it seems immature to mention him among such great writers, but he does have a special place in my heart for entertaining me when I was but a kid.


Er... yeah, just a couple.

Oh my goodness!

*slams head into the wall*

I FORGOT MADELINE L'ENGLE.

Good gravy, I'm just retarded today.

Okay, so I add Roald Dahl and Madeline L'Engle.

Dahl never fails to make me laugh and he always freaks me out more than a little. The Twits, the BFG, the Witches, Matilda, etc. etc. He's awesome.

And L'Engle... she never fails to just blow me away with her incredible storytelling ability, superb plotting, simultaneous eloquence and simplicity, and character depth. A Wrinkle In Time is without question one of the best books I have ever read.

Yay for Snoink reminding me!

Everyone already mentioned my favorites, but I have to admit, it did surprise me to find Sherwood Smith on the list here. I mean, I love Sherwood Smith (I even wrote a few letters back and forth with her a few years ago), but I didn't think she was that well known.

C.S. Lewis isn't just for children! 'Till We Have Faces is absolutely amazing...

Well, people have pretty much taken all my names already - I could've copied Caligula's list out, near enough.

Just to reiterate that Guy Gavriel Kay is as close to being angelic as mere mortals get.

backgroundbob wrote:C.S. Lewis isn't just for children! 'Till We Have Faces is absolutely amazing...

I'm so glad you agree. But then, I don't think I've ever read a review of Till We Have Faces that disliked it, and it really is better on the second reading because you catch so many more things.

J.K Rowling, Whoo!

Dusky, I didn't know of Sherwood Smith either, until a friend let me borrow Crown Duel... mmmm intrigue...

Hey Snoink, they were in production to film a non-animated The Last Unicorn, but I can't find anything on it now.

New film development

A live-action adaptation of the original book has been announced as in development for several years, but it is not clear what progress (if any) has been made towards production. A minor controversy erupted in 2005 over the producers' plans to create their screen unicorn by filming trained horses and then using CGI to modify them. This runs directly counter to the physical description of the unicorn in the book, which explicitly states that the unicorn looks nothing at all like "a horned horse," and has thus upset the book's fans.

The Internet Movie Database states that the film is in pre-production and will be released in 2006, with Christopher Lee and Rene Auberjonois reprising the roles they provided voices for in the original animated version (King Haggard and the Skull, respectively). New Zealander Geoff Murphy is announced as the Director. This information, however, is known to be inaccurate. In February 2006 Continent Films' unveiled a new official website for the project which made clear that the film was still in development, not pre-production. It was not yet funded, did not have a shooting script, and had not been cast. In the new website all actor names but Christopher Lee's had been removed; and even Mr. Lee's involvement was revealed to be nothing more than a promise to appear in the film if he was available and if terms could be worked out with his agent.

Adding to the complexities of the situation, in the fall of 2005 Peter S. Beagle announced that he was actively seeking a film deal for one or more independent sequels based on new material he was writing (including his already-released coda story, "Two Hearts"). As part of any such deal he stated that he would seek to reacquire the rights to the original, enabling the production of a single unified multi-film franchise.

This announcement may explain why the new Continent Films website for their effort dropped the title "Peter S. Beagle's THE LAST UNICORN" in favor of simply "THE LAST UNICORN."

- Wikipedia

Also I forgot to add Juliet Marillier's The Sevenwaters Trilogy

Eh... too bad. But at least they might be able to do it right... *crosses fingers*

I've seen the animated film, and that was actually very good. But I noticed that Peter S. Beagle did the screen play, so that could explain quite a bit.

Snoink wrote:
Diana Wynne Jones

COULD IT BE? A comedy writer who intertwines comedy with fantasy? Yes! Ala TTAC, she has written some of the most humerous fantasy I have ever read, and I love her very much for it. Coincidentally, she inspired my brother to fall in love with gryphons. Why? Because she has written stories with some of the greatest gryphon characters ever! Read Dark Lord of Derkholm... I command thee!

I've never read that book but since it's got gryphons in it I will!

Its got to be JK Rowling, the plot shes weaved is genius

I know I don't really like her books but I've read all of them and the Order of Phonenix or whatever is so c... and the older ones are worse. But the Half-blood Prince wasn't so bad.