Your Intro to Fantasy

[KChan Son of Honor]

So, we're all fans of fantasy. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here. There's a thread already for how we came to know and love Brandon's work, but what about the fantasy genre in general? Some of us were introduced to Brandon and fantasy at the same time, but many of us weren't.

I actually have two different series I consider my "first time" for high fantasy. First was when I was young - elementary or middle school - and my Dad gave me the entire Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas. I read them all straight through and loved them. Then, in eighth grade, I read part of The Lord of the Rings as assigned reading. I was hooked immediately and went out and read them all. My copies are now held together with mailing tape; I read the entire trilogy straight through five times in the space of about a year. I counted.

Besides those classics, there are a few other instances I can remember. I always loved fairy stories, so of course I remember reading a book called The Moorchild about a changeling named Saaski. I read it over and over. There was also a book about a girl who slayed dragons and then married a wizard, but I forget what it was called. There was also Ella Enchanted, of course, which I read long before they made a movie out of it.

Then, Sophomore year in High School, towards the end of the year, my friend told me about The Wheel of Time. Luckily enough, they were selling the first young adult volume of the series at the school's book fair that very day. Over the course of that summer vacation, I read all ten books that were out at the time. I don't think I did much of anything else that break.

So what about you all? What got you into the wonderful world of fantasy, and what are some of the experiences you remember best?

[Zayde Pahn Kahl]

I started with Harry Potter at the beginning of middle school. I read Chamber of Secrets and became a hardcore HP fan. My Goblet of Fire copy is really worn from all of the love I gave it. Then I remember in seventh grade I tried reading Lord of the Rings. I made it about halfway through Return of the King before I stopped for some reason. And then I discovered The Eye of the World in my garage that summer. Took me all of eighth grade to get through the nine books of the Wheel of Time that were out. Good times.

[KChan Son of Honor]

Ahh, Harry Potter. My aunt and grandmother got me the first book back when the series was first out, but it took me a while to get into it for some reason. When I did, I dove into it.

I ended up rewriting Potterverse into an AU RP forum, back in the day. XD

[CrazyRioter Returned]

I read the Chronicles of Narnia when I was young (maybe 9?) then I moved onto Harry Potter in grade 7 or so. Although my first fantasy-ish book that I recall was The Magic Finger by Dahl. Think I was about 7.

I don't remember how I got into WoT, but I think I was about 14 or 15. The first WoT book I got was a used hardcoveer copy of FoH, took me a bit to obtain EoTW.

Edited March 20, 2011 by CrazyRioter

[KChan Son of Honor]

Wow, you started WoT with Fires? That must have been a trip and a half. XD

[Silus - Shard of Flame Arbiter]

I guess my first encounter with fantasy was my mom reading Chronicles of Narnia to me and my brother when we were little, but it never seemed to snag anything for me.

When I was about eight I encountered a few things at roughly the same time. I found Dinotopia in my school library and LOVED it (mostly for the dinosaurs, which I was nutty about at the time), I got into Bionicle (which was, in the beginning at least, leaning more towards fantasy in its crazy genre blending way), and I discovered Harry Potter which was AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME.

But I didn't start leaning toward fantasy specifically until I read both the Meq (which is awesome) and Eragon, some years later.

And then I jumped off the slippery slope when Mistborn was recommended to me.

[KChan Son of Honor]

The Meq? I can honestly say I've never heard of that at all. What is it?

[leinton Cobalt Guard]

Harry Potter is the first fantasy that I read, but Chronicles of Narnia are what introduced me to it as a genre. Before that, I only read HP.

[Silus - Shard of Flame Arbiter]

The Meq was my favorite book before discovering Brandon. It's a blend of historical fiction and fantasy, though it's classified as science fiction. It revolves around Zianno "Z" Zezen, a 12 year old boy who, after the death of his parents, discovers that he is part of a race of immortals. They grow to be twelve, and then stop aging, staying that way until they go through the process to become mortal and thus able to have kids, get old and eventually die. The story is about him discovering this hidden culture and the various things surrounding it, and trying to prepare his people for the trials that come from living in the rapidly changing 20th century.

I talk about it a bit more in another topic if you want to look there. It's by Steve Cash and the third, and presumably last, book in the series came out last month and I'm SUPER EXCITED to get my hands on it.

[ZeldaDad Lighteyes]

So, Harry Potter marks the beginning of my true intro to fantasy reading. When I was in middle-shool, one of our teachers read to us from the Narnia books, but I don't count that because I forgot most of it. My journey really started my Junior year of high school when my wife (girlfriend at the time) started reading Harry Potter outloud to me. Yes, my girlfriend read to me outloud. Because I was too lazy to read. Anyway, she made it till about half-way through the third book before making me read outloud. After the thrid book, she'd lost interest but I had only just begun. So I started reading them myself and then finished the series shortly after. That was my first time finishing a series and I felt almost as mad about being done as I was happy. It took me forever to get over my I-wish-there-were-more-books-in-this-series phase but once I did, I started reading Wheel of Time and then Sanderson. I've been a fantasy junky ever since.

[Chaos Adonalsium]

Oh wow. I don't even know how to begin my response here, because my memory is crap.

I don't remember my first fantasy novel, which will make this post rather dull. I guess if I think back, there were these Magic Treehouse books... Mind you, this was before I was ten. Hmmm.

I honestly don't know. My biggest introduction into speculative fiction was through video games. I love RPGs. I love magic. I also loved Starcraft (for the story over the gameplay) and the spaceships, so it's no wonder I'm a speculative fiction person. The first fantasy novel for me was probably Harry Potter. At least, that's the only one which still remains on my bookshelf.

I eventually made my way to Eragon, which seemed good at the time. My defense is that I think if I reread it, I would feel that it's pretty lame. Don't look at me that way.

But my first introduction to the best fantasy was Brandon. Aside from the ones I'm remembering now, I can't recall any other fantasy novel which really propelled me into the genre. I'm really here because I was used to fantasy from video games, honestly.

[KChan Son of Honor]

I eventually made my way to Eragon, which seemed good at the time. My defense is that I think if I reread it, I would feel that it's pretty lame. Don't look at me that way.

We've all been there.

If we're talking about things other than books that got us into fantasy, for me, a huge part of it was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It sounds really bizarre to say this, but that game changed my life. If not for that, I would have never started writing fanfiction or got into half the things I enjoy today, and who knows where I'd be without the people I met at conventions and on ff.n?

[Link Von Kelsier Harvey High Prelan]

If we're talking about things other than books that got us into fantasy, for me, a huge part of it was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It sounds really bizarre to say this, but that game changed my life.

This.

[Emeralis00 Hazekiller]

Well, what started me on fantasy, around third or fourth grade, was one of three books: (I can't remember which one.) Secrets of Droon, Magic Tree-house, or Harry Potter. Though, it wasn't until I started reading through my father's library that I discovered what truly great fantasy is.

Meq is awesome. I bought a signed(!) copy of Meq from a used book store. I spent seven hours straight reading that book from start to finish; missing Lunch and Dinner in the process.

[Chaos Adonalsium]

We've all been there.

If we're talking about things other than books that got us into fantasy, for me, a huge part of it was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It sounds really bizarre to say this, but that game changed my life. If not for that, I would have never started writing fanfiction or got into half the things I enjoy today, and who knows where I'd be without the people I met at conventions and on ff.n?

Confession: I have never played Ocarina of Time.

[ZeldaDad Lighteyes]

Confession: I have never played Ocarina of Time.

:blink: :blink: Gah! Best game eveeeerrr!!! You neeeed to play it. Beg borrow or steal to get that game. For real.

[Chaos Adonalsium]

I'll get it for the 3DS. Maybe.

[ZeldaDad Lighteyes]

I'll get it for the 3DS. Maybe.

Ok. I'll accept that.

[Chaos Adonalsium]

I don't know, Zelda games never seem to hold my interest for long periods of time...

[KChan Son of Honor]

I'll get it for the 3DS. Maybe.

You SHOULD. If only to play the game that turned so many of us into nerds.

[Chaos Adonalsium]

You SHOULD. If only to play the game that turned so many of us into nerds.

I'll try it, but I have no promises that I'll love it.

[KChan Son of Honor]

Hey, that's all we're asking for.

So, um, yeah. Fantasy. Has anyone ever read the Crown of Stars series? If so, what do you think? I tried to finish it, but eventually I lost my interest entirely and had to put it down.

[ZeldaDad Lighteyes]

I don't know, Zelda games never seem to hold my interest for long periods of time...

Which titles have you tried?

[Chaos Adonalsium]

Twilight Princess. I've just never had any innate desire to pick them up, so I tended to avoid most of them.

[ZeldaDad Lighteyes]

Gotcha. Twilight Princess was like a not-as-good version of Ocarina of Time. Except darker. But I liked it okay.