Silus - Shard of Flame Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 Hmm... My third grade teacher gave me The Hobbit. Also read Diana Wynne Jones' Chronicles of Chrestomanci, and Dark Lord of Derkholm. Dungeons and Dragons was essentially a revelation for me. Say what you will, that game is what made me finally realize, "Hey, I think I really like this 'Fantasy' thing." I really like the world-building of 4E. (I know, I know.) Uh... yeah, then I found Elantris. My mom read us Chrestomanci! Good stuff! And Dark Lord of Derkholm is FANTASTIC! Did you know that Diana Wynne Jones passed away recently?Hmm. Chronicles of Narnia was definitely my first, (Publication > Chronological!)UPVOTED FOR MUCH TRUTH!Wow. Sorry for the narritive of my fiction-reading life there. Wall-o-text much? Anything less than a thousand words in one paragraph is nothing to me after Chaos's theories. XP 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Link Von Kelsier Harvey Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 Oh man, how did I forget? REDWALL. I actually started with Mossflower, but read every book in the series up until Loamhedge. I'm not sure if there were other books after that. I had heard about her death Silus, and it makes me sad. I always wanted a threequel to Derkholm. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silus - Shard of Flame Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Ditto. I wanted to see more of their winged daughter, all we got were glimpses in Year of the Griffin. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KChan Posted May 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 I also grew up on the story of Merlin. I watched The Sword in the Stone constantly, and my grandmother would tell me stories (the more child-appropriate ones XD) straight out of The Once and Future King. There was even a tree in the backyard that looked like it could have housed a sleeping wizard. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeatherWriter Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 *psst* KChan, have you checked out BBC's Merlin? It's fairly awesome, but I'll warn you, they're a bit liberal with the artistic liscense they take with the myths. (Though they get more cannon as the seasons go on). That show is amazing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe ST Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 *psst* KChan, have you checked out BBC's Merlin? It's fairly awesome, but I'll warn you, they're a bit liberal with the artistic liscense they take with the myths. (Though they get more cannon as the seasons go on). That show is amazing. I like how they're getting 'more canon' to myths.... lol 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kateydidnt Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 (edited) Wow, where do I start. I don't remember what first got me into fantasy. I have known all my life that Vader is Luke's father, I don't remember a time when this came as a surprise so sci-fi and fantasy have been a part of my life for a while. When I was a kid, my Dad would watch Star Trek Next Gen (and TOS, but this was during the original run of TNG) and I refused to watch because my Dad was a nerd and I was not a nerd. These days I have truly accepted my nerdiness. I squeeeed so much when I found out Netflix was getting ALL Stark Trek episodes (now just waiting for DS9 in october!). I know I read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in 3rd grade, I know I then finished the rest of the series on my own fairly soon after that. When I was in seventh grade (looking at the US release dates it had to be beginning of 8th grade actually) my mother told me an old teacher of mine had recommended I read this new book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I got it from the library, read it, and fell in love completely. Chamber of Secrets was available in the UK by then, but had not been released in the US. I remember being terribly disappointed about this. My love of Harry Potter is what introduced me to fanfiction. I was 15? I think when I first started writing HP fanfic. This year I celebrated my ELEVENTH anniversary on FFN. (If you look at my profile, please forgive some of the horrible, horrible writing on there.) I grew up with the animated Hobbit (and the animated LOTR movies, but we won't go there.."Frodo of the nine fingers, and the ring of doooooom") then I read the books when I was 13 or 14. A friend in my freshman year of high school introduced me to another love: DISCWORLD! Jingo was my first but Small Gods and Night Watch have to be among my absolute favorites. Twilight didn't appear until I was already a student at BYU. I didn't really pay attention to them until I got a job working at the BYU library...specifically the Juvenile section. I would always see these Twilight books on the sorting shelves and people would constantly be asking for them. I decided to read them. I have a confession here: I DO like Twilight. Its fun. Its corny, its cotton candy for the brain. sometimes that is what I am in the mood for. And then I know exactly where to find it. Sometimes, granted I want to punch Bella and tell her to grow a spine. But then I also like the fourth book best of them all. Also, I like Stephenie Meyer's The Host. I've actually had a very in depth philosophical debate about the intentions, effects and nature of the Souls. Loved Ella Enchanted (I was also once on a panel with Gail Carson Levine at LTUE--I was terribly intimidated) book is sooo much better than the movie. I like Shannon Hale a great deal. I have read about every Tamora Pierce book that has ever been written. If you can't tell, I read a lot of YA fantasy--comes from working for 3 years in the juvenile section. (If I could have that job back I would take it again in a heartbeat! unfortunately I'm not a byu student right now so no on campus job!) There are so many fantasy books I could reference that I have read or have influenced me, I can't even name them all. But when selecting a book I naturally gravitate to the sci-fi and fantasy sections--library, bookstore, amazone, everywhere! Edited August 20, 2011 by kateydidnt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silus - Shard of Flame Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 I wasn't going to read that post because it's long, but your avatar convinced me to. (LOVE Doctor Who! Can't wait for next week!) Don't worry about the fanfiction, the first million words you write don't count. Twilight...I'll let DW pass you on that one, but it's a one time thing! How'd you get onto a panel at LTUE!? Jealous! And I also really liked Ella Enchanted. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kateydidnt Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 I wasn't going to read that post because it's long, but your avatar convinced me to. (LOVE Doctor Who! Can't wait for next week!) I know! I just finished rewatching "A Good Man Goes to War". So excited! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 I think if you're interested in reading growing up that Narnia and The Lord of the Rings is a staple. I'm surprised no one has mentioned A Wrinkle in Time. That was one of my favorites as a kid. I think that the series Starlight and Shadows started to pull me into fantasy. I got a little stuck on Dragonlance Chronicles and the first Drizzt trilogy. Someone recommended Wot, then Sword of Fire and Ice and I've been reading things people have recommended online ever since. My family, husband and friends don't seem to read very often. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralis00 Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 I'm surprised no one has mentioned A Wrinkle in Time. That was one of my favorites as a kid. I have never read it. What is it about? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 It's geared towards children since it is a children's book, but you wouldn't regret for a minute the 250ish pages of the book. In a sentence it's about a journey through space to find a father and wrench him out of the grasp of a "dark thing". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigyn Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 My sister turned me into a fantasy junkie before I even started elementary school. She would read me bedtime stories from Andrew Lang's fairy books and read me expurgated versions of comic books (mainly X-Men and Amethyst, Princess of the Gemworld). By the time she read me Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, I was completely hooked. During elementary school, I read all the Diana Wynne Jones I could find as well as Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Madeleine L'Engle (only her science fiction), and Anne McCaffrey. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syborae Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 I think it's interesting how differing people's reading can be, even in fantasy and even with fantasy classics. I know I haven't read many on the NPR list. I never read 1984 or Animal Farm in highschool and I remember reading a Wrinkle in Time but didn't especially like or dislike it. I'm pretty sure my first fantasy was Lord of the Rings. My Dad loved listening to it as we drove at night or to and from church (hour each way). But what I consider to be the books that hooked me on fantasy were actually Dennis L. McKiernan's novels. Before I read any of his I was really into Tom Clancy and John Grisham (4th and 5th grade) but McKiernan's novels sucked me in. Probably because they weren't so...slow and pondering as LotR. I haven't read any in ages though and I'd love to dive in again. I also would like to read LotR as an adult instead of just watching the movies but the last time I tried I didn't push past Bombadil. A year or so after I got into fantasy I started reading Wheel of Time but stopped after the 3rd book. I also started reading A Song of Ice and Fire which is how I learned about sex. My parents have never given me the sex talk haha. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feloxia Posted August 28, 2011 Report Share Posted August 28, 2011 For me, my childhood is a blur full of fantasy. I watched my mom play LoZ, my dad had me watch Star Wars and some Star Trek, and my siblings and I watched a bunch of fantasy movies (even the really cheesy D&D movie). I read a bunch of shorter fantasy novels when I was little, including some of the tree house series, all of Narnia, and Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men. I didn't read Harry Potter until right after the first movie came out, and before that I had read a bunch of other books I can't even remember.... So, yeah....My mom and dad aren't huge nerds, but they sure have made me into one. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oditogre Posted September 5, 2011 Report Share Posted September 5, 2011 Boy, I don't really know. Most likely The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, but possibly A Wind In The Door. I know I read both of them around 5th or 6th grade, but I'm not sure which came first. And then I have to wonder...does AWitD count? I mean, if it does, then that's a slippery slope that leads to The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Hank the Cowdog and Wayside School I guess. So. 'Regular' / 'Classic' medieval-type wizards and knights type fantasy, probably Narnia, but I think AWitD did more to open up my imagination than any other book I've ever read, and so is probably more to blame for my love of fantasy than anything, say, Lewis or Tolkein did. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Dr. Suess - early childhood Narnia - 3rd grade Redwall - 4th to 7th grade LotR - 5th to 6th grade WoT - 7th grade and beyond From there, it gets fuzzy since I've read so much over the years. There was a period when I read more SciFi than Fantasy. I've flipped back somewhere along the way... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Looking up, people are talking about A Wrinkle in Time. I must have read that book at too young an age, because I recall I found it strange and confusing and not very enjoyable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe ST Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 oh, how could we forget Seuss he makes the world go round XD 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oditogre Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 (edited) Looking up, people are talking about A Wrinkle in Time. I must have read that book at too young an age, because I recall I found it strange and confusing and not very enjoyable. FWIW, I really disliked A Wrinkle In Time when I read it as a kid, but as I said above, I loved A Wind In The Door, which is a sequel to 'Wrinkle', except it's kind of like a Discworld sequel - it's helpful if you've read the earlier book, but far from necessary. I re-read it about 4 years ago just to see if it stood up when reading it as an adult, and it basically does. It's harder to suspend disbelief about how some of the elements are hand-waved away or based on a layman's understanding of science in a way that only really would work for children, but on the whole it's still a wonderful book, and you can probably eat it up in an afternoon, if you're interested in giving it a shot. Edited September 6, 2011 by Oditogre 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGr8Skeeve Posted September 17, 2011 Report Share Posted September 17, 2011 I got hooked on books at 7 when I read Harry Potter. I then graduated to Diana Wynne Jones(who i think is highly underrated ). I then read the Inheritance cycle when I was 15. Then an year back I read ASOIAF and bamn I was addicted to fantasy, there was no looking back for me.I devoured Jim Butcher, David Eddings,Guy Gavriel Kay, Robin Hobb, Robert Asprin and of course Brandon Sanderson. I badly wanted to get into WoT, Malazan and Tad Williams. I don't know if it was just me but I just can't seem to get past the first 200 pages. Can't wait for November when Alloy of Law releases though I wish Brandon would just drop all his other commitments and finish Stormlight Archives ! Nah just kidding Brandon you take your time, but seriously I hope he doesn't go the Stephen King way eh la Dark Tower series. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe ST Posted September 17, 2011 Report Share Posted September 17, 2011 I badly wanted to get into WoT, Malazan and Tad Williams. I don't know if it was just me but I just can't seem to get past the first 200 pages. Which Tad Williams? and yeah it took me a while to get into Malazan too... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGr8Skeeve Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 @Joe ST It was Dragonbone Chair-Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. How far into the books did you go t get hooked ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe ST Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 for Malazan it pretty much took the whole of Gardens of the Moon. I read MS&T by Tad without problem, probably cause I enjoyed his Otherland series so much, and his other series' are pretty great too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almeldiel Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) My intro to fantasy was Zilpha Keatley Snyder's "So You Want To Be A Wizard," which I had read when I was in elementary school. (Which probably says a lot about my age... Oh dear.) My intro to more serious epic fantasy was "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" by Weis and Hickman, which isn't a bad intro at all because it prepared me for all those long-running epic fantasies. Edited September 28, 2011 by almeldiel 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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