Your Intro to Fantasy

[LightReader]

I got into fantasy, and reading in general, because of my older brother. He knew I didn't really like to read, and told me that it was because I wasn't reading the right books. He basically forced me to start reading beginning with books like Redwall, The Hobbit, A Wrinkle in Time, and David Eddings (The Belgariad and the Mallorean). By the time I hit middle school he had me reading the Wheel of Time. I think he wanted me to read fantasy so that I could keep up when he created a live RPG and got all his friends involved creating their own characters and playing out stories with pretend swords in our back yard.

[Rotting Zombie]

Like a lot of people I got into Fantasy with Lord of the Rings. From there I started reading the R.A. Salvatore Drizzt books and other Forgotten Realms novels for a few years. Then I picked up the Dragonlance books about seven years ago and I have been a devoted fan of that since then. I started reading Sanderson's stuff with The Gathering Storm and then I picked up Elantris last year and I loved it, so I plan to read Sanderson's other books soon.

...

Although thinking about it, I probably started even earlier than that with the Redwall books.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Rotting Zombie

[EnaMai]

A few books which really pulled my into fantasy that haven't been mentioned yet (or only glancingly) include the Dragonriders of Pern novels, The Dark is Rising series, The Giver, The Phantom Tollbooth and Heir Apparent.

I specifically remember Ender's Game and Dune as being SciFi revelations.

I also loved L'Engle's Time Quartet (Wrinkle in Time and its sequels). And, of course, I was too 11 when Harry Potter received his letter.

[Ilidsor]

I read the Narnia books when I was younger, but what really got me into fantasy was the Inheritance series. My older brother had been trying to get me to read Eragon for a while but I never would do it. Then Eldest came out and for some reason I just had to read it. I've been hooked on ever fantasy since

[dj26792]

Im not sure what the first fantasy I read was, I know I read LotR when I was about 11, I read Dragonflight when I was 9 and then moved 1200km across the state and couldnt remember the name of the book, or ask the person who lent it to me, my first year 4 teacher (I moved mid year, 1200km=way too far to commute, so new school, new teacher) but at that stage I was basically reading everything I could lay my hands on I read the first 2 Harry Potter books sometime there too, but didnt read the rest until later (the first 4 were out, I just didnt like them). By the time I was 12 I would borrow a book from the school library and return it the next day, everyday. At the same time I had a friend who was a massive starwars nerd and I borrowed his EU books, 3 or 4 on a thursday when I met with him as a mentor and I would return them on Sunday at church, it started to become more directed at fantasy when I rediscovered McCaffrey and then discovered Gemmel, then a guy I was in a book shop trying to buy a kids book and one of the staff asked me what other books I liked and when I mentioned Gemmel and McCaffrey he talked me into buying Pawn of Prophecy by Eddings, and that was it for me... the only nonfantasy novels I've read since have been required texts at school.

[Arcanist Lupus]

My father read me The Hobbit, but I didn't take off reading on my own until Harry Potter in 3rd grade. My dad was reading those to me as well, but the fourth book came out in the summer, which meant that I was spending a lot of time around the house while he was at work, and eventually I got tired of waiting for him, and started reading it myself. I haven't stopped since.

[Zhevir]

Well i would guess that my experience with fantasy is Narnia, but I would consider my real introduction being all of David Eddings books of which I read most at about the age of 8.

Another Important series is WoT, which was the first series I read in english, I think I was about 12 at that time.

[Deoradhan]

For me, I have to confess it was the Redwall books by Brian Jacques, and of course the Lord of the Rings. This was followed by ASOIAF through much of Jr. High, and ADWD after it came out. In the interim, I followed the rather excellent works of Guy Gavriel Kay, and, of course, WoT. Like quite a few people here, it was the Zelda games that helped really get me into fantasy, although in my case it was actually the Wind Waker. Ocarina was well before my time, and although I have it on virtual console I am having difficulty getting to the water temple.

[Ironeyes]

I've been reading fantasy since I got old enough to read chapter books. I think, however, that my first was the Chronicles of Narnia, around the age of maybe 7 or 8.

[dhalagirl]

My introduction to fantasy was through fairy tales (both Grimm and Anderson), Aesop's fables, D&D novels, Choose Your Own Adventure, and Dr. Seuss. I also spent many an hour playing Dragon Warrior I-4. *sigh* Good times.

[ProfessorMLyon]

My first foray into fantasy was with the classic series of The Dark is Rising Sequence (from which I chose my name) and The Chronicles of Prydain. Truly excellent books that started my life-long love affair with fantasy. I've been greatly disappointed that my nephews seem to have no desire to read them, even after I bought both series for them.

Also have fond memories of reading the The Dragonriders of Pern, Dragonlance Chronicles, and the Dragonbards trilogy many moons ago. I could add o many more, but I will leave that for another time.

[Ironeyes]

I love the Prydain books! They were also one of my first.

[Thought]

y'all make me feel old.

Thank Harmony! I'm not the only one, then...

My introduction to pleasure reading was My Side of the Mountain. I read books before that, and more or less plenty, but that sticks out as my mind as the book that made me read a lot. Then, a bit to my shame, read mostly Star Trek and Star Wars novels over the next several years. There were bright spots, to be sure: I read Narnia in 6th grade, I believe. Unfortunately, this means that throughout the years my familiarity with the genres has been less than what it should be. Lord of the Rings probably was read in high school. I know I played MERP before reading the books, so I'd guess I read the series in Jr. or Senior year. Found WoT in college, and generally began to branch out a good bit from there. Finally got around to reading Lovecraft at the start of Grad School, though haven't gone much beyond that into the more horrific aspects of fantastical bookings.

However, my interest in the genre's was not limited to books. SNES era RPGs played a significant, if turn-based, role in my developing love for fantasy over science fiction, and games like Chrono Trigger helped smash the artificial barriers between the two in my mind. There have been movies (The Gamers: Dorkness Rising), web comics (Kid Radd), and other things that have helped along the way, but I'll say no more on them here.

UPVOTED FOR MUCH TRUTH!

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But I had to downvote for LIES! Seriously, I am really sorry, but no, all correctness begins with chronology and ends with chronology...

This is the truth!

This is my belief!

...at least for now.

[Tulir]

I think my intro to fantasy was The Chronicles of Narnia about when I was 7, then after that I read The Wrinkle in Time group of books, but then I got hooked into the Forgotten Realms D&D setting books, such R. A. Salvatore Drizzt series and much more. I've probably read every single book from that setting.

Edited March 7, 2012 by Tulir

[lyssie95]

I fell in love with reading before I could read!

When I was four (and probably earlier, too, I just can't remember) my sister, who is abt 14 years older than me, would read me and my brothers Harry Potter at night when we were supposed to go to bed. It was kinda funny, actually, because when Mom would tell us it was bed time we would *very discreetly* (read obviously) whisper "HP factor", our code word for the outlawed action.

Ever since then, I have never been seen without a book at hand.

Fantasy drew me in through LOTR (epic fantasy, that is, my first fantasy was obviously HP), I was young enough to have seen the first movie when I was six or seven, so I experienced those first. Then, as others have mentioned, my 5th grade teacher had us read Narnia, but by then I was alredy well versed in the genre. I dove headfirst into *every* book I could find, but that exhilaration of being thrust into an entirely new world every time you crack open another book is... amazing. I can't find it anywhere else

[Scattered]

I don't even remember a time when I WASN'T reading fantasy books. My mom read The Hobbit and LOTR to us, a chapter every night, before we even learned how to read. After that, my dad would happily lend us books from his extensive fantasy/sci-fi collection whenever we asked. I read Narnia and The Dark is Rising series, and short kids books like Of Two Minds, but I think the first adult book that I read myself, or at least the one that sticks out the most in my mind, is Caverns of Socrates by Dennis McKiernan, followed shortly by the Apprentice Adept series by Piers Anthony. And ever since I've been making my way through Asimov, Eddings, Farland, Feist, Card, Goodkind, Herbert, Greg Bear, Tad Williams, Crichton, Gaiman, and all the rest.

I recently discovered that on my train, I'm known as "book girl".

[Eerongal]

My introduction to fantasy was through fairy tales (both Grimm and Anderson), Aesop's fables, D&D novels, Choose Your Own Adventure, and Dr. Seuss. I also spent many an hour playing Dragon Warrior I-4. *sigh* Good times.

Heh, i loved me some choose your own adventure books way back in the day. I had who knows how many of the original kind, and I even had all the super mario ones (yes these existed, and they were awesome) from the early 90's. I wonder if they still make these type of books or not...? I haven't seen them in forever.

I don't even remember a time when I WASN'T reading fantasy books. My mom read The Hobbit and LOTR to us, a chapter every night, before we even learned how to read.

This has always been my not-so-subtle, not-exactly-diabolical plan to get my children into fantasy stuff, when i have kids.

[Scattered]

This has always been my not-so-subtle, not-exactly-diabolical plan to get my children into fantasy stuff, when i have kids.

Lol, well it definitely works!

[Swifftalon]

My introduction was a book by Diane Duane called So You Want To Be A Wizard. It follows to young teens in New York who discover wizardy and team up to fight against the Lone Power, who essentially wants to bring about the end of the world.