Subject: Recommended Fantasy Authors List - Part 2/5
Supersedes: <fantasy/recommended-authors/part2_823941563@rtfm.mit.edu>
Date: 12 Mar 1996 14:10:59 GMT
References: <fantasy/recommended-authors/part1_826639623@rtfm.mit.edu>
Summary: Listing of fantasy authors recommended by readers of
            the alt.fan.eddings newsgroup. Contains descriptive
            listings on more than 150 authors, forthcoming
            titles, book news, and numbers of recommendations.
X-Last-Updated: 1996/03/11

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Version: 2.4

        THE RECOMMENDED FANTASY AUTHORS LIST - ver. 2.4
                          Part 2 of 5


Brian Daley (1947-1996)
     "Coramonde" - The Doomfarers of Coramonde; The
        Starfollowers of Coramonde
            _US soldier in Vietnam is transported into a magical
            world. Good mix of modern military equipment in a
            fantasy world, says Jim Lahue._
        A Tapestry of Magics
            _A wandering minstrel is involved in a series of
            adventures. Most famous for his 'Han Solo' books,
            Daley also co-wrote (with James Luceno) 'Robotech'
            books under the pen-name Jack McKinney_

Pamela Dean
     "The Secret Country" - The Secret Country; The Hidden Land;
        The Whim of the Dragon
            _Another series usually found in the children's
            section of your library_
        The Dubious Hills
            _Set in the same world as _The Secret Country_, but
            featuring different characters. An unusual book,
            this one is not geared toward children._
        Tam-Lin
            _The college setting of this one makes it quite
            popular with the academic crowd. Stand-alone
            contemporary retelling of the Tam-Lin legend. Part
            of the 'Fairy Tale' series_

L. Sprague de Camp (b. 1907)
     "The Reluctant King" - Goblin Tower; The Clocks of Iraz;
        The Unbeheaded King; The Honorable Barbarian
            _Classic. Fast-paced heroic adventure with an added
            dash of humor_
        The Complete Compleat Enchanter (co-author Fletcher
        Pratt)
            _Great series of novelettes! Published in a variety
            of configurations, the above title is the U.S.
            edition that contains all the stories. In the U.K.,
            look for _The Intrepid Enchanter_._
        The Exotic Enchanter (co-author Christopher Stasheff)
            _de Camp continues Harold Shea's adventures with a
            new co-author. There has also been at least one
            collection of short stories in this series_

Tom Deitz (b. 1952)
        The Gryphon King
            _Stand-alone set in Georgia and similar in style to
            the "David Sullivan" books (although it is NOT part
            of that series)_
     "David Sullivan series" - Windmaster's Bane; Fireshaper's
        Doom; Darkthunder's Way; Sunshaker's War; Stoneskin's
        Revenge; Ghostcountry's Wrath; Dreamseeker's Road
            _Open-ended series. Celtic myth in rural Georgia. I
            understand that the recent volumes have also thrown
            American Indian mysticism into the pot_
     "The Soulsmith Trilogy" - Soulsmith; Dreamweaver;
        Wordwright
            _Not connected to the David Sullivan series_
        Above the Lower Sky (forthcoming Feb '96)
            _According to _Publishers Weekly_ "War between Orcas
            and humans, a dolphin-selkie-human alliance and
            mystical Native American magic are the elements of
            this fantasy"_

Charles de Lint (b. 1951)
     "Jack of Kinrowen" - Jack the Giant Killer; Drink Down the
        Moon (Omnibus edition with JoK title available from Tor)
            __Jack the Giant Killer_ was originally published as
            part of the 'Fairy Tale' series._
     "Newford series" - Our Lady of the Harbor; Paperjack; The
        Wishing Well; Memory and Dream
            _Standalones taking place in the fictional town of
            Newford. Most (if not all) of the short stories in
            the two collections mentioned below take place in
            Newford also._
        Dreams Underfoot; The Ivory and the Horn
            _Both of these are short story collections. Good
            introduction to the author_
        Greenmantle
        The Little Country
            _He's written many books, with a fair number only
            available in small press editions. Most are
            stand-alone (although related to each other), all
            are good. Probably the most well-known and
            productive author in the 'urban fantasy' sub-genre.
            Often difficult to find in U.S. (but that is
            changing - Tor, his publisher, is showing their good
            taste and really pushing his work), readily
            available in Canada & U.K._

Susan Dexter (b. 1955)
     "Winter King's War" - Ring of Allaire; The Sword Of
        Calandra; The Mountains of Channadran
            _Her first work. Out of print, but seems to be
            fairly easy to find_
     "The Warhorse of Esdragon" - The Prince of Ill-Luck; The
        Wind Witch; The True Knight
            _Light-hearted adventure. The books are stand-
            alones, with the warhorse Valadan as the connecting
            character_
        The Wizard's Shadow
            _Stand-alone (although the ending is left wide open
            for sequels) about a peddler who makes a bargain
            with the shadow of murdered wizard. It appears to be
            set in the same world as the Winter King trilogy_

**Stephen Donaldson (b. 1947)
     "Thomas Covenant - First Chronicles" - Lord Foul's Bane;
        The Illearth War; The Power That Preserves
            _VERY highly recommended. This is a powerful
            trilogy, and you should read it._
     "Thomas Covenant - Second Chronicles" - The Wounded Land;
        The One Tree; White Gold Wielder
            _The Covenant books can be *quite* grim &
            depressing, but they are well written and worth your
            time. Those who love Donaldson's work describe
            Covenant as a flawed but decent human struggling to
            come to terms with both his illness and his power.
            Others with less charity in their souls consider
            Covenant to be whiny, self-pitying, and a poor
            excuse for a hero. Give the Chronicles a try & see
            which category you fall into_
     "Thomas Covenant - Third Chronicles" - ?? (forthcoming)
            _Yep, you read that right. According to _Publishers
            Weekly_ magazine, Donaldson is working on a third
            set of Thomas Covenant books which may see print in
            late 1996/early 1997. This is still very much in the
            'rumored' category, so don't get your hopes up yet.
            He is currently finishing up a five-book SF series
            with characters that make the folks in the Covenant
            books look cheerful and well-adjusted_
     "Mordant's Need" - The Mirror of Her Dreams; A Man Rides
        Through
            _Several people have remarked that, although the
            Covenant books weren't their cup of tea, *this*
            duology was very enjoyable, and nowhere near as
            gloomy as his usual (although the heroine has more
            than her share of self-image problems...)_

Ann Downer (b. 1960)
     "The Spellkey Trilogy" - The Spellkey; The Glass
        Salamander; The Books of the Keepers
            _Two outcasts must journey through the 13 kingdoms,
            pursued by a mysterious red-haired man. Their only
            hope is the Spellkey; finding it and solving its
            mystery may change the cruel rules of the Pentacle.
            Denis liked this first novel, and cheerfully
            recommends it. The U.S. edition published by Baen
            combines all three volumes into one book._

David Drake (b. 1945)
     "World of Crystal Walls" - The Sea Hag
            _Although this was billed as the first book in a
            series, it does stand alone (which is just as well,
            since no other books have been forthcoming). Drake
            is best known for his military SF series about
            Hammer's Slammers_
        Dragon Lord
            _Well, what we've got here is Arthur as a paranoid
            megalomaniac, Lancelot a bully, and Merlin a second-
            rate magician...Mike sez this isn't a comedy, and
            Rich thinks its "an interesting look at King
            Arthur"_
        The Undesired Princess and The Enchanted Bunny
            _A collection of two novelettes, with the first by
            L. Sprague De Camp (originally written around 1951),
            and the second by Drake._

Diane Duane (b. 1952)
     "The Tales of the Five tetralogy" - The Door Into Fire; The
        Door Into Shadow; The Door Into Sunset; The Door Into
        Starlight (forthcoming)
            _Mercedes Lackey fans should give this series a try,
            since most of the folks who recommended this were
            also big Valdemar fans._
     "Young Wizards series" - So You Want To Be a Wizard?; Deep
        Wizardry; High Wizardry; A Wizard Abroad (only U.S.
        edition from Science Fiction Book Club)
            _Open-ended young adult series. Humorous and hard to
            find in the U.S. (the Science Fiction Book Club has
            the first 3 books in a combined edition if you can't
            find it in the stores)._

*Dave Duncan (b. 1933)
     "Seventh Sword" - The Reluctant Swordsman; The Coming of
        Wisdom; The Destiny of the Sword
            _His first work. Has some ragged edges, but moves
            right along._
     "A Man of His Word" - The Magic Casement; Faery Lands
        Forlorn; Perilous Seas; Emperor and Clown
            _A stableboy sets forth on a quest, and ends up with
            a (need I say it?) great destiny_
     "A Handful of Men" - The Cutting Edge; Upland Outlaws; The
        Stricken Field; The Living God
            _Follows the same characters as 'A Man of His Word'
            series._
     "Omar the Storyteller" - The Reaver's Road; The Hunter's
        Haunt
            _Described as being 'a little lighter' than Duncan's
            epic fantasies, this on-going series features Omar
            the storyteller. The books are completely self-
            contained, and stand alone._
        The Cursed
            _Stand-alone about a land afflicted by changes
            brought about by the baleful influence of certain
            stars. Duncan also has a new book out under the
            pseudonym Ken Hood titled _Demon Sword_._
     "The Great Game" - Past Imperative; Present Tense
        (forthcoming June '96); Future Indefinite (forthcoming)
            _This looks interesting - in 1914, a young man
            suffering from amnesia and accused of murder ends up
            at Stonehenge, where he is transported to an
            alternate reality._

Lord Dunsany (1879-1957)
        The King of Elfland's Daughter
            _Early fantasy. Dunsany was very influential in the
            field. The above is probably his most accessible
            book for modern readers (although I like _The
            Charwoman's Shadow_ too, but then, I've got a
            definite fondness for early fantasy). It should be
            available at most larger libraries_

***David Eddings (b. 1931)
     "The Belgariad" - Pawn of Prophecy; Queen of Sorcery;
        Magician's Gambit; Castle of Wizardry; Enchanter's End
        Game
            _The series that started it all. The forces of dark
            and light are rushing toward a climatic
            confrontation, and young farm boy Garion is swept
            into the battle_
     "The Malloreon" - Guardians of the West; King of the
        Murgos; The Demon Lord of Karanda; The Sorceress of
        Darshiva; The Seeress of Kell
            _Continuing the adventures of Garion and Company_
     "The Prequels" - Belgarath the Sorcerer; Polgara the
        Sorceress (forthcoming Spring 1997)
            _Yep, two more books about our favorite sorcerer and
            his daughter. These are both prequels to the events
            of the Belgariad, and should finally answer such
            burning questions as: Why did Poledra have to
            pretend she'd died? and How exactly DID the orb get
            onto the shield?_
     "The Elenium" - The Diamond Throne; The Ruby Knight; The
        Sapphire Rose
            _Eddings creates a new world and characters. The
            hero Sparhawk sets off to save his queen and
            country_
     "The Tamuli" - Domes of Fire; The Shining Ones; The Hidden
        City
            _More adventures of Sparhawk (Eddings does like to
            get a lot of use out of his characters)_
            _Eddings is by far the most highly recommended
            author on the List (hardly surprising, as the list
            originated on alt.fan.eddings)._

E.R. Eddison (1882-1945)
        The Worm Ouroboros
            _I've hesitated to add this to the list, since it is
            an early work in the field (1922), and quite
            different from what most people expect from fantasy
            now, but since *Corinne* brought it up...Read it.
            It's different_
     "The Zimiamvian Trilogy" - The Mezentian Gate; A Fish
        Dinner in Memison; Mistress of Mistresses
            _Eddison gets a LOT more into philosophy with these.
            _Mezentian Gate_ is unfinished - the published book
            contains the chapters he completed and his notes on
            the ending._

Teresa Edgerton
     "The Green Lion Trilogy" - Child of Saturn; The Moon in
        Hiding; The Work of the Sun
            _Celtic-inspired fantasy in a complex, well-realized
            world._
     "Kingdom of Celydonn trilogy" - The Castle of the Silver
        Wheel; The Grail and the Ring; The Moon and the Thorn
            _More about the world of the "Green Lion" trilogy.
            Dwayne says the two books he's read are excellent,
            and I agree, although _Castle_ is a trifle slow-
            moving in spots. The final book was recently
            released, and it is a satisfying conclusion to the
            trilogy._
        Goblin Moon; The Gnome's Engine
            _Jonathan says these are "just awesome - full of
            intrigue and suspense." Not part of the Celydonn
            series, the world of these books is built more along
            Victorian lines._

Phyllis Eisenstein (b. 1946)
     "Cray the Sorcerer" - Sorcerer's Son; The Crystal Palace
            _Stand-alones about Cray, a sorcerer._
     "Tales of Alaric the Minstrel" - Born to Exile; In the Red
        Lord's Reach
            _Two books so far, the first is episodic and has the
            feel of a short story collection, second is a novel.
            Alaric is gifted with the magical ability of
            teleportation._

Ru Emerson (b. 1944)
        The Princess of Flames
            _Her first book, and by far her best. Out of print,
            and hard to find. She's currently doing Shared World
            stuff._
        The Sword and the Lion
            _Emerson recently published this fantasy under the
            pen name Roberta Cray. Lengthy stand-alone story
            taking place in an area reminiscent of the ancient
            Middle East (Babylon, Sumeria - you know, deserts
            and lion gods, and dusty walled cities baking under
            the hot sun). Lots of battles and a young heroine
            who grows into a great destiny_

Michael Ende (1929-1995)
        The Neverending Story
            _Don't judge it by the movies, please, says the
            recommender._

Jane Fancher (b. 1952)
     "Dance of the Rings" - Ring of Power
        _Fancher has several SF novels, but this appears to be
        her first fantasy. It came out in July 1995. Doug thinks
        that it's killer, and hopes she writes fast._

**Raymond Feist (b. 1945)
     "Riftwar Saga" - Magician: Apprentice; Magician: Master;
        Silverthorn; A Darkness at Sethanon
            _Fast-paced adventure, and full of action. The first
            two books were originally published in one volume
            under the title _Magician_._
     "Midkemia series" - Prince of the Blood; The King's
        Buccaneer
            _Technically, these two are stand-alone books,
            although they feature characters and situations
            introduced in the Riftwar Saga, and set up
            situations that are due to be resolved in the
            Serpentwar saga_
     "The Serpentwar Saga" - Shadow of a Dark Queen; Rise of a
        Merchant Prince; Rage of a Demon King (forthcoming May
        '97); The Honor of a Bastard Knight (forthcoming '98)
            _A new Midkemia series_
        Faerie Tale
            _NOT a Midkemia book. A dark, modern fairy tale_
            _Feist is the most highly recommended author on this
            list - his work definitely strikes a chord with most
            Eddings fans._

Raymond Feist (b. 1945) and Janny Wurts (b. 1953)
     "Daughter of the Empire trilogy" - Daughter of the Empire;
        Servant of the Empire; Mistress of the Empire
            _Loosely related to Riftwar saga (they take place on
            the other side of the Rift)_

Alan Dean Foster (b. 1946)
     "Spellsinger" - Spellsinger; The Hour of the Gate
            _These are the initial duology. A young man ends up
            in a world where music has magic. It has become an
            open-ended series. Foster is an entertaining and
            competent writer (I've enjoyed his SF books about
            Flinx and Humanx Commonwealth), however, I've
            received reports that the later books in this series
            have fallen off quite a bit in quality._

C.S. Friedman
     "The Coldfire Trilogy" - Black Sun Rising; When True Night
        Falls; Crown of Shadows
            _Sorta SF, but it takes place on a world where magic
            works, and it's not a really pleasant place for
            humans...."Extremely well written, interesting, and
            a lot different than the typical "sword & sorcery"
            type book...I would recommend this series to
            anyone." Her sf novel _In Conquest Born_ has also
            been mentioned by several recommenders. Doug would
            like to add the warning that Friedman makes Stephen
            Donaldson look like a comedy writer, and that
            depressed persons should avoid these books._

Esther Friesner (b. 1951)
        Druid's Blood
            _Alternate world Sherlock Holmes/fantasy pastiche.
            It gets a bit ragged in places, but on the whole is
            quite enjoyable. Came out in 1988 as a paperback
            original and will probably be hard to find._
     "Demon series" - Here Be Demons; Demon Blues; Hooray for
        Hellywood
            _Open-ended humorous fantasy series. Relies less on
            horrendous puns then some of the other humorous
            fantasy authors. Her 'Majyk' series is NOT
            recommended._
        The Sherwood Game
            _New fantasy. Nathan liked it enough to give
            Friesner a recommendation, returning her to the list
            after a six month absence._

Maggie Furey
     "The Artifacts of Power" - Aurian; Harp of Winds; The Sword
        of Flame (forthcoming U.S. May '96, already out in
        U.K.); Dhiamarra (forthcoming)
            _I've been waiting for this to get recommended. New
            tetralogy that's been getting pretty decent reviews.
            Jonathan says that it is very good fantasy._

Craig Shaw Gardner (b. 1949)
     "The Cineverse Cycle" - Slaves of the Volcano God; Bride of
        the Slime Monster; The Revenge of the Fluffy Bunnies
            _humorous (it's quite punny *ouch*) trilogy set in
            a parallel universe based on 'B' movies_
     "Ebenezum/Wuntvor series" - A Malady of Magicks; A
        Multitude of Monsters; A Night in the Netherhells; A
        Difficulty with Dwarves; An Excess of Enchantments; A
        Disagreement with Death
            _Standalone humor novels about an incompetent
            magician and his apprentice_
     "Arabian Nights" - The Other Sinbad; The Last Arabian
        Knight
            _More humor (do I sense a trend here?)_
     "The Dragon Circle" - Dragon Sleeping; Dragon Waking;
        Dragon Burning (forthcoming)
            _A storm transplants a suburban community into a
            magical world. Nick is "thrust into a dire sorcerous
            conflict" that involves the control of an immortal,
            all-powerful dragon. This trilogy is SERIOUS, folks.
            Jonathan notes that he was a little nervous about
            trying this one because it was Gardner's first
            attempt at an epic, but "I liked it a lot."_

Alan Garner (b. 1934)
     "Alderley stories" - The Weirdstone of Brisingamen; The
        Moon of Gomrath
            _Marvelous author. These are his some of his
            earliest work, you'll find them in the children's
            section of your library._
        Elidor
            _Four children must save an alternate world through
            the use of four symbols of power._
        The Owl Service
            _Echoes of the Mabinogion in a moody and intense
            novel that totally bewildered me when I was 12, but
            that I love now._

Randall Garrett (1927-1987)
     "Lord Darcy" - Murder and Magic; Too Many Magicians; Lord
        Darcy Investigates
            _Open-ended series of detective stories set in an
            alternate England where magic works. Michael Kurland
            has continued this series with the books _Ten Little
            Wizards_ and _A Study in Sorcery_._

Randall Garrett and Vicky Heydron (b. 1945)
     "The Gandalara Cycle" - The Steel of Raithskar; The Glass
        of Dyskornis; The Bronze of Eddarta; The Well of
        Darkness; The Search for Ka; Return to Eddarta; The
        River Wall
            _Randall developed this series with his wife Vicky,
            but he did not actually write any of the books due
            to the effects of his eventually fatal illness_

*David Gemmell (b. 1948)
     "The Drenai" - Legend; King Beyond the Gate; Quest For Lost
        Heroes; Waylander; Waylander II; The First Chronicles of
        Druss the Legend; Second Chronicles of Druss the Legend;
        The Legend of Deathwalker (forthcoming Feb. '96 in U.K.)
            _The Drenai books are good, solid standalone fantasy
            adventures that take place in the same world.
            Gemmell is a retailing phenomenon in England, with
            a publishing imprint named after his first book.
            Only the first four Drenai books have been published
            in the U.S._
     "The Lion of Macedon" - Lion of Macedon; Dark Prince
            _Fantasy version of the life of Alexander the Great.
            History purists be warned - Gemmell plays fast and
            loose with Greek history and mythology. Only
            available in trade paperback in the U.S._
     "The Sipstrassi" - Wolf in Shadow; Ghost King; Last Sword
        of Power (1st U.S. edition Sept. '96); The Last
        Guardian; Bloodstone
            _The second two books take place in a vaguely
            Arthurian past, and the others feature Jon Shannow,
            and take place in the far future. The connecting
            feature of the two eras are the Sipstrassi, the
            stones of power. They are being published in the
            U.S. in the order of the internal chronology._
        Knights of Dark Renown
            _A stand-alone. It is out in the U.S._
        Morningstar
            _Another stand-alone, and this one isn't out in the
            U.S._
     "The Hawk Queen" - Ironhand's Daughter; Hawk Eternal (both
        are only out in the U.K.)
            _The Gemmellites don't seem to be particularly
            enthusiastic about this particular duology
            (commentary has ranged from the lukewarm to the
            tepid). Gemmell's work has just started coming out
            in the U.S. He IS very much worth looking up - an
            entertaining author who tells a fast-paced story.
            Fairly traditional fantasy, with heroic heroes (who
            have flaws, but overcome them when the chips are
            down) and dastardly villains._

Mary Gentle (b. 1956)
     "The White Crow sequence" - Rats and Gargoyles; The
        Architecture of Desire
            _Gothic fantasy. These books are very loosely
            related, and definitely stand alone. I haven't read
            them yet, and I should, because I really enjoy her
            SF. Thanks to Ray for suggesting these_
        Grunts!
            _I've heard a lot about this one - I understand it
            has a lot of black humor. It's been out in Britain
            for a while, but just appeared in the U.S._

William Goldman (b. 1931)
        The Princess Bride
            _A fast-paced, funny romp through every fantasy
            cliche you can think of (watch out for the rodents
            of unusual size). Written by an author best known
            for his screenplays (think _Butch Cassidy and the
            Sundance Kid_), which may be why the movie actually
            does a good job of capturing the tone of the book._

Terry Goodkind
     "The Sword of Truth" - Wizard's First Rule; Stone of Tears;
        Blood of the Fold (forthcoming Oct. '96)
            _Goodkind's debut novel made a big splash, and he
            quickly followed it up. Mikey REALLY likes _First
            Rule_ and highly recommends it. Goodkind has sold
            five books in the series to Tor, so there's at least
            two more yet to go._

Simon Green (b. 1955)
        Blue Moon Rising
            _"my favorite new book this year....standard fantasy
            with enough of a twist to keep me interested,"
            reports Nathan. Your FAQMaster agrees - it moves
            quickly, the characters are standard types but still
            manage to be interesting, and it kept me reading
            straight through to the end_
        Down Among the Dead Men; Blood and Honor
            _Both set in the same world as _Blue Moon,_ but
            they're not really sequels. "Down" takes place years
            after, and features a totally different set of
            characters, while "Blood" is about an actor who must
            play the double of a prince during a crisis.
            Action-packed adventure_
     "Hawke and Fisher series" - Guard Against Dishonor; Hawke
        and Fisher; The Bones of Haven; The God Killer; Winner
        Take All; Wolf In the Fold
            _Apparently the characters of Hawke and Fisher are
            VERY similar to the two main characters of _Blue
            Moon Rising_. This is early Green, and not readily
            available._
        Shadows Fall
            _Simon Green Gets Ambitious. Shadows Fall is the
            town where legends go to die, and where the
            apocalypse is about to occur. Not completely
            successful, but worth reading, and it is always nice
            to see an author trying to stretch his repertoire_

*Barbara Hambly (b. 1951)
     "Darwath Trilogy" - The Time of the Dark; The Walls of Air;
        The Armies of Daylight
            _Another 'folks from our world cross into fantastic
            realm,' but quite well done (especially considering
            that this was Hambly's first published work) with
            intelligent characters and some interesting twists._
        Dragonsbane
            _Standalone about a witch and hero, and a kingdom
            that's in a lot of trouble. A good introduction to
            Hambly's work._
     "Windrose Chronicles" - The Silent Tower; The Silicon Mage;
        Dog Wizard
            _The first two are basically one book that got split
            in two due to size. _Dog Wizard_ continues the plot,
            and leaves a fair amount of dangling threads at the
            end. This may be turning into an open-ended series_
        Stranger at the Wedding (U.K. title - Sorcerer's Ward)
            _A standalone set in same world as "Windrose
            Chronicles," but featuring different characters. One
            of Hambly's weaker offerings_
     "Sun Cross duology" - Rainbow Abyss; The Magicians of Night
            _Wizards cross from their world into ours, and end
            up in Nazi Germany_
     "Sun Wolf/Starhawk" - The Ladies of Madrigyn; The Witches
        of Wenshar; The Dark Hand of Magic
            _Although each of these is a separate, self-
            contained story, they are best enjoyed in order, and
            _Dark Hand of Magic_ does bring the series to a
            fairly definite close_
     "James Asher Chronicles" - Those Who Hunt the Night;
        Traveling With the Dead
            _Hambly does the vampire routine. And she does it
            quite well - in fact, _TWHtN_ took the _Locus_
            fantasy novel award the year it came out_
        Bride of the Rat God
            _Lots of fun - 1920's Hollywood and Chinese magic_
        Mother of Winter (forthcoming Oct. '96)

Elizabeth Hand (b. 1957)
        Winterlong; Aestival Tide; Icarus Descending
            _Hand's first three novels. They take place in the
            same world (a fantasy version of Washington DC, set
            in the near future), but stand alone. Not easy to
            find, they didn't make anywhere NEAR the splash
            _Waking the Moon_ has_
        Waking the Moon
            _At the University of the Archangels and St. John
            the Divine in Washington, D.C., the Benandanti have
            guarded for millennia against the return of their
            ancient foe, the Moon Goddess Othiym Lunarsa. This
            Goddess is not the comforting mother figure found in
            so much fantasy, but a powerful destroyer. This is
            getting some great press. 'Hand has created a
            violently sensual fable helped by smart pacing and
            vibrant prose' sez one reviewer._

Lyndon Hardy
     "Magics series" - The Master of Five Magics; The Secret of
        the Sixth Magic; The Riddle of the Seven Realms
            _It was recently reported that Hardy has left off
            novel writing and gone back to doctoring, so fans of
            this series will have to be content with these
            three._

Deborah Turner Harris (b. 1951)
     "Mages of Garillon series" - The Burning Stone; The
        Gauntlet of Malice; Spiral of Fire
            _Appeared in the late eighties, and not easy to
            find. Dan says that _The Burning Stone_ is "one of
            the best fantasy world creations that I've come
            across."_
     "Caledon series" - Caledon of the Mists; Queen of Ashes
            _Co-author (with Katherine Kurtz) of the Adept
            series_

Harry Harrison (b. 1925)
     "The Hammer and the Cross" - The Hammer and the Cross; One
        King's Way; King and Emperor (forthcoming July '96)
            _Mystical visions of Norse and Christian mythologies
            are combined with an alternative history of the
            ninth century in this new fantasy trilogy by SF
            stalwart Harrison. It's getting very good press, and
            our very own Donal recommends it highly_

Simon Hawke (b. 1951)
     "Wizard of 4th Street" - Wizard of 4th Street; Wizard of
        Whitechapel; Wizard of Sunset Strip; Wizard of the Rue
        Morgue; Samurai Wizard; Wizard of Santa Fe; Wizard of
        Camelot; Wizard of Lovecraft's Cafe
            _Open-ended partly-humorous series of loosely
            related books. His other series, "The Reluctant
            Wizard," was noted as being 'humorous, but not so
            great' He also has a series set in the Dark Sun AD&D
            Campaign World_

P.C. Hodgell (b. 1951)
     "Chronicles of the Kencyrath" - God Stalk; Dark of the
        Moon; Seeker's Mask
            _First two were published in mass-market paperback.
            Current works are only available through Hypatia
            Press, a small press in Oregon (they also have the
            first two books available - call them at 1-800-738-
            2660). They also have several of her shorter stories
            (set in the same world) available as chapbooks.
            Hodgell is a cult favorite over on r.a.sf.w., and is
            reportedly at work on a fourth book_

Robert Holdstock (b. 1948)
     "Mythago Wood Cycle" - Mythago Wood; Llavondys; The
        Hallowing; The Bone Forest; Ancient Echoes (forthcoming
        July '96)
            _Different. Those of you interested in mythology and
            archetypes may enjoy these. These are all
            standalone, although you really should read _Mythago
            Wood_ to understand what is going on._

Tom Holt (b. 1961)
        Expecting Someone Taller
        Flying Dutch
            _These two were specifically mentioned, but he's
            written a fair number of books now, all humorous,
            all taking a myth/legend and putting an odd spin on
            it. He's a lot more popular in England than he is in
            the U.S._

William Horwood (b. 1944)
     "The Duncton Chronicles" - Duncton Wood; Duncton Quest;
        Duncton Found; Duncton Tales
            _Well, it's about moles....but Stevie says "it's
            also about good vs. evil, religion and self-
            discovery." The first was published almost a decade
            before the final three, and general consensus is
            that it is the best of the lot_
        The Willows in Winter
            _His latest - it's a sequel to Kenneth Grahame's
            _Wind in the Willows_._

Robert E. Howard (1906-1936)
     "Conan the Barbarian" - Conan; Conan of Cimmeria; Conan the
        Freebooter; Conan the Wanderer; and so on
            _Back from Cimmeria, the *Original* Barbarian
            Swordsman! Howard had only published 2 novels & a
            pile of short stories about Conan when he committed
            suicide at the age of 31, but he left behind a trunk
            full of material that has been compiled, combined,
            reconfigured, and added to by various authors and
            editors (including L. Sprague deCamp and Robert
            Jordan)_

Tanya Huff (b. 1957)
     "The Novels of Crystal" - Child of the Grove; The Last
        Wizard
            _Huff's earliest work, about the last wizard in a
            world that fears and despises her_
        The Fire's Stone
            _Competent stand-alone about a thief, a swordsman
            and a wizard. There's a love triangle that isn't
            resolved quite as you might expect_
        Sing the Four Quarters; Fifth Quarter; No Quarter
        (forthcoming April 1996)
            _Krista really enjoyed first novel of this series,
            and is looking forward to _Fifth Quarter_. Huff also
            has a horror/ mystery series (I believe that the
            detective in the stories is a vampire), all with
            "Blood" in the title_

Barry Hughart (b. 1934)
     "Master Li and Number Ten Ox series" - The Bridge of Birds;
        The Story of the Stone; Eight Skilled Gentlemen
            _Open-ended series set in ancient China. HIGHLY
            recommended by your FAQ maker (especially the first
            one)_

Robert Don Hughes (b. 1949)
     "Pelman the Powershaper" - Prophet of Lamath; The Wizard in
        Waiting; The Power and the Prophet
     "Wizard and Dragon" - The Forging of the Dragon; The
        Faithful Traitor; 1 more yet to come
            _Well, Jim's read these, too, and he liked them.
            Ellen Harris, an editor at Del Rey who is on-line,
            says Hughes is back in the States, and is supposed
            to be working on the last book of "Wizard and
            Dragon" (he was in Africa doing missionary work)_




-- 
Amy I. Sheldon 
ais3@po.cwru.edu

