03-27-2007, 09:23 PM
If you're trying to introduce someone to the fantasy genre, I'd recommend staying from long series, at least initially. Glancing at the average's bookstore's fantasy shelf you might think fantasy authors were incapable of wrapping up a story in a single book...
For light-hearted fantasy, I definitely recommend Terry Pratchett. Stay away from the Rincewind discworld books; the ones featuring Death, the city watch, or the witches are much better.
Don't go near Tad Williams. IMO the guy is overrated. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is padded and repetitious; Otherland is even worse.
There are some very good "children's" fantasy series out there, of which Harry Potter is the most well-known but far from the best. You probably know already whether your wife would be interested in reading the books or not. But for similar (and better written books) in that particular sub-genre, I suggest Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy and Jonathan Stroud's Bartiameus trilogy.
For a non-fantasy (at least in the traditional sense) book thats worth reading, try "Life of Pi" (it won the Mann Booker prize a few years back).
Chris
For light-hearted fantasy, I definitely recommend Terry Pratchett. Stay away from the Rincewind discworld books; the ones featuring Death, the city watch, or the witches are much better.
Don't go near Tad Williams. IMO the guy is overrated. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is padded and repetitious; Otherland is even worse.
There are some very good "children's" fantasy series out there, of which Harry Potter is the most well-known but far from the best. You probably know already whether your wife would be interested in reading the books or not. But for similar (and better written books) in that particular sub-genre, I suggest Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy and Jonathan Stroud's Bartiameus trilogy.
For a non-fantasy (at least in the traditional sense) book thats worth reading, try "Life of Pi" (it won the Mann Booker prize a few years back).
Chris