originally posted by Trys
And Brooks did branch out into original ideas in his later books both Shannaran and otherwise.
originally posted by Sandtiger
See, I didn't read Tolkien until many years after reading Shannara - so to me, they didn't read like anything else.
Probably one of the reasons I liked them so much.
Sandtiger
originally posted by Sean Monahan
Hey, I liked Sword of Shannara better than Lord of the Rings, which must make me crazy or something, but I never could really get into Tolkien, something to do with his writing style.
originally posted by Blue
You and me both, Sean. I tried to read The Hobbit for a literature class during my first attempt at college in the 1980s. Didn't work. Shifting constantly between POV, and from third to first person within the space of a paragraph was just awful.
originally posted by Susan C
I love LOTR and have several different copies even the poorly edited 1973 edition that belong to my oldest brother. I don't want anyone to think because I found Sword of Shannara to be a rewritten LOTR, that I didn't like it. I loved SoS. I also still read the Shannara series. I also loved SoS as something new because I did read it before reading LOTR.
I noticed most of us are talking about the books that drew us in. I was watching SciFi on TV and at the movies. I grew up with Star Trek, saw Planet of the Apes, Logan's Run, etc -long before the Stars Wars movies came along.
originally posted by Trys
Susan,
I too, as a child of the '60s, grew up on Star Trek: TOS, Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, original 'Plant of the Apes', original 'Logan's Run' (I heard they're remaking this one), 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' (one of the all time great 'B' movies that delivers an important message of that time and this time) and many, many more.
I loved the bad creature features as well, movies like 'Them'.
Trys
originally posted by Auna
Buck Rogers, Star Trek (original series), and Battlestar Galactica were my Saturday evening entertainment when I could get the TV from my parents.
originally posted by Robert Allen Smith
The line was long, people were waiting and I was a seven year old boy who was bored to tears. The theatre that day was packed with so many people that I was wishhing we would just go home.
Sitting in a chair with the floor 2 feet below my swinging feet the cutain opens and the movie starts, people start cheering. The standard don't flick your bic commercial comes on then then movie starts.
When that ship passed overhead being chased by a even larger ship my heart stopped and did not start again until the Wookie gave his yell at the end. My life was never the same.
(sorry about any errors in grammer and or spelling we have a fussy 6 week old in the office today)
originally posted by Neil
Just as an aside…I did not know where to put it…
On this web site:
(link removed)
I liked the book title the "cures of the mistwraith" 
originally posted by Auna
hehe, if only we had a 'cure' 
originally posted by BILLEEBEE
I went for the cover art (Which was AWSOME!!) and the fact that I had read Janny's work with Feist.
originally posted by Blue
You and me both, Billeebee! But was it Lysaer who caught your eye, or Arithon? I remember it was Arithon that set "my smalls to smokin'" when I first caught a glimpse of him.
originally posted by BILLEEBEE
LOL Blue!!!
But I must admit Arithon did catch the mind's eye. I just don't find Lysar all that appealling really. Damn straight I can't admit that about a character in a book as the hubby might get jealous!! hehe. It spins me out that he can get like that oh well!!! Anyway I've found another set of SCi fi books that are pretty awsome as well and I reckon that all the good quality type sci-fi's (The ones I enjoy) all have similar types of scenes and colouration to the art work. That's not to say that Janny's and Don's art kicks butt and is second to none!!
originally posted by Blue
What is really funny is a few years back, I was in the hospital for a while following a serious back problem, and had to have my brother bring me my WoLaS books to me to avoid having to watch TV to keep from total boredom.
It is funny the perceptions of attractiveness, because not a single nurse or physical therapist found Lysaer that attractive. One nurse, a Nigerian lady, asked me outright if Lysaer was gay, because he sure looked it! A physical therapist from Poland said she thought Arithon was more buff and manly.
originally posted by Clansman
It's my first time in this area of the chat, but I remember a few things about sci-fi and fantasy.
Rocket Robin Hood. Really cheesy animated series that put the classic English folk tale into Outer Space. I loved it, though, probably first saw it in 1970, when I was three. Sherwood Asteroid instead of Sherwood Forest.
Star Trek, of course. My first view was of the even-more-cheesy Star Trek cartoon. Man, and I though William Shatner couldn't act! When I first saw the TV series, I was hooked. 10 years old then.
A little book by an author whose name I forget, called "My Father's Dragon". I read it when I was eight. Neat little quest story. I have loved dragon stories ever since. If I had known what "The Hobbit" was about, I probably would have read it right after "My Father's Dragon".
Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica came later. Buck Rogers was just a little too disco for me, but I did watch it every week. I was in the "Disco Sucks" camp.
The Hobbit and LOTR just cemented the whole thing for me. I read those, and their prequel "The Silmarillion" many many times, starting at age 14.
originally posted by DarthJazy
I have read for a long time. I discovered fantasy and read as much as I do my sophmore year of school.
I had serious back troubles so spent a great deal of time in a library. A friend introduced me to an author name Piers Anthony and his Xanth series.
I have since read most of his titles but not all im a bit behind newer stuff right now. I have since disvoered the starwars expanded universe books (big surprise there if ya pay attentiont to my nickname) I love of the good Lacky eddings brooks.
I discovered Janny on wim while looking at bookmans for a new author to start reading. I started with Master of whitestorm loved it so started the WoLaS series and cycle of fire and most any other book of hers I can get my grubby starwars loving hands on.
I am sorry Janny but piers is still my favorite author. I just love the punny xanth series.
I think this is my longest posting yet someone call the record books
originally posted by Auna
I saw a new Xanth book out 'Airs Apparent' I believe is the title. (well new to me who just recenly emerged back into real life, hehe)
I love Piers Anthony's Xanth books too. I actually got into SciFi before fantasy.
Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov were the two I started with. I don't remember what fantasy was my first.
originally posted by DarthJazy
Auna will you marry to find a female that loves xanth hehe. that may be just the fact im newly single as well
originally posted by DarthJazy
Just too let all know the source of my wierdness.
My love for sci fi and fantasy comes from the fact i saw the first star wars when my mom was 9 months pregnant with me it warped me.
Who saw the SCREAM awards last night
originally posted by Beldarius
I learned about fantasy literature when I was 12 years old (in 2000) - I was in a bookstore and got my hands on "The Seeress of Kell", the final book of David Eddings' Malloreon quintet.
Since then fantasy literature has been my favorite genre - I think I've read over 300 fantasy books in these past 10 years.
Dave is my favorite author - I find his stories amazing despite the self-plagiarism (besides, his dry and snarky humor is simply perfect)… and well, he was the one that introduced me to fantasy in the first place. It's really too bad he has passed away - he seemed to be a nice and funny man in real life.