Best Swords & Sorcery hero ever?

[dugfromthearth]

by type:

 

 

Conan - the best "hero as deus ex machina". He isn't a character so much as a force of nature. The world is explored through him. A great example of adventures as mysterious places and problems to solve.

 

Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser - best "real people" within a fantasy world. Lots and lots of things are casually mentioned in the preamble to the their stories. But really they care about themselves, each other, and women. A great example of how power is not the most important thing to a character.

 

Various low rent characters from Thieve's World - The best underbelly and normal folks in a fantasy world. The series was spoiled by the sudden proliferaton of gods and invincible characters. But the early books with the street adventures of characters of no importance are great very, very low fantasy.

 

A Wizard of Earthsea - best wizard in high fantasy. He really has no interest in the lives of others. Wizards have their own place in the world and their own interests. They exist outside of the rest of the world.

[Agent Escafarc]

OT- Just a heads up that Dark Horse just satarted a new Conan comic book issue #0 came out this week.

[trechriron]

Melanie Rawn's Exile series was spectacular.

If she would just finish the third BOOK!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!

 

I also like Drizzt (ducks quickly). R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy was fantastic.

 

Elric is indeed a great dark hero and the Melniboneans were truly inspiring (for those of us who appreciate the dark nature of nature...).

 

I liked the cleric in one of R.A Slavatore's series but I can't remember the character's name or the books. I really need to have my memory checked.

 

Paul Atriedes (sp?) - Dune is as much Fantasy as it is Sci-Fi and that book was truly inspiring. I read it while in self-imposed exile in the deserts of Arizona/Nevada along the Colorado River. Truly life changing. Frank Herbert, hats off to ya, wherever you are...

[Agent Escafarc]

Originally posted by Agent Escafarc

OT- Just a heads up that Dark Horse just satarted a new Conan comic book issue #0 came out this week.

 

Did I mention that it only cost 25 cents and is written by Kurt Busiek.

[Thirdbase]

Originally posted by FenrisUlf

Why? I only ever read her Paksennarion series myself, and while I didn't care for the last two books (too AD&D for me) I thought the first was magnificent.

 

But what's so bad about her other books?

 

For some unknown reason they just aren't very good. I don't know of anyone that actually likes them. The characters come across as flat and uninteresting.

[GreyGuardian]

FYI ALL of the Kane Stories and Novels were recently reprinted in two volumes. I think from Nightshade Press.

 

I've got the Conan volume pre ordered at amazon already :-)

 

Would have to say that Kane, Fafhrd & Grey Mouser, Brust's Taltos and Phoenix Guards, and Conan are probably my favorite s&s characters. Hmm which means Brust is the only living s&s author I really like.

 

Speaking of reprints Nightshade put out a 5 volume set of Manly Wade Wellman's stories. Great american pulp horro/fantasy. He started out in Weird Tales a bit after Lovecraft and Howard and fortunately lived to 83 unlike Lovecraft and Howard. Good stuff.

[Farkling]

Manly Wade Wellman doesn't hit my Swords N Sorcery radar. But I do so love those stories about Jon...

[FenrisUlf]

Speaking of reprints Nightshade put out a 5 volume set of Manly Wade Wellman's stories. Great american pulp horro/fantasy. He started out in Weird Tales a bit after Lovecraft and Howard and fortunately lived to 83 unlike Lovecraft and Howard. Good stuff. [/b]

 

Yes, I'm picking the books up as I can. I think Wellman is one of the truly great fantasy authors (his actually using *American* mythology and legends in his work being just one reason) and he deserves better that he's gotten.

 

BTW, talking about small press, is it just me or do they seem to be among the only people either reprinting the old classics or publishing the more oddball and original works anymore?

[Just A Guy Name]

Speaking of MWWellman, I'd recommend his Silver John stories ( 5 novels and a couple of collections, I think) to those interested in that brand of pulp fantasy; although they are not S&S by any means.

[FenrisUlf]

Originally posted by Just A Guy Name

Speaking of MWWellman, I'd recommend his Silver John stories ( 5 novels and a couple of collections, I think) to those interested in that brand of pulp fantasy; although they are not S&S by any means.

 

Ah, yes. Truly great fiction. I was lucky enough to pick up the Baen books copy back in the late 80's.

 

Say, you ever check out his last collection 'The Valley So Low?' Really good stuff.

 

And is it just me or did I hijack my own thread?

[pinecone]

I haven't read the whole thread but did anyone say anything about Kane? I am a howard fan since childhood ,but I did like the ultimate immortal antihero quite a bit.......

[gewing]

I have John the Balladeer, but none of the others. time to start searching, I guess! Amazing how long it took me to find the one book!

 

Originally posted by Just A Guy Name

Speaking of MWWellman, I'd recommend his Silver John stories ( 5 novels and a couple of collections, I think) to those interested in that brand of pulp fantasy; although they are not S&S by any means.

[TheQuestionMan]

Best Sword and Sorcery eh

 

You would do yourself a great disservice to leave out David Gemmell's novels . In order .

 

The Drenai Series ; Legend , The King Beyond the Gate , Waylander , Quest for Lost Heroes , Waylander II - In the Realm of the Wolf , The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend

, The Legend of Deathwalker , Winter Warriors , Waylander III - A Hero in the Shadows , White Wolf (new) , and The Swords of Night and Day (new) . ( all currently being reprinted in three book Compendiums as Drenai Tales 1 , 2 , and 3 . )

 

The Stones of Power Series ; Lion of Macedonia , Dark Prince , Ghost King , Last Sword of Power , Wolf in Shadow ( aka "The Jerusalem Man" ) , The Last Guardian , and Bloodstone .

 

The Rigante Series ; Sword in the Storm , Midnight Falcon , RavenHeart , and StormRider .

 

Other Books ; Knights of Dark Renown and Morningstar .

[Vanguard00]

Well, Conan, Fafhrd & Gray Mouser and Elric rank up there for me, but much of that is nostalgia, since this got me into the genre.

 

Lord of the Rings HAS to be mentioned, in my opinion, because of it's impact. Specifically Aragorn and Boromir for me.

 

David Gemmell simply rocks in my opinion. Many of his characters are simply larger-than-life, but Druss and Waylander rank high up there (with honorable mention to Jaim Grymauch of the Rigante books). "Morningstar" is one of my favorite anti-heroes, as well.

 

I've thoroughly enjoyed Michael Stackpole's fantasy novels, as well, especially "Once A Hero". The character of Neal Roclawzi is a great anti-hero.

 

Virtually any character from Guy Gavriel Kay. They're all so beautifully developed that they practically scream to be made into films.

 

Other noteworthies include:

Vlad Taltos (Steven Brust)

Tempest & Lythander (Thieves' World books, not sure of individual creators--Lynn Abbey and Robert Lynn Asprin?)

Speaking of Asprin, Skeeve of the "Myth" books. Comedy, yes, but still a good romp.

Hawk & Fisher (Simon Greene, right?)

Thomas Covenant (Stephen R. Donaldson - Thomas C. is such a bastard you gotta love him).

The Beastmaster (a la Andre Norton, not necessarily Marc Singer...though I kinda liked that one, too).

Paksennarion and Gord (Elizabeth Moon) - great characterizations.

Roland, "Song of Roland", of the original French/Frank epic poem about one of Charlemagne's knights.

Robin Hood (not really sword & sorcery but he fits in my list).

 

There are so many that I've enjoyed over the years, but these are the ones that jump out at me right now. Most of them have been inspirations for characters.

[AnotherSkip]

Originally posted by trechriron

I also like Drizzt (ducks quickly). R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy was fantastic.

 

I liked the cleric in one of R.A Slavatore's series but I can't remember the character's name or the books. I really need to have my memory checked.

 

Paul Atriedes (sp?) - Dune is as much Fantasy as it is Sci-Fi and that book was truly inspiring. I read it while in self-imposed exile in the deserts of Arizona/Nevada along the Colorado River. Truly life changing. Frank Herbert, hats off to ya, wherever you are...

 

 

 

FYi JIC Frank Herbert passed away (resulting in his tradition being carried on by his son.....) some years ago.

 

RA 's Cleric is Cadderly and his books are the Clerics Quintet.

 

Liking Drizzit is okies so long as you don't try to EMULATE him. Otherwise.... *cocks firebreathing hand crossbow and aims at trechrirons privates*

[CorpCommander]

Some other alternatives

 

When I was a kid I really liked the Elric novels quite a bit. For an alternative look at the same story, read "Swordbringer" by Glen Cook. Then read "The Black Company" by him as well. If you like TBC then there is a whole series of books you will want to read.

 

Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are fantastic stories. When they all came out together in a 4 book anthology I bought them. I don't regret it in the least. If you can find them they are well worth reading.

 

One of my favorite trilogies was Fred Saberhagen's "The Empire of the East." He later followed it up with "The Swords Trilogy" but those books were not nearly as inventive or well written. Fred writes with a really simple style but it doesn't hurt his story telling here. The story is marvelous. Somewhere about the middle of the third book he makes a lot of relvelations about the world and about things you've seen from one perspective through the whole series. It is at this point you will wonder what drugs he was on when he started writing it! (It's all good, trust me.)

 

That's my $0.02

[Archon]

Originally posted by gewing

One of my favorites, though, is the pair of books by David Weber, "Oath of Swords," and "The war God's Own"

 

Now if he would just gain duplication so he could write 24 hours a day AND have a life with his wife and 2 adopted daughters...

 

gewing,

 

Thats 2 adopted and 1 natural child. All arrived within 2 months of each other. Oh, yeah, and the wife. And he broke his arm last year.

 

With all that against him, the third Bahzell book arrives in April. It's titled Windrinder's Oath.

[gewing]

I just saw that the "WIndrider's Oath" was on the way. Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!!

 

I did not realize it was 3 kids now. That is working fast. My wife and I are hoping to have some soon, we need to buy a house first!

 

 

 

Originally posted by Archon

gewing,

 

Thats 2 adopted and 1 natural child. All arrived within 2 months of each other. Oh, yeah, and the wife. And he broke his arm last year.

 

With all that against him, the third Bahzell book arrives in April. It's titled Windrinder's Oath.

[Southern Cross]

More Books

 

Am I the only person here who enjoyed the Vanyel trilogy by Mercedes Lackey? (She started out writing the Tarma and Kethry stories about two female mercenaries for the late lamented MZB's Sword and Sorceress series ( I think I've collected all the volumes of that anthology series.Well worth the effort of picking them up).

And how could anyone miss out the classic Harold Shea stories by L.Sprague De Camp and Fletcher Pratt.(The later stories,with Christopher Stasheff replacing Fletcher Pratt,aren't as good).

And of course,if we're treating John Carter of Mars as Sword and Sorcery,then what about Stasheff's work? If Rod Gallowglass isn't a Sword and Sorcery Hero (remember The Warlock Unlocked) then who is?

[Isaiah_26_4]

Chello!

 

Yep, allow to me to second Thieves' World, Hawk & Fisher, Fafhrd & Mouser, Conan, and Elric. Gritty swords and sorcery is always fav as for as I'm concerned.

 

A little known writer I've always enjoyed is Ardath Mahar, esp. What the Gods wove in Kryannon. Seekers of Shar-Nuhn is really good as well.

 

Tolkien is, naturally, the Master.

 

I do like Gygax's Gord the Rogue novels. One must remember that it's not epic fantasy and it's ok.

 

The only Forgotten Realms I've ever really liked is Darkwalkers Over Moonshae and one short story by Ed Greenwood in Realms of Villiany. Name escapes but it's told from the goblins point of view. Very creepy and disturbing.

 

Not fantasy, but Howard's Cthulhu stories are good too.

 

The original trilogyDragonlance trilogy is outstanding...I wept at Sturm's death and Flint's passing both. But the rest of the books are tedious in the extreme imnsho.

 

And, of course, Njal's Saga is a must read for any serious gamer, again imnsho.

 

Tony

[Thirdbase]

Re: More Books

 

Originally posted by Southern Cross

Am I the only person here who enjoyed the Vanyel trilogy by Mercedes Lackey? (She started out writing the Tarma and Kethry stories about two female mercenaries for the late lamented MZB's Sword and Sorceress series ( I think I've collected all the volumes of that anthology series.Well worth the effort of picking them up).

And how could anyone miss out the classic Harold Shea stories by L.Sprague De Camp and Fletcher Pratt.(The later stories,with Christopher Stasheff replacing Fletcher Pratt,aren't as good).

And of course,if we're treating John Carter of Mars as Sword and Sorcery,then what about Stasheff's work? If Rod Gallowglass isn't a Sword and Sorcery Hero (remember The Warlock Unlocked) then who is?

 

I have enjoyed all of the Valdemar books by Lackey, but I just don't see any of the characters qualifying as best S&S hero ever.

[Catseye]

Rutger Hauer in Ladyhawke.

 

Okay theres only a little sorcery there but damn thats what a fairytale hero should be.

 

Honorable mention goes to the thief character played by Matthew Broderick. While not a "heroic" character in the leading man sense he was very well written and enjoyable (and probably the best thing MB has ever done.)

[AnotherSkip]

Re: Re: More Books

 

Originally posted by Thirdbase

I have enjoyed all of the Valdemar books by Lackey, but I just don't see any of the characters qualifying as best S&S hero ever.

 

Ill second that none of them really qualify as S&S.

 

the closest she gets is some of the bardic bits and even then still not in the right vein.

[Farkling]

Can I site Anita Blake as a Sword n Sorcery hero?

Or Harry Dresden?

 

Actually, Michael from Dresden's books was interesting...I really wanted to see him get a story of his own...well, the latest touched on that some.

[keithcurtis]

It's funny. Although my current campaign world is best classified as sword and sorcery, I really don't like most of what I've read of the genre. I read a few Conan paperbacks as a young adult, and all the stories seemed to center around him doing some deed and being rewarded with a girl. And the girl would never be there next story! No explanation! She just vanished. I figured it was due to some grisly 'Boy and his Dog' kind of scenario. Y'know, it was a long way between those ancient cities and Conan never seemed to carry much in the way of provisions. He must have eaten them when the trail rations ran short!

 

Seriously, I liked the Elric series for the sheer perversity and uniqueness of the main character. He was a tragic figure, undone by his own flaws.

 

Although John Carter has been described as Swords and Planets, the tropes are so similar I have to agree with those who put him on this list. I have read just about everything but the Tarzan stories and loved them all. The actual first RPG I ever bought (about a week before my hobby store got a copy of the three original D&D books) was a proto-RPG of John Carter. It was much more 'game' than 'role-playing', but that didn't stop me from trying to run a campaign.

It's funny, if you read alot of ERB, it's about half action/adventure and about half Victorian romance. There is an awful lot of florid prose and heaving hearts. The heroes are nearly always gentlemen or nobles, and the heroines are nearly always princesses or heiresses.

 

Keith "ERB-ophile" Curtis