Anything like The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant?

[Spicymeat]

Hey guys, im new here, and I joined hoping to find some other books that I might like. Im pretty new to the sci fi fantasy seen but after reading Lord Fouls Bane, I had no idea what I was missing. Within the following two weeks, I read both triolgies in the series, and Runes of the Earth. After running out of published books in that series, I need somthing else to distract me while im waiting for the next book .

Any suggestions are welcome

and sorry if i posted this in the wrong place, I just didnt know were else to put it.

 

[Quokka]

Donaldson also wrote a science fiction series called The Gap series that you might enjoy. IMO they're a bit brutal but do explore an interesting idea.

If you like the cross over between worlds there's Greg Bear's Songs of Earth and Power, which I really enjoyed. It was previously released as two novels The Infinity Concerto and The Serpent Mage. Or Clive Barker's Imajica.

By the Way Welcome to Chronicles .

 

[GOLLUM]

You could also try Guy Gavriel Kay's Finovar Tapetsry trilogy for a crossover series.

 

[suupaabaka]

Anything like The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant? I'd hope not! Until I'd read those books, no literary works had ever put me in a state of depression. That's not to say I didn't enjoy them...

Clive Barker's works are a good call, very surreal and disturbing on a primal level. I was weirded out by Imajica, so I didn't get very far.

If you're attracted to the character of Thomas Covenant and his misfortunes, I would recommend George R.R. Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire series (unfinished).

If you liked the "man from our world goes to another universe" theme, then Tad Williams' The War of the Flowers and the Otherland books would be a worthy read.

If you're after the insane, indestructible manifestation-of-pure-evil antagonist, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time springs to mind. Good luck to you if you start down THAT road.

 

[Werthead]

Probably the closest series in style and tone I can think of is The Prince of Nothing Trilogy by Scott Bakker, which I much preferred to Covenant.

The Gap Series by Donaldson is extremely good and i'd recommend that as well.

 

[Sathai]

Ditto for the recommendation of The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.

You also may like The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny and the Rai Kirah trilogy by Carol Berg.

 

[Spicymeat]

Thanks for the sugestions, ill definatly check out The Gap series and Imajica asap. The theme that I really liked from The Covenant series was mainly the land, and all of its races and struggles to defeat Lord Foul, not so much the cross over to the land. I found the whole concept of earth power and health sense to be really cool, and im looking for books along those lines.

 

[GOLLUM]

If you want a series of books whose ideas of magic are pretty cool you may want to check out Steven Erikson's Malazan EPIC. It's heavy going early on but if you persevere there's rich rewards to plunder.

 

[Karsa Orlong]

As somebody who considers The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant as the greatest fantasy work ever written, I can safely recommend everything else the man has written. The Gap Series isn't easy to get into, but then, neither is TC by most people's reckoning, and you clearly got into that. Keep in mind that the Gap is sci-fi and doesn't really focus on a "land" in the same way, it's more about the brilliant characters and political intrigue than anything else.

That said, I think you'd probably be more likely to enjoy Mordant's Need as something to distract you whilst you wait. It's a duology also by Donaldson, and it's much easier to read than TC but just as entertaining, set in a strange world with a fascinating twisting story and tons of great characters. It's highly underrated, really - just as long as you aren't expecting something as deep and arduous as Covenant you'll love it.

From other authors, well, I'm a massive Erikson fan, whilst I think TC is probably a more enduring work I'd go as far as to say I *like* Erikson even more. Both Donaldson and Erikson like one another's books as well even though their styles are quite different, and most people who like one tend to like the other, so you should definitely check out Gardens of the Moon, the first in his Malazan series.

I second the recommendation for Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing as well, another absolutely outstanding and original writer to come to the forefront in recent years.

 

[Connavar]

If you like a different type of the hero then i recommend reading about Jon Shannow in Wolf in The Shadow by Gemmell.

The little i have read about Thomas Covenant reminds me alittle of Jon Shannow.

 

[Fried Egg]

Karsa Orlong

Both Donaldson and Erikson like one another's books as well even though their styles are quite different, and most people who like one tend to like the other, so you should definitely check out Gardens of the Moon, the first in his Malazan series.

It's funny because whilst I enjoyed Thomas Covenant and loved the Gap series (I didn't find it difficult to get into attall), I really didn't enjoy "Gardens of the mooon" which I had to give up halfway through.

But I suppose there are exceptions to every rule...

 

[Munkeygames]

Agree with my fellow posters about the Gap series, Its a work of real brilliance. Have to say I didnt enjoy Runes of the Earth as much i was expecting though

Other fantasy however - well your direct comparison has to be LOTR but it can be very heavy going

I recently read the "Orcs" Trilogy by Stan Nicholls - Its no where near as accomplished as Donaldson but it is a great "Hollywood Blockbuster Style" Fantasy that's heavy on the action and entertaining if a bit simplified.

I'm working through (amongst about ten other books!) The complete Chronicles of Conan the Barbarian at the moment.

 

[JagLover]

As somebody who considers The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant as the greatest fantasy work ever written, I can safely recommend everything else the man has written. The Gap Series isn't easy to get into, but then, neither is TC by most people's reckoning, and you clearly got into that. Keep in mind that the Gap is sci-fi and doesn't really focus on a "land" in the same way, it's more about the brilliant characters and political intrigue than anything else.

That said, I think you'd probably be more likely to enjoy Mordant's Need as something to distract you whilst you wait. It's a duology also by Donaldson, and it's much easier to read than TC but just as entertaining, set in a strange world with a fascinating twisting story and tons of great characters. It's highly underrated, really - just as long as you aren't expecting something as deep and arduous as Covenant you'll love it.
.

I also like The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, though it can be a bit slow going at times. Mordan't need is very entertaining and with some fascinating characters.

Those two books are my favourite out of all the books Donaldson has written (including the Gap series)