Worst fantasy book you have read?

[Extollager]

There is one, that is so badly written that it now has cult status, and copies are still available in reissue. I defy anyone to find a worse story than Anton York, Immortal.

It does look bad:

Weren't Eando Binder the authors of the Adam Link teleplay on The Outer Limits -- nobody's favorite from that series!?

I thought a little about the "worst fantasy book" that I ever read. I don't stick with a book to the bitter end now, but I am sure I read some pretty lousy stuff back in high school when I specialized in fantasy (especially sword-and-sorcery). Recently I started a rereading of de Camp's Tritonian Ring after about 40 years had passed, and that seemed pretty poor. Or maybe one of those Brak books by John Jakes. Isn't "brak" a Russian slang word for cheaply-made stuff -- i.e. for junk?

 

[j d worthington]

Eando Binder (Earl Andrew Binder and his brother Otto Binder) were quite popular and fairly prolific writers in the early years of sf; and the Adam Link stories (the first of which was adapted for the teleplay) ran for some time. Revised, and with a story or two left out, this series became the novel, Adam Link, Robot... a personal childhood favorite (though I've not read the thing in probably 35 or 40 years now, so heaven only knows what I'd think of it at this point). At any rate, I loved it then, and the story itself still makes a great adventure tale... I only wonder how well the writing would stand up. This series also had some influence on Asimov's development of his robot series, as I recall; certainly, he felt it was one of the best examples of the "robot with emotions" theme which had been done....

My worst fantasy...? I'm not sure I could choose. I didn't care at all for Adrian Cole's Dream Lords... in fact, I never could get through the first book of that set; and despite the fact that they can be kitschy fun, Clifford Ball's stories (a sort of knock-off Conan) from WT in the thirties, are dreadful stuff. (Then again, most of Kuttner's earlier work falls into this category as well. Far too imitative.) Brooks has never impressed me; and Goodkind... the less said, the better. There are plenty of others I could mention, but I think, on the whole, the less said (and remembered) of such things, the better.....

 

[MemoryTale]

I would say the worst was Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first in the Dragonlance series. From what I remember the actual story was OK, but the characters having names like Flint Fireforge and Sturm Brightblade made it impossible for me to connect to them as real people.

 

[Vince W]

The one that immediately comes to mind for me is Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. I really struggled through it and haven't bothered with the rest of the series.

 

[thatollie]

I didn't like The Silmarillion.

 

[nixie]

The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings. I found the Belgariad books ok, but Redemption was just plain unreadable for me. I never cared less for a main character

I forgot about Redemption, now you've caused it all to flood back

 

[Boneman]

Erm... Hugo Gernsback's Ralph 124C 41+?

Now I'm intrigued... If it's worse than Anton York, it must be worth reading! (Out of sheer perversity...)

 

[Lord Soth]

There was an awful trilogy by Lynn Flewelling, utterly dreadful. I cannot even remember the name now though, I think my mind is protecting me

In which case I recommend staying away from my books as well - we clearly have diametrically opposite tastes

You see, now i'm tempted to read one of your's just to prove you cannot possibly be as bad (in my mind ofcourse) as Flewelling!

Edit: Its not even out yet to prove you wrong!

 

[Lord Soth]

I forgot about Redemption, now you've caused it all to flood back

Yes, it was particularly awful. I really enjoyed his early works too, in my younger formative days...

 

[natalienoo]

Half way through The Path of Daggers I gave up on the Wheel of Time. I would class this as the worst fantasy book I've read up until now, purely because it was within those pages that I realised I wasn't going to finish the series, and that I'd just wasted hours and hours in a world that I stopped caring about long before. It very nearly made me stop reading fantasy. If you haven't read Wheel of Time and are toying with the idea - don't read it! They are dangerous, dangerous books.

I don't think Pinocchio is technically classed as fantasy, but it comes as a close second to PoD.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

*placed big target on back and takes a deep breath*

I hated The Hobbit, LOTR and The Silmarillion. They rank very highly in my very short list of could not finish books. They were so dull, boring and felt like a world with a story tacked on for the heck of it. I've read plenty of fantasy but I remain a fantasy writer that has never completely read any Tolkein.

 

[Quick Ben]

The Lies of Locke Lamora and whatever the first book of Amber is called. I can't comment on the others as the first was so bad I couldn't finish it and didn't bother with the rest.

You didn't like Chronicles of Amber?

Eragon is by far the worst fantasy book I have ever read. Actually, the worst full stop.

 

[Lord Soth]

*placed big target on back and takes a deep breath*

I hated The Hobbit, LOTR and The Silmarillion. They rank very highly in my very short list of could not finish books. They were so dull, boring and felt like a world with a story tacked on for the heck of it. I've read plenty of fantasy but I remain a fantasy writer that has never completely read any Tolkein.

Not a big fan myself to be honest, I think you may be surprised at the number of people that would agree with you!

 

[natalienoo]

*placed big target on back and takes a deep breath*

This took me immediately to the archery practice section in Zelda.

The Hobbit took me a couple of attempts before it grabbed me, and I adored the Rings trilogy. But I can completely understand why many dislike it so much. Each to their own right? If we were all the same, some authors would have far too much money and others would be scraping by on the meagre pennies they get thrown in the street.
..Oh, wait. This happens despite our differing views. I blame Dan Brown, and everything he stands for.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

*phew*

actually when he gets the story right Dan Brown is OK. Umm ... but he doesn't do that very often. *ducks to avoid flying arrows*

I think for me with LOTR etc I just lose patience with a story and characters that don't grip me, and they didn't. It wasn't I hated it, but it bored me which in someways is worse.

 

[Connavar]

R.A Salvatore, Demon Awakens is still the king of the worst by miles.

This thread makes my smile alot, i have trusted my instinct to avoid books by Eddings,Goodkind,others mentioned in these type of threads.

You are safe as long as you know what you dont want to read.

 

[natalienoo]

*phew*

actually when he gets the story right Dan Brown is OK. Umm ... but he doesn't do that very often. *ducks to avoid flying arrows*

I think for me with LOTR etc I just lose patience with a story and characters that don't grip me, and they didn't. It wasn't I hated it, but it bored me which in someways is worse.

Completely understandable LotR-wise. Bordom can set in amidst the epic drama that unfolds. It didn't for me, but I can see how this could happen.

It's not Dan Brown's books themselves that necessarily bother me. His books are okay. But I received no more pleasure out of reading them than I do a cheesy and repetitive crime thriller (which I read only when my father tells me it's groundbreaking and it will enrich my life. I read them to shut him up mostly ). It's the fact that people went guano over Code, and were naming it a breakthrough in storytelling, a masterpiece, a first, etc.. when at best it's a readable crime novel despite having gotten its ideas from 2 other books. It was blown completely out of proportion and so many other authors don't even get a looksee in because Brown's hogging the fad limelight.

But enough of Brown!

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I do a cheesy and repetitive crime thriller (which I read only when my father tells me it's groundbreaking and it will enrich my life. I read them to shut him up mostly ). I

Some authors give me hope my rubbish will find a home and there is an outside, vague chance it may buy me one But we are all different and I love a good bit of cheese with my entertainment. (Hence currently having John Barrowman singing Owe it All To You on my player lol).

Can I add Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy as well (I do read fantasy and sci-fi honest). Again -- I found it more about the world, message and the characters just weird. Although I was pregnant at the time and my daughter almost became Lyra.

Pullman and Tolkein are the only fantasy I have put down through boredom.

I also need to stop procrastinating and write lol

 

[Mouse]

You didn't like Chronicles of Amber?

Well, to be fair, I actually quite liked the story. I just detested the main character so much that I couldn't finish reading it!

 

[The Spurring Platty]

Dennis McKiernan - Into the Forge
(book one of the Hel's Crucible duology - had to look that part up)

Two wanderers from a hobbit-like race go on a perilous quest to deliver some metal item (a coin I think it was) while a black wizard is waging a war to enslave all of the 'free folk', complete with elves and dwarves. Sound familiar?
Even some of the names were blatant - King Agron, Modru (Aragorn, Mordor??)

Never made it through the first one, much less to book two.