Dragonlance vs Gotrek and Felix

[picklematrix]

My current favourite genre is fantasy of the escapist, sword and sorcery style, along the lines of Jack Vance. I am deciding between Dragonlance or Gotrek and Felix soon. I shall probably read both series in the somewhat near future, but I wanted to get people's thoughts on these series.
They are not exactly high literature, but I think that is where the enjoyment comes from sometimes. They are both based on role-playing properties, and accessible to a younger readership.
How highly are these two series rated around these parts I wonder?

 

[Brian G Turner]

We have an existing thread on Dragonlance: DragonLance Chronicles

I think the general perception is that the original trilogy remains entertaining and engaging - not too serious, not too silly, but enough meat to be enjoyed decades later even by modern readers - though most other works under that title generally fail to maintain the original standard.

 

[The Big Peat]

I think Brian nails it with Dragonlance. I'm not sure I'd compare it to Vance - more Eddings or Lackey - but its still a fun ready if that's what you're in the mood for.

I've yet to read Gotrek and Felix. I really should.

 

[BAYLOR]

My current favourite genre is fantasy of the escapist, sword and sorcery style, along the lines of Jack Vance. I am deciding between Dragonlance or Gotrek and Felix soon. I shall probably read both series in the somewhat near future, but I wanted to get people's thoughts on these series.
They are not exactly high literature, but I think that is where the enjoyment comes from sometimes. They are both based on role-playing properties, and accessible to a younger readership.
How highly are these two series rated around these parts I wonder?

Gotrek and Felix is a blast ! Ive read just about the entire series . One the best ive ever read !

 

[picklematrix]

Lately, as I get older, I seem to prefer more fantastical, pulpy, adventure stories. I think some of these role-playing related series must fit the bill.

 

[Overread]

I think a lot of modern fantasy has got hooked on epic a little too much and we've lost the adventure series style. Which is a great shame as its a fantastic way for new authors to test the waters and gain experience and market without committing themselves to a 3 book series where they stretch out their own plot or are clearly unsteady in their writing as yet. Shorter adventure stories give a lot more leeway for more casual writing.


I've not read Dragonlance yet, but I've been eyeing Gotrek and Felix - esp as Black Library has been both doing short print on demand runs of their early Inferno short story collections (where several G and F stories appeared); but are also doing some big omnibus releases. The first volume is already out and collects a bunch of their stories and the second isn't too far off (based on how many stories are in each volume I'm guessing there will be 4 of them to cover the entire series).
It also means I can catch up and then get to listen to the new audio book they've done where Gotrek enters the Age of Sigmar and gets voiced by Brian Blessed

 

[Vince W]

listen to the new audio book they've done where Gotrek enters the Age of Sigmar and gets voiced by Brian Blessed

Brian Blessed! Gordon's alive! I'd listen to that.

I agree that every fantasy doesn't have to be an epic one. A sharp short adventure story can be a marvellous thing.

 

[picklematrix]

I'm also burned out on epics. A lot of them are groaning with extra weight and fat that could be trimmed. Only a few authors and certain ideas really require massive word counts imo.
I have a few doorstop per genre books on my tbr pile, but I'll have to build up to them with some lighter reading.

 

[soulsinging]

I'm a big proponent of the Dragonlance Chronicles as being huge fun. Some of that may be colored by nostalgia (it was the first fantasy series I really consciously tackled), but I've reread it relatively recently and it holds up in my mind. It's pretty cliched, and the first book in particular really shows the D&D roots at times, but overall I found it to be a blast.

Along the same lines, Michael Sullivan's Riryia books also have something of a lighter touch... less epic grit, more buddy book in fantasy setting.

 

[Toby Frost]

Recently I re-read the first Dragonlance book (again) and wrote a review of it for Fantasy Faction: Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman « Fantasy-Faction

 

[hitmouse]

If you want fantasy with an echo of Vancean drollery then you might do better looking at Fritz Leiber's Lankmar stories, or possibly Nifft the Lean by Robert Shea.

 

[BAYLOR]

If you want fantasy with an echo of Vancean drollery then you might do better looking at Fritz Leiber's Lankmar stories, or possibly Nifft the Lean by Robert Shea.

Both great .