Dragonlance (1 Viewer)

[103_smalls]

If you are into fantasy or are exploring the genre at all, the many many many trilogies within the Dragonlance series is a great place to find it! Personally, I am a fantasy reader and writer (among other things of course) and I find that this series not only is fun to read, but inspires me and gives me lots of new ideas as well!

 

[Talia_Brie]

I always thought of the Dragonlance book as a "beginners guide to fantasy".

They include all the archtypes and primary plot forms in contemporary fantasy. I don't believe they are generally well written (though R A Salvatore stands out as an exception), or produced by talented writers.

But they are fun and easy to read, and generally exciting. Sometimes that's got to be enough, eh?

 

[speculative]

I think they are great as "action/adventure" fantasy. Yeah, the writing isn't Pullitzer-prize winning or anything, but hey this is genre paperback we're talking about here.

 

[strangedaze]

I loved Dragonlance is a kid, man! I used to do the audio books and get all into it.

Sigh.

The good old days.

So how are good ol' Tanis and co doing?

 

[swisstony]

Why shouldn't genre writing be award winning? What are the Nebula and Hugo for?

There's no reason why great writing can't exist in genres, I'm sure there are many examples, Mythago Wood springs to mind, as does Earth Abides.

 

[JBarnz]

I really enjoyed Salvatore and his Drizzt series.

 

[Death Requiem]

I always thought of the Dragonlance book as a "beginners guide to fantasy".

They include all the archtypes and primary plot forms in contemporary fantasy. I don't believe they are generally well written (though R A Salvatore stands out as an exception), or produced by talented writers.

But they are fun and easy to read, and generally exciting. Sometimes that's got to be enough, eh?

Doesn't Salvatore only write in Forgotten Realms?

 

[Talia_Brie]

Doesn't Salvatore only write in Forgotten Realms?

Apart from writing "The Phantom Menace", yes.

But I don't consider Forgotten Realms much 'better' than Dragonlance. They're both derived from role-playing games, and their stories, settings, characters and creatures are restricted by the games upon which they're based.

 

[doctor]

i also very much enjoyed Salvatore, and yes, within the TSR worlds he only writes in Realms.

 

[epone]

Dragonlance was an introduction into fantasy for me too. I used it to help my reading skills at school. If you are under twelve it's a good book series, but if you have half a brain you will want more from a fantasy novel. I would start with Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar series - very enjoyable.

If you are like me, then you will sooner or later move onto Sci-fi for that harder otherworldly fix.

 

[kidstaple]

None of you know what your talking about obviously. Not to diss any of you, but your all wrong. First of all, Magaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are both amazing authors and idea givers to the Dragonlance Saga. (Tracy Hickman came up with the idea for Dragonlance.) And, I don't know if anyone has told you Strangedazed, but Tanis is dead.... Ya, I know... it's sad. And Talia, it seems to me, that you don't know what your talking about either. Neither Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms might be 'derived' from Roleplaying games, but if an author wanted to, they could put whatever kind of creature into the worlds if they wanted to.... With permission from the creators that is.... Tracy Hickman for Dragonlance, and Ed Greenwood for Forgotten Realms. And no, R.A. Salvatore didn't just write for Forgotten Realms, he also wrote many stand alone book series, that he created himself, (Example: The Crimson Shadow, Demon Wars, The Highwayman). And epone, to me, Raymond E. Fiest's books are just lacking..... To all who are offended, I am sorry, but I just thought I would set the record straight. If there is one thing that I do not like, are people who don't know anything about what they are talking about, when they get into a discussion about it!!!!

 

[CZ]

Neither Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms might be 'derived' from Roleplaying games, but if an author wanted to, they could put whatever kind of creature into the worlds if they wanted to.... With permission from the creators that is....

Forgotten Realms is an RPG. See Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale.... I have a few friends who play a tabletop (GURPS) RPG in the Forgotten Realms.

Hickman and Weiss started writing the Dragonlance series based on D&D rules. Why else do you think Raistlin had to sleep at night to replenish his spells? The party operated on D&D rules - Hickman even states it in the annotated version of the first trilogy. He explains how the team graphed things out, developed a history etc.

That being said - I really liked the first trilogy but I couldn't get past much of the derivative books after age 12 or so. I groaned at the Drizzt series - what's wrong with using the word "said?" Everything is "mumbled quietly," "barked sharply" etc. Anything after Dragons of Summer Fire (or whatever it was) didn't seem up to par with the first stuff I read.

 

[AdrienneW]

None of you know what your talking about obviously. Not to diss any of you, but your all wrong. First of all, Magaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are both amazing authors and idea givers to the Dragonlance Saga. (Tracy Hickman came up with the idea for Dragonlance.) And, I don't know if anyone has told you Strangedazed, but Tanis is dead.... Ya, I know... it's sad. And Talia, it seems to me, that you don't know what your talking about either. Neither Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms might be 'derived' from Roleplaying games, but if an author wanted to, they could put whatever kind of creature into the worlds if they wanted to.... With permission from the creators that is.... Tracy Hickman for Dragonlance, and Ed Greenwood for Forgotten Realms. And no, R.A. Salvatore didn't just write for Forgotten Realms, he also wrote many stand alone book series, that he created himself, (Example: The Crimson Shadow, Demon Wars, The Highwayman). And epone, to me, Raymond E. Fiest's books are just lacking..... To all who are offended, I am sorry, but I just thought I would set the record straight. If there is one thing that I do not like, are people who don't know anything about what they are talking about, when they get into a discussion about it!!!!

Margaret weise and Tracy Hickman together are talented authors...I read Margaret's latest book, forget the name sorry, and it was pretty sad.
I felt that the first 6 books were good...after that it kind of unraveled.

 

[rydenthorne]

I agree Dragonlance is a great place to broach the genre of fantasy. I'd reccomend Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist, RA Salvatore, and Terry Goodkind also.