Any non main world (Forgotten Realms, Middle Earth, Wheel of Time, Dragonlance) books you would suggest I sort of want to get back into reading some type of material but not sure what to look for.
Printable View
Any non main world (Forgotten Realms, Middle Earth, Wheel of Time, Dragonlance) books you would suggest I sort of want to get back into reading some type of material but not sure what to look for.
The latest Penny Arcade comic reminded me how good the Jhereg books are. Gonna go see if he wrote any more of those (stay the F away from that other series written in the same world though).
1) The Lords of Dus series by Lawrence Watt-Evans, most folk haven't heard of them, bloody awesome, think the 1st one is THE SEVEN ALTARS OF DUSARRA.
Story is about an "overman" a race of human/tiger magical crossbreeds, who after centuries of persecution and genocide, and thus hiding from humans, comes oot visit the human lands, because he wants to be the most famous person alive...he's a ass kicking freebooter, but driven...
gotta read rest of the plot it's just great and very not Forgotten Realms type writing.
2) The Boats of the Glen Carrig, not fantasy per se, fantasy horror, hard to get into wirtten in style of 18th century, it's the book that inspired Cthulu.
3) Legend by David Gemmell, I keep saying this book needs ot be filmed and have Sean Connery as Druss the Axeman! Waylander and WOlf In Shadow are also awesome.
4) Spellsinger by ALan Dean Foster, because...you have to, they are too much fun to be ignored ;)
:)
The entire Drenai series needs to be filmed but definately this one firstQuote:
Originally Posted by Silverblade-T-E
Just fucking KILL YOURSELF for recommending Alan Dean Foster. He is HORRIFIC. HORRIBLE. Makes Dragonlance look like Tolkien.
Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay. Standalone novel. You'll thank me. There's also a great trilogy I enjoyed when I was younger, the Master of Magics trilogy by Lyndon Hardy: Master of the Five Magics, Secret of the Sixth Magic, Riddle of the Seven Realms.
You could always check out Steven Erikson's A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, as a world it is a bit differant from the usual stuff.
I enjoyed the Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies from Robin Hobb.
Seems like it took a bit to get going in the first book, but after that I devoured both series.
"A Song of Fire & Ice" by George R.R. Martin, and "Tales of the Malazan" by Stephen Erikson are the best fantasy authors out today, to be honest. Both series are quite "different" to th enorm, very complex, and superb stories.
And they both get released in the UK first, hurray! :)
A few suggested fantasy novels:Quote:
Originally Posted by Kurisu
Latro in the Mist
The Chronicles of Amber
The King of Elfland's Daughter
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Smith of Wooton Major
Mordant's Need
The Complete Book of Swords
Also, do yourself a favor and go beyond fantasy. There are great books in many genres.
I wasn't personally all that impressed with The Complete Book of Swords. /shrug.
Otherland by Tad Williams, while not strictly fantasy, wasn't too bad. It gets a bit long winded at points, but was neat overall.
The Complete Book of Amber is nice. It isn't strictly fantasy either, but mostly. It contains 10 short books (100-110 pages each?) and has two story arcs within it.
Other than that it has been too long since I've done any non-series reading.
If a story revolving around magic spells, sword fights and immortality isn't strictly fantasy, what is it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dale
Would Amber be a "main world" series? If the OP only meant to exclude current popular worlds, there's some older series that would be well worth a read, like the Thieves World novels, Moorcock's Corum and Elric novels, and Leiber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser books. I thought that anything that had been popular and had a fairly large set of publications revolving around one world was excluded, though.
A couple of series to add to the ones above:
Ursula Le Guin - Earthsea series (if you havent read them, my favorite fantasy series)
Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials series (starts with the golden compass)
The Cycle of Fire trilogy by Janny Wurtz, or her standalone novel To Ride Hell's Chasm. I'm currently in the middle of her Wars of Light and Shadow series (6 books), and it's fantastic as well, so far.
Tad William's two big sets of books, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and Otherland are both 100% grade A awesome. Memory in particular is very good.
I went strictly by the series mentioned in the original post. I'm going to guess that someone who cites Forgotten Realms/Dragonlance stuff as "main world" probably hasn't read Moorcock or especially Fritz Leiber, who's hard to find these days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Delores Mulva
In my teen years I went through a period where I read a ton of Moorcock's Eternal Champion stuff, including the first six Elric books and two or three Corum novels. Afterward, I realized that not only did I read basically the same story 8 or 9 times, but I didn't like any of it -- the concept was cool, but Moorcock's execution fell short of it. Also tried a Hawkmoon book and a Jerry Cornelius novel, couldn't get through 'em.
Gave one of Leiber's Fafhrd/Grey Mouser stories a shot, but I don't remember it at all other than a vague recollection of being bored. But knowing the concept, I can see how it might appeal to people.
I've never read those books, but I thought her collaboration with Feist on the Empire novels was entertaining. Not timeless literature, but worth the price of the paperbacks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Atelen
I was coming from the opening where the main character finds himself in a hospital. It also has a car and such in it. With the whole realm of reality being possible I would put it in the not strictly fantasy term. It is mostly fantasy and I would put it as fantasy overall.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
I did read most of one of the Elric books once before I got sidetracked. I picked up a hard cover of one of the books on the discount rack for $2 or so. If I wanted to give Elric a good shot, what would be the first book I should read. The one I was on I got the feeling I was missing a bunch of backstory.
I do plan on doing the Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn at some point. I had a friend that went through them and he did like them. I just have other things already on the way to read first.
Good recommendations there. I loved the Otherland series.Quote:
Originally Posted by Atelen
I also recommend Harry Turtledove. His World at War series is great for straight fantasy, and if you ever want to stop back on this world, his alternative histories are really enjoyable (Guns of the South, Ruled Britannia, In The Presence of Mine Enemies, the Colonization series, to name a few).
The internal chronological order for the Elric books is:
Elric of Melnibone
The Sailor on the Seas of Fate
The Weird of the White Wolf
The Sleeping Sorceress
The Bane of the Black Sword
Stormbringer
Ok. Seems arbitrary to me though -- even in traditional fantasy there is a "real" aspect, like castles and horse carts. Magic is magic, regardless of any real world elements that might be involved.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dale
Here is all the backstory you need to know:Quote:
If I wanted to give Elric a good shot, what would be the first book I should read. The one I was on I got the feeling I was missing a bunch of backstory.
World.
Chaos.
Order.
Elric. Albino. Last ruler of dying race. Powerful magician. Soul-sucking sword. Works for the Uber God of Chaos.
Adventures ensue.
I'll give another thumbs up to Memory, Sorrow, & Thorn, and pretty much anything else by Tad Williams. Fairly recently read The War of the Flowers and Tailchaser's Song by him, both were excellent.
Just a couple weeks ago I read the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix, and once I started reading them I couldn't put them down. They were a tad short though.
Also the
The Farseer Trilogy
Assassin's Apprentice
Royal Assassin
Assassin's Quest
The Liveship Traders Trilogy
Ship of Magic
The Mad Ship
Ship of Destiny
The Tawny Man Trilogy
Fool's Errand
Golden Fool
Fool's Fate
From Robin Hobb are good to read.
link: http://www.robinhobb.com/books-main.html
Eridalafar
War of the Flowers by Tad Williams is a good book.
I'm currently rereading a "young adult" fantasy series by Susan Cooper. Series is "The Dark is Rising."
I remember really liking this series as a teen; mostly it would be a good quick read if you are getting back into fantasy novels.
There's also what has either turned into a 4 book series or 2 series by Jacqueline Carey; these books are straight fantasy; except for the whole different world/relgions/politics thing.
I remember having to read one of those books in my advanced english class in middle school. I ended up getting the whole series and have gone through them 3 or 4 times. This could be a good suggestion to the person in the "how to get kids to read" thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by sillililygirl
And don't forget Discworld. Only books I have read which I've had to take breaks because I was laughing and couldn't focus on the writing any more.
If you like Discworld (and I have serious doubts about anyone who doesn't...) check out Good Omens by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
oh stop hiding the truth, you wuss! you wanna have sex with Mudge the otter! WE KNOWZ ITZ!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy
:grinyes:
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. My all time (other than Tolkien) favorite fantasy book.
Forgot to mention, for a different kind of fantasy, this one is pretty good:
Delta of Venus
I liked the Elric books, but never read the Corum novels. You might also look in the Dragonriders of Pern series, I enjoyed those as well.
I second the Amber chronicles reccomendation. I think you will either love them or hate them.
I recently read the first Black Company trilogy, and that was pretty good.
The original 7 Shannara books are really good by Terry Brooks. Sword, Elfstones, Wishsong and then the 4 book Heritage series. I stayed away from the prequel stuff myself. No clue if it's good or not but I always got the impression that it was just a grab for cash.
Since people brought up young adult fantasy, Lloyd Alexander's books are also extremely good. Book of Three, Black Cauldron and the rest of the Prydain Chronicles.
That applies to all of Terry Brooks' books. The guy's face should be with Jack L. Chalker's in the dictionary next to "talentless hack."Quote:
Originally Posted by Silke
Another vote for Steven Erikson, Dmitry put me onto those I believe originally.
David Gemmell is good, though I can find myself racing through his books a little too quickly. Movie please.
Robin Hobb- Good, much prefered the Farseer trilogy over the Mad Ships.
And I've also just recently read a series called the Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop. I really enjoyed them. But the society in the novels is all kinds of fucked up, and theres a fairly high level of violence etc, that at times gets quite over the top.
edit: Honesty compels me to mention that the descriptions of facial expressions are even more common than hands tugging braids or descriptions of skirts in WoT.
Anais Nin. Just thinking of those books gives me wood.
*cough* Sword of Truth series.
ZZ
Just read the first Amber series. Merlin shouldn't have been let out of the nursery.
KJ Parker's Fencer Trilogy always gets my vote.
His next book (Dzur) is coming out in august, supposedly. I was rather suprised to see an entire Penny Arcade comic/newspost devoted to him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy
Only if you're a masochist.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZedofFennin
gonna give another thumbs up for pratchett and the discworld.
you can make a start at any point in the series since most of the books are written as stand-alone stories, so its not difficult to understand what is going on (including the books with recurring characters like vimes, weatherwax, the unseen university wizards etc).
I mentioned this as two fantasy luvin' friends have told me in the past they havent read much pratchett because they insist on reading novels in the order they were written, yet havent made much effort to get the first few books ;-0
Actually, the other series (The Phoenix Guards, etc) is good too, but you have to like Dumas. We have a copy The Three Musketeers (with an introduction by Brust) next to those on the bookshelf because of the glaring similarities. Sehra loves them, but I love the Vlad books much more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy
Quote:
Originally Posted by celacia
That convention is a 300 year old joke. It's painful to read those books. PAINFUL.
Sword of Truth really is quite awful. Forgotten Realms, Sword of Truth, this is like the thread of asstacular fantasy books.Quote:
Originally Posted by Azamien
Well, sure. If you don't like something it must be crap. :rolleyes:
Sword of Truth series is not horrific. It's a little over indulgent of sado masochism, but if you like that stuff or even can tolerate it, the books are not so incredibly bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
Forgotten Realms is unutterable toilet paper. Not even good toilet paper. Forgotten realms is public bathroom toilet paper. The kind of toilet paper that scratches your asscrack.
Depends on why you would read those books. I read them (and many other) to sink into another world which is not like ours yet similar in many ways. Happily, I don't know much about what's supposed to be "good" writing and I like to read whatever manages to capture my attention.
But those are my reasons, and even if you (not just Torcer and Dmitry) have your own reasons for liking or disliking something, it doesn't automatically make it crap.
Never understood the hate of the Merlin books. In tone and writing style, they're the same as the Corwin stuff -- the only difference is that Merlin throws around magic bolts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
How else to define crap in literature? Yes, if I don't like something, that means I think it is bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars Ullrich
Not the ones I named!Quote:
Originally Posted by Torcer
All we need is the Gor series to truly make it awfulQuote:
Originally Posted by Torcer Arcana
It's crap. Unutterable distinct smelly poo poo crap. If you want to sink into a world, there are MUCH better books to do it with. It is not automatically crap. It is crap when you read simplistic predictable plots with pasteboard characters acting in repetetive predictable ways over rambling wrecks of plots with trite ill grammarred writing. You of course are welcome to read that crap and enjoy that crap and love that crap. I have my own secret crap pleasure of LE MOdesitt. It is crap - no doubt, but I still like it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
I think what annoyed me most about them is that Zelazny implausibly let the dumber, brasher ones -- Merlin, Ghostwheel -- win, without ever showing me why that should be.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Now, Corwin, you know exactly why he came out on top.
(He was ranked first in Stamina.)
It always seemed evident to me: Raw unadulterated power stemming from his twin bloodlines. As the only one in all of existence who could tap both ends of reality, he had access to more resources and energy than anyone else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
Please don't compare me with Lars Ulrich, sir.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
And at least admit it's your opinion that states the books mentioned are bad or crap. Just as I admit it's my opinion I don't find them bad or crap.
One person's shit is another person's gold, after all.
Read the Prince of Nothing series: http://www.princeofnothing.com/
Epic fantasy with great world-building. I just finished the third book. :)
Nah, if I say it, it's absolute truth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
His last book was Issola, IIRC and he's got a new one due out in August or September this year, Dzur.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy
The other series in the same world is very good, but the style is more Dumas than anything you'll find in some trash fantasy like Eddings.
At least pick up "The Phoenix Guards", if you like that, then the other ones are there at your leisure.
edit: I need to read through the thread before i respond to Dmitry.
I"ll second The Black Company books, at least the early ones. I think there are a lot of Song of Ice and Fire geeks here that this doesn't need mentioning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Telegareth
Mattias moved there I think.
I recognize greatness in things I don't like. Some Operas, Classical Music, Picasso, Poetry, etc. The Drizzit novels are CRAP on every objective criterion you could possibly judge something - the plots are thin, the dialogue is juvenile, the characters are unrealized, the action is poorly paced, etc., etc., etc...Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
"He's the best!" ... lame, lame, lame.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
All of the Amberites are descended from Chaos; that Dworkin or Oberon lied to his children is several orders of magnitude more genre than implausibly making Merlin more special than the overconfident Powers dweeb that he is.
The only thing I didn't really like about the Merlin cycle of Amber books was the development of the pattern and logrus as sentient beings. Something about that just made the world a little less interesting to me. I haven't read them in a while, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
And I think you're remembering Corwin with some rose-colored glasses. His victories were almost entirely due to luck.
I enjoyed the Lon Tobyn trilogy written by David Coe. I'd rate it as good....of course ymmv.
Berk
Happy to slap down any examples you care to give.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xisrene
Sword of Truth series? Absolutely horrid. Despite that I read them and even enjoy them. But I don't pretend that the series is anything other than garbage. I won't recommend the series to anyone. I can't explain why I read the series but I do so willingly.
Possibly, if you had refused to read them, you would have been love-whipped in the secret Sacred Devotion Chamber?Quote:
Originally Posted by Silke
If that's the case, not only will I refuse to read them, I will burn all copies I can find.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy
LOL What a pathetic bunch of book snobs.
ZZ
philistine.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZedofFennin
And I enjoy the Sword of Truth series. Well.. The last two have been rather preachy, and I think at this point I'm just reading it to be finished with it.
Besides, I think I'm a far better personification of Zed than what TG came up with.
ZZ
You mean you don't like to read books that interrupt the plot, such as it is, to go on a 15 page diatribe on why woman not only should be kept in chains but that they would actually prefer it?Quote:
Originally Posted by camrael
Two Alan Dean Foster books that I read I would classify as Excellant:
Icerigger
Midworld
--D
WTF is the Gor series? I guess camarel actually knew the guy who wrote it, or owns the printing press that makes it or something.
heh
ZZ
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZedofFennin
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ers_of_gor.JPG
While it lightly dips into sci fi, C.S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy is one of the best fantasy trilogies I've ever read. The world is unique, the characters are well developed, and the plot is entertaining.
I'll second the Coldfire recommendation. Damien Kilcanon Vryce is a unique protagonist, and Gerald Terrant is my favorite fantasy villian. Detailed world, fleshed out characters - just a fantastic read.
Here's my question... Eragon.
I noticed the books as I walk around the bookstore occasionally.
I just noticed last week that they have a movie poster up for it. Anybody read it, and care to comment?
The Nine Princes of Amber are only half Chaos. Merlin is 3/4 Chaos, trained from birth in Chaos arts and the only person except for maybe Oberon and Dworkin to have walked both Pattern and Logrus. It's not unreasonable to suppose that combination would count for something. I admit that between Frakir and Ghost, Merlin sort of becomes Deus Ex Machina Man, but Amber was never just about magic traps and battles; it's an ongoing story of dysfunctional family relationships and feudal politics, elements that -- along with the Chandler-esque narrative tone -- are carried out as deftly in the Merlin books as in the Corwin novels.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
linking the book that's first in the series I've ready by Jacqueline Carey...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076...lance&n=283155
Just this month she's released a second trilogy with a different main character that follows the story of this trilogy/book.
Its this totally awful series from the late 60's through the 80's which basically has rape scenes, slave sex scenes, and as Lascaris mentioned, lots of long diatribes about women are happier when they are slaves and serving man. Some people today practice Gor :) I was very hungry for sci fi and fantasy as a kid and there was this used book store / junk shop that had thousands of books for $1 or less. Even at my young age I knew the books were crap but the winters in Northern BC were long.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZedofFennin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gor
I love those (the first set anyway, haven't read the second set). The first one suffers a bit from super-heavyhanded foreshadowing, but it's still a good read, in a guilty pleasure kind of way.Quote:
Originally Posted by sillililygirl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EragonQuote:
Originally Posted by Merco
Its ok. The author did a good job of developing his character over time. Its not OMG super power guy in the first book. It takes well into the second book before main character even gets semi decent.
In terms of general complaints against the series, yes it copies muliple themes out there. On the other hand these are really good themes. It has links to LotR, Star Wars, and several other fantasy books/series. At the same time it is well presented and easy enough to read.
It was good to read for fun, not something to advance your reading comprehension, but otherwise worth it. The risk in making a fantasy movie based on Eragon is that it is fantasy and it is a rare case such as LotR that it turns out good or epic. Ill see the movie, but am not goin in with huge expectations. I guess ill see the trailer and then comment again...hard to tell with just posters up.
Don't forget the Spikards.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Amber's about archetypes. Can't really see how you can avoid feeling a letdown going from a strong one like Corwin to a penny-ante one like Merlin.
Merlin's space is squeezed from both sides by Fiona the sorceress and Julian the artificier. They're both (obviously) several times more "Amber" and therefore interesting than Merlin, who's a child and speaking from a slightly tweaked Earth perspective.
It's the Earth perspective (which Corwin also has) that attracts me. Without the cynical, modern-American-among-medieval-tightasses narration, Amber would be little more than another generic fantasy series to me. Although the multiverse concept is pretty cool too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
I very much liked the Coldfire Trilogy as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyron
Eragon is that book my mother keeps going on and on about (she works in an elementary school library). Something about it being written by a highschool student or something. /shrug.
Ah, well, that could well be it.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Corwin's focus is on Europe, and while he's conversant with Earth he's an Amberite first.
Merlin's an American brat.
I'm comfortable with disliking him for that, whereas you may have more sympathy with that background.
He talks exactly like an American from a '40s noir novel (hence the frequent comparisons of the Amber novels to stories by Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler). He's Bogart with a sword.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
His speech patterns and attitude are practically identical with his father's. If you dislike one, then you ought to dislike the other.Quote:
Merlin's an American brat.
Well, a combination of luck and people helping him along. The whole beginning of Nice Princes in Amber until he got his memory back he would have been screwed without Random and later Deirdre. He never would have gotten out of the dungeon without Dworkin's help. He never would have found out about the primal pattern without the fortuitous arrival of the unicorn, and Brand would have been attuned to the jewel without first Fiona's and then Ganelon's help. I like Corwin, but his successes were not entirely on his own merits.Quote:
Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak
In fighting, I'll give Corwin his due. He kicked a lot of ass. He even managed to beat to Benedict once.
Hah! They're anything but!Quote:
Originally Posted by Xisrene
Quote:
Originally Posted by Merco
Quick and easy read. My only complaint is the author/and characters seem to be in Love with his "land" even while he presents an evil opresive ruler. But hey I enjoyed it and bought the Sequal the week it came out.
I do not understand the judgement that you do me the honor to make. One certainly may enjoy the pleasure of seeing words put forth, or rather, set down, upon the page as much as he (or she) may enjoy the company of an attractive, or rather, comely, Lady who is as skilled with her sword as she is with her tongue.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy
Anything by C.S. Friedman is excellent. This lady is a god amongst little gnome sized authors. Unfortunately she doesn't publish very often.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pyron
I loved Black Sun Rising. The sequel (can't remember the title) was decent, but seemed like a rehash of the first one. I kinda hate Crown of Shadows. Tarrant's character got really watered down, and that stupid high priest guy fucked up a really cool setting.
Is C.S. Friedman related to Kinky Friedman? I could see someone named Kinky being a decent fantasy writer.
Gerard seems likeable enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Didn't he beat the crap out of Corwin with his bare hands after unfairly suspecting him of murdering one of the Princes?Quote:
Originally Posted by Xisrene
Corwin did look pretty damn guilty, so I wouldn't exactly say it was unfair of Gerard. He may have been a bit of a bully, but his actions were generally aimed towards protecting family members. The one kind-of-scummy thing he did in the books was actually on Corwin's behalf.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
Gerard always seemed like an uppity, sanctimonious prick to me. The only likeable Prince, as far as I can tell, was Random. And he could be a real bastard too.
Well if you want a world that is not high fantasy try the The book of the new sun by Gene Wolfe. It is a combination of Fantasy and relics from Scifi explained through the adventures of a torturer apprentice who can't forget anything in his life. First book is The Shadow of the Torturer.
Similar, perhaps, but I read Merlin's voice as significantly younger and stupider than his father. He doesn't have the level of pride and passion that makes an Amberite. I can't see him delivering a "he was mine to kill" line.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPatty
And Benedict, Llewella and Gerard are probably the best of them. That's not to say they're nice; they're just generally straightforward.
I have most affection for Julian.
Not on his own merits, perhaps, but none of those ones after Random and Deirdre were luck. Even then he did as well as he did because he suckered them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xisrene
Dworkin, Fiona, and "Ganelon" all had their reasons for helping him as they did and claiming "why fancy, what luck" afterwards. The Unicorn, well, Dworkin certainly has pull there.
Gene Wolfe is my literary God and I prostrate myself before his greatness, but don't start with the Sun books -- it's like learning to eat food by going straight to a restaurant with 3 stars in the Michelin guide.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dangrim
If you've never read Wolfe before, begin with the Latro novels I mentioned in my initial post in this thread: very accessible but still flowing with the qualities that Wolfe fans love.
Follow that up with There Are Doors, which Wolfe himself has described as his favorite of his works.
After that, try The Knight and The Wizard.
THEN, and only then should you attempt the greatness of the Sun stories. You can read them in order of publication, but if you want to go in order of chronology within the storyline, begin with the Book of the Long Sun quadrilogy: Nightside the Long Sun; Lake of the Long Sun; Calde of the Long Sun; Exodus from the Long Sun. Four books, but available in two volumes: Litany of the Long Sun and Epiphany of the Long Sun.
Probably the most difficult of the Sun stories, but worth the effort.
Then do the Book of the Short Sun trilogy, which I just finished re-reading and currently consider my favorite of the 3 series: On Blue's Waters; In Green's Jungles; Return to the Whorl.
And finally, the epic of epics, the one that launched Wolfe's reputation into the stratosphere. The Book of the New Sun was published before Long Sun and Short Sun but it's the apex of the whole thing. Originally four novels -- Shadow of the Torturer; Claw of the Conciliator; Sword of the Lictor; Citadel of the Autarch -- and now available in two books: Shadow & Claw; Sword & Citadel. And definitely do not forget the brilliant coda, Urth of the New Sun.
I actually really like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081...lance&n=283155
Soldier in the Mist is a story of war told from the perspective of a soldier in Ancient Greece who has lost his long term memory in a battle.