Any decent new fantasy novels out there? Any original worldbuilding? Or is it all 'part 1 of the Tired Elves Trilogy'

I bought a steampunk horror novel t'other day called The Affinity Bridge which looks promising.

Have you read Erikson?

I have...tried.

The man needs a less forgiving editor.

To each their own. I enjoyed them immensely.

I'm a big fan of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. It's grim low fantasy, with lots of intrigue, engaging characters, and cool moments. I love them!

Right now I'm reading The Black Company books, not bad, but not as engaging as ASOIAF.

If you haven't read them yet, try Howard's Conan or Moorcock's Corum, excellent Sword & Sorcery.

None of the above has any bloody elves, by the way.

why would i not want to read a book with elves? I don't have a problem with them.

Another vote for Malazan and the Black Company books.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;270374why would i not want to read a book with elves? I don't have a problem with them.

You mention the the "Tired Elves" trilogy in your first post. I got the idea you were down on them too, actually.

If you don't mind your fantasy and SF borders blurred you should check out Paul Park's Starbridge trilogy - Soldiers of Paradise, Sugar Rain and The Cult of Loving Kindness.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: Aos;270426You mention the the "Tired Elves" trilogy in your first post. I got the idea you were down on them too, actually.

Depends on the story, i have no problem with using elves, dragons or anything per se.

Conan! By Erlik's fiery member, it is the best!

Now public domain in Australia at the Gutenberg Project, scroll down to Howard here. The first two sentences from some stories...

   Over shadowy spires and gleaming towers lay the ghostly darkness and silence that runs before dawn. Into a dim alley, one of a veritable labyrinth of mysterious winding ways, four masked figures came hurriedly from a door which a dusky hand furtively opened.
The roar of battle had died away; the shout of victory mingled with the cries of the dying. Like gay-hued leaves after an autumn storm, the fallen littered the plain; the sinking sun shimmered on burnished helmets, gilt-worked mail, silver breastplates, broken swords and the heavy regal folds of silken standards, overthrown in pools of curdling crimson.
Torches flared murkily on the revels in the Maul, where the thieves of the east held carnival by night. In the Maul they could carouse and roar as they liked, for honest people shunned the quarter, and watchmen, well paid with stained coins, did not interfere with their sport.
The king of Vendhya was dying. Through the hot, stifling night the temple gongs boomed and the conchs roared.
Lurid prose. The best!

I'm just reading Soldier of Sidon, third in the "Soldier" series by Gene Wolf (Soldier in the Mist, Solider of Arete, available in a single vol as "Latro in the Mist"). These are set in the ancient world, the first two dealing with events after the Persian War in Greece, and the third set in Egypt. They're dense and very enjoyable.

Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun (four vols) about the adventures of a wandering torturer in a "Dying Earth/Zothique" style future are also very enjoyable.

For more traditional swords & sorcery fun, you might want to look up the Nifft the Lean series by Michael Shea.

Ned

Scott Lynch: "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and "Red Seas Under Red Skies"

I second the Gene Wolfe suggestions.  Soldier in the Mists and the Book of the New Sun are some of the best things I've read in years.  Wolfe uses the "unreliable narrator" device to great effect.  They are very challenging novels but the rewards are well worth the effort.  I'll also throw in the "Wizard Knight" novels by Wolfe to go along with the suggestions by Ned the Lonely Donkey.  It's a creepy fantasy type story that is just excellently written as is everything from Wolfe that I've seen.

Weird, I started re-reading Book of the Long Sun last night.  Definitely recommended.  The only other Wolfe I've read is the New Sun...very good stuff.

If you like "literary" fantasy and don't mind authors using Continental philosophy and culture theory to illustrate a point, Samuel R. Delany's Neveryon series is incredible.  I read those and Dhalgren at least once a year.