Game of Thrones begins....

[Kleves]

I tried reading both Sanderson and Erickson. Both sucked. Good fantasy is almost impossible to find.

[Syt]

Alternate history works better for me than fantasy.
These are the last 3 I got into:
- The Change by S. M. Stirling
- Destroyermen by Taylor Anderson
- The Ring of Fire by Eric Flint

You might be interested in Ralph Peters' The War After Armageddon . Haven't read it yet, but picked it up because I liked his book "Red Army" a lot, about a NATO vs. WP war, written from the Soviet point of view.

Military strategist Peters applies the predictions of his nonfiction Wars of Blood and Faith to this outstanding cautionary tale of a near-future war set in the Middle East. Lt. Gen. Gary Flintlock Harris commands troops hitting the beaches of what was once Israel before it was nuked into total destruction. Muslim extremists have exploded dirty bombs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and most of the major European cities in an attempt to bring about the Great Jihad. America reacts by voting in a radical Christian government and reorganizing the National Guard as the Military Order of the Brothers in Christ (MOBIC). The fighting most resembles that of WWII as electronic jamming equipment cancels out the high-tech weaponry of each side, reducing the level of combat to suicide attacks and bayonet charges. Compelling characters, thrilling small-unit battle scenes and the terrifying possibility that it could all come true make this a must read.

[Kleves]

I thought The War After Armageddon was fun.

[Razgovory]

Ralph Peters is something of a kook, if I recall.

[Slargos]

I read Gardens of the Moon recently. If you like reading D&D scenarios it's OK I guess. Won't bother with the rest of the series.

Agree.  I felt the same way about Wizards' First Rule (or something like that), which also spawned many sequels in spite of being just the exact Star Wars story only without space ships.

I understand perfectly why modern fantasy is so disdained.  It sucks.

I guess after you've lived long enough, and heard every variation of every story, there's not much room for a sense of wonder any more.

For some reason, however, I'm willing to wager you ragged on Homer for his lack of creativity aswell. 

[Martinus]

Shut up, Slargos. Virtually everyone said the books you tried to derail this thread with are a piece of shit. So let it go and let's get back to jacking off about gay sex in HBO's GoT.

[Slargos]

Shut up, Slargos. Virtually everyone said the books you tried to derail this thread with are a piece of shit. So let it go and let's get back to jacking off about gay sex in HBO's GoT.

There will be no jacking off to gay sex on my watch! 

[Eddie Teach]

Wizard's First Rule read like it was written by an unimaginative third grader.

[Scipio]

Patrick Rothfuss is good.
Joe Abercrombie, as well.

[Berkut]

I have three different first books on my shelf right now I bought on recommendation from varioues Languish posters.

Gene Wolfs Shadow & Claw
Glen Cooks Black Company
Steven Eriksons Gardens of the Moon

I think I actually read all of Gardens of the Moon. It was...well...terrible. It went all over the place, had no discenible point to it, and I suspect this was intentional - the authors rather infantile way of saying "Hey, check me out! Look how original and cutting edge I am! I will not be limited by the conventions of your conventional ways of telling conventional stories!"

The Black Company I remember reading and just thinking "Meh." and never had any desire to find the next book.

Only Shadow and Claw intrigues me - I could NOT get into the book, yet I feel like I am missing something as a result. I think there is a pretty good story in there, so maybe I will try it again.

Sadly, the one fantasy that I read as a result of hearing about it here that I actually liked came from a recommendation from Tim.

[Siege]

Ralph Peters is something of a kook, if I recall.

What's a kook?

[Syt]

Ralph Peters is something of a kook, if I recall.

But an entertaining one.

[Siege]

Wow, look at what this guy Ralph Peters came up with!:

[Martinus]

The map sucks.

[Zeus]

I have three different first books on my shelf right now I bought on recommendation from varioues Languish posters.

Gene Wolfs Shadow & Claw
Glen Cooks Black Company
Steven Eriksons Gardens of the Moon

I think I actually read all of Gardens of the Moon. It was...well...terrible. It went all over the place, had no discenible point to it, and I suspect this was intentional - the authors rather infantile way of saying "Hey, check me out! Look how original and cutting edge I am! I will not be limited by the conventions of your conventional ways of telling conventional stories!"

The Black Company I remember reading and just thinking "Meh." and never had any desire to find the next book.

Only Shadow and Claw intrigues me - I could NOT get into the book, yet I feel like I am missing something as a result. I think there is a pretty good story in there, so maybe I will try it again.

Sadly, the one fantasy that I read as a result of hearing about it here that I actually liked came from a recommendation from Tim.

Awesome series. Loved the first three books and never found the rest.