next to LOTR, the best fantasy series is definitely The Wheel of Time. I'm only on book 7 (A Crown of Swords), but I love this series! Also, S.M. Stirling's Emberverse series, though not really traditional fantasy, is a wonderful series. Has a lot of Lord of the Rings references (one of the characters is obsessed with LOTR and creates one of their post-apocalyptic societies in the fashion of elves/Dunedain rangers)

These are two fantasy books I love next to LOTR. One is called The Deathline. It's a book by Bryan VanUnen. And Shadow of a Shadow by the same author.

Fail...

You're welcome the that opinion and I know a few that would say the same, but there are far better writers with much better works in my opinion, I also have a problem with the writer of the Potter books, she's a drama queen.

The world of Narnia has to be given mention, as well as the works within the Forgotten Realms. As for a well defind and broad reaching thriving world.

Agreed zard0z. . . Although I must say the general story line is well put forth by Rowling, but some of the things that she puts in there is wikity-wack. . . to me, anyway. Although she has created a Multi-Billion Euro Franchise, I have to give her some applause on that one

*cannot find the Applause smilie*.

Er. . . yea. I personally like the Dragonlance series including the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_of_the_Lance when they are all united, that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman wrote. . . next to Tolkien of course .

(Wheel of Time) At Spirik, aren't you getting a little Chosen/Forsaken burnout by now. Around book six/seven I was getting frustrated. Every time they kill one the Dark Lord just resurectes them, or gets a new baddy. I am on book nine, and will continue to read it. But I have my complaints.
Like the fact I'm on book nine, instead of done with the series. Sad to sound so horrible, but at least now that he died (Robert Jordan, R.I.P.) at least if the ending fails to live up to the series, he wont have to suffer personally for it. And longtime fans who were disappointed could always say that he would have finished better.
I'm still hoping to be more than pleasently suprised by a superb ending. And I think the chance is there. Time will tell.

I have never read the Wheel of Time series, but it seems to me that when an author realizes that he or she has a good series, it turns into a franchise, and he or she ends up writing them for the money. So that's why the first few are usually the best. Because they are written out of the pureness of the author's heart. But then when it sells really good it goes to their head.

It's kind of like that with Brian Jacques. He spits out a book every year. So far there are 21 books in the Redwall "series." Around book 10 or so they all meld together and become the same thing every time.

There are many truly excellent Fantasy series and writers, but very few who have managed to create characters and stories with a global iconic status (i.e. ones that everyone knows about even if they haven't read the stories). In the last 100 years only 3 have attained that: Tolkien/LotR (Frodo and Gandalf), CS Lewis/Narnia (Aslan and Lucy), and Rowling/Potterverse (Harry Potter and his scar ). I think that says it all.

There may indeed be other writers with a more deft turn of phrase (some critics to this day say this of Tolkien and Lewis as well as Rowling), but there is some very primal imagery that these author's have tapped into that sets them up above all the rest (though perhaps Stephen King is an icon in and of himself as he has been so prolific).

It doesn't mean they are necessarily better writers, nor that their books are the "best"; but I think it does mean they are closer to the Source of the Collective Imagination, which is why their appeal is so Universal. It's the same Source that people in other mediums tapped into, such as Lucas and Star Wars, Disney and Mickey, The Beatles and U2, Superman and Spiderman etc etc. You know something has reached these Stratospheric heights when even your Grandma knows about them .

GB

I'm actually liking more and more as I go. Sure, a few of the books were slow (more than the first half of Lord of Chaos seemed to be Egwene and Nynaeve running around and Rand meeting with all the lords and ladies), but I'm stickin' with it.

I do agree with you, and maybe Robert Jordan was doing this, but at least he knew there was going to be an end (with Tarmon Gai'don, the Last Battle), it's inevitable. Then again, the Wheel of Time turns, and the same age is going to come again eventually (unless the Dark One is able to destroy the Wheel of Time, then we're promised that the WoT will NEVER continue! lol)

well according to me, there r many fantasy series that are good. like,
belgariad
harry potter
inheritance cycle
novels of GOR
the dragon king trilogy
the lost book series
the circle trilogy
the mallorean
there are a few more, cant remember them right now. i will check and let u know.
in the meantime, check out these books in google,u will be impressed.

OR there are crazy Harry Potter fanatics going around telling people

Them: " ZOMG YOUR SCAR LOOKS LIKE HARRY POTTER'S!

Me: "Who is Harry Potter?"

Them: "Ah, n00b, Harry Potter is only like the most awesome guy ever, not to mention J.K. . . . however you say it, but I mean, come on, how could you not know of him?"

Me: "Oh, you mean that book that you just finished reading three days ago and now you're all Lore-Masters of Hogwarts and Harry Potter? I see. . ."

Them: " ".

And then this story gets told around the table, from my friends, to their friends, to their friends, and this is how this Black Plague has spread through this Harry Potter - ravaged World.

_____________

Jokes aside, just because Harry Potter gets publicity, doesn't mean it is good publicity, and that little paragraph up there was just a joke, no offense to Rowling, or her works. . . or to her fans. . . but that is almost a true story. . . and yes I have a Harry-Potter-looking scar on my fore-head. . . .