Nostalgia is a powerful emotion.
It is also one of the best when it comes to reading.
Most people who are reading this post have warm feelings, more than likely, for one of the first books that brought them into this genre of geeks, nerds, and awesomenss. It is unavoidable. We are forever moved by stories we read during our formative years. Nothing like reading at an early age shapes us—and later leads us to eventually yearn for a past that has usually become idealized.
The post last week by author Raymond E. Feist gave me long moments of nostalgia. It’s been 20 years since I read Magician: Apprentice, but I can still remember loving every moment of it. The apprenticeship of Pug and the truth of his power. The transformation of Tomas and his entrance into Elven life. The political intrigue surrounding a Midkemia that is on the brink of war. And of course the honor of Prince Arutha and the sneaky ways of the boy thief Jimmy the Hand.
Even now, just thinking about Magician makes me wish for a re-read.
I have several such books in my early reading life, books written by authors who have helped shape me. In a way, I am indebted to them; without them, I would not be doing what I love today.
Since that is true, I thought I would post my Top 5 Nostalgic Books:
5. Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist
The first fantasy novel I read with dark Elves, dragons, spells, and an introduction to our world’s cultures helping a writer flesh out a foreign fantasy world. The characters and magic of this book really drive the reader and story. I’ve said what I want about this book earlier, but if you haven’t read it you should. It is one of those foundational pieces of the entire genre.
4. The Time of the Dark by Barbara Hambly
The first fantasy novel I read written by a woman. Yes, that is important. Too many people on both sides of the gender line—especially these days—only stick to one side of that line. This book and its two sequels led me to read all of Hambly’s work. I loved Gil. I loved the wizard Ingold Inglorian. I loved The Dark and the reason they surface to destroy civilization. An excellent read.
3. Lord Foul’s Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson
The first fantasy novel I read that proved the real world and a fantasy world can be blended together to great effect. It was also the first book I read where a fantasy novel could teach through allegory. Thomas Covenant is one of those characters in fantasy literature that people either enjoy or utterly hate. He is a leper. He is Chris-like. He is a curmudgeon of the first order. But the Land in which Covenant visits made me aware of the fact that setting can be a character all on its own.
2. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
The first fantasy I read, back when I was eight or nine. I have such fond memories of the Prydain Chronicles. Taran, Hen Wen, Gurgi, Fflewddur Fflam, and all of the rest gave me a love of reading the fantastic. Without The Book of Three and the magic that Alexander wove, I would not be writing this article right now. That’s how powerful some of my nostalgic books are.
1. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
The first adult fantasy I read that ensured I would keep reading the genre. My mother brought this book home from work to read. I stole it from her and devoured it. It was a massive book, which appealed to my need-to-be-challenged personality, but it contained everything that I still truly love about a book. Adventure. Valor. Sacrifice. Intrigue. Magic. An explored world. All written in an easily accessible fashion.
There is my Top 5. When I go back and re-read these books, I return to the days when I opened them for the first time, the days of my youth.
Some of you may be wondering, where is The Hobbit? Where is The Lord of the Rings? Where is Dune? Oddly enough, I came to these books much later in my life, when I was 21 years old and had the understanding that I needed my fantasy genre education to be a bit more complete.
What books did you read that bring that nostalgia out of you? Got any of the same ones I do? Got different ones?
Would love to hear what put many of you on the path of reading fantasy!
My brother fed me The Belgariad by David Eddings when I was about 11 or 12. I wasn’t much of a recreational reader before the books, but I haven’t stopped reading since finishing them. Very much a transitional point in my life.
My Top 5, In no particular order:
1) Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
2) Elfstones of Shannara – Terry Brooks
3) Dragonlance Chronicles – Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman (I know it is 3 books, but I consider it one story)
4) Interview with the Vampire – Anne Rice
5) Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
I would say that the Elfstones of Shannara was the book that started my love of fantasy novels. My mom brought it home from the library on a whim and I read it in 2 days. Of course, I had to go and get The Sword of Shannara and then Wishsong of Shannara to read. I’ve been an addict ever since.
I would add “Dragon Wing” by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The deathgate cycle was one of the earliest works of fantasy I read. As well as the first dragonlance books by the same authors.
Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories were my first introduction to fantasy, around 12 years old. Still look back on those with very fond memories.
As for Feist’s Magician, I am currently reading it for the first time (has been sitting on my TBR pile for years). Not sure why it never made it to the top before now but am loving it so far.
I love so many books its hard to say which are my top 5, but among my favorites are:
1)Elfstones of Shannara – Terry Brooks
2)The White Dragon – Anne McCaffrey
3)Otherland – Tad Williams
4)Black Gryphon – Mercedes Lackey
5)Dragon at War – Gordon R. Dickson
1. Wheel of Time
2. A Song of Ice and Fire
3. The Fionavar Tapestry
4. The Belgariad
5. The Sword of Truth series (to a leser extent only because it got kind of preachy towards the end. I love democracy and everything but all I really wanted to see was Richard use magic.)
Oh, what a nice topic.
Top 5 introduction to fantasy/nostalgia reads, in no particular order, first three will be familiar:
1. Feist-Magician’s Apprentice and Fairie Tale too actually
2. Hambly – Time of the Dark – first introduction to “bad guys” that were not really bad.
3. Lord Foul’s Bane (the middle school I went to accidentally bought a copy.)
4. Wynne Jones – Fire and Hemlock (still reread it every couple of years/months)
5. The Dark is Rising – Susan Cooper, especially the title book.
6. Dragonsong – only this one, not the other two. Not sure why. I think it was the boarding school atmosphere.
7. Wrinkle in Time and the other two. Mmmm.
8. The Far Side of Evil by Sylvia Engdahl –ooh creepy and science fictiony.
That was 5, right?
1. Princess of Mars: Edgar Rice Burroughs
2. Dragons of Autumn Twilight: Margaret Weis
3. Chronicle of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever: Stephen Donaldson
4. Magician’s Apprentice: Raymond Feist
5. The Hobbit: JR Tolkien
(for SciFi related)
Foundation: Issac Asimov
The Martian Chronicles: Ray Bradbury
Ah, great, great blog post. I’m both hopelessly nostalgic and sentimental about books. Growing up in the late 70s and 80s, my family didn’t have a lot of money, but by God, our library cards were WORN out. Top five, chronologically listed:
1. The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
An avid reader at a young age, I found these in my elementary school library simply by browsing alphabetically. Terrific series but one I have never re-read in all these years. I recently bought the first book to revisit Taran and friends.
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
My grandparents used to sell antiques at flea markets. My grandmother was also an avid reader and sometimes sold her used books along side antique glassware. A box of her old romance novels found there way to my mom. One summer, I unearthed an ancient copy of Bilbo’s adventures from that box and devoured it. I then set about my own quest to find number three on my list.
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
More trips to the library and free paperbacks from the Reading Is Fundamental program at school, I joined Frodo on his trek to destroy the One Ring.
4. The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks
My first Terry Brooks novel. My father, his cousin, and my uncles all spoke reverently of Sword of Shannara. When Elfstones finally hit the market, the family actually drove to Waldenbooks and bought it. I remember my dad staying up very late at night to read just one more chapter. Not long after he was done, I tackled this one. My life was never the same, my childhood obsession with Star Wars washed away in one fell swoop.
5. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
After Elfstones, I was DYING to find out about the events in the Sword, tantalizingly referred to in Elfstones, and bought my own trade paperback. I remember my elementary school bus driver turning the lights on inside the bus on dark mornings so I could read on the long ride to school. Sword was wonderful (still is) in so many ways.
There’s my self-indulgent wall-of-text about my early days of reading. Some 30 years later, these book are all still very special to me and I revisit most of them at least bi-anually, talk about them all the time, and give away copies as gifts at every opportunity.
Enough! Time to go check in on Taran again!
J
I have many rabidly favorite book series, but relatively few I’d categorize as “nostalgic.” The Dragonlance Chronicles by Weis/Hickman would be one, as its among the very first fantasy series I read, as a teenager just discovering the genre. I had the opportunity to meet Ms. Weis some time ago and I told her I owed it to her that I got into the fantasy genre, which is true.
Also, the ‘Arrows of the Queen’ trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. I heavily, heavily identified with the protagonist more than any other book character I’ve met, and to this day I tend to use the internet handle ‘Talia’ or ‘Queensowntalia’ just about everywhere. I really got quite caught up in that series.