>Read LOTR (duh) if you haven't yet.

I prefer the movies, actually.

Love Tolkien's worldbuilding and story ideas... for the most part, hate his actual writing. I honestly have an easier time reading the Bible, and I'm not what you'd call a person of faith.

>I read King's entire Dark Tower series last year. Meh. But I
>know several other people who rave about it.

I liked the first four books, but at this point I think I'll need to reread them all to finish the series. I got away with not doing that when 4 came out since it's pretty much all flashback, but I read the first three books half my life ago.

Worth doing to see the end of it, you think?

>Could go back in time a little bit (since you read the Amber
>books) and check out Dragonriders of Pern, or maybe Moorcock's
>Elric books.

I have a love-hate relationship with Moorcock. On one hand, I'd strongly wish for more complete novels and less a series of loosely coupled short stories, many of which I don't think are that good.

On the other hand, I feel like every dark fantasy since Elric is basically trying (and failing) to live up to the coolness of Elric, from the twisted nature of his society to what a dark character he is. You've got a guy who's Chaotic Evil or damn near to it, who is continually and personally responsible for the worst kinds of destruction of everything he cares about... and that's the hero. Every time you sort of start thinking, "Nothing worse could happen to Elric", it does, and it's always his fault.

I haven't read anything since that even is in the same order of magnitude as that... anyone?