Books by Stephen Donaldson
“The world of it is such an amazing bit of writing. It’s just astounding. You can see the influence of Tolkien in it, but some of the other stuff in it is just… I get quite jealous about it. He has these really beautiful moments: there’s the Ranyhyn, the horses, and the giant Saltheart Foamfollower… And there’s a whole thing in these books where the cycle of nature is massively accelerated, so forests grow up and then they die in a season” Read more...
“Lord Foul’s Bane is a secondary-world fantasy of the epic type, but the protagonist doesn’t believe it’s real. The protagonist, Thomas Covenant, is a writer who has, by some method – he doesn’t even understand how it’s happened – been summoned into a place that’s quite a lot like Tolkien’s Middle Earth. If you look at the cover illustrations of the original editions, it’s obviously designed to look exactly like Middle Earth. But because he doesn’t believe in it, he won’t fulfil his role as the saviour of this place.” Read more...
Alex Pheby, Novelist
Interviews where books by Stephen Donaldson were recommended
The Best Dark Fantasy Books, recommended by Alex Pheby
Dark fantasy undermines certainty and reality – but that’s exactly what we need, argues author and academic Alex Pheby. He talks us through his five favourites, and how they allegorize loss of innocence, question the real, and re-awaken our awareness of the human condition.
The Best Fantasy Worlds Books, recommended by R.J. Barker
For many readers, the feel of a fantasy world lingers long after the plot has faded. The key ingredient, says author R.J. Barker, is that the characters really do inhabit their world in their thoughts and actions, so that we can believe in it too. He introduces us to his five favourite worlds, each with the power to convince, compel and surprise you.
