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Post by brutalis on Feb 13, 2021 13:20:35 GMT -5
A few come to mind quickly for me. Of course I was a lover of Tarzan, David Innes, Caeson of Venus and John Carter along with Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn and El Borak. I ate up anything Arthurian or Robin Hood I could find in novels. Earliest youthful favorites was the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and the Black Stallion series of books.
Latched onto 3 characters in early books of William W. Johnstone: 2 of his western best in Preacher the First Mountain Man and then his adopted son fastdraw gunslinger Kirby (Smoke) Jensen the last of the Mountain Men along with Post Apocalyptic America General and founder of the SUSA, Ben Raines.
Then there is Jonas Ward's laconic cowboy fast with his wit, guns and fists; good ol cowpoke Tom Buchanan who was played to movie perfection by Randolph Scott in Buchanan Rides Alone. Fun series of books.
Sparhawk the warrior and his motley crew by David Eddings adventuring across their fantastic world of wizards and goblins and rock's...oh my!
There is Max Allan Collins hardboiled PI Nate Heller involving himself in historical escapades of crime and grift and ladies.
Two of my all time favorite bests are the British Rifleman Major Richard Sharpe and his mates as he fights the Napoleonic military and loves his way across Europe. Then there is the irascible dealer of antiquities (both legit or fabricated) who goes only by the singular nom de guare Lovejoy as he loves the ladies, antiques and helping his friends and one upping scheming enemies in search of the elusive big score.
And of late a few new friends I have begun to enjoy: Faith Hunter's shape-shifting skin Walker vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock who along with her crew fights the monsters and darkness in New Orleans. Hunter has a "sister" series featuring Nell a dryad plant "witch" and her PsyLed teammates investigating supernatural crimes.
Matthew Reilly has 2 incredible men of action (and their teams) in "Scarecrow" Shane Scofield and super soldier Jack West Jr.
Gonna take a breath as my list grows ever longer as I am thinking of more even as I type this! Keep watching...
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Post by tartanphantom on Feb 13, 2021 14:17:38 GMT -5
Two of my all time favorite bests are the British Rifleman Major Richard Sharpe and his mates as he fights the Napoleonic military and loves his way across Europe. Then there is the irascible dealer of antiquities (both legit or fabricated) who goes only by the singular nom de guare Lovejoy as he loves the ladies, antiques and helping his friends and one upping scheming enemies in search of the elusive big score. I've actually laughed aloud at some of Flashy's misadventures... can't say the same for Cornwell's Sharpe-- and I've read both series in their entirety. There's also C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels, which were Cornwells' initial inspiration for the Sharpe novels.
Nevertheless, both authors are absolute sticklers for historic detail (including appendices, footnotes and historical epilogues). In fact, when the first Flashman book was published in 1969, it was so detailed with historical footnotes that many reviewers and readers believed it to be biographical instead of pure fiction.
Any lover of historical fiction should appreciate both authors' work.
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 13, 2021 14:22:09 GMT -5
The Scarecrow, from the Oz books and the classic film.
Cei-U!
With the thoughts he'd be thinkin', he could be another Lincoln!
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Post by brutalis on Feb 13, 2021 16:50:09 GMT -5
Flashman I have heard lots about but NEVER seen a book in the wild, new or used. So it is next on my pursue shopping list.
More "recent" fictional folks I am enamored of and buy their books.
Larry Correia provides a pair of heroes with friends and teammates to enjoy. Modern day Owen Zavasta Pitt and the Monster Hunter International crew of supernatural monster bounty hunting mercs and 1930's Federal Agent Jake Sullivan and other government designated Actives are Magically powered superhumans.
Lee Striga, written by Daria Fredisti is an ancestor of Lilith charged with slaying evil supernatural beings. She is a Hollywood stuntwoman in the movie verse where being a supernatural is accepted and beneficial in the magic of film making.
Lilith Saint Crow gives paranormal urban fantasy romance 2 kick butt heroines in Dante Inferno the right hand woman who hunts rogue demons down for Satan. The other Jill Kismet is a licensed Hunter in crime of the magical variety in a world full of supernatural walking alongside humanity.
Delilah Street is a Las Vegas Paranormal Investigator where Werewolf and Vampire Mobs are a natural aspect of the city. All from the pen of Carole Nelson Douglas.
More modern action/adventure/archeology fun is delivered by 2 writers. Andy McDermott puts archeology wife Nina Wilde alongside her husband ex-special forces Eddie Chase through the ringer time and again. Then Jack Howard and his crack archeology group explore historical artifacts in the modern power hungry world.
Back to some classic stories with Wilbur Smith's various novels of the exploits of 2 families entwined throughout the history of Africa: the Courtney's and the Ballantyne's.
2 fantasy favorites from my teen years are the Prince Karn transposed earthman taken to Where the Green Star Glows by Lin Carter and the erstwhile grizzled warrior Erik John Stark battling across the planet Skaith in Leigh Brackett's writing.
Final favorite is Brent Ross commanding the mixed cultural crew combining American and Japanese together onboard the Seventh Carrier, which survived WWII and now discovered 40 years later is the sole defense of the world as it's pre-nuclear electronics and computers make it the most powerful Carrier on Earth after when ALL modern electronics are destroyed.
There in are "most" of my faves, alongside the pulpy goodness of others like Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Spider, The Avenger, and tough as nails gumshoe's of the past. I am certain I will think of more as days go by...
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Post by berkley on Feb 13, 2021 19:55:52 GMT -5
Most of those I haven't heard of - I do plan to try some of those urban fantasy series one of these days but for the near and mid-term future I'll still be catching up on some of the older fantasy fiction I've missed out on up to now. Similary with the action/thriller series - I'm going to keep at some of the older stuff before I start tackling the more contemporary series. But I'll get to them evenntually so I' taking note of all those ones Brutalis listed.
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Post by codystarbuck on Feb 13, 2021 20:02:16 GMT -5
Barnes & Noble used to at least carry most of the Flashman series; though, in more recent years, they cut back on their backlist depth.
I read the Sharpe books after watching the first couple of series on PBS. Enjoyed them immensely, both for the adventure, the characters, and the historical detail. If you enjoy his work, he also has 3 or 4 Starbuck novels, set in the American Civil War, Arthurian tales, chronicles set during the Saxon kings, and a book called Redcoat, set during the American Revolution.
I never got around to Hornblower, though we also carried those at B&N; same with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin books (Master & Commander, etc). My dad read those and loved them. Forester also wrote Sink The Bismark, The African Queen (basis for the Bogey movie) and The Good Shepherd (basis for the recent Tom Hanks film).
I had Royal Flash and the first Flashman novels, but never quite got around reading them and lost them in a move. I watched the Richard Lester adaptation of Royal Flash (essentially, The Prisoner of Zenda, with Otto Von Bismark thrown into things). Loved George MacDonald Fraser's screen work, especially the musketeer films, with Lester.
I also forgot my favorite fantasy heroes: Fafhrd and Gray Mouser. Bit more character depth than Conan, with more of an urban feel to many of their adventures. Leiber also had more of a sense of humor.
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Post by brutalis on Feb 13, 2021 20:40:23 GMT -5
Most of those I haven't heard of - I do plan to try some of those urban fantasy series one of these days but for the near and mid-term future I'll still be catching up on some of the older fantasy fiction I've missed out on up to now. Similary with the action/thriller series - I'm going to keep at some of the older stuff before I start tackling the more contemporary series. But I'll get to them evenntually so I' taking note of all those ones Brutalis listed. That's why I listed authors. So those inclined out of curiosity could look them up easily via internet or bookstore shopping. Far too many titles for listing! |
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Post by berkley on Feb 13, 2021 21:00:42 GMT -5
Some near misses:
I've enjoyed the Flashman books immensely but wouldn't go so far as to say Flashman is a favourite character.
My favourites of Moorcock's Eternal Champion cycle are probably Corum and Hawkmoon, but my favourite Moorcock books are mostly not part of the Eternals Champion stuff, though I do like that a lot too.
Kull is my favourite REH charater, but as much or perhaps even more from the comics than from the handful of REH stories.
I love ERB, without any of his recurring characters being great personal favourites as characters in themselves - it's more the adventures, the stories, the settings, etc.
Dennis Wheatley's Gregory Sallust is close - on another fay I might include him, but again, it's more the Sallust novels as a whole rather than the charcter himself.
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Post by codystarbuck on Feb 14, 2021 11:05:58 GMT -5
For Moorcock, I find I enjoy his Seaton Begg (pastiche of Sexton Blake, who is an imitation of Sherlock Holmes) stories and his Oswald Bastable ones (Nomad of the Time Streams). For the main Eternal Champion material, it's Elric and Von Beck. Never did get around to Corum or Hawkmoon.
Tried to get into Jerry Cornelius; but, never made it very far, in 3 attempts.
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 14, 2021 12:10:03 GMT -5
I also forgot my favorite fantasy heroes: Fafhrd and Gray Mouser. Bit more character depth than Conan, with more of an urban feel to many of their adventures. Leiber also had more of a sense of humor. I went through a sword-and-sorcery phase my sophomore year of college. Of all the s&s books I devoured, Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories were far and away my favorites. I even drew an illustration of them for my Independent Studies class. Why hasn't anyone adapted them to film?
Cei-U! I summon the daring duo!
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Post by codystarbuck on Feb 14, 2021 20:10:04 GMT -5
I also forgot my favorite fantasy heroes: Fafhrd and Gray Mouser. Bit more character depth than Conan, with more of an urban feel to many of their adventures. Leiber also had more of a sense of humor. I went through a sword-and-sorcery phase my sophomore year of college. Of all the s&s books I devoured, Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories were far and away my favorites. I even drew an illustration of them for my Independent Studies class. Why hasn't anyone adapted them to film?
Cei-U! I summon the daring duo!
Definitely perfect for film, especially as a buddy action/comedy. |
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Post by berkley on Feb 15, 2021 0:33:06 GMT -5
For Moorcock, I find I enjoy his Seaton Begg (pastiche of Sexton Blake, who is an imitation of Sherlock Holmes) stories and his Oswald Bastable ones (Nomad of the Time Streams). For the main Eternal Champion material, it's Elric and Von Beck. Never did get around to Corum or Hawkmoon. Tried to get into Jerry Cornelius; but, never made it very far, in 3 attempts.
Forgot about von Bek: he would be a favourite also, although I've only read the first of the books he appears in, The Warhound and the World's pain. My favourite Moorcock books would include the jerry Cornelius series, the Dancers at the End of Time, and Gloriana, off the top of my head.
I think I read a few of Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories in anthologies back in the 80s but not any of the complete books in the series. All it would take is a commercially successful film version of some other sword and sorcery character and I'm sure someone would grab the rights. Which reminds me, wasn't there supposed to be an Elric movie in the works at one time? |
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Post by codystarbuck on Feb 15, 2021 11:01:19 GMT -5
For Moorcock, I find I enjoy his Seaton Begg (pastiche of Sexton Blake, who is an imitation of Sherlock Holmes) stories and his Oswald Bastable ones (Nomad of the Time Streams). For the main Eternal Champion material, it's Elric and Von Beck. Never did get around to Corum or Hawkmoon. Tried to get into Jerry Cornelius; but, never made it very far, in 3 attempts.
Forgot about von Bek: he would be a favourite also, although I've only read the first of the books he appears in, The Warhound and the World's pain. My favourite Moorcock books would include the jerry Cornelius series, the Dancers at the End of Time, and Gloriana, off the top of my head.
I think I read a few of Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories in anthologies back in the 80s but not any of the complete books in the series. All it would take is a commercially successful film version of some other sword and sorcery character and I'm sure someone would grab the rights. Which reminds me, wasn't there supposed to be an Elric movie in the works at one time? Couple of times, minimum. There was talk of an animated one and I think Wendy Pini was involved in design work. Back about 10-15 years ago, there was talk of the Weitz brothers doing it; but, I suspect the Golden Compass failure dumped it back into development hell. Might have been another attempt somewhere in between. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Feb 15, 2021 11:04:15 GMT -5
This was Wendy Pini's account of her attempt. Recall seeing it in a local comic shop, in the early 90s...  |
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Post by mikelmidnight on Feb 16, 2021 12:33:57 GMT -5
Picking out my favorite is difficult, but I am surprised there has not yet been a single vote for Nero Wolfe (and by extension, Archie Goodwin). The pair are some of the most well-characterized long-form serial characters in literature.
It is hard not to love Genevieve Dieudonne, I admit.
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