Favorite Fantasy Universe/Franchise

[ourchair]

So yeah, what's your favorite fantasy universe/franchise?

I'm emphasizing mostly books, but feel free to inject a little bit of commentary on games or movies or whatever. Though nobody get all smart and say 'The Marvel Universe' or 'God of War'.

I myself haven't really decided, though I do have a soft spot for Piers Anthony's Xanth universe, for absolutely no intelligent reason whatsoever. I mean it's a fantasy franchise that trades its entertainment value ENTIRELY on puns.

 

[Fuzzy Birds]

In terms of literature, I'd have to go with Ian M. Banks' Culture universe. A fascinating and relevant universe of mind-blowing proportions. The first Culture book I read was Consider Phlebas, and there are about five moments in that book that just blew me away.

Also, although I doubt it could be considered a whole literary universe, there is another that interests me to an enormous degree. It's the seemingly shared universe of Haruki Murakamis books. I say seemingly because only a couple of the stories are directly linked, but they all carry the same surreal tone and dreamlike qualities.

I've been told that the books by Robin Hobb are very interesting, and they take place in a shared universe. Something I'll be getting into soon.

I also have a soft spot for the Thomas Covenant stuff by some writer whose name I've forgotten. Standard fantasy fare, but the difference is in a despicable lead character who (very) slowly grows better over time.

In terms of games, I'd say the Half-Life universe. It really kicked off with Half-Life 2, what with the twenty year leap and the Combine as enemies. The tone and atmosphere of this universe is just incredibly powerful, and it's pretty much one of the only series of games that really pulls me in and just doesn't let me go. Although the direct story has been light, even in the new Episodes, there's an under-running story that is constantly hinted at or vaguely referenced. The mysteries surrounding the G-Man are particularly fascinating, and I'm extremely intrigued by some of the recent reveals in Episode 2. Even though not much has been revealed, I'm confident that there's something big going on here. Just who is Gordon Freeman, exactly?

In terms of comics, I'd say the Hellboy and BPRD universe is my favourite. There's a grand story that links everything together, yet it's still unpredictable and absolutely rich with fascinating characters and mythologies. The Earth X universe comes a second close, mostly because it radically changed my opinions on a number of Marvel characters and that universe as a whole. Oh yeah, and the Fables universe (or universes, more aptly) are just a given.

 

[Random]

I have to go with Lord of the Rings, mainly because its the only one I've read and gotten into. I haven't even here most of the others

 

[Victor Von Doom]

I'm a slave to the spice.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Brooks is a dick, so I'm not going to vote for Shannara, which is basically Middle Earth anyways.

I voted Discworld

 

[ourchair]

I've been told that the books by Robin Hobb are very interesting, and they take place in a shared universe. Something I'll be getting into soon.

I read the Robin Hobb books --- I assume you mean Farseer --- about a decade ago, and can't for the life of me, remember much about them.

I think the problem was because my sister gave me the THIRD book in the series and I didn't get my mitts on the first book a lot later. Back then, Hobb's name wasn't exactly on the insanely popular level of other authors, and that still isn't the case now, so it's hard to really find the books.

So I'm going to go back and read those now since you mentioned them. But as far as I can recall, one thing that I LIKED even if it made the books more difficult to read on a casual level, was that Hobb --- much like His Dark Materials' Philip Pullman. ---tends to NOT stop and explain details about his fantasy universe to you.

Also, although I doubt it could be considered a whole literary universe, there is another that interests me to an enormous degree. It's the seemingly shared universe of Haruki Murakamis books. I say seemingly because only a couple of the stories are directly linked, but they all carry the same surreal tone and dreamlike qualities.

Murakami is great. It's too bad that I stopped reading him when his name started getting really crazy popular among the feeliterates... now I just can't seem to get into Kafka on the Shore.

Wind Up Bird Chronicle is definitely my favorite. Unfortunately, I have trouble mentioning that in conversation now because it's also the most critically praised therefore I just look like a guy whose parroting the critics when I talk about how much I like it.

I'm a slave to the spice.

PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!

 

[Victor Von Doom]

PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!

Yeah.....don't do that.

 

[ProjectX2]

The Lord of the Rings.

 

[Gemini]

where the hell is Animorph's?!

 

[SSJmole]

I voted other. My favourite is the star wars universe. It's the only one that keeps me so intrested I buy every book , comic , dvd and more. The only thing I don't get is games that are are systems i don't have e.g DS.


I just love the whole aspect of it. I love that there is for the most part a big war going on and you have pretty much every type of person so it's easy to pick a favourite as well as seeing their view.

From the soldiers as see in things like the X-wing books to the super hero/villain (Jedi/sith/dark jedi) But while keeping those aspects their are still mythical , legendary aspects which is fantasic

You mentioned books and the EU of Star wars that is in books is great. I hate reading but I love reading them and been introduced to all theses races and types of people who make up the universe


This answer may not of been what you were hoping for but it's an honest one

 

[ourchair]

I voted other. My favourite is the star wars universe. It's the only one that keeps me so intrested I buy every book , comic , dvd and more. The only thing I don't get is games that are are systems i don't have e.g DS.

Star Wars is not fantasy it's sci-fi.

 

[SSJmole]

Star Wars is not fantasy it's sci-fi.

Actually it's fantasy in a Scfi setting

 

[ourchair]

Actually it's fantasy in a Scfi setting

I was kidding.

I'm just making fun of how way too many people say that.

 

[SSJmole]

I was kidding.

I'm just making fun of how way too many people say that.

Ahhhhh , sorry :lol:

 

[ourchair]

The Lord of the Rings.

Elaborate. I know you are a smart man and probably have interesting things to say about why this is so.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

I voted Harry Potter, since I think it's the most fun and engrossing of all of those (which I've read). Lord of the Rings is a struggle for me to read, though I do love the Hobbit a lot, and the movies. I haven't finished Narnia, but it kind of lost its magic for me two or three books into the series. Same with Oz.

 

[Planet-man]

The only one's that I've thouroughly gotten into are HP and LOTR, of which I've seen all the movies and read all the books.

Does the Halo universe count? That would be up there.

Anyway, even though LOTR is my favourite movie, I vote for the Harry Potter universe because I can get more into the characters. It's extremely close though.

 

[ProjectX2]

Elaborate. I know you are a smart man and probably have interesting things to say about why this is so.

Well...

J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth
I knew next to nothing about The Lord of the Rings when I went to see The Fellowship of the Ring, but I found myself seeing the movie multiple times, reading the books, finding as much as I could about this Middle Earth. I was addicted. I loved the story. I love everything about the movies, and while the books are good, they are written pretty badly. So yeah, I am probably voting for this over the strength of the movies, rather than the strength of the books. Somehow, it influences all of my emotions... I feel happy when watching Pippin and Merry, I felt sad when the ring was destroyed, not because the ring had been destroyed, but because the story was finished... I would not see anymore of this story. I love it.

C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia
I read The Magician's Nephew and saw The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I thought the books were written badly and I couldn't get into the movie at all. So I don't like this.

Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy
I got halfway through the first book but it wasn't interesting me. I'll probably try the movie though.

Stephen King's The Dark Tower series
I've read the first two books and liked them a lot. I've got Book III waiting for me, but I'd rather wait until I've finished the series before I compare it.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld
I believe I tried one of his illustrated novels with all of the old warriors going up a mountain or something...

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
I've read all of the books, but I stopped being a hardcore fan after Book 5. I just lost interest in most of the characters.

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl
I believe there's only two or three people on UC who've read them, and I've read them all except for the latest one... the first three were pretty good, but I stopped caring after that. This series would be a lot better if it was just Artemis Fowl, Criminal Genius instead of mixing in all the fairy ****.

Other
I like the Star Wars movies, but don't care about the books.

 

[Planet-man]

I should mention that I hope to start reading the His Dark Materials trilogy before I see the first movie.

I also read the first Artemis Fowl book when I was 13, and I couldn't put it down until the last bit, which I thought was really stupid and robbed me of the desire to continue the series.

 

[ourchair]

Lord of the Rings is a struggle for me to read, though I do love the Hobbit a lot, and the movies.

It is, innit? Too bad, they're great books although I'll admit not having finished them.

I haven't finished Narnia, but it kind of lost its magic for me two or three books into the series. Same with Oz.

I used to be indifferent towards Narnia, with my knowledge of it limited entirely to fans. Compound liked them enough to post a dream cast on his lj five years ago.

However, my first REAL exposure to Narnia came with the movie and I hate it. Not the movie per se, or the entire story, but the whole Judaeo-Christian mythic aspect of it strikes me as rather insipid and naive and full of dumb Bendis-isms.

The children are heroes because someone told them so. A deus ex Santa Claus gives them magical items. And then an imitation Jesus in the form of a lion sacrifices himself. I call him an imitation Jesus because he reflects none of the wisdom or charisma of the Biblical Jesus, unless you think being a handsome lion with the voice of Liam Neeson passes for being wise and charming.

I'm sure I have more to ***** about, but I'll leave it at that for now.