The best Fantasy universe/story/series? (NOT necessarily your favorite)

[Blue3]

Which is the best Fantasy universe/story/series?


This is not necessarily your personal favorite... it's about which one is objectively the best universe/story, and explaining why.

[Mr. Smith]

Lord of the Rings is kinda the gold standard for fantasy.

I can't call it a favorite thanks to the sloggish pace at the beginning and some of the unfortunate implications regarding those elves.

But the world-building standard' it set, how it brought back the story of the hero on a quest, and the characters really stick out.  

And how it explores how these heroes fall, and how it is the seemingly lowliest and humblest characters that rise to the occasion and get the credit is something not stated enough.

Even now, a story in which the protagonist outright fails is rare, this is especially the case in fantasy.


Avatar: The Last Airbender is objectively the best thing ever put to TV, but Legend of Korra is regrettably to it the same way The Prequels are to Star Wars OT. Same hit-and-miss 1st, same kinda disliked second, and the third/fourth is the redemption, if a bit muted.

This is the first big series I can think of after Star Wars to really run away from Tolkien's creatures and attempts to be the next Saga. Like Star Wars, it floats over to Eastern philosophies to hold things up. But unlike Star Wars, it's a lot more zeroed in. You have one culture with lots of ties to Tibet, you have another that is quite obviously China [to the point of naming the corrupt organization after Chian Kai-Shek's Secret Police], you have another after Imperial Japan [which is why Japan didn't receive the series so well], and finally, you have another based off the Inuit.

And then the "magic", if you will, is clearly based off certain martial arts. This a YUGE departure from mere weapons and wands as is the usual custom.

Oh, and the characters are hilarious, especially the blind girl.

It's tragic how overlooked this series gets just because it started off as a Nickelodeon cartoon.


As as for the 3rd, this is a hard-call between:

Terry Prachett's (RIP) Discworld, L. Frank Baum's Oz & Star Wars (yes, I do consider this fantasy), but all do far more on paper than Harry Potter, which really gets as far as it does because of the character's interactions.

Stephen King's Dark Tower isn't half bad either.

Since I'm most familiar with Star Wars, I give it the nod.

[Enduro]

I like all of these. Except EarthSea, I haven't read it.

Also, my vote would got to Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere. I've only scratched the surface of what's come out so far, and it's already amazing.

I'd also add to the list the following: Wheel of Time (third place behind LOTR imo), Sword of Truth, and Malazan  Book of the Fallen.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Lord of the Rings.

There is something very WW1 about the whole story.

The Shire is in England.

Mordor is Germany.

And the battles occured in France.

Incredible piece of literature from someone who was an active soldier. That is where the quality of the story has its origins.

Nothing else comes close.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

"objectively the best"? no such thing

[MasterJedi]

HP, ASOIAF, Shannara.

[Santander]

The Democratic Party

[Blue3]

I like all of these. Except EarthSea, I haven't read it.

It's really good... it doesn't try to be another LOTR clone. Instead of focusing on the hero's journey, it focuses on the wizard's journey, and it tells an epic fantasy story that's deliberately without a war.

[Prince of Salem]

Hard to say for me, I'm absolutely biased towards any Fantasy.

[Blue3]

Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones in the lead (so far!)

[Enduro]

Hard to say for me, I'm absolutely biased towards any Fantasy.

Same

[Beet]

Lord of the Rings seems like the accepted gold standard. I would say Harry Potter is up there, too. I was not really impressed by either one of them.

[Blue3]

Please keep voting! I won't lock this until there's at least 40 total votes.

[America Needs R'hllor]

1. Tolkein
2. A Song of Ice and Fire



3. Harry Potter


I loved all three, but the first two are absolutely amazing and clearly superior in depth, thoughtfulness and details to the Harry Potter one. Tolkein's is, in my opinion, a bit deeper, but GRRM's is amazing too. Voted for the first two- disappointed to see Avatar and Harry Potter so close to asoiaf (with the later currently leading it), but glad to see Tolkein at the lead!

[Mr. Smith]

1. Tolkein
2. A Song of Ice and Fire



3. Harry Potter


I loved all three, but the first two are absolutely amazing and clearly superior in depth, thoughtfulness and details to the Harry Potter one. Tolkein's is, in my opinion, a bit deeper, but GRRM's is amazing too. Voted for the first two- disappointed to see Avatar and Harry Potter so close to asoiaf (with the later currently leading it), but glad to see Tolkein at the lead!

Why underestimate Avatar, mate?

Gotta give it credit for not using the same old elves/dwarves/wizards/evil dragons/magic and wands formula that staples most Western fantasy universes.

[America Needs R'hllor]

1. Tolkein
2. A Song of Ice and Fire



3. Harry Potter


I loved all three, but the first two are absolutely amazing and clearly superior in depth, thoughtfulness and details to the Harry Potter one. Tolkein's is, in my opinion, a bit deeper, but GRRM's is amazing too. Voted for the first two- disappointed to see Avatar and Harry Potter so close to asoiaf (with the later currently leading it), but glad to see Tolkein at the lead!

Why underestimate Avatar, mate?

Gotta give it credit for not using the same old elves/dwarves/wizards/evil dragons/magic and wands formula that staples most Western fantasy universes.

Perhaps you're right, but it just doesn't really speak to my taste.
But in any case, I don't think Tolkein used the same old formula- he made it his own and changed it forever. He is the formula now. That's why I put him first- he had a tremendous influence on the history of fantasy. A Song of Ice and Fire, meanwhile, also had quite a big influence, though it's with the aid of the now-lackluster TV show- it changed television, and to a much lesser extent literature, and introduced the concept of a story of grey characters and a "no one is safe" environment." I believe that many new TV shows like Westworld are influence by it.

[Blue3]

No love for Earthsea?

[Enduro]

No love for Earthsea?

I just got the first book from the library for a quarter.

[Mr. Smith]

No love for Earthsea?

I respect a fellow Berkeleyite as much as the next one, but ultimately even it is outmatched.

[Lechasseur]

Lord of the Rings, of course

[Blue3]

LOTR voters... are you going by perception/reputation, or by personal feeling?

[Mr. Smith]

LOTR voters... are you going by perception/reputation, or by personal feeling?

both

[Blue3]

Any more votes?