Hi there people, I haven’t read this yet. I was wondering if anyone has read Lord Fouls Bane -trilogy by Stephen Donaldson …and if by chance was moved to model any of the characters there??? Also if anyone who has read both these epics …would i love LOrd of the Rings as much as Lord Fouls Bane, ILLEarth War and The Power that Preserves ??? IF so what book comes first .any info appreciated ****
Hi Sunny
I have read them both, LOTR about 9 times and Lord Foul’s Bane probably around 6 times. They are both wonderful classics and must reads. I envy the fact that you have not read them yet! How does that happen?
I would suggest Tolkien first, to me the best literary work ever written.
Best of luck on your incredible journey to come!
Hello Sunny, 
I love Lord of the Rings! I’m on my first reread now, finishing up Return of the King.
The order of the books is as follows: Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, then Return of the King. Also there is The Hobbit, which comes before the Lord of the Rings, but isn’t exactly part of it.
I humbly beg to differ friend Muvlo, The Hobbit is a most important part of the work. You must read it first in order to meet some interesting travelers and important background for what is to come. It is definitely written in a different style than LOTR but it was meant to be a children’s story. But don’t let that stop you, a child would never realize the events that are about to unfold.
Let’s not forget Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast, rockbrothers and sisters.
Oh yeah Digits. I just meant that the Hobbit isn’t the official “book one” in the series. I agree it’s very important. Such a wonderful way for all the events to evolve.
to chip in…
I read LOTR in the eighties and a number of times since. I read the Covenant stuff later. Now, both are epics and I would say you need to read both but having just done the ill earth war again on my holidays I would have o say this:
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LOTR to me, seems more real. I honestly believe that old tolkers thought that middle earth was real. I was heavily into it in my late teens and found it to be escapism incarnate. I loved it and still do.
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Now Mr. Covenant to me, this time around, doesn`t feel as real and has a dream like quality to it. But that opinion will no doubt change on the next read.
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The Hobbit is one of the best
quick readbooks I ever read (must be 10-15 times I guess.) -
I also, on someones say so from around here, picked up Orson Scott Cards Alvin the maker books 1 and 2 (Seventh Son and Red Profit). I finished Seventh Son on Holiday and am half way through Red Profet and I am amazed that I haven
t read this before. Its a brilliant alternative amerian history. I also read an Agatha Christie novel, a book on the history of the Alphabet, Bruce Sterling/William Gibsonsdifference engine(which I thought was poo!) and Clive BarkersWeaveWorld. (I ran out of books on day 5 so I picked some of them odd titles from a local spanish book shop as they had nothing else).
Get into LOTR, you will love it.
I agree about those Alvin Maker books, they’re awsome. 
I think they were the second OSC books I read, and I’ve always enjoyed them emensly. 
Hmm, that reminds me, I need to go check Hatrack…
Oh, Moregottt Bauglir is my second name.
Sunny, I’m so glad you brought this up!
I just bought the LOTR series for my son.
He’s addicted. NOT to Nentendo, or DreamCast or Skateboarding, but to one of the great classic epics in literature.
Yeah, I’m a happy mom! 
Thanks heaps folks!!* *** for all info …I’m off to find a copy of the hobbit an LOTR, I’ll let you all know what impresses upon my brain the most… I’m glad about your son Kathy, we all need heroes. And mythological ones are best!
Stories seem to be a great way of learning.
The Lord of The Rings does not have to stop with the trilogy (+ the Hobit). Tolkien created an entire world with a detailed history of it’s own. LOTR is just a small part of this larger world.
If the series captivates you, and it will, you may also want to check out:
The Silmarillion
Written by JRR and edited by his son. This gives the history of the First Age of Middle Earth.
The Book of Lost Tales
(The History of Middle Earth)
Tolkiens first concepts of Middle Earth. The final publication of this became The Silmarillion (I think)
And now for something completely different…
Letters from Father Christmas
Not related to LOTR, but so cool…
I enjoyed the other books listed here as well, but I am a picky reader. I would make one other recommendation:
Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin.
Not dark and tragic.
Oh, and if your interested: The first of the LOTR movies comes the the US in December. Don’t wait for that though. Experience it as it was meant to be.
Thanks Kaz!
I saw those at B and N when getting LOTR.
I didn’t have time to inspect the covers.
Time to go back and buy some more great literature.
Anyone into Disc-World series?
My favourite is “Moving Pictures”
Douglas Adams also deserves a metion. I would LOVE to rewrite the HitchHikers Guide into a 3d animation TV show. (yeah, I know there already is one made in the 80’s)
Douglas Adams!! OF COURSE!
Hitchhiker’s Guide is so FUNNY!
I would stay up late reading in bed and wake up Cali snickering and laughing.
He’s GREAT.
All these books previously mentioned are outstanding, so I can only add to the list of stories worthy of some Zbrush illustration–
ANYTHING by Anne McCaffrey, especially the Dragonriders of Pern, originally a trilogy but has evolved into a much greater universe all it’s own…My personal favorites of all time…
The entire DUNE series by Frank Herbert. There’s TONS and TONS of great potential there…
ANYTHING by Robert E. Howard. He created a lot more than Conan the Barbarian, and the stories are absolutely timeless…
Mary Shelly…
Bram Stoker…
Mary Stewart’s retelling of Camelot and Merlin…
H.P. Lovecraft…
This list could go on and on and…
I’m really fond of Roger Zelazny’s AMBER series as well… great ideas and potential therein.