Like with my own writing (at least I hope), I always drift toward surprises, originality, and unbounded imagination. I want the books others only whisper about, books too unique and odd for the mainstream. I want outliers and rule breakers. Authors who challenge their readers and make us question the world and our roles in it. And in what better realm to do this than in fantasy? These are books to seek out, each one worth going the extra mile to track down. Happy hunting.
I wrote...
Rose Coffin
By
M.P. Kozlowsky
What is my book about?
After the latest mortifying incident Rose Coffin had to endure, she escapes to the woods where she's captured by a group of otherworldly creatures. They take her to Eppersett - a magical place where cemeteries are full of dead dreams, moving castles roll along on tracks, and most shocking of all . . . people seem to love Rose. They tell her that she's “the one who's going to save them." An evil force called the Abomination is on the loose, and there's only one thing powerful enough to stop it - her voice.
There's just one catch. Rose hasn't been brought to Eppersett to fight the Abomination. She's going to be sacrificed to it. She's the chosen one all right . . . the one who's been chosen to die.
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The Books I Picked & Why
The Mount
By
Carol Emshwiller
Why this book?
In this science fantasy novel, humans, like horses, are used as riding mounts by a race of weak-legged aliens who have taken over Earth centuries earlier. Charley is a mount and, like most other humans, content with his role, prideful even. However, when he meets his father, an escaped mount leading assaults on the human stables, he is forced to confront the slave/master relationship he has always relied upon. Unique and utterly fascinating, The Mount is guaranteed to keep readers entranced.
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The Lying Carpet
By
David Lucas
Why this book?
Part graphic novel, part brain teaser, The Lying Carpet is about a statue of a little girl that awakens in a grand, strange house. Her name is Faith and she wishes to know how she came to be, and the only one who can tell her is a lying carpet in the shape of a tiger who offers her numerous and confounding possibilities. A great introduction to philosophy and a story for readers of all ages, a book to be opened again and again and again. A timeless classic.
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The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Blue Bear
By
Walter Moers
Why this book?
Bluebears, as everyone knows, have 27 lives. Here we read of 13 of them. And a half. We read of Minipirates, ocean waves that teach speech, wise dinosaurs, nocturnal academies, and tornadoes inhabited by old men. Dizzying, hilarious, and tremendously fun, with gorgeous illustrations throughout, this book will charm even the most armored of readers.
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The Eyes of the Dragon
By
Stephen King
Why this book?
One of the lesser-known of Stephen King’s books, and, aside from his Dark Tower series, his only real dive into full-on epic fantasy. Originally written for King’s children and such a clear departure from his other work, it wasn’t well-received at first and even led to his writing of Misery. However, aside from ties to his other books, there are evil magicians, betrayals galore, a long prison stay for the hero in a tower called the Needle, secret passages, monsters and devils, dragons and witches. A world to get lost in.
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Maze: A Riddle in Words and Pictures
By
Christopher Manson
Why this book?
With the subtitle Solve The World's Most Challenging Puzzle, how could one resist a dive into this fantastic world? Each page number represents a different room in a strange mansion with clues and riddles littered throughout. At less than 100 pages, one might think it’s quite simple, when in fact there are people still lost within the maze, unable to escape - very few have managed to find their way to the center and out again without looking up the correct path. Good fantasy is always immersive, but rarely like this.
