Hi , I need a list of stories of any genre that are deemed epic like LOTR. Please post any suggestions. Thank you for your time Q PS Preference should be given to the better known stories or ones that you personally liked.
Naturally many mythologies and classical literature tend to be of this type. Suggestions (some of which I haven't read but know of): - Illiad and the Odyssey - story about the Trojan war, enough said - Aeneid - story about a buunch of Trojan survivors of the Trojan war, and their adventures until they end up in Italy and become the ancestors of the Romans - Beowulf - Epic poetry, period. - The Romance of the Three Kingdoms - arguably the greatest Chinese classic novel, which covers about a century of war, politics, and the downfall of the Han Empire - The Journey to the West - another classic Chinese novel, about a monk, a monkey, a man-turned-pig, and a sandman traveling to the West to find Buddhist sutras As for more modern literature, the only example I can think of right now is George R.R. Martins' A Song of Ice and Fire. I've never read it, but I heard it's pretty good - and much darker than the average fantasy.
It is difficult to determien what you mean exactly by 'epic'. I think what would fit would be: Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever trilogies. Fred Saberhagen's The Swords Trilogies. Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone Saga John Ringo's Posleen War series of novels. Possible fits: Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series Harry Turtledove's World War books Terry Brooks Shannara books Hope this helps. Terry
It depends on what you want, because our modern concept of "epic" is not the same as it once was. An epic actually has guidelines (according to a teacher I had long ago...), whereas our modern idea of epic isn't quite so strict. Epics, like the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, Dante's Inferno, and Paradise Lost, are epics in the true sense of the word: they begin in medias res, they have a mighty hero doing mighty deeds with magical help or divine intervention, there is a quest or journey, the main character has a major flaw (usually hubris), the hero falls (usually due to the flaw), the story is told in an elevated style, etc. Granted, even those examples depart from this idea in some ways. If those are the type of epics you want, those would be your top examples. They're all phenomenal. If you want the more modern sense, that's a little harder. It's more up to the individual reader to define epic. I would tend to think that you could classify The Chronicles of Narnia like that, but it is a children's example (although it's a fun read for adults too!).
By LOTR, I'm assuming you mean fantasy. The Wheel of Time series is a good read if you're into those type of fantasy-epics. The author, Robert Jordan, passed away while writing the last book (I believe its thirteen books in all), but his son and others are piecing together the last installment. Velvet Muse
Thanks for the posts guys. Very helpful. I didnt really think about what constitutes an epic as thoroughly as has been suggested. My own definition I guess would include both the classic type and the modern ones aswell - if that makes sense.
Mahabharata- epic in every sense of the word. The famous Bhagavad Gita is a passage from the Mahabharata. Ramayana Dante's Divine Comedy probably has the elements you are looking for. Atrahasis- one of my favourite of the flood myths. Enuma Elis- one of my favourite creation myths. Paradise Lost is pretty epic.
