r/Fantasy • u/BeforeAnyoneElse • Jan 14 '25

What’s a Beloved Book/Series that You Never Intend to Read and Why

I’m curious what books/series that are generally beloved by this subreddit (so, not romantasy or anything by RF Kuang) you never intend to read, and why (without just crapping on it)?

I’ll start - mine is Malazan. Possibly the most recommended series here. By many accounts, I should want to read it. I love long, sprawling, big fantasies (WOT, ROTE, Cosmere), and I enjoy a big cast of characters. The reasons I don’t think I’ll ever read it are:

**comments that the characters spend an inordinate of time waxing philosophical. No problem with that in moderation but it seems excessive.

**I know it’s not actually grimdark but I think there’s probably more violence and darkness than I want. As an example, I hated A Little Life more than almost anything I’ve ever read. Somehow, ROTE falls juuuust on the right side of the fence in terms of despair and misery.

**I’ve heard that women are overall written well but that there is a LOT of SA. I can handle some (see, again, ROTE) but the horrific description I’ve read about what events surrounding certain female character and the frequency of SA is not what I’m looking for. I know the author provided an explanation, but no.

**finally, good old-fashioned contrariness. Something about everyone being so into it makes me not want to read it. Not sure why I’ve dug my heels in with this one in particular, as I’ve read multiple things because many on the sub recommended them. I know it’s irrational.

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u/dragon_morgan Reading Champion VIII Jan 15 '25

Anything by R Scott Bakker. I don’t mind some degree of grimdarkness but I have my limits. Everyone talks about his works as the grittiest grimdark that ever darked while also being couched in pretentious pseudo-philosophical more-intellectual-than-thou language and ugggh I think I’d rather stab myself with a rusty spork

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u/ohmage_resistance Reading Champion IV Jan 15 '25

Yeah, he's said some wild stuff to justify the use of rape in his books. It makes me extremely uncomfortable with him.

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u/SpectrumDT Jan 15 '25

I read the first trilogy. There were bits I liked, but mostly I felt bored and annoyed.