Tolkien's "Hobbit" (and LoTR, somewhat later), U. K. le Guin's "A wizard of Earthsea " (believe it or not!) and Talisman the tabletop game.

Albion.. anyone still remember that old old game for DOS/Win95 still? I loved it, and still do. The concept is great.

Tried abandonware, no dice. Stupid underdogs.

Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

Well, I grew up playing Warcraft and things like that. Played all the Final Fantasy games and had a fasination with faeries and unicorns. I read the Hobbit and got into books of the genre, then started reading other books with the fairy tale type twist (The Ten Kingdoms is the stuff.) I was a very nerdy little girl for some reason.. I guess it's how I got close to my siblings. How I got into the computer is all my dad's fault.

I see many people started with FF, which interested them in fantasy. Funny, it was the other way around for me.

And forgot to add - first time I've heard the wizard of Earthsea when I was about 6.

EDIT: Yes - heard, not read. My parents read it for me and my brothers.

Deathgate Cycle was very, very awesome. Read Song of Ice and Fire, don't read Wheel of Time. Jordan is accurately nick-named Robert "Dangling Plot-threads" Jordan.

Anyone ever read the Pit Dragon Trilogy? And anyone know anything about Robin Hobb books? The Farseer Trilogy is looking pretty awesome.

Edit: and Gates of Fire! I loved that book. Its all about the Spartan culture and the battle of Thermopylae, and I found it in a thift store for a dollar, in perfect condition.

Ender's Game.

Oh man. I LOVED Ender's game. I still have a copy of it somewhere in the library *chuckle*

Yeah Thakin, I have the Pit Dragon Trilogy. I used to belong to the science fiction book club, and it was in there for cheap.

I got started on the Hobbit and LotR, which I read in Third Grade! Granted, Return of the King was a bit slow for me when I was eight, but I understood the majority of it nevertheless.

I moved onto Terry Brooks in fifth grade, because this girl I liked was reading the Scions of Shannara. I ended up buying the Elfstones of Shannara, and today, I own the entire series, And I got the Talismans of Shannara autographed when I met Terry Brooks, who lives near me.

Used to watch my stepdad play Zelda 2 for NES when I was 3, and I later bought it in high school, got involved with Final Fantasy 7 as well, which made me go buy -that- entire series.

I moved onto R.A. Salvatore's books when I was given a few from an uncule. I own the entire series today.

I suppose my last big fantasy influence was the Dragons books from Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. The Chronicles trilogy was awesome, and the other books, including the Soulforge was great.

Lots of different influences, making me a lifelong fantasy fan!

I looove the Shannara books. Even if it took me months to actually get past the first chapter of the Sword.

The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist, ironically enough, considering IRE is now developing a MUD based on his world

I actually read the Hobbit first, and couldn't put it down, but I was young, and when I moved on to the Lord of the Rings, the damn birthday party which takes up SO MUCH of the first book turned me off for a while, then I picked up Feist and my jaw dropped. I didn't leave my room for like a week during the summer i got those books.

I love the Riftworld books, too In fact, I loved em so much I got the six original ones and the Empire trilogy too (the one about, what's her name, Iunno, Daughter, Servant and Mistress of the Empire).

I just love books. Lots. I've been reading for sixteen years, and bedamned if I'll ever stop. (I'm 19 )

My brother.

qbasic rpg!

there is a large bat infront of you. what will you do?
a swing left hand
b swing right hand
c run
d say hello

a
you die
*restat*
b
you die
*restart*
c
you die
*restart*
d
*crash*

Piers Anthony, the Xanth novels in particular.

Final Fantasy.

One. <3