Recommend an Asian-Influenced Fantasy

Wavy_Blue · Mar 1, 2010

Title says it all. I'm going through an intense Avatar phase right now (hence siggy and avatar) and I'm yearning for more fantasy set in Asian-inspired worlds or cultures. I've got The Secrets of Jin-Shei right now. Has anyone read it? Thoughts?

Suggest any recommends you have!

badducky · Mar 1, 2010

Asian stuff written by Asians would be good.

Here's a great place to start:
http://philippinespeculativefiction.com/

(Great because it's free to read, and awesome.)

MattW · Mar 1, 2010

Lian Hearn - tales of the Otori

Daniel Abraham - Long Price Quartet

rugcat · Mar 1, 2010

Snake Agent -- Liz Williams

Liosse de Velishaf · Mar 1, 2010

The Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn
Green by Jay Lake, although it moves quickly away from the Asian-like setting.
Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart and the books in the series that came before it.

Some of the several translated Japanese light novel series floating around might also fit your needs, though only a subset of them take place in distinctly Asian settings.

A book in Naomi Novak’s Temeraire takes place in China.

Since you mention Avatar, you might also be open to mange or anime, although seeing that this is a written fiction site, I’ll not recommend any specifically.

You might also try this link: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/306.Asian_Fantasy_Fiction , several of which have Asian authors.

Wavy_Blue · Mar 1, 2010

Thanks, guys! This is awesome. Keep them coming.

PS Good grief, could a mod please fix my horrific error in the title? That 'a' should be an 'an'. D:

Sai · Mar 1, 2010

The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen by Lloyd Alexander

mscelina · Mar 1, 2010

I really enjoyed the Empire Trilogy by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts. The three books--Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire & Mistress of the Empire--are some of my all-time favorite fantasies.

blacbird · Mar 1, 2010

The Epic of Gilgamesh.

caw

TheIT · Mar 1, 2010

mscelina said:
I really enjoyed the Empire Trilogy by Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts. The three books--Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire & Mistress of the Empire--are some of my all-time favorite fantasies.

Seconding this recommendation. Excellent trilogy which ties into Feist's Magician series, but I like this trilogy the best.

Kitty Pryde · Mar 1, 2010

I can't believe no one's suggested BRIDGE OF BIRDS by Barry Hughart. It's the first in an amazing trilogy set in fantastical ancient China--good fantasy and very funny. Second Liz Williams's Detective Inspector Chen series, starting with Snake Agent. It's futuristic Sci-fi urban fantasy set in fantastical China.

A really amazing book: "Monkey" translated by Arthur Waley. It's an abridged version of Journey to the West, by Wu Cheng'en, an ancient Chinese religious adventure comedy epic. While I'm on ancient epics, Mahabharata, the abridged version by RK Narayan, is quite brilliant too. And I like The Story of the Stone/Dream of the Red Chamber, another super old novel about a stone who gets to be born a human and has weird stone/person adventures.

Liosse de Velishaf · Mar 1, 2010

Kitty Pryde said:
I can't believe no one's suggested BRIDGE OF BIRDS by Barry Hughart. It's the first in an amazing trilogy set in fantastical ancient China--good fantasy and very funny. Second Liz Williams's Detective Inspector Chen series, starting with Snake Agent. It's futuristic Sci-fi urban fantasy set in fantastical China.

Err, mmmhhhmmm--

[quote="Liosse de Velishaf]Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart and the books in the series that came before it.
[/quote]

I've only read the book mentioned by name, which I picked up at a YMCA bookfair I worked at for several summers.

Libbie · Mar 1, 2010

Seconding or possibly thirding The Bridge of Birds. Good book.

SPMiller · Mar 2, 2010

If you count the Hindu religion as Asian, which you should, then you still can't go wrong with Lord of Light.

Recommend an Asian-Influenced Fantasy

Wavy_Blue

Adventure is out there!

badducky

No Time For Chitchat, Kemosabe.

MattW

Company Man

rugcat

Lost in the Fog

Liosse de Velishaf

Wavy_Blue

Adventure is out there!

Sai

Book lover/Spy

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

blacbird

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue

Liosse de Velishaf

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

SPMiller

Prodigiously Hanged