What are the most influential "alternate world" or "portal" books?

jamiehall · Feb 23, 2008

I know I've seen a bunch of agents say they think "alternate world" or "portal" books are overdone (those in which people can travel to a different world, usually a fantasy land, from ours, or can travel from one fantasy land to another, for example the Narnia books, or the Amber series).

And I'm also quite sure that one of the reasons they are often perceived as overdone is because there have been so many famous, influential novels that use this device.

What I'm interested in, is this: what are the top ten or fifteen works (either stand-alone novels or series) of this type? I know what I would choose, but I'd like to see a range of opinions. Perhaps I'll stumble on some great works I haven't heard of yet.

Will Lavender · Feb 23, 2008

Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever books stand out.

And obviously Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy would have to be mentioned as well.

maxmordon · Feb 23, 2008

I remember a Nabokov book that presented a world whose main characters lived in an amalgamation of Russia and USA

Ken · Feb 23, 2008

Charlotte Bronte's "Villette." The protagonist trips out on morphine towards the end and things get really bizarre. She also has these continual flashbacks throughout the book making it seem as if she's in two places at one time and no where at all as well. This all happens in Part 2 of the novel, after she drops down unconscious in the street, so you might skip the first Part and then come back to it later when you see how awesome the book is. Oh yeah, there's a ghost in it too! :-o

ReneC · Feb 24, 2008

Since the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant has already been mentioned (a favourite of mine), I'll suggest the "Otherland" series by Tad Williams. It's about a group of people who get stuck inside the net, a total-immersion virtual world.

underthecity · Feb 24, 2008

Piers Anthony's Xanth series is pretty famous. He's done so many that I've lost count.

allen

maxmordon · Feb 24, 2008

maxmordon said:
I remember a Nabokov book that presented a world whose main characters lived in an amalgamation of Russia and USA

Found it, it's called Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle

Is on a XX Century world where electricity never developed

Priene · Feb 25, 2008

maxmordon said:
Found it, it's called Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle

Thanks. I've just put that on my Amazon list.

ReneC · Feb 25, 2008

Another fun one that I just remembered is Terry Brooks' Magic Kingdom series. I think there are five books in all, starting with Magic Kingdom for ~~Sale~~ Sold!

Ben Holiday, a widowed attorney spots an ad for a magical kingdom for sale. Purchasing the magic kingdom, Holiday soon finds the place is in ruins and the adventure begins...

And I just learned that there is a movie in the works.

DeleyanLee · Feb 25, 2008

The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gaverial Kay is probably the best I've read of this kind of book--which I generally don't like, FWIW.

sunna · Feb 25, 2008

The Neverending Story seems to fall into that category; and I think King's The Dark Tower series would definitely qualify.

PattiTheWicked · Feb 25, 2008

I was always a fan of Robert Fortschen's Lost Regiment series, which was about a group of Civil War soldiers transported to an alternate universe.

Evaine · Feb 25, 2008

Elidor by Alan Garner has a portal in an old chapel in a slum area of Manchester that was about to be re-developed. The four kids bring back four magical items into the real world, and then things start to get strange. And there's a unicorn.

What are the most influential "alternate world" or "portal" books?

jamiehall

Bereaved Snarkling

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

maxmordon

Penúltimo

Ken

ReneC

Relapsed insomniac :(

underthecity

Finestkind

maxmordon

Penúltimo

Priene

Out to lunch

ReneC

Relapsed insomniac :(

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

sunna

PattiTheWicked

Unleashing Hell.

Evaine