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You've read each book five times; you listen religiously to the Jim Dale narrated audiobooks, and the Stephen Fry narrated set you just mortgaged your home to buy is winging its way across the Atlantic even now; you own the Special Collector's edition of each of the movies; you are the peerless champion of Harry Potter Scene-It amongst your friends, family, and hapless Muggles; you have a serious condition--Harry Potter withdrawal.
Don't think I'm making fun of you; the above symptoms are simply a description of me.
Sure, there are some oases of comfort for thirsting Potterheads like Rowling's upcoming The Tales of Beetle the Bard and the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince; however, having to wait until December and next July (!) respectively is about as inviting as a stint in Azkaban for a true Potter fan.
Is there life after book 7?
Believe it or not, there is. Here are 10 books guaranteed to get you out of your post-Potter rut and back into a great reading experience.
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1. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
There are basically two types of people when it comes to Ender's Game: those who obsessively love it and those who haven't read it yet.
The story focuses on Ender Wiggin, boy wonder, who is shipped off to Battle School at a tender age with the unenviable task of learning how to save the earth from annihilation by approaching aliens. Peer pressure, military training, psychology, and the true nature of humans are only a bit of what Card addresses in this taut, intensely plotted book. In addition, it's got one of the most astonishing surprise endings ever, so don't peek, you'll hate yourself if you do.
Card went on to write multiple sequels to Ender's Game and even a parallel series, Ender's Shadow, that tells the story of Ender from another character's perspective. Every book in both sets is truly outstanding.
2. The Chrestomanci Series - Diana Wynne Jones
It drives me crazy that hardly anyone reads the Chrestomanci books. They are everything a rollicking good fantasy should be: intelligent, witty, totally unpredictable and filled with quirky, likeable characters.
The Chrestomanci series consists of five books: Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant, Conrad's Fate, Witch Week, and The Magicians of Caprona. The scientific theory of multiple parallel universes form the basis for the books; each person exists as a different manifestation of him or herself in each universe; all except, that is, for the Chrestomanci whose job it is to govern the universes and attempt to repair the damage that high-spirited youngster's create larking about between the worlds.
Each book has an entirely different tone and feel but all are unfailingly delightful.
3. The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
What would happen if nearly every person in the entire world went completely and inexplicably blind overnight? How would the few people left with sight help all of the blind--or would they? Now, just to up the ante, enter huge, mobile, carnivorous (read: maneating) plants.
Sounds freaky? That is The Day of the Triffids in a nutshell, a classic science fiction novel that is as intelligent and thought-provoking as it is terrifying. I'd recommend it for Potter lovers of high school age and up; make the younger set wait a few years since some bits, while well written, might be too much for young readers.
4. The Bartimaeus Trilogy - Jonathon Stroud
It's a pity that Jonathon Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy--The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye, and Ptolemy's Gate--were released right at the height of Potter mania because, in all honesty, they feature writing and plotting superior to that of the Harry Potter books.
All three books focus on the young magician Nathaniel and the all-powerful, sassy dijinni, Bartimaeus, that Nathaniel summons and desperately tries to control. While all of the characters in the book are well-drawn and believable and the plot is riveting (particularly at the conclusion of The Amulet of Samarkand--fantastic!) it's the high-spirited relationship between Nathaniel and Bartimaeus coupled with Stroud's sophisticated and perfectly nuanced writing that made me fall in love with this series.
5. Dune - Frank Herbert
If your only experience of Dune has been that 1984 film that featured a cameo of Sting as the Baron Harkonnen's boy toy, please, please run out and get yourself a copy of this novel TODAY.
Dune is certainly the best written, most densely plotted and intelligent science fiction novel ever. Herbert's portrayal of the metamorphosis of the young and inexperienced Paul Atreides into the Kwisatz Haderach, Maud'Dib,and the savior of Arrakis is engrossing. An entire literature class could be taught out of this book alone, not to mention the five sequels Herbert wrote before his death. Herbert's son has carried on the torch, producing an impressive collection of Dune sequels and prequels (including one, Paul of Dune, released last week) but none of them even faintly compare with the stellar original.
6. Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl, the savvy teenaged criminal mastermind, is a character in a million. Pairing him with the motley group of human and magical characters that recur throughout the Artemis Fowl series--Artemis' bodyguard, Butler; Butler's younger sister, Juliet; LEPrecon fairies Holly Short and Julius Root; Foaly the centaur; Mulch Diggins the kleptomaniac dwarf--was a stroke of pure genius on Colfer's part. At this point, the series includes five sequels to the original Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, The Eternity Code, The Opal Deception, The Lost Colony, and The Time Paradox.
The books are at once light-hearted and dark, one chapter making readers double up with laughter and then abruptly sobering them up with deeper issues in the next. I confess, I cried at the end of The Arctic Incident and over one particular scene in The Opal Deception (of course I'm not going to tell you what it was; read it yourself! Then you won't think I'm such a sap).
7. The Discworld Series - Terry Pratchett
These books--all thirty-six of them, and counting--are pure comic genius. Start with the first two, The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic and just see if you can't stop reading them (or laughing, incidentally).
While each book in the series takes place in the magical Discworld (think the Middle Ages meets a modern Renaissance Faire meets a wild fantasy-land, except a whole lot weirder if such a thing is possible), all parody a different aspect of literature, life, politics, you name it. The same characters and towns recur throughout the entire series, and by the time you've read them all you'll have trouble remembering if they are fictional characters or people you actually know.
My personal favorites are The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, The Thief of Time (#26) and Going Postal (#33).
8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
If I had to pick one book everyone should read, embarrassingly enough, I'd probably pick this one. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and its sequels, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe, and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish; and Mostly Harmless, are cult fiction extraordinaire. You'll see why if you read them: their quirky humor, eccentric characters, and outlandish plotlines are almost ridiculously endearing.
Incidentally, have you heard that Douglas Adams' widow has asked the Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer to continue the Hitchhiker's series? Book 6, And Another Thing....is scheduled for release in October 2009. Read more about it here.
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9. Any by Eva Ibbotson, but particularly The Secret of Platform 13
Although Eva Ibbotson's books are generally lighter and geared towards a younger audience (about 9 to 12 year-olds), there are enough similarities between her work and that of J.K.Rowling to make a lover of one well-disposed towards the other.
Ibbotson's work is extremely well-written and delightfully tongue-in-cheek. All involve magical circumstances and some bear a striking resemblance to elements of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. For instance, in The Secret of Platform 13 (that platform number sound vaguely reminiscent of something?) the young Ben lives with the cruel Trotters and their spoiled, greedy, overweight son Raymond, who throws a fit over a Knickerbocker Glory in an ice-cream parlor during the course of the story (now, if that doesn't ring any bells, go back and read the first Harry Potter again this instant!) Ben, it turns out, isn't the Trotter's son at all; he belongs in a magical land that can only be reached through, yes, Platform 13 at the train station.
Before you start screaming that Ms. Ibbotson is a plagiaristic, I should tell you that The Secret of Platform 13 was published in 1994, three years before the publication of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. The more of Ms. Ibbotson's books you read, the more you'll know that you aren't the only one who has been paying them close attention.
10. Any works by Connie Willis
Connie Willis is an absolute genius of a writer. If you appreciate wit, intelligence, emotion, and a hefty dash of factual history and science in your leisure reading, you'll be right at home with any of Connie Willis' outstanding works.
While everything she's written is fantastic (can you tell I wish I was her?), there are two works that stand out from all the others: Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Both involve futuristic time travel though they are as different from one another as could possibly be imagined: Doomsday Book is a highly realistic and emotional account of the Black Death; To Say Nothing of the Dog (which takes its name from the subtitle of Jerome K. Jerome's comedy classic Three Men in a Boat) is a light-hearted fling and one of the funniest damn things I've ever read. Both were awarded the Hugo award and both are outstanding pieces of literature.
I'd recommend both for ages 14 and up, not because there is anything so horrific in them (though Doomsday Book gets pretty bleak at times) but because older readers will better appreciate Willis' finely nuanced sense of humor and her ability to capture the essence of humans in crisis.
Have I left anything off this list? Included something that you don't think belongs? Let me know: I love learning about new books! Leave a comment here or email me at michellekerns@surewest.net. If you're really into it, send me your own Top 10 best books for treating Harry Potter withdrawal and I'll post it on the site!
You might also enjoy these:
- Reader recommendations for books to treat Harry Potter withdrawal, Part 1
- Reader recommendations for books to treat Harry Potter withdrawal, Part 2
- Reader recommendations for books to treat Harry Potter withdrawal, Part 3
- Angelina Jolie loves what book? A guide to the favorite books of celebrities Part 1
- Out with the old and in with the new? Take a look at this list of 100 Modern Classics
Comments
what a great idea for a posting! I did read the Potters; I haven't read much fantasy beyond that. But I raise a toast to anyone who keeps reading on after a beloved series reaches its close.
The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings?
ET,
I love Tolkein, but, for whatever reason, I find that alot of teen Potter lovers simply do not take to Tolkein that well; they like the movies, but alot of them find Tolkein's language daunting. For instance, my family has an absolute mob of cousins, nieces, nephews, sisters, etc. that I got to read and love Harry Potter with me. For some of them, that was the first thing they had ever, EVER read on their own time. When each book was finished, they were always clamoring for something else to read, and I generally found they would start the LOTR books and drop off at some point, never to return. By contrast, Ender's Game or Dune or The Chrestomanci series were read with glee.
I confess, that did bug me a bit, but I soon found that nothing kills a fledgling interest in literature quicker than a snarky aunt lecturing them about their low-brow tastes. So I quit bugging them, they kept reading, and now two of them want to be writers and one of them is planning on becoming a journalist, may God have mercy on her soul. And these were kids that thought I was the ultimate geek for having a house dripping with books.
Maybe they'll become lit savvy enough in future to really appreciate Tolkein's stuff, I don't know.
I have a weakness for young adult fantasy, and the two best series I've found now that Potter is no longer are The Edge Chronicles and Ember (now a movie).
Give them a try. Short easy reads with good storylines. Light and fun.
The "twist ending" of Ender's Game is terrible.
what about incarnations of immortality?
If you haven't already read it, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga should be one of your priorities. Those books are the most wonderful books by a female author I have ever read.
And, just for the record, I'm a teenager, and I much prefer LOTR to Harry Potter =D
Just one thing... you forgot the greatest build-up to Harry Potter you cn find in the Chronicle of narnia series...a must-read for any fantasy enthusiast.
A sparkling new young adult series, Worldweavers, also fits the bill. The protagonist is a young woman wizard, Thea, who is as American as Harry Potter is British.
The recently published second book in the series, Spellspam, futures spam that carries real spells, causing havoc to the unwary.
I adore the Chrestomanci series! Diana Wynne Jones is such an amazing writer. I found about them after I read Howl's Moving Castle (also a great book), and was soooo happy to find them. They're amazing. I read each within a day. I'd recommend them to anyone who likes fantasy! (: (: (:!
Or play a computer game -- Wizard 101. It's like Harry Potter for pre-teens, but adults dig it too. It just came out a few weeks ago online. And for real, I'm not just here to advertise :)
No Dan Simmons? (not even the Terror?) No George R.R. Martin? And I've read Enders Game... Not a fan, but I love the column!
Garth Nix's "Abbhorsen Trilogy" (spelling?)
Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy
What?! Dune and Ender's game have been reduced to "treating Harry Potter withdrawal?"
When did that happen? They should be on a list that sounds more along the lines of "While Harry Potter is fairly good, these books blow it out of the water!"
Jesus! What is wrong with you people?!?!?!?
Thanks soo much for NOT putting the Twilight "saga" on this list. Those books are awful!
But I do agree with Jard -- The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix is amazing!!
A house with a clock in its walls, anything else by John Bellairs
anything by Piers Anthony
Just wanted to add that there is another book in the Chrestomanci series- it is called The Pinhoe Egg, and is set after Cat goes to live at Chrestomanci castle, probably before The Magicians of Caprona, but not necessarily so. Just finished listening to the unabridged CD version with my 5-yo daughter, who liked it very much. (Which is one of the things I love about Chrestomanci- the books are not nearly as dark as the HP books so I can share them with Little Miss B.)
Honestly, if we're talking about treating Harry Potter withdrawal, maybe we should be discussing books on the same general level with similar concepts.
Now while I love the Dune series, I'm not sure it can honestly be considered some sort of replacement for Harry Potter.
In truth, one of the best series for those fans of Harry Potter who just can't get over the fact that the series is over is Diane Duane's Young Wizard series. It, in my opinion, should have earned the sort of acclaim the Potter series long before Harry received his first wand.
This is, of course, my opinion. Mileage may vary.
Somewhat better than the Harry Potter books is Diane Duane's "So You Want To Be a Wizard" series. http://youngwizards.com 8 volumes so far, started a decade before the first Harry Potter book, a ninth is at the publishers.
The books follow the adventures of two pre-adolescents, Nita and Kit, who are called to wizardry in our world (well, Long Island, NY).
One of my favorites scenes is in the second book, Deep Wizardry, where Nita decides to come out of the closet to her parents about her wizardry. To prove to them that it isn't some psychological delusion, she takes them for a short trip to the moon.
The nifty part: We see Nita solve the math problem: what should the diameter of the magic circle be, to contain enough air for three people to breathe comfortably on the moon for an hour?
If your having Harry Potter withdrawl check out the Percy Jackson series. It starts off kinda kitty but grows into some great reading - its Harry Potter on Mount Olympus
Any books by Tamora Pierce are a must-have, but especially the Song of the Lioness series. It is about a young girl who wants to be a knight. However, girls are not allowed to train as knights, so she disguises herself as a boy. The series takes you through her experiences training for a knighthood while trying to keep her secret. The books are very well written with great characterization. I have read these books countless times over the last 15 years.
Another great series is The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. I can't wait to read them to my daughter.
what about jonathan strange and mr norrell?????????????????????? it should be right at the number one spot.......
I think there are two series that absolutely must be addressed here, the first is the Witches of Eileanen series by Kate Forsyth. Very underrated and possibly some of the best books out there. The second would be any book written by Anne Bishop... be aware that Bishop is for more mature audiences. They are both amazing.
The Wizard of Earthsea is a very good series as well.
i recommend anything by Christopher Moore. particularly Practical Demonkeeping or Lamb. more like Vonnegut, but with a serious fantasy flare. he really brings you in. and anyone into dune should check out the saga of seven suns by kevin j. anderson. its dune on the epic universe scale and anyone who read any of the books by herbert's son will recognize him as the co-author. enjoy.
I thought this was a well-made list. I especially appreciate seeing the Terry Pratchett series and the Diana Wynne Jones books up. I agree with Bruce, though. The Earthsea series by Ursula Le Guin would be a good addition to this list.
George R. R. Martin!
he's the best. his song of ice and fire series is the most well written and interesting and fun and gut wrenching and sad and phenomenal series i've read. and i've read a lot.
Gearing this towards the older Harry Potter fans, (age 20+) is the Dark Tower series by Steven King. The series spans throughout King's writing career, with the first book, The Gunslinger, being his first published book, at the age of 17, to the last book that was finished in 2006, The Dark Tower.
King envelops the reader in a dark fantasy world that is parallel to our own. With King's attention to detail and great character creation, you feel like you are in the Territories with the characters.
If you want just an introduction into the Territories without investing yourself into the Dark Tower's 7 books, read the Talisman, or Black House.
how dare you say "harry potter" and dune, ender's game and hitchhiker's guide in the same sentence. j.k bastardized already existing texts, for example: ENDERS GAME and made them generic crap. I will admit, the books are good for one reason, it gets kids reading and nobody that does that is all bad. but please, stop comparing harry potter to GOOD books because the connection just isn't there.
You named almost everything on my read list in your post! And I added everything that wasn't already there.
I read the first 5 Harry Potter books, but I stopped after the fifth because I found better books... Douglas Adams!
Eoin Colfer and Lois Lowry appeal to the same side of me that likes Harry Potter, and I believe they both deserve a spot on the list. Artemis Fowl and Supernatural are both fantastic from Colfer. And the Giver trilogy from Lowry is phenomenal
I would suggest the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. And also the Tripods series, starting with "When the Tripods Came." I forget the author, but I believe the last name is christopher.
I like what you did there comparing Harry Potter to all the actual wonderful books out there :P Makes for a very clear cut difference.
I'd suggest the Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody. Here is a short description of the first book from wikipedia.
"They have a post apocalyptic setting, and depict a world struggling to come to terms with the environmental, bodily and mental damage caused by global nuclear holocaust. The series' protagonist, Elspeth Gordie, is a young girl with extraordinary mental powers who must battle fear and repression to survive in this harsh world. The novels deal with themes of responsibility, duty, prejudice, discrimination, tolerance and human and animal rights."
People who say that Harry Potter is a rip-off of other stuff need to get with the program. Read Hero of a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, learn about the cycle. Learn that every story fits the cycle, especially quest stories, which is why you can find so many similarities in books or other media, like H.P., Star Wars, Eragon, Ender's Game.
Another really fantastic fantasy series is The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. If you haven't heard of it, it's a series about a Wizard P.I. in present day Chicago that uses magic to solve supernatural cases. I basically have gobbled up every one of the books that I've come across.
I am surprised no mention has been given to Philip Pullman's award-winning 'His Dark Materials' trilogy, comprising Northern Lights (The Golden Compass in N. America), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.
A must, in my opinion.
Every book you listed is a million times better than any of the Harry Potter books. In every way. In fact the worst books written by Herbert, Adams, and Card are all a million times better than the best Harry Potter book. These books should not be recommended as a cure for Harry Potter withdrawal. Instead they should be listed as a cure for being stupid enough to read Harry Potter.
interesting, i'll be back later http://recompostaje.com/img/sexy/
The Chronicles of Prydain series is great. I was completely addicted when I first picked it up.
I love you for including Terry Pratchett! His books got me reading in the first place, along with Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. My favorite Discworld novels are Night Watch and Reaper Man, but nearly every book is a worthwhile read, especially if you need a laugh.
MOAR LIKE "10 BOOKES BETAR THAN HARRY ROTTER THAT JK ROWLING STOLE IDEAS FROM" AMIRITE?
Great list! However I am surprised the Robert Jordan didn't make the list.
What? No Tolkien? Shame....
I'm glad somebody mentioned "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell"
How about the "Thursday Next" series by Jasper Fforde?
Here's better:
Ursula K. Le Guin, the four Earthsea books
Robert Jordan - wheel of time
terry goodkind - sword of truth
china mieville - the scar
salvatore - the dark elf trilogy, also icewind dale.
No, no tolkien. pfft.
Here's better:
Ursula K. Le Guin, the four Earthsea books
Robert Jordan - wheel of time
terry goodkind - sword of truth
china mieville - the scar
salvatore - the dark elf trilogy, also icewind dale.
No, no tolkien. pfft.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a great series, with "The Last Olympian" coming May, 2009 (PS: strong bad from homestarrunner.com dressed as the sassy plaint on the hichhckers guide on 2008
Omg! i love the Jim Dale readings of harry potter! i listen to them before i go to sleep!
What, no mention of Traci Harding or Sara Douglass? They are two of my absolute favourite fantasy authors, and they are both Australian. Hasn't anyone heard of The Ancient Future trilogy (Harding), or The Wayfarer redemption Series (Douglass)? And then there's Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight books.
Hey really glad to see mention of The Bartimaeus Trilogy.It was really eye opener for me as far as fantasy books were concerned.
Shaun, you are incredibly right.
Anyone who is distraught due to lack of Harry Potter should not be allowed near literature.
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