There's more to life than Harry Potter

By: Jessie Burche

Posted: 8/20/07

Millions of readers are disoriented and depressed. The Harry Potter phenomenon has come and gone. What do we do now?

We persist. The group of readers should not die out because the most popular book series of the 21st century is over.

Believe it or not, there are other fantasy books out there just as satiating as the Harry Potter series. Some are, dare I say it, even more satisfying than those famed seven books.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is another series of seven books. The best known is "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Even though these are supposedly children's books, they are engrossing for adults as well. By the end you'll be wishing your name was name was Lucy.

Philip Pullman has written an amazing trilogy that deals with original sin, where we go when we die and the corruption of the church in the "His Dark Materials" series. Much of the series takes place in an alternate universe.

The main character, Lyra, is a lovable little girl who grows up during the series and makes friends with gypsies, armored polar bears and witches. These books are actually targeted more toward adults than children although the main focuses are children.

Another author that doesn't get nearly enough mainstream attention is Susanna Clarke. To date, she has written one giant novel and a book of short stories. Her novel, "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel," is written like a more readable Jane Austen novel, but with some magicians thrown in. Read about moral quandaries, the raven king and dinner parties in one book.

Neil Gaiman is gaining mainstream popularity because his book Stardust is now a movie. To be honest, I didn't think "Stardust" was all that. However, some of his other books like "American Gods," "Neverwhere" and "Anansi Boys" are relevant to modern life and entertaining.

Of course, classic books such as "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the "Dune" series and "The Stand" are worthwhile reads. Trust me; the movies don't begin to compare with the glory of the books.

Don't be afraid to take the trek into the science fiction and fantasy aisle at the book store. A lot of the books look the same and have the same kind of weird titles, but some of them turn out to be real gems. Sharon Shinn is another great author for a reader who just wants some good old Sunday afternoon fluff to go with their coffee.

So despair not avid readers! You no longer have to obsess about whether or not Ron and Hermione will get together or what that triumphant gleam in Dumbledore's eye was all about. But you do have thousands of other fantasy worlds awaiting your grand entrance.

jburche@unews.com