Of course, there's a lot more to the fantasy genre than just J.R.R. Tolkien, although his novels are great, and I highly reccomend them. Sadly, fantasy is overlooked by many people as simple escapism, to which I reply, "So what's wrong with that?" Seriously though, escapism is only part of it. A good fantasy novel tells an epic tale of adventure and heroism, the eternal struggle of Good and Evil, and even romance. A great deal better than John Grisham, who spends all his time writing about lawyers. This is not to say that fantasy is without its share of crap; it has just as much as any other genre of fiction. So to help potential new fans separate the hacks from the guys who know what they're doing, I'm presenting a list of authors and works that I personally enjoy. Of course, your own mileage may vary. To those of you like me who enjoy fantasy, enjoy. To those of you who don't, I advise you to read one of the recommended books below. You may be surprised.

J.R.R Tolkien
What can I say that hasn't already been said about the father of the fantasy genre? In Elementary school, I read The Hobbit and I've been a fantasy fan ever since. Tolkien didn't just write, he created an entire world and populated it with sympathetic, believable characters. The Hobbit is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit(A small humanoid similar to a Dwarf, except beardless and with furry feet.). He is recruited by the wizard Gandalf and a party of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield, to join an expedition to Thorin's ancestral homeland, which has been taken over by the dragon Smaug. Bilbo's job is to steal back the treasure stolen from the dwarves by Smaug. Bilbo is at first reluctant, since the typical Hobbit considers adventures things that make one late for dinner. But Bilbo's eyes are opened by his travels, and he becomes an invaluable member of the party. Along the way Bilbo discovers a magic ring, which becomes the crucial object in Tolkien's next work, The Lord of the Rings. This trilogy of books tells the tale of Bilbo's nephew and his quest to destroy the aforementioned ring, which contains great evil. Tolkien has written quite a few other books set in this world, known as Middle-Earth. The Silmarillion is a little on the dry side, but it contains a wealth of information about the history and cosmology of Middle-Earth. Any serious fan of Tolkien should read it at least once.

Robert Jordan
The world Robert Jordan has created rivals Tolkien's in scope and detail. I refer, of course, to Jordan's most popular work, a collection of books called "The Wheel of Time". A series of ten books so far, and shows no sign of slowing down! It is the tale of a young man named Rand Al'Thor, and his two friends, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara. Rand lived the normal life of a farmer until he was attacked by monsters one night. Forced to flee from his home, accompanied by his friends, he falls in with a mysterious woman and her guardian, and he soon comes to discover that his own desitny is far greater than he or anyone else thought. Sadly, the series is still going on, with still no real end in sight as it gets bogged down by subplots and constantly splintering narratives. I still recommend it, but I have to warn you, you need to be in this thing for the long haul.

Tad Williams
Right up there with Tolkien and Jordan, Tad williams is another storyteller with a talent for creating worlds and characters that almost seem real. His most notable work is a trilogy called "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn." It's the story of Simon, a young man who begins the story as a castle scullion, and the adventures he has as he discovers the plans of the wizard Pryrates and as he finds out more about himself and the world around him. Another work by Williams worth mentioning is a series called "Otherland". While it is not fantasy per se, it is nevertheless a good read. Imagine if you will, Earth's future. We are deep in the information age. The internet is even bigger than it is now and it is accessed through VR(Virtual Reality). The world is ruled by Megacorporations. Enter the Grail Brotherhood, a society of incredibly influential and obscenely wealthy men and women, and their secret project; the Otherland project. A series of VR worlds so detailed as to be all but indistinguishable from Real Life(RL). Their agenda is hidden, but whatever they plan on doing with Otherland, you can bet it ain't good. This is the story of several people who discover Otherland, and their attempts to stop the Grail Brotherhood. This is a great book. If you like Tad Williams or VR, you should read this book. Hell, even if you don't you should read this book. Tad Williams recently wrote another book, called The War of the Flowers, which is one of the best things he's done so far. It's a story about Theo Vilmos, a down-on-his-luck musician, and his adventures into the realm of Faerie. Williams' Fairyland is refreshingly unique, a mixture of A Midsummer Night's Dream, turn-of-the-century London, and Modern New York. It also manages to avoid many of the trite stereotypes involved in the Guy from Earth Finds Himself in Fantasy Realm type of story.

Guy Gavriel Kay
Now here's a man who can write. A lot of times in this genre you get guys who can create great worlds, but whose characters are dull as dishwater, or vice versa. Kay can do it all. The best place to start is a trilogy called The Fionavar Tapestry. Fionavar is the first of the worlds created by the Weaver, of which all other worlds are but reflections. Unfortunately, it's also under attack by Rakoth Maugrim, the Unraveller. To combat this threat, the king's wizard summons the unlikliest of heroes: four University students from Earth. Sounds trite, I know, but like Williams, Kay avoids the pitfalls inherent in telling this kind of story. The protagonists grow and are changed by their experiences in Fionavar, and they are supported by a truly wonderful cast of characters. It's a great series for new readers to cut their teeth on, and sets a groundwork for Kay's other novels.

Terry Pratchett
If you're a fan of Douglas Adams, you should read Terry Pratchett. If you think the typical fantasy novel today is too dark and angsty, you should read Terry Pratchett. If you just plain enjoy humorous stories, you should read Terry Pratchett. Pratchett, simply stated, is the best author of comedic fantasy in the known world. He takes the modern conventions of fantasy literature and throws them back in your face. Be warned: you will laugh out loud. The best place to start is at the beginning of course, with The Color of Magic and it's sequel, The Light Fantastic. The (anti)hero of the story is a rather inept and unscrupulous wizard named Rincewind. He only knows one spell, but it's one of the Eight Great Spells which the Creator used to create the Discworld, a flat world which rests on the backs of four giant elephants, which are in turn, standing on the back of a giant sea turtle. No one knows for sure what the Spell will do if it ever manages to get itself said. Anyway Rincewind is hired by a small man named Twoflower, who is from a far off land, to be his tour guide. Twoflower is the Discworld's first tourist, and more than a trifle naive. Chaos (and hilarity) ensue.