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Larry Niven's Warlock stories are mana based. The gods that exist are a by product of magic, not the source of it.
Most logical fantasy setting?
- Thread starter sunandshadow
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I slightly preferred sci-fi to fantasy as a child and teenager, but never the hard kind. I like sociological science fiction and science fiction comedy of manners and science fantasy. Authors like Cherry, McCaffrey, Norton, M.A. Foster, Alan Dean Foster., and anime like Uninhabited Planet Survive, Angelic Layer, and Vandred. I'm a sucker for "space academy" stories and "inside a computer game" stories. I was also quite fond of western movies and TV like The Last Starfighter, Enemy Mine, and the original Star Trek series.
These days I prefer fantasy, ideally in either anime or romance novel format. The problem is I only like certain kinds of fantasy - I don't like supernatural, magic realism, urban fantasy, high fantasy, or fantasy horror, and between those that's at least 3/4 of recently written fantasy.
I like non-Earth historical fantasy (e.g. Naruto, One Piece, various stuff by Mercedes Lackey and Robin D. Owens). I love humorous romantic adventure fantasy like Jim Henson's Labyrinth.The only fantasy setting that truly makes sense is Middle Earth, but it has literal gods, so I guess it doesn't count.
Nah. LotR's cosmology has a lot more in common with the Abrahamic religions, with one god who has a host of more powerful and less powerful servants, each with their own portfolio.
When I say 'has more in common with', I draw attention to the rebellion of the most powerful of said servants. Drawing comparisons is pretty easy if you look at it from the right mindset.
When I say 'has more in common with', I draw attention to the rebellion of the most powerful of said servants. Drawing comparisons is pretty easy if you look at it from the right mindset.
Well that could just be a stand in for Fenrir(in fact the whole chaining etc...WAS Fenrir) who was a child of a god.
You could make a case either way, tbh
You could make a case either way, tbh
It's an old series, but very well done. Patricia McKillip's Riddle Master of Hed trilogy has powerful shapeshifters, but no gods or demons.
Also an oldie-but-goodie, Zelazny's Amber series had powerful, primordial beings (the Pattern and Chaos), but I don't think they qualified as gods. Neither Corwin nor Merlin interacted with them as such.
Diana Wynne Jones has written stuff both with and without gods. Howl's Moving Castle was even made into a movie, although it differs somewhat from the book, but neither of them have gods. And Archer's Goon is hilarious and has only powerful beings who are definitely NOT gods.
Like Roxxsmom said, I'm sure there are lots more, but those come to mind as examples of books that I find good enough to frequently reread and seem to fit your description.
Also an oldie-but-goodie, Zelazny's Amber series had powerful, primordial beings (the Pattern and Chaos), but I don't think they qualified as gods. Neither Corwin nor Merlin interacted with them as such.
Diana Wynne Jones has written stuff both with and without gods. Howl's Moving Castle was even made into a movie, although it differs somewhat from the book, but neither of them have gods. And Archer's Goon is hilarious and has only powerful beings who are definitely NOT gods.
Like Roxxsmom said, I'm sure there are lots more, but those come to mind as examples of books that I find good enough to frequently reread and seem to fit your description.
The Harry Dresden books don't have much in the way of gods, although there are beings powerful enough to be called such. The only problem I see is that, in your later post, you said you don't like urban fantasy - can't help you much there.