Chris McMahon gave some excellent fantasy reading tips. He is the author of fantasy novel The Calvanni. Cedrin is a knife-fighter, or Calvanni, in the world of Yos. It’s storm season, the twin suns have eclipsed, and the world is cold. Hukum, the sorceror-lord of the Eathem, who are cavern-dwelling enemies of man, plots his revenge on mankind.
Mr McMahon liked The Sword in the Storm by David Gammell. Connavar, a young warrior, goes on a quest to protect his people, the Rigante, from the threat of the army of the Seidh. Along the way Connavar receives a powerful sword made by the Seidh, and he becomes known as Demonblade.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was another favorite. This is the coming of age story of a young wizard, covering his childhood with travelling players, his orphan years in a crime-ridden city, his daring entry to a school of magic, and his life on the run after the murder of a king.
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence was another recommendation. Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath returns to his father’s castle. He’d fled after watching his mother and brother killed. Since then he’d led a band of thugs at age 13. At 15 he decided he’d be king. But treachery awaits at the castle.
And Elantris by Brandon Sanderson was another fantasy classic he liked. Elantris, the capital of Arelon, is a once-magical city, now filthy and decaying. Raoden is exhiled to the dark city, and hopes to help the wretches trapped there.

Comics artist and writer Bruce Mutard created the graphic novels The Sacrifice, about main character Robert Wells and his family in the war years in Melbourne, and Alice in Nomansland. He cited as favorites The Outsider by Camus and Heart of Darkness by Conrad. The 200-page graphic novel by Chester Brown, I Never Liked You, was another favorite. Chester Brown writes about his alienated youth in Canada, and his strained relationships with friends and family. Bruce Mutard also liked Seth’s It’s a Good Life, if You Don’t Weaken, a 176-page graphic novel about an obsession with a 1940s New Yorker cartoonist that blinds the protagonist to the needs of his lover and desperate family.

Rune Woodman was the creator of Ordinary Animals. Primary school kid Albert heads down a drain to hide from bullies. He befriends an ageing rat, a bird and an echidna who want him to fulfill a prophecy and defeat a witch and the evil King Rat. Mr Woodman liked the Japanese folk tale Urashima Taro.
He also liked the graphic novel Zombie Cities by Sorab Del Rio.
The Incognito comic series (Marvel) by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips was another favorite. Another favorite was Cursed Pirate Girl by Jeremy Bastian. And he liked Saga, an epic space-fantasy comic by Brian K. Vaughan and. Fiona Staples. Y: The Last Man, a dystopian sci-fi comic by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra, was another pick.

Patrick Purcell is a co-writer of Winter City, a comic book series. A series of tragedies in Sam Winter’s boyhood and adolescence start him on the path to becoming the Winter City Grim Reaper. Mr Purcell liked Batman: The Long Halloween, a 13-issue comic book series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale, which he said was inspired. He liked The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. And he cited Akira, which he said was an epic tale. From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell was another favorite.

– copyright Simon Sandall