suggestions for a lover of thick books

so i am a picky reader.
i have read nearly all the feist and lackey and delint stuff....but they don't do it for me. i like big FAT books that will keep me occupied for more than 2 days and i like LOTS AND LOTS of character development and descriptions. however there is a point when you run out.
some of the books i have loved the most:
the dune series
the tolkein books
anything by robin hobb and some stuff by megan lindholm
carol berg
ursula leguin
george r r martin
i liked the first 4 robert jordan books before his editors stopped doing their job
the sparrow and the children of god by mary doria russell
the name of the wind by patrick rothfuss
the jaqueline carey books

so does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Steven Erikson's Malazan books.
Neal Stephenson's Baroque cycle
Katherine Kurtz - most of hers that I've read.
Stephen Donaldson - Again all of them.

I would also recommend:

Tad Williams The Dragonbone Chair is the first in the series

Kate Elliott Crown of Stars series

Probably more, but those stand out to me right now.

Good luck!

C.S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy, starting with Black Sun Rising.

If you like series I would recommend the 3 different series by Anne Bishop. Just be careful though cos she hasn't finished the landscapes of Ephemera series yet (which is very frustrating)

#2 has the one's I thought of.

C J Cherryh's Fortress in the eye of time series should last you a while.

I agree! I love long books full of detail and character development. I would suggest George R. R. Martin's series.

DRAT. Was gonna mention the Tolkien books as they are pretty thick but you've already read those...hmm...have you read The History of Middle-earth series? Those are pretty good especially book 3 umm...just let me think...20,000 Leagues Under the Sea~ Jules Verne

hmm I'll be back later lol I cant think of any which is WEIRD...

A big thick book (with big thick sequels, as well) is Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. I found it pretty enjoyable, and it definitely kept me occupied for a few days.

How about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell? It's postively ENORMOUS!

Darn you Niall, I was just about to suggest that! If you want a big thick book, that should certainly be on the top of your list. At just under 800 pages is a giant of a book.

For big fat fantasy you really need to hit Steven Erikson's Malazan series before anything else. The only problem is almost everything else will pale in comparison (in terms of epic scope and chunkiness) afterwards.

They're not as big or epic or as some but I also highly recommend Gene Wolfe, perhaps the most talented of fantasy writers. Despite many rave reviews I was not much impressed by Tad Williams Dragonbone Chair. It seemed a little too ordinary or formulaic, but I've just started reading Otherland. They are certainly chunky enough to fill your hands.

Zelazney's Great Book of Amber tops 1200 pages too. It seemed to drag on sometimes but was still a good long read.

I suggest Tigana, which is quite thick aqnd has some excellent characters. I also second the mention of Gene Wolfe, especially The Wizard Knight of you prefer fantasy.

Katharine Kerr has a long series of thick 'n chewy books starting with Daggerspell. Don't mistake her for Katherine Kurtz, because they both write Celtic-themed stuff.

You might also look into Jo Walton and her books The King's Peace and The King's Name.

Peter F. Hamilton

Pandora's Star etc. are monsters.

What about Terry Goodkind his series that starts with Wizard's First Rule is long and the books are pretty big. I seem to remember, however, that I ran out of steam with it after awhile, as it started to get a little ridiculous, but I think that might be just me. A lot of people like it.

Right now I am reading 'Duncton Wood' by William Horwood. Its really good, though it is about moles, it does have a bit of fantasy thrown in too, and its a good read. Nice and thick: 730 pages.

jcsoblonde, I'm a big fan of Duncton Wood. I loved Watership Down but found Adams' other animal books disappointing. I tripped over DW in a used bookstore and gave it a try, and I really liked it. Do you know if he's written anything else similar?

There are other Duncton books if that is what you mean.

#19 I enjoyed The Stonor Eagles but it is a stand alone book - not part of a trilogy like Duncton - and it's main human character is an artist/sculptor.

There are 5 more Duncton Wood books! YAY! I just finished Duncton Wood yesterday, and would have to say its amazing, and I cannot figure out why it is not popular! I found mine in a used bookstore, in basically new condition! I have books 2 and 3 on layaway; cannot wait to pick them up! As for other books, I know he was chosen to write the sequels for 'The Wind in the Willows'...I have one, the Willows at Christmas, and its pretty good. I think there was another series he wrote too, but I can't remember...

The Gormenghast novels by Mervyn Peake. Heady, rich fantasy with a myriad of Dickensian characters and marvellous prose.

And very, very thick :-P

EDIT: Oh, and how could I forget another thick trilogy, the Sevenwaters books by Juliet Marillier. The first one is based on the old legend of the girl whose seven brothers were turned to swans, and only she could break the enchantment by sewing them shirts made from nettles. There are a few scenes that are more worthy of a Harlequin romance than the Celtic fantasy she writes, but other than that these books are excellent.

totally agree he should have finished the series at least
3 or 4 books ago

My earlier message no 24 was regarding message 17 about Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series.

Elizabeth Haydon's The Symphony of Ages series. Rhapsody : child of blood, Prophecy : child of earth, Destiny, child of the sky, Requiem for the Sun, and Elegy For a Lost Star are the books she's written so far. I think there is a 6th book also, The Assasin King

(edited to correct spelling/titles)

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Big, fat, character development, descriptions; check, check, check, check to all the above.

Little, Big by John Crowley. This is a beautifully written book that will haunt you for years.

Sara Douglass
I would definitely classify her as epic fantasy, at least the Wayfarer Redemption trilogies.
She can be cruel to characters (I don't think anyone gets a charmed life, and often there's some downright torture). She also seems to think that no character is irredeemably evil - even the worst antagonist is revealed to have sympathetic qualities at some point. Although, thinking back, that may not apply in Wayfarer - it does in the Troy Game series, however.

I definitely agree with the Steven Erikson's Malazan book titles....they are positively fat and dripping with complex and imaginative storytelling. Right now 7 out of the 10 book series have been published, so you have some serious reading ahead of you!

Not sure if anyone has mentioned these yet, but how about The Wars of Shadow and Light series by Janny Wurts

Other than what's been mentioned already in this thread, here are some other thick fantasy books.

If you're into Norse-based fantasy worlds:
Mickey Zucker Reichert
The Last of the Renshai
The Western Wizard

For a female-centric dragon tale (pun intended):
By Melanie Rawn:
Dragon Prince
The Star Scroll
Sunrunner's Fire

If you're up for an unpredictable fantasy storyline:
By Danny Birt
Ending an Ending: First Book of the Laurian Pentology

Hope that helps!