Books So Intimidating We Can't Even Start Them? episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 31, 2026 · 21 MIN

Books So Intimidating We Can't Even Start Them?

from Fantasy for the Ages · host Jim Scriven

Some books don’t just sit on your shelf… they judge you.In today’s episode of Fantasy for the Ages, Jim and Zach confess the most intimidating fantasy, sci-fi, and horror books they still haven’t read — even though they really want to.We’re talking about the massive, the dense, the legendary, and the “I’ll get to it someday…” reads that every SFF fan knows all too well.From sprawling epics like The Wheel of Time to notoriously complex reads like The Malazan Book of the Fallen, and even all-time classics like Dune — these are the books that feel less like a casual read… and more like a full-on commitment.Along the way, we talk about:• Why some books feel so intimidating to start• Whether the hype actually makes it harder to dive in• Which ones we might finally read soon• And which ones might stay on the shelf just a little longer…If you’ve ever looked at a giant fantasy series or dense sci-fi classic and thought, “Yeah… not yet,” this episode is for you.⸻👍 If you enjoy fantasy, sci-fi, and horror content, be sure to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell!💬 QUESTION OF THE DAY:What’s the most intimidating SFF book YOU still haven’t read?⸻🔥 Support the channel on Patreon!Join the Tolkien, Abercrombie, and Brooks tiers for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes access!: patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges🔥 Join the Community💬 Join the conversation on Discord (invite below)📊 Participate in daily polls🎥 Be part of future livestreams and discussions#FantasyForTheAges #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #BookTube #EpicFantasy #Malazan #ReadingGoals #TBRWant to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?Anathem: https://t.ly/Iph54The Book of the New Sun: https://t.ly/klihiThe Darkness That Comes Before: https://t.ly/aDLrIEmpire of Silence: https://t.ly/31rjoHyperion: https://t.ly/UlIAMJonathan Strange and Mr Norell: https://t.ly/8MoJBMemories of Ice: https://t.ly/N45ptThe Stand: https://t.ly/UG_4mThe Wise Man’s Fear: https://t.ly/zKufnWays to connect with us:Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected] Email us: [email protected] Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheagesJim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4 Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n 0:00 - Opening1:23 - Episode Explanation2:30 - How This Works4:02 - Our Nine Intimidating Books18:53 - Which Will We Read First, & Which Likely Last (if ever)20:22 - Final Thought21:02 - Wrap-up & Conclusion————————————————————————————Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:https://elements.envato.com/

Some books don’t just sit on your shelf… they judge you.In today’s episode of Fantasy for the Ages, Jim and Zach confess the most intimidating fantasy, sci-fi, and horror books they still haven’t read — even though they really want to.We’re talking about the massive, the dense, the legendary, and the “I’ll get to it someday…” reads that every SFF fan knows all too well.From sprawling epics like The Wheel of Time to notoriously complex reads like The Malazan Book of the Fallen, and even all-time classics like Dune — these are the books that feel less like a casual read… and more like a full-on commitment.Along the way, we talk about:• Why some books feel so intimidating to start• Whether the hype actually makes it harder to dive in• Which ones we might finally read soon• And which ones might stay on the shelf just a little longer…If you’ve ever looked at a giant fantasy series or dense sci-fi classic and thought, “Yeah… not yet,” this episode is for you.⸻👍 If you enjoy fantasy, sci-fi, and horror content, be sure to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell!💬 QUESTION OF THE DAY:What’s the most intimidating SFF book YOU still haven’t read?⸻🔥 Support the channel on Patreon!Join the Tolkien, Abercrombie, and Brooks tiers for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes access!: patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges🔥 Join the Community💬 Join the conversation on Discord (invite below)📊 Participate in daily polls🎥 Be part of future livestreams and discussions#FantasyForTheAges #FantasyBooks #SciFiBooks #BookTube #EpicFantasy #Malazan #ReadingGoals #TBRWant to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?Anathem: https://t.ly/Iph54The Book of the New Sun: https://t.ly/klihiThe Darkness That Comes Before: https://t.ly/aDLrIEmpire of Silence: https://t.ly/31rjoHyperion: https://t.ly/UlIAMJonathan Strange and Mr Norell: https://t.ly/8MoJBMemories of Ice: https://t.ly/N45ptThe Stand: https://t.ly/UG_4mThe Wise Man’s Fear: https://t.ly/zKufnWays to connect with us:Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected] Email us: [email protected] Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheagesJim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4 Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n 0:00 - Opening1:23 - Episode Explanation2:30 - How This Works4:02 - Our Nine Intimidating Books18:53 - Which Will We Read First, & Which Likely Last (if ever)20:22 - Final Thought21:02 - Wrap-up & Conclusion————————————————————————————Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:https://elements.envato.com/

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Books So Intimidating We Can't Even Start Them?

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This episode is 21 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 31, 2026.

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Some books don’t just sit on your shelf… they judge you.In today’s episode of Fantasy for the Ages, Jim and Zach confess the most intimidating fantasy, sci-fi, and horror books they still haven’t read — even though they really want to.We’re talking...

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