can someone recommend a rapefree nonkids fantasy book series.

[gremcint]

I read stories with rape in them all the time, I love mistborn so far. I read dragonlance growing up. I've read all of wheel of time, Dresden files is my favourite book series. However I would like to read some stuff without rape. It's that simple.

[smileyeagle1021]

I mainly read sci-fi, but I can think of some sci-fi series that have fantasy themes to them that would be good.
The Timeweb trilogy (Brian Herbert) is really good, it's about the interconnected nature of life, the constant battle for supremacy between different life forms, and how even when threatened by an ancient evil that should be an obvious rallying point to unite all the different peoples in self defense, squabbles will continue.
The Hellhole trilogy (not yet completed, Brian Herbert) is another good one with fantasy themes, asking what it means to be human after the discovery of an ancient race that was nearly annihilated when they were close to ascending beyond physical form.
As has been mentioned, the Dune series is really good, be warned though, the series is 17 books and counting (at least three more are in the pipeline), and there is rape... in Dune: House Harkonen the Baron Harkonen rapes a Bene Gesserit reverend mother in revenge for her trying to seduce him as part of their breeding program. Also, in Heretics of Dune there is a mutual rape (you'd have to read it to understand) and in Chapterhouse Dune there is a rape of a character who is later established to have been 10 at the time (damn you retcon). But three instances in 17 books isn't exactly widespread, but giving that heads up. Actually, come to think of it, there is a fourth example, it isn't an actual rape, just a threat of it in Hunters of Dune.
And in the category of much harder sci-fi, yet still a slight fantasy feel, is the Seafort Saga (David Feintuch), spread out over 6 books, all the titles have something to do with hope. I don't remember all the titles or the order off the top of my head, but the first one is Midshipman's Hope. The basic premise is that we are following Nicholos Seafort from the beginning of his career in the UN Interstellar Navy at a time when interstellar travel is stupid dangerous (think colonial period dangerous). Seafort himself is such a compelling character that it is worth reading just for the emotional rollercoaster of following him. The best way to describe him is that he keeps failing his way up to the top and he seems to be the only one who knows it... he is promoted to captain solely on the qualification of being the highest ranking officer not killed in an accident, he survives a mutiny attempt only by breaking a covenant he made with God, he survives an alien attack only by attempting a suicide attack and failing, he becomes the hero of Earth's defense because what he intended to be a suicide mission for him ended up failing and his cadets, loyal to the last for reasons he can't understand, took his place, and on it goes. You can't help but get sucked into his story because he isn't a hero, he isn't a great man, he's someone just like you or me who has been forced into situations beyond his control.

[Andara Bledin]

I read stories with rape in them all the time, I love mistborn so far. I read dragonlance growing up. I've read all of wheel of time, Dresden files is my favourite book series. However I would like to read some stuff without rape. It's that simple.

If you want a world where people don't get raped, then you're going to be stuck mostly in the kid's section. Because if there's sex at all, there will, at some point, be rape. It might just be some historical footnote, but any story that's realistic and can be related to in any meaningful way is going to include sex by coercion in the world, somewhere, because not doing so is unrealistic to the point of being fairy tale.

Although, while I haven't read Stardust, I'm fairly certain it is both not for kids and rape-free. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[SongsOfDragons]

Challenge accepted.

Stardust - think you're right.

Redwall? I still enjoy it, especially the early books. Might be talking animals but the books seemed quite serious. Pulling no punches. And no sex at all.

The Wind On Fire - might be too kiddy sadly. It's been a while since I had my hands on the Wind Singer.

Second the Old Kingdom series. Abhorsen and such. Fantastic stuff with very different zombies. On that note anyone seen hide or hair of Clariel yet?

How's sci-fi for you? And medical drama? Wondering if I should try pimping Sector General...

*goes to bookcase* Robin Hobb, no... Watership Down? Flatland? Both quite strange. Long Earth/Long War? Pratchett and Baxter, interesting but might be too sci-fi. Ummm... Sylvian Hamilton's the Bone Pedler, set in 1209 with an ex-Crusader turned relic seller protagonist. Has two sequels, one I have cslled the Pendragon Banner. The Poison Master, that's just a oneshot. Airborn? Might be too kiddy and the female lead is annoying. >.<

Blargh! I will go through this house to find you something new

[Kheldarson]

Although, while I haven't read Stardust, I'm fairly certain it is both not for kids and rape-free. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Does have a couple (at least one) sex scene though. Which really surprised me since I went from watching the movie to reading the book (I actually prefer the book's ending. I think I'm getting tired of pure happy ends).

Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series. Violent as hell (literally!), reads like a B-movie in your hands, but I can't think of any rape scenes. Hints towards it and other sexual violence, maybe yeah, but what do you expect from a series that follows a guy who escapes from Hell to get revenge?

[Nekojin]

I'm pretty sure that most of Alan Dean Foster's books qualify - the Pip and Flinx series (considered YA fiction, though), the Spellsinger series (definitely not children's books - the protagonist is stoned at the start of the first book, and gets violently drunk at one point), and Quozl are all good reads.

[gremcint]

If you want a world where people don't get raped, then you're going to be stuck mostly in the kid's section. Because if there's sex at all, there will, at some point, be rape. It might just be some historical footnote, but any story that's realistic and can be related to in any meaningful way is going to include sex by coercion in the world, somewhere, because not doing so is unrealistic to the point of being fairy tale.

Although, while I haven't read Stardust, I'm fairly certain it is both not for kids and rape-free. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

so dragons ghosts and wizards are good but people not being raped is far too unrealistic?

That's the problem.

[Kheldarson]

so dragons ghosts and wizards are good but people not being raped is far too unrealistic?

That's the problem.

I think it's more that if you're going to have sex as an element in your setting, and if you have any figures that would use sex as a coercion point (abuse, rape, trade, etc.), then to not have them use it as such is unrealistic.

So I can write about the rampaging barbarian horde led by the evil wizard and be fine. It can be bloody and torturous. But if I've already established that sex is a thing in my world (not just understood, but I've actually shown sex in my writing), then it doesn't make sense for my wizard to not let any women (or men!) in the group get sexually molested.

It's more realism of rules than realism of setting.

[KabeRinnaul]

Also, what does "nonkids" actually mean?

It probably means we can't suggest Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, and I'm not allowed to recommend Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell.

But yeah, everything I can think of is either disqualified or already mentioned, mainly because Kheldarson and I share a book collection.

Although special mention to one disqualified work - The Warded Man by Peter Brett. One of the most frustrating examples I've read. It came out of nowhere, did little to advance the plot, and only really served to depress the victim and give her (male) protector something to angst over.

Said protector's subsequent angst scene also happened to be some of the weakest and most cliched writing in the entire book.

[Nekojin]

I'm getting the impression that there's some underlying motivation here that hasn't been fully expressed. Would you care to fill us in on the parts of the conversation we're not aware of, gremcint?

Back on topic - rape exists in "adult" fantasy because that's a facet of human personality. If you're not dealing with humans, you can easily avoid any mention of rape. But if you mention that the species is physically incapable of rape (I seem to remember a species in some sci-fan book that were like this), then you're talking about rape, which defeats the purpose...

People can accept dragons and wizards because of suspension of disbelief, and because the author is setting up a fantasy world. The writer needs to explicitly mention the existence of magic, dragons, etc. however. If you say that the world has humans, then people will inherently assume that they are like the humanity that we already know, warts and all, unless you explicitly set up ways in which they're different from the humans we know. Which, once again, comes to dealing with the 800-lb. gorilla in the room... by mentioning rape, even to dismiss it, you're talking about it. If you don't talk about it, people will naturally assume that we have the full gamut of normal humanity, from the best of the saints to the worst of the sinners, and everything in between.

[Gravekeeper]

Even if you avoid most the rape, there's still an odd tendency for fantasy authors to start writing in their own sexual fetishes. Robert Jordan and his orgies, Terry Goodkind and his insistence on building an entire story around leather clad lesbian dominatrix, Sarah Douglas and her inexplicable Harlequinn romance moments, Orson Scott Card and his obsession with stopping the balls from touching, etc.

You're likely say around the popcorn fantasy ( Eddings, Salvatore, etc ) but whether not or not that's deep enough for a satisfying read is a different matter.

[Nekojin]

Although special mention to one disqualified work - The Warded Man by Peter Brett. One of the most frustrating examples I've read. It came out of nowhere, did little to advance the plot, and only really served to depress the victim and give her (male) protector something to angst over.

That's a good example of fridging, as I mentioned before. The rape serves as an emotional focal point for people other than the victim.

[Nekojin]

You're likely say around the popcorn fantasy ( Eddings, Salvatore, etc ) but whether not or not that's deep enough for a satisfying read is a different matter.

I don't think you can evade it by invoking Salvatore... the Drow elves are an oppressive matriarchal theocracy, and I'm pretty sure that it's mentioned more than once that the priestesses force themselves on male victims.

[Kheldarson]

Sarah Douglas and her inexplicable Harlequinn romance moments,

...I like her Harlequin romance moments....

Trying to think what else...Michael Moorcock comes to mind, but that's book and Champion dependent...Thomas Sniegoski's Remy Chandler books fits. I can't think of any sex scenes at all in those books.

[Andara Bledin]

so dragons ghosts and wizards are good but people not being raped is far too unrealistic?

It's as Kheldarson said.

It's a base inconsistency. Either the Big Bad is evil and will do whatever he likes, including raping people if it gets him closer to his goals (or even just strikes his fancy), or you have to ignore the idea that sex even happens.

You can do the latter, but it works better in books aimed at kids and young adults than in books and series aimed at mature adults.