Eragon came first in Book One, then Eldest was Book Two, and hopefully sooner than later will come Book Three of Inheritance. For those who like fantasy, these books are fantastic. A young writer, Chris Paolini, takes us on a creative epic through the times of the Riders and dragons. You journey through dwarve caves and the land of the fairies, gaining strength and power, and making allies to fight at your side, all the while forming a strong bond with your dragon, mentally and physically. Similar in ways to The Lord of the Rings, with magic and a massive war, but much more diverse and entertaining.

Anyone know any really good fantasy series?

I've not been a big reader of fantasy, except for the granddaddies. I look at all the books being put out, and the sheer number makes me doubt whether they're worth reading. It's probably the snob in me that thinks this.

I've heard from a friend that other writers have surpassed Tolkien in their creativity; I wonder if you can offer some thoughts why you think Paolini does so. Who knows? I may just be convinced to read him.

Anyway, I'll offer some titles I thought superb, though only a few can be called a series.

I love C.S. Lewis' series called "The Space Trilogy": Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. Of the three, the second is probably my favorite. There is also a fourth story, though only a fragment, related to The Space Trilogy, called in the collection it appears in "The Dark Tower" (in The Dark Tower and Other Stories). It was originally the sequel to the first book in the series, but later abandoned; it's about time travel more than space. That same volume also has what would probably have been Lewis' best work of fiction, if he had survived to finish it, After Ten Years.

Not far behind is Lewis' Narnia series.

If you like Tolkien enough, you should read his myth-cycle called The Silmarillion, which will clarify many things about The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings that may otherwise be obscure. Some of his unrelated fiction is good too: Farmer Giles of Ham, for instance.

One of my friends got me interested in Lord Dunsany. I've read the two (excellent) books that are easily accessible: The King of Elfland's Daughter, and The Charwoman's Shadow. I also enjoyed his short story "Chu-bu and Sheemish", which appears in the fantasy anthology Tales Before Tolkien; which also has a lot of other good tales. If I can find any other books of his, I'll read them and tell you about them.

Also fantasy, but in a different genre, is the comic book series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. It's a rare treat, where the more you know--if you're the sort, for example, who likes to read the encyclopedia for fun and anything else that comes to hand--the better it is. And, like all good works, it bears multiple readings. The series spawned many spinoff stories, some by Gaiman himself, others by friends and admirers. It's a crapshoot: some are on a level with the originals, others garbage. The best one by Gaiman is called The Dream Hunters. The best one from another's pen is called The Furies.

Sensus, non aetas, inuenit sapientem.
--Publilius Syrus

Have you tried, Jonathan Stroud's - Bartimaeus Trilogy, amongst the modern fantasy stories? It is partially children's fantasy, but thorougly engaging.

I am reading book 1 ( The Amulet of Samarkand)at the moment... and I can swear by it. I especially liked the way he's given footnotes all over the book, and given explaination for all things, situations and spells magical. You are sure to love it. Try http://www.bartimaeustrilogy.com/

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That’s usually how they start, the young ones. Meaningless waffle. He knew, and I knew that he knew, my name already; otherwise how could he have summoned me in the first place? You need the right words, the right actions, and most of all the right name. I mean, it’s not like hailing a cab—you don’t get just anybody when you call.
-- from The Amulet of Samarkand

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much love, light and laughter,
ananya.

*~Come play with my children feel the peace and Scatter some joy.~*
~*Blowing out someone else's candle doesn't make your's burn any brighter.*~
We can't all be stars, but we can all twinkle.

The Death Gate Cycle. It's wonderful, my second favorite fantasy series next to LOTR.

You can read about it here:
The Death Gate Cycle

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Dum spiro spero

I thought the binding of the blade series was good thare are 4 books and the last one has not been published yet

Hmmm...I don't know if I can call the Inheritance Trilogy a better fantasy work than Lord of the Rings (it certainly isn't more diverse), but it is pretty entertaining, albeit simple. Paolini clearly calls on Tolkien for inspiration throughout. He has done quite well to become published at such a young age.

You might enjoy Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. There are numerous books, if you end up liking them, and the first three are certainly worth reading. I also remember T.A. Barron's series The Lost Years of Merlin from when I was younger (these are probably on a similar literary level as Paolini, if not a bit younger in audience). The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley was also pretty good.