> I imagine I'm not getting the "full experience" by doing this, but even when reading big series like Malazan or the Wheel of Time I don't find I'm suddenly encountering things for the first time: the salient details seem to stick in my head.
Don’t blame you with Wheel of Time, heck Jordan recycles descriptions word for word.
Not parent, but for Gene Wolfe I’d recommend starting with the “Book of the New Sun” series, especially if you’re into classic fantasy. It’s really something.
The thing with Wolfe though is you really gotta keep your eyes open to get much out of it. He plays a lot of games with point of view, subtext, and unreliable narrators. If you aren’t paying attention the actual story can sail right past you. Even then, there are things you’ll only pick up on the second or third time through.
After that, my favorites are The Fifth Head of Cerberus and The Sorcerer’s House. New Sun is imo definitely the place to start though, it’s the closest to traditional fantasy.
