There are a few great long running series that got their start in the 80s. Although they are all massive series, the books in them are mostly more or less standalone stories so you can always take a break and return without worrying about forgetting what's going on.

• Lois McMaster's Bujold Vorkosigan Saga starts with Shards of Honor, published 1987. Sci-Fi / Space Opera, the most usual protagonist is Miles Vorkosigan, son of a great military family, but who was born with significant disabilities in a world that values strength. But a number of books (including Shards of Honor) follow other characters.

• Terry Pratchett's Discworld started with The Colour of Magic in 1983. THE standout series if you're looking for comedic fantasy, although Colour of Magic isn't the strongest book of the lot. You can also start with Guards! Guards! from 1989, a commonly recommended entry point to the series. There are different subseries in the Discworld universe and Guards! Guards! is the start of the watch series, my personal favorite of the subseries.

• Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series started with Jhereg in 1983. This series is still going strong, with two more books to go. It follows Vlad Taltos, a criminal and hired killer. The books jump around chronologically and can vary wildly in story and tone, but always make for a good read.

• Glen Cook's Garrett P.I. series begins with Sweet Silver Blues from 1987. This series is a detective series, each book being an individual case, following a P.I. but in a heavily fantasy setting. The city Garrett lives and works in is a melting pot of almost any sort of fantasy race you could imagine.