Science/Fantasy Fiction - was part of "R J has passed away"

Bludd said:
I don't agree at all about Terry. He is the worst Tolkien rip-off I have ever read.
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You obviously have never read the one book/series I'm thinking about.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name or the author, but apparently it was originally written in the Tolkien universe, but the family refused to allow it to be published, so it got scrubbed and released in a very similar, but renamed universe.

It was something like "Path to Underdark", or "Road to Underhill", but Amazon doesn't find anything like that. Its been years since I read it, but it had all the bad characteristics of a bad tolkein rip-off, including songs.
 
I have a warm place in my heart for hating on David Eddings. "The Redemption of Althalus" is probably the worst novel I've ever read, and I was already sick of his self-plagiarizing in terms of story and characters when I read it years ago.
 
epicstruggle said:
Ok, finished the 2nd of the farseer book. I must say that it did pick up towards the end. The first few chapters of the 3rd book, does actually improve my views on the 2nd one too. Trying to explain why fitz acted so stupidly through most of the 2nd book.
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Fitz is one of my favorite protagonists in that he's so easy to sympathize with. He doesn't become an asshole like some others coughRandcough, he's a real person thrust into an unreal and very demanding situation that forced him to grow into something he never thought he could be.

epicstruggle said:
Anyways, let me recommend Terry brooks. His shannara series are actually quite good.
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The Elfstone series was good, the rest was just drivel IMHO.

Bludd said:
I don't agree at all about Terry. He is the worst Tolkien rip-off I have ever read.
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I wouldn't go quite that far...

John Reynolds said:
The Elfstones is decent, but, yea, the rest is garbage.
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Exactly.

John Reynolds said:
Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy is worth a read
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I never finished the "trilogy" partly because the last volume was split into two ginormous books :p I think I got partway through the 3rd book and moved onto something else, though the first two books were good. Perhaps I'll have to go back and finish the series some day.
 
RussSchultz said:
You obviously have never read the one book/series I'm thinking about.

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name or the author, but apparently it was originally written in the Tolkien universe, but the family refused to allow it to be published, so it got scrubbed and released in a very similar, but renamed universe.

It was something like "Path to Underdark", or "Road to Underhill", but Amazon doesn't find anything like that. Its been years since I read it, but it had all the bad characteristics of a bad tolkein rip-off, including songs.
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Sounds even worse. I hate The Sword of Shannara. I read it and hated it and I can't recommend it to anyone.
 
I won't go anywhere near that if it is worse than Sword of Shannara. :D
 
Im not sure why all the hate for the Shannara series, but it does take an interesting route later in series. :)

Moving on from brooks. Anyone read the Death Gate Cycle series?
 
ShaidarHaran said:
I never finished the "trilogy" partly because the last volume was split into two ginormous books :p I think I got partway through the 3rd book and moved onto something else, though the first two books were good. Perhaps I'll have to go back and finish the series some day.
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You should have bought the hardback version (of the third installment) which was one complete volume.
 
I like strong, unpredictable stories where the protagonist doesn't automatically wind up facing stiff competition from an underdog position while saving the day and reaping all the rewards. I like stories in which most characters turn out to be interesting filler characters to explain all the background and story, and the initial protagonist doesn't last and is gradually replaced by someone else (like, the initial bad guy), but they are almost nonexistant.

Edit: the difference would be between the hero telling his story afterwards, and an in-depth newspaper approach to that story, with most parts consisting of the players telling their piece as it happens.
 
Frank said:
I like strong, unpredictable stories where the protagonist doesn't automatically wind up facing stiff competition from an underdog position while saving the day and reaping all the rewards. I like stories in which most characters turn out to be interesting filler characters to explain all the background and story, and the initial protagonist doesn't last and is gradually replaced by someone else (like, the initial bad guy), but they are almost nonexistant.

Edit: the difference would be between the hero telling his story afterwards, and an in-depth newspaper approach to that story, with most parts consisting of the players telling their piece as it happens.
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It is about 1000 times easier to write a story like you described. It is way easier to use different characters to tell the story then try to convey the story through fewer characters.
 
ShaidarHaran said:
I don't like hardbacks. Too expensive, too tall, and too heavy.
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With "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" I started off with the normal paperback for vol 1, bought the large paperback for the second, and the hardback for the third. I was too impatient to wait.

Besides, sometimes it is nice to have a hardback especially when signed by the author. :)
 
Simon F said:
With "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" I started off with the normal paperback for vol 1, bought the large paperback for the second, and the hardback for the third. I was too impatient to wait.

Besides, sometimes it is nice to have a hardback especially when signed by the author. :)
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I only like hardbacks really. They have different form factors though. I like the narrow smaller hardbacks instead of the big ones you usually see. I think they may be for other markets. When I bought crossroads of twilight, or winters heart whichever was first (and the last I bought) I got it on amazon through a third party and it was one of those smaller ones they are thinner than the paper back though taller and do not fall apart.

If I buy a book I want it to last, if I don't care then I use the library.
 
I tend to avoid hardbacks for two reasons:

1) They're more expensive than paperbacks!
2) They're heavier and unwieldy when I'm laying in the bath having a read. :)
 
To read, I like paperbacks.

To have and own, I like hard covers.

So I am contemplating rebuying the good SF paperbacks I have in hard cover versions when I have the means.
 
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is excellent, if a bit stereotypical. I like the Nordic influence. The first book takes awhile to get into though.

Fantasy is a little dull of late, just b/c it always falls into the same schtick. I like Martin the most recently, simply b/c the theme is more politics and intrigue related rather than 'uber' magical or mighty character driven who spoil the suspension of disbelief.

Its kinda nice how any character can die at a moments notice, even though that can hurt the flow of things and is hard to pull off effectively.
 
Martin's series has amazing structure in the first 3 books. He's really a fantastic writer whose character dialogue is probably the best in the genre.
 
The first three books of Ice and Fire have a relentless pace and is filled with action. It slows down in the fourth book but it seems kinda logical since it is after the war.

I agree with you, John Reynolds, about the character dialogue, though I wonder if he intentionally makes us dislike Sansa.
 
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