The Other Fantasy Genre Book thread

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June 16th, 2006, 09:32 PM
celacia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy

The latest Penny Arcade comic reminded me how good the Jhereg books are. Gonna go see if he wrote any more of those (stay the F away from that other series written in the same world though).

Actually, the other series (The Phoenix Guards, etc) is good too, but you have to like Dumas. We have a copy The Three Musketeers (with an introduction by Brust) next to those on the bookshelf because of the glaring similarities. Sehra loves them, but I love the Vlad books much more.
June 17th, 2006, 02:17 AM
DmitrytheWizzy

Quote:

Originally Posted by celacia

Actually, the other series (The Phoenix Guards, etc) is good too, but you have to like Dumas. We have a copy The Three Musketeers (with an introduction by Brust) next to those on the bookshelf because of the glaring similarities. Sehra loves them, but I love the Vlad books much more.

That convention is a 300 year old joke. It's painful to read those books. PAINFUL.
June 17th, 2006, 04:35 AM
Torcer Arcana

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azamien

Only if you're a masochist.

Sword of Truth really is quite awful. Forgotten Realms, Sword of Truth, this is like the thread of asstacular fantasy books.
June 17th, 2006, 05:27 AM
Lars

Well, sure. If you don't like something it must be crap. :rolleyes:
June 17th, 2006, 05:31 AM
DmitrytheWizzy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lars

Well, sure. If you don't like something it must be crap. :rolleyes:

Sword of Truth series is not horrific. It's a little over indulgent of sado masochism, but if you like that stuff or even can tolerate it, the books are not so incredibly bad.

Forgotten Realms is unutterable toilet paper. Not even good toilet paper. Forgotten realms is public bathroom toilet paper. The kind of toilet paper that scratches your asscrack.
June 17th, 2006, 05:40 AM
Lars

Depends on why you would read those books. I read them (and many other) to sink into another world which is not like ours yet similar in many ways. Happily, I don't know much about what's supposed to be "good" writing and I like to read whatever manages to capture my attention.

But those are my reasons, and even if you (not just Torcer and Dmitry) have your own reasons for liking or disliking something, it doesn't automatically make it crap.
June 17th, 2006, 06:13 AM
PPatty

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak

Just read the first Amber series. Merlin shouldn't have been let out of the nursery.

Never understood the hate of the Merlin books. In tone and writing style, they're the same as the Corwin stuff -- the only difference is that Merlin throws around magic bolts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lars Ullrich

Well, sure. If you don't like something it must be crap.

How else to define crap in literature? Yes, if I don't like something, that means I think it is bad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torcer

Sword of Truth really is quite awful. Forgotten Realms, Sword of Truth, this is like the thread of asstacular fantasy books.

Not the ones I named!
June 17th, 2006, 06:15 AM
camrael

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torcer Arcana

Sword of Truth really is quite awful. Forgotten Realms, Sword of Truth, this is like the thread of asstacular fantasy books.

All we need is the Gor series to truly make it awful
June 17th, 2006, 06:22 AM
DmitrytheWizzy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lars

Depends on why you would read those books. I read them (and many other) to sink into another world which is not like ours yet similar in many ways. Happily, I don't know much about what's supposed to be "good" writing and I like to read whatever manages to capture my attention.

But those are my reasons, and even if you (not just Torcer and Dmitry) have your own reasons for liking or disliking something, it doesn't automatically make it crap.

It's crap. Unutterable distinct smelly poo poo crap. If you want to sink into a world, there are MUCH better books to do it with. It is not automatically crap. It is crap when you read simplistic predictable plots with pasteboard characters acting in repetetive predictable ways over rambling wrecks of plots with trite ill grammarred writing. You of course are welcome to read that crap and enjoy that crap and love that crap. I have my own secret crap pleasure of LE MOdesitt. It is crap - no doubt, but I still like it.
June 17th, 2006, 06:35 AM
HaftVishniak

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPatty

Never understood the hate of the Merlin books. In tone and writing style, they're the same as the Corwin stuff -- the only difference is that Merlin throws around magic bolts.

I think what annoyed me most about them is that Zelazny implausibly let the dumber, brasher ones -- Merlin, Ghostwheel -- win, without ever showing me why that should be.

Now, Corwin, you know exactly why he came out on top.

(He was ranked first in Stamina.)
June 17th, 2006, 06:40 AM
PPatty

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak

I think what annoyed me most about them is that Zelazny implausibly let the dumber, brasher ones -- Merlin, Ghostwheel -- win, without ever showing me why that should be.

It always seemed evident to me: Raw unadulterated power stemming from his twin bloodlines. As the only one in all of existence who could tap both ends of reality, he had access to more resources and energy than anyone else.
June 17th, 2006, 07:27 AM
Lars

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPatty

How else to define crap in literature? Yes, if I don't like something, that means I think it is bad.

Please don't compare me with Lars Ulrich, sir.

And at least admit it's your opinion that states the books mentioned are bad or crap. Just as I admit it's my opinion I don't find them bad or crap.

One person's shit is another person's gold, after all.
June 17th, 2006, 08:03 AM
Brahma Atman

Read the Prince of Nothing series: http://www.princeofnothing.com/

Epic fantasy with great world-building. I just finished the third book. :)
June 17th, 2006, 08:06 AM
PPatty

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lars

And at least admit it's your opinion that states the books mentioned are bad or crap.

Nah, if I say it, it's absolute truth.
June 17th, 2006, 09:41 AM
Telegareth

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitry the Wizzy

The latest Penny Arcade comic reminded me how good the Jhereg books are. Gonna go see if he wrote any more of those (stay the F away from that other series written in the same world though).

His last book was Issola, IIRC and he's got a new one due out in August or September this year, Dzur.

The other series in the same world is very good, but the style is more Dumas than anything you'll find in some trash fantasy like Eddings.

At least pick up "The Phoenix Guards", if you like that, then the other ones are there at your leisure.

edit: I need to read through the thread before i respond to Dmitry.

I"ll second The Black Company books, at least the early ones. I think there are a lot of Song of Ice and Fire geeks here that this doesn't need mentioning.
June 17th, 2006, 10:01 AM
DmitrytheWizzy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telegareth

I think there are a lot of Song of Ice and Fire geeks here that this doesn't need mentioning.

Mattias moved there I think.
June 17th, 2006, 10:44 AM
Torcer Arcana

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lars

Well, sure. If you don't like something it must be crap. :rolleyes:

I recognize greatness in things I don't like. Some Operas, Classical Music, Picasso, Poetry, etc. The Drizzit novels are CRAP on every objective criterion you could possibly judge something - the plots are thin, the dialogue is juvenile, the characters are unrealized, the action is poorly paced, etc., etc., etc...
June 17th, 2006, 02:56 PM
HaftVishniak

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPatty

It always seemed evident to me: Raw unadulterated power stemming from his twin bloodlines. As the only one in all of existence who could tap both ends of reality, he had access to more resources and energy than anyone else.

"He's the best!" ... lame, lame, lame.

All of the Amberites are descended from Chaos; that Dworkin or Oberon lied to his children is several orders of magnitude more genre than implausibly making Merlin more special than the overconfident Powers dweeb that he is.
June 17th, 2006, 05:03 PM
Senzei

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haft Vishniak

I think what annoyed me most about them is that Zelazny implausibly let the dumber, brasher ones -- Merlin, Ghostwheel -- win, without ever showing me why that should be.

Now, Corwin, you know exactly why he came out on top.

The only thing I didn't really like about the Merlin cycle of Amber books was the development of the pattern and logrus as sentient beings. Something about that just made the world a little less interesting to me. I haven't read them in a while, though.

And I think you're remembering Corwin with some rose-colored glasses. His victories were almost entirely due to luck.
June 17th, 2006, 08:24 PM
Berkel

I enjoyed the Lon Tobyn trilogy written by David Coe. I'd rate it as good....of course ymmv.

Berk

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