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Malazan: Book of the Fallen chat: If there was a way to digitally remove Onos T'oolan aka Tool and everyone that associated with Tool from the main Malazan stories after It's been over a year, how has Steven Erikson's Rejoice: A Knife to the Heart aged in the minds of people who posted about it in the old SF&F megathread?
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Sep 16, 2020 19:32
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quantumfoam posted:It's been over a year, how has Steven Erikson's Rejoice: A Knife to the Heart aged in the minds of people who posted about it in the old SF&F megathread? I can't speak to it's aging, as I didn't like it much when it came out. His criticism (satire?) is sloppy and smug and insanely blunt in a way that I found super cringy, even I if didn't disagree with his conclusions. He definitely needed to get something off his chest, but it should been a blog rant or a letter he threw into the sea. This relates a bit to the hobbling, I think. Erickson is often just not that good at exploring the complicated or brutal issues he cares about with any nuance or tact. Hobbling was a historical thing he wanted to examine, but like, why Stephen? Why do it here? It's shocking and brutal and disgusting and completely unnecessary to the plot. Just post a blog link to the scholarly article you read on the brutality of ancient cultures and skip trying to explore and examine it when you're gonna do such a sloppy job.
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Sep 16, 2020 21:43
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I think there is probably an interesting story to be written about how intensely and stupendously violent and abominable human cultures can become, and since one of Erikson's interests is in the meaning of civilization and of culture, I can see why he wanted to write about an extremity of human behavior. (I've been reading a book about the Mongol queens and it's not light on the atrocities, including the use of mass rape as a weapon and massive organized hunts for babies to murder. Genghis Khan himself was a weird sort of proto-feminist in his rhetoric about the role of women in Mongol society, yet he's also one of the most notorious rapists in history, which is to say the least not very feminist.) I don't want to read about it up close, though. I expect Erikson probably regrets executing it the way he did.
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Sep 16, 2020 21:55
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It seems to me there is a qualitative difference between reading about something that factually happened to educate yourself about history, and reading about something in a work of fiction. I wouldn't say 'the Malazan books should not contain that stuff' - clearly he can write whatever he likes, it's fine. But I wouldn't read those books now, knowing that's in there and executed so casually. I mean, dogs die a lot and are mistreated horribly in real life but I wouldn't read a detailed account of animal torture in a fictional work either because it would upset me. That 'avoid history books then' take is loving horrible.
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Sep 16, 2020 22:23
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The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087X6Z1GS/ Cold Iron (Master & Mages #1) by Miles Cameron - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079L5669Y/
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Sep 16, 2020 22:26
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I'm reading Kage Baker's The Company series of time travel books/stories and I'm liking it. But every time she writes about the future it's like listening to someone complain about cancel culture, political correctness, and sjws.
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Sep 16, 2020 22:45
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fez_machine posted:I'm reading Kage Baker's The Company series of time travel books/stories and I'm liking it. How so?
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Sep 16, 2020 22:49
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Edit: nvm
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Sep 16, 2020 23:03
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Shardy posted:I picked up Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and Virtual Light when they were just on sale. Just finished CZ. I got a kick out of Gibson basically describing Instagram filters incidentally. Looking forward to the other two. Note that Virtual Light begins a whole new trilogy (the Bridge Trilogy) that doesn't follow on from the Sprawl novels. What I'm saying is you should probably go ahead and get Idoru and All Tomorrow's Parties.
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Sep 17, 2020 00:48
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StrixNebulosa posted:How so? Basically, the way time travel works in The Company Books is that they can time travel but it's more efficient to turn people into immortal cyborgs to live through the past and take things into the future. The cyborgs and people who live in the present/past are normal, for varying degrees of normal. People from the future are consistently presented as being contemptible for having an absolute aversion to violence, including being vegetarian. I could handle them being indolent, illiterate, spoiled and consumerist. But for example Baker has an entire story, "The Literary Agent", revolving around how Robert Louis Stevenson wouldn't be able to write his adventure stories any more because everything would be objectionable. Some of it is a critique of capitalism but other times it's look at these soyboys who whine about everything, can't handle the real world, and ruin everyone's fun. Note she died in 2010 and finished the series in 2009 before the discourse got where it is today. fez_machine fucked around with this message at 01:43 on Sep 17, 2020 |
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Sep 17, 2020 01:29
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PeterWeller posted:Note that Virtual Light begins a whole new trilogy (the Bridge Trilogy) that doesn't follow on from the Sprawl novels. What I'm saying is you should probably go ahead and get Idoru and All Tomorrow's Parties.  Although I did just buy The Lathe of Heaven (thanks thread!), and it turns out Agency is $1.99 at the moment, so now I have to reread The Peripheral...
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Sep 17, 2020 04:25
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Looking for a recommendation for a novel or series. These are the qualities I'm looking for. -somewhat serious / gritty without going overboard (ASOIAF-like, also liked Lies of Locke Lamora) -low magic fantasy setting (think Conan or Abercrombie) -intrigue a plus, but more concerned with interesting characters and themes I've read GRRM, Abercrombie, Howard, Tolkien, Scott Lynch, Robert Jordan, and liked those well enough. Wasn't a fan of Malazan because when god mages are that prevalent I just lose interest because the plight of regular people just isn't that important in the grand scheme. I guess I'm just looking for something comparable to ASOIAF but with an author who still writes. Thanks!
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Sep 17, 2020 05:16
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Buy my book!!!!!
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Sep 17, 2020 05:27
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^^^ Buy his book.Midgetskydiver posted:Looking for a recommendation for a novel or series. These are the qualities I'm looking for.
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Sep 17, 2020 05:41
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Midgetskydiver posted:Looking for a recommendation for a novel or series. These are the qualities I'm looking for. KJ Parker comes to mind. Possibly Fortress in the Eye of Time as while it has magic it spends a lot more time dealing with the sheer hassle of being a feudal king and goddamnit vassals LISTEN to me
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Sep 17, 2020 05:52
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I'll order both, thanks! I'll also take more recommendations too haha
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Sep 17, 2020 05:53
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Not extremely grim, but the Kings of the Wyld is a pretty great set of books. Only 2 so far but I'm hoping it's the start of a long series. It's got magic, and magic stuff, but it's not really weird AoE spells like massive lightning or anything, more like potions and whatnot. The magic weapons are pretty nice though. Ice hammers, enchanted swords, etc. They were both on sale a few days/a week or so ago, might still be. On the not grim at all side, but still pretty good and unique is Jon Hollins Dragon Lord trilogy. Basically a guy ends up being fed up with dragons constantly increasing the taxes he's gotta pay on his farm, accidentally ends up attacking some soldiers, and now has a plan to free his people from the dragon overlord, even though he's probably gonna die in the process. There's 3 books in that one too. All are pretty great, albeit the last one is a little weird. Stupid_Sexy_Flander fucked around with this message at 06:19 on Sep 17, 2020 |
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Sep 17, 2020 06:11
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Midgetskydiver posted:Looking for a recommendation for a novel or series. These are the qualities I'm looking for. General Battuta is right, buy his book. He's made my very short "pre-order anything by this author" list. I'll also throw in Glen Cook. Between Black Company, Dread Empire (strong Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser vibes), and the Instrumentalities of the Night you've got 20+ books without getting into standalones (you'll like Tower of Fear), anthologies, science fiction, fantasy noir detective fiction, and the definitely NOT low magic Darkwar (the world is low magic, but the POV character is the sort of world-wrecking sorceress that is usually a series Big Bad. Oh, and it's actually science fiction). Those three series check off all your boxes except for "Still writes". mllaneza fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Sep 17, 2020 |
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Sep 17, 2020 06:13
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Midgetskydiver posted:I'll order both, thanks! PS General Batutta's book is the Baru Cormorant series and you should buy it
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Sep 17, 2020 06:13
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fez_machine posted:I'm reading Kage Baker's The Company series of time travel books/stories and I'm liking it. This series goes off the rails hard. I described how hard it goes off the rails in the book barn discord, here are the highlights -everything revolving around california -the main character looking exactly like kage baker -everything taking place around where Kage Baker grew up in California -the trio of different yet identical love interests scattered across time -the love interests literally being the christian holy trinity by 2nd to last book -the william randolph hearst fixation: william randolph hearst in Kage Baker's The Company books is a throwback Neanderthal or cro magnon that got cyborgized in the womb by one of the company time-traveller agents on direct orders from the highest lvl of Company management. because of that William Randolph Hearst is a low-rent immortal whose body is maintained by the Company...because double spoilerWilliam Randolph Hearst was the one who actually founded the Company and he was the one who funded the time traveller research and cyborgization tech to keep himself alive. Technically the Company exists to recover lost treasures of the world and profit from predicted stock market crashes, but it really exists so that William Randolph has a sick-as-gently caress art collection in his castle to gloat over while running 60% of the worlds news media companies directly in his spare time between naps and so on.....the other 40% of the worlds news media companies in The Company universe are run by William Randolph Hearst's pet poodle quantumfoam fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Sep 17, 2020 |
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Sep 17, 2020 07:04
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Midgetskydiver posted:Looking for a recommendation for a novel or series. These are the qualities I'm looking for. Bujold's Five Gods books and novellas.
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Sep 17, 2020 07:18
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StrixNebulosa posted:PS General Batutta's book is the Baru Cormorant series and you should buy it And then you should tell all your friends to buy it.
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Sep 17, 2020 07:28
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Thranguy posted:Bujold's Five Gods books and novellas. Everyone who is sad that she isn't writing any more Vorkosigan books (probably) is just a loser who hasn't gotten into the new(er) hotness that is the Five Gods setting. Team Penric/Desdemona represent.
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Sep 17, 2020 09:24
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mllaneza posted:Everyone who is sad that she isn't writing any more Vorkosigan books (probably) is just a loser who hasn't gotten into the new(er) hotness that is the Five Gods setting. Team Penric/Desdemona represent. I still want a book about Byerly living on Jackson's Whole with Ivan's in-laws.
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Sep 17, 2020 10:07
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General Battuta posted:Buy my book!!!!! Buy Baru indeed. I've been saving them for work days where I just have to sit on my rear end all day doing nothing, but those are only like once a week and so I'm just tempted to read the books no matter the time as I've enjoyed them that much. I've been writing my own book, and Baru reading time is going to cut into that!
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Sep 17, 2020 11:02
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his book? buy it!
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Sep 17, 2020 12:00
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In counter to what everyone else is saying: do not buy General Battuta's book. Buy his books.
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Sep 17, 2020 12:08
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do not encourage your friends to buy them for themselves buy them for your friends, and encourage your friends to buy them for their other friends
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Sep 17, 2020 12:15
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Heard from a friend that Terry Goodkind passed away, but am seeing nothing so far, other than a Wikipedia edit. Terry Goodkind "Terry Goodkind (January 11, 1948 – September 17, 2020)[1] was an American writer."
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Sep 18, 2020 00:17
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Laterite posted:Heard from a friend that Terry Goodkind passed away, but am seeing nothing so far, other than a Wikipedia edit.  From his official FB page.
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Sep 18, 2020 00:29
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Rip, but also I have to mention that for some reason, I do not loving know why, I thought Terry Goodkind was a kindly old woman and not someone who looked like a warlock?! I don't know, the covers and the name of the series gave me the kindly old woman vibe (needless to say I've never interacted with any of his work).
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Sep 18, 2020 00:34
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Black Griffon posted:Rip, but also I have to mention that for some reason, I do not loving know why, I thought Terry Goodkind was a kindly old woman and not someone who looked like a warlock?! I don't know, the covers and the name of the series gave me the kindly old woman vibe (needless to say I've never interacted with any of his work). Terry Goodkind could have been a good author except that he drank the Ayn Rand juice and went full batshit with it in his epic fantasy series
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Sep 18, 2020 00:35
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A link to the Goodkind announcement brought me back to this thread which I had ignored for a while because it was too much Harrow-chat and I hadn't had a chance to read it yet. Well now I'm about 70% of the way through Harrow the Ninth and it's rocking my socks off. Completely different from the first book and I like it even more. That's all, join me for my next update in six months when I catch up on Baru.
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Sep 18, 2020 00:51
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I've been reading The Three Body Problem and I can't tell if Liu Cixin's prose is this dull or if he just got screwed by his translator, but man is it a slog to read. The ideas are cool, and I want to know what happens, but the actual process of reading the sentences is just dire.
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Sep 18, 2020 01:22
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Saw Lois McMaster Bujold's Five gods series mentioned a couple posts back. I've been wanting to read them for awhile, so I'm gonna dive in. Should I start reading in published order or chronological order?
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Sep 18, 2020 01:26
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StrixNebulosa posted:Terry Goodkind could have been a good author except that he drank the Ayn Rand juice and went full batshit with it in his epic fantasy series Oh no. That is how it goes for, really, a whole bunch of authors.
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Sep 18, 2020 01:28
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wizzardstaff posted:That's all, join me for my next update in six months when I catch up on Baru. [spiler]Baru kills Dumbledore.[/spoiler]
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Sep 18, 2020 01:35
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Patrick Spens posted:I've been reading The Three Body Problem and I can't tell if Liu Cixin's prose is this dull or if he just got screwed by his translator, but man is it a slog to read. The ideas are cool, and I want to know what happens, but the actual process of reading the sentences is just dire. Mostly the former, imo. Ken Liu is a writer in his own right, and his books don't read as flavorless as a lot of 3BP did, in my experience. I liked the book in spite of the prose, but there were big sections that I ended up skimming because nothing that interesting was happening, and it was bland beyond belief to read about it.
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Sep 18, 2020 01:46
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Apparently, Terry Goodkind passed.
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Sep 18, 2020 02:14
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Hissing, hackles lifting, the chicken’s head rose. Kahlan pulled back. Its claws digging into stiff dead flesh, the chicken slowly turned to face her. It cocked its head, making its comb flop, its wattles sway. “Shoo,” Kahlan heard herself whisper. There wasn’t enough light, and besides, the side of its beak was covered with gore, so she couldn’t tell if it had the dark spot, But she didn’t need to see it. “Dear spirits, help me,” she prayed under her breath. The bird let out a slow chicken cackle. It sounded like a chicken, but in her heart she knew it wasn’t. In that instant, she completely understood the concept of a chicken that was not a chicken. This looked like a chicken, like most of the Mud People’s chickens. But this was no chicken. This was evil manifest.
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Sep 18, 2020 02:23
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