|
angel opportunity posted:Does anyone know the legality of doing "fan translations" of books? P. sure it's not legal.
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 17:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 15:42 |
|
|
 IANAL As copyright infringement you probably won't go to jail for it. If there isn't an official translated version being made I doubt anyone would even bother asking you to take it down from whereever you post it. In this case I would guess it is being translated though. IANAL
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 17:27
|
|
|
It is definitely being translated already. I was thinking of doing a few chapters of book two for practice and putting them here somewhere, but I don't want to risk either legal action or a black mark on my thus-far non-existent WRITING CAREER
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 17:33
|
|
|
I think because there are already professionals working on it toward an announced release date it's not kosher to do a fan translation. I would love to see more fan translations of serious Chinese SF/F though, most of the translation work being done is either classic Wuxia or super pulpy web novels.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 19:12
|
|
|
Book two is due out in July anyway, so not long of a wait.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 19:14
|
|
|
I know there is a lit fic magazine run by my school that publishes translations, but I never understood how that works with copyright. Like I can grab anything I find that isn't already translated and just translate it, then publish my translation? It seems like you would need explicit permission from the author to even approach something like that. I guess I will start googling. edit: Okay, here's the answer quote:2) Documentation: find the year of the author's death; in most countries, the author's rights enter the public domain 50 to 70 years after an author's death. Once this condition is ascertained, you may make the translation for publishing, except where the published work has a printed copyright note that prohibits this action. If the author is dead, but insufficient time has passed after his or her death for the work to enter the public domain, you cannot use the text for publishing in another language except with the approval of the author's legal successors. If the author is still alive, you can contact him or her and propose the translation and publishing as a coauthor. Such an agreement is valid only if the English rights are not the subject to ceding the rights stated in a contract running between the author and another publisher. It sounds like I may, in theory, be able to find Chinese scifi/fantasy short fiction that no one would otherwise notice, translate it, and publish it as long as I contact the author and get approval. angel opportunity fucked around with this message at 19:30 on Mar 17, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 19:28
|
|
|
The Gunslinger posted:I am getting iffy on The Dark Defiles by Richard K Morgan. The first two books were pretty impressive and I could barely put them down but this one is just strange. The pacing is all over the place and its getting very distracting. This is the end of the trilogy I assume but it's filled with what feels like first book background and setup. Morgan did a lot of tell, don't show with many background aspects of the first books but seems to be reversing himself now. The story started out very non-traditional and tended to avoid most of the usual fantasy tropes and plot devices, now it feels like its heading for predictable territory which is disappointing. I don't know, I am getting frustrated with this and its a shame because I thought the first two books were excellent. Oh well less than 200 pages to go. I just finished it last night, and I totally agree. The ending was wholly unsatisfying, and the last arc of Archeth's was completely unnecessary. It's a shame because Gil is definitely one of the most interesting and enjoyable fantasy protagonists that I've read in quite a while. Has anyone read other books by Morgan? Are they worth picking up?
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 19:33
|
|
|
Aggro posted:Has anyone read other books by Morgan? Are they worth picking up? The Takeshi Kovacz books are good. I dropped every other book of his I tried to read a few chapters in.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 20:03
|
|
|
darnon posted:About 2/3rds of the way through the language in Son of the Morning seems to get modern colloquial in its tone to the point it really stands out from the first half. The plot and mythology also started to kind of wander all over. The ending in particular just shudders to a sloppy halt with a bunch of loose ends that feels like a haphazard setup for a sequel. Don't get me wrong, the premise is fantastic and engrosses you but it seems like author really didn't think it through to actually develop a full plot for a novel even though he had 800 pages to work with. I just finished this and my feelings are pretty similar. The premise is great, but the story and the characters don't stick the landing. It feels like the author was going for this sprawling historical epic when the premise might have been better served by something simple and elegant and you always want strong characters. The Osbert chapters in particular felt unnecessary. In fact, Junkenstein posted:Just finished and enjoyed Son of the Morning, but was I the only one who found it contained a lot of jarring tonal shifts? It would be all serious fantasy alternative history one minute and then an Osbert POV chapter would come along that felt like it had been subcontracted out to Terry Pratchett. This nails it. It's like the book wasn't edited at all. You could probably take out 200 pages, focus on Dow and Montagu and a fully fleshed out Joan of Navarre, and you'd have a solid foundation. I can definitely see parts of an amazing book in there, one noteworthy one was the chapter where God tempts Dow. It was Biblical like Satan tempting Christ, but with Alder's twist on it. I dunno, maybe the sequel will turn out better.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 21:14
|
|
|
angel opportunity posted:Does anyone know the legality of doing "fan translations" of books? Derivative work. Do it without the permission of the rightsholder, and you're violating copyright. Unless the book's in the public domain, then your translation is an original creation and you thereby have a copyright on it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 21:19
|
|
|
Back in the 90s, there was a small press that published Huanzhulouzhu's "Blades from the Willows" which is the first volume in a long fantasy/wuxia series, then whoops-a-doodle turns out they didn't bother getting the rights and : no more volumes.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 21:38
|
|
|
Conversely, in the old copyright regime, Ace published the first American edition of LotR without authorization from Tolkien because, legally speaking, they could.
|
|
#
?
Mar 17, 2015 21:38
|
|
|
andrew smash posted:I don't think anything by Niven has aged well. Basically if you are capable of any nuance beyond that of the average 14 year old boy niven's stuff will have lost its charm. The Known Space stuff is still pretty good from what I remember, if only in a "let's see what weird stuff there is in the universe" sense (like the mind controlling plant things).
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 00:00
|
|
|
Aggro posted:I just finished it last night, and I totally agree. The ending was wholly unsatisfying, and the last arc of Archeth's was completely unnecessary. It's a shame because Gil is definitely one of the most interesting and enjoyable fantasy protagonists that I've read in quite a while. I'll second the recommendation for the Takeshi Kovacs books, which are all excellent. I was sorely disappointed by The Dark Defiles, and at least part of that was based on feeling let down by the guy who had written such an excellent trilogy in the Kovacs series.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 00:44
|
|
|
McCoy Pauley posted:I'll second the recommendation for the Takeshi Kovacs books, which are all excellent. I was sorely disappointed by The Dark Defiles, and at least part of that was based on feeling let down by the guy who had written such an excellent trilogy in the Kovacs series. Thirded. Also, if you like car battle porn with a side of corporate piracy, "Market Forces", a standalone, is a must-read.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 01:07
|
|
|
The thing about copyright violations is the copyright holder has to notice and care. Worst case something catches on, becomes popular, and you get asked to stop hosting it because now the holder of the copyright has something they think will sell.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 02:54
|
|
|
Nevvy Z posted:The thing about copyright violations is the copyright holder has to notice and care. Worst case something catches on, becomes popular, and you get asked to stop hosting it because now the holder of the copyright has something they think will sell. This is what happened to the Haruhi Suzumiya novels and short stories. A fan website had all of them translated by various folks, the same people translating the anime and comics, and they got a take down notice when Little, Brown got the license and started putting them out as physical books. No one got sued or anything, because the hosts just removed the translations from their page and that was that.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 04:50
|
|
|
Finished off the third the Dagger & the Coin book, series remains enjoyable although I'm not a fan of Clara (or the Killiams in general). Looking forward to finishing off the series and then checking out the third Powder Mage book which has been out a month or two now. Also checked out two indie books for free on Amazon, thought I'd leave some brief thoughts: Forgotten Soldiers: Standard fantasy setting, basic premise is after the end of a long and brutal war a group of soldiers returning home finds they aren't all that welcome by society. Interesting concept but the execution isn't that great; the war was ten years long and hundreds of thousands died but nearly every town they visit they are hated by everyone- no one had any relatives that served or served themselves? If you're looking to scratch that Black Company mil-fantasy itch this probably won't do it to be honest. The writing is serviceable and the characters grew on me so I'd likely read the sequel in order to throw the cash the author's way. Empire of the Worm:Vaguely sandals and sorcery pulp-y setting, which was a little different from the norm. The protagonist is the young ruler of a large civilization that has seen a long period of prosperity and peace. He has to make a tough choice and unleashes what may be the apocalypse. Humanity has the choice of serving one of two elder gods; the protagonist decides thats no choice at all and wants freedom for humanity. Dark without getting stupidly ~grimdark~, draws heavily from Lovecraft influences while also going its own way, pretty interesting take on religion. Writing is basic, which isn't bad, but would like to see some more detail and fleshing out of characters and places without trying to get flowery. Again, I will buy the sequel in order to support the author. They're both cheap for kindle, or you can rent them, so I would encourage people to check them out- Emperor of the Worm is a little more interesting than Forgotten Soldiers if you can only choose one.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 06:00
|
|
|
I found an early review for Poseidon's Wake by Alastair Reynolds (final part of the trilogy that started with Blue Remembered Earth and On The Steel Breeze) and it sounds promising! Contains spoilers for the end of On The Steel Breeze.review posted:Alastair Reynolds is known as an author with big ideas. From human modification, to techno-plagues, mega-crises to mega-structures, his writing has always contained big ideas. To get it out of the way, this book is no exception. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1211238722 I like the trilogy so far, mostly. It's had some great setpieces and ideas (such as the Evolvarium on Mars, the Kilimanjaro cannon, and the city under the ocean on Earth); but they're nowhere near as polished as his earlier books, and the ending of Steel Breeze was pretty dull considering all the build-up that had happened prior to it. Anyway I've got high hopes for this book. It's out at the end of next month! (Huge year for Reynolds fans, considering we also get the novella Slow Bullets in June, and a "Best Of" short story collection by Subterranean Press before the end of the year) Hedrigall fucked around with this message at 06:20 on Mar 18, 2015 |
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 06:16
|
|
|
computer parts posted:The Known Space stuff is still pretty good from what I remember, if only in a "let's see what weird stuff there is in the universe" sense (like the mind controlling plant things). Protector was rad. Inferno was pretty good too.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 06:31
|
|
|
ringworld is not stable
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 07:13
|
|
|
andrew smash posted:I don't think anything by Niven has aged well. Basically if you are capable of any nuance beyond that of the average 14 year old boy niven's stuff will have lost its charm. Yeeeah, I read a bunch of Niven when I was a teenager and... I guess I'd still recommend a lot of his stuff to teenagers.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 09:54
|
|
|
Aggro posted:I just finished it last night, and I totally agree. The ending was wholly unsatisfying, and the last arc of Archeth's was completely unnecessary. It's a shame because Gil is definitely one of the most interesting and enjoyable fantasy protagonists that I've read in quite a while. The ending was unsatisfying because it was not an ending; it ended like book 3 of 4 instead of 3 of 3. Some people say that it's intentional because Morgan set out to turn the 'traditional fantasy' tropes on their head, but if that's the case, well... I don't think 'traditional fantasy books wrap up their plot' was a particular good trope to flip. It took me a long while to forgive him for The Dark Defiles, but I am glad I did; the Takeshi Kovacs books were really good.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 11:17
|
|
|
Khizan posted:The ending was unsatisfying because it was not an ending; it ended like book 3 of 4 instead of 3 of 3. Some people say that it's intentional because Morgan set out to turn the 'traditional fantasy' tropes on their head, but if that's the case, well... I don't think 'traditional fantasy books wrap up their plot' was a particular good trope to flip. Completely agreed.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 12:03
|
|
|
corn in the bible posted:ringworld is not stable Earth rotates the wrong way. I remember being impressed with how the plot of Ringworld came together, but that's about all I've got to say for Niven.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 15:27
|
|
|
Khizan posted:The ending was unsatisfying because it was not an ending; it ended like book 3 of 4 instead of 3 of 3. Some people say that it's intentional because Morgan set out to turn the 'traditional fantasy' tropes on their head, but if that's the case, well... I don't think 'traditional fantasy books wrap up their plot' was a particular good trope to flip. I finished The Dark Defiles last night and I'm pretty unhappy, mostly because there was so much promise in the earlier books. I would love to know some background on how he chose that ending but oh well. I guess I will look into the Kovacs books sometime but I think I need a break from his stuff for awhile, that third book really bummed me out.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 18:23
|
|
|
The Gunslinger posted:I guess I will look into the Kovacs books sometime but I think I need a break from his stuff for awhile, that third book really bummed me out. Don't put it off for too long, because they're really darn good.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 18:26
|
|
|
I finished up The Steel Remains or whatever was the first book in that series is, over the weekend. Loved the ending, but man this dude writes some hardcore gay sex. Any chance that's toned down a bit in the second book?
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 19:57
|
|
|
Found out about this : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1434376384/the-dis-trilogy-a-series-of-humorous-epic-fantasy I loved the first book, Dis Enchanted, so signing up for the others to be made is a no brainer. Wasn't sure if anyone else had read it, but if you did, congrats you now know there's a sequel (or two) in the works!
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 21:23
|
|
|
Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:I finished up The Steel Remains or whatever was the first book in that series is, over the weekend. Loved the ending, but man this dude writes some hardcore gay sex. Haha nope, if anything it gets more detailed. That's where you just turn on your magazine style reading and gloss over the page. I think the third book only had one segment in it so there is that I guess.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 21:52
|
|
|
Hey, no glossing over allowed! You have to read it attentively with your hand on your cock at all times, or find another book 
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 22:00
|
|
|
Is there anything worthwhile in the latest humble bundle? Usually they have good books in there however I don't recognize anything but the comics.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 22:20
|
|
|
Q: What's good in recent (last 2-3 years), non-grimdark fantasy? I'm nearly finished The Goblin Emperor, and it was a delight!
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 22:49
|
|
|
City of Stairs. Blood Song. The Thousand Names.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 22:54
|
|
|
Hedrigall posted:Q: What's good in recent (last 2-3 years), non-grimdark fantasy? I'm nearly finished The Goblin Emperor, and it was a delight! Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy is recent and not grim-dark. I'm not sure it's as recent, but Daniel Abraham's The Dagger and the Coin series isn't grimdark. If anything, it's about monetary policy, which I can't think of any other fantasy series I've read like that. I mean this entirely as a recommendation. Mark Alder's "Son of the Morning" is a sweet fantasy take on the 100 years' war, and been discussed recently, I'd say that qualifies. Sebastien De Castell's "The Traitor's Blade" I think Miles Cameron's "The Red Knight" and "The Fell Sword" probably qualify also.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 23:39
|
|
|
Hedrigall posted:Q: What's good in recent (last 2-3 years), non-grimdark fantasy? I'm nearly finished The Goblin Emperor, and it was a delight! The Max Gladstone books "Three Parts Dead" and its sequels. It's fantasy magic is based on lawyering and business contracts and they are awesome.
|
|
#
?
Mar 18, 2015 23:58
|
|
|
Hedrigall posted:Q: What's good in recent (last 2-3 years), non-grimdark fantasy? I'm nearly finished The Goblin Emperor, and it was a delight! Are you defining grimdark as like Prince of Thorns or like "people die, sometimes messily" and stuff. Because all the stuff recommended here, I wouldn't call grimdark but I wouldn't call it on par with Goblin Emperor.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2015 00:31
|
|
|
The Goblin Emperor is a pretty interesting book. Everyone in the story is coming out of a really lovely hurtful time, personally or politically, and rather than a conventional plot structure it's just about them giving each other permission to chill out a little, show some affection, trust in the possibility of friendship and compassion, and calm down. Maia's role as protagonist is just to hold his poo poo together, demonstrate to everyone that he's an ok guy, get over his traumas, and dispatch some reliable underlings to take care of important business. I couldn't even keep track of the various peripheral scheming nobles and possible wives because of the fantasy names, but it didn't matter, since Maia is introverted and mostly pays attention to his staff and bodyguards while trying to treat everyone decently. The whole book is like a really long relieved sigh.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2015 00:37
|
|
|
Hedrigall posted:Q: What's good in recent (last 2-3 years), non-grimdark fantasy? I'm nearly finished The Goblin Emperor, and it was a delight! IIRC, you're like the biggest China Mieville fan, right? You should check out Peter Higgins's The Wolfhound Century.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2015 01:28
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 15:42 |
|
|
General Battuta posted:The Goblin Emperor is a pretty interesting book. Everyone in the story is coming out of a really lovely hurtful time, personally or politically, and rather than a conventional plot structure it's just about them giving each other permission to chill out a little, show some affection, trust in the possibility of friendship and compassion, and calm down. Maia's role as protagonist is just to hold his poo poo together, demonstrate to everyone that he's an ok guy, get over his traumas, and dispatch some reliable underlings to take care of important business. I couldn't even keep track of the various peripheral scheming nobles and possible wives because of the fantasy names, but it didn't matter, since Maia is introverted and mostly pays attention to his staff and bodyguards while trying to treat everyone decently. I'm about 2/3rds through this but that seems like a pretty accurate summary and I'm still enjoying it very much--I guess it's a tribute to the strength of the writer to carry the perceptions of the complicated court without overwhelming the reader. Maia as the outsider protagonist helps with that a lot of course, since he asks the questions the reader has. His flaw, if any, is not being very 'flawed' in the way his father was--his greatest problem is ignorance, which he very patiently tries to address. Still, it's a fun read, and I'm glad that there's court intrigue without everyone being completely murderous all the time and some people really just being kind of okay. I almost didn't want Chavar to be involved in the attempted coup, in order to allow someone with radically different views to exist without acting out of malice. However, the Setheris element had to come to a head somehow.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2015 04:45
|
|
