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Malazan seems like the kind of book you'd enjoy if you were a masochist tosser. I forced myself to read the first book, and I didn't really enjoy it. I have far better things to do with my time, and if I'm not enjoying something, why should I bother continuing?
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Nov 4, 2016 08:12
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Odette posted:Malazan seems like the kind of book you'd enjoy if you were a masochist tosser. For a second I thought this was the Patrick Rothfuss thread and my head nearly exploded...
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Nov 4, 2016 17:01
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We leak out sometimes.
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Nov 4, 2016 18:02
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I agree with everything Leng said. Malazan has all these extremely offputting things that aren't made reasonable or revealed as an intentionally weird part of the world until long after you'd stop reading the books because they annoyed the poo poo out of you. For instance: the stupid rear end names that all the characters have that sound like they're from some 12 year old kid's D&D campaign. There's a reason for this, but it's not explained until book 4 (I think?) which is after a lot of the initial characters that had these stupid names aren't even a major part of the story anymore. Another annoyance for me was getting used to the weird show/tell dynamic that is used for some of the characters. Other characters won't shut up about how awesome these characters are, but you never really see them do anything amazing. You're "shown" how cool they are by the attitudes of others, but it can come across as lazy "telling" to set up Mary Sues for awhile. Eventually it becomes clear that these characters were, in fact, not amazing at all, but they end up playing major roles, and, in some cases, ascend to become godlike figures, because of the perception of other people. I got part way through book 2 on my first attempt at the series, to book 6 on my second attempt, and I finally made it to the end around the time the last book came out. I'm ultimately glad I made the effort as it's great story that really shines on a re-read, but it's pretty awful the first time through.
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Nov 4, 2016 18:20
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To me Malazan is a better version of Game of Thrones. Its brutal but I liked it.
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Nov 4, 2016 21:40
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Hughlander posted:For a second I thought this was the Patrick Rothfuss thread and my head nearly exploded... Rothfuss can gently caress off too.
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Nov 4, 2016 22:06
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Odette posted:Rothfuss can gently caress off too. He's like a younger, worse-in-every-way, version of GRRM.
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Nov 5, 2016 03:58
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Malazan can be very HARD. And I know it is hard. Tried the first book 4 times already. Never got past it. But I can clearly see the beauty and epicness and Valor in it. As someone up there said, it is a book to work your brain, and someday I'll work out, but not today. Rothfuss though... He can just gently caress off. Like... Just stop writing please.... Thank you.
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Nov 5, 2016 05:35
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NeruVolpi posted:Rothfuss though... He can just gently caress off. he already has 
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Nov 5, 2016 06:06
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aparmenideanmonad posted:I agree with everything Leng said. Thank you, thank you, thank you! People kept recommending Malazan to me, and the way they'd explain it kept making it seem it'd be right up my ally, as I love complicated magic systems, political intrigue, sweeping epic stories, and whatnot... but I only like these things after I've become invested in them by being introduced through a sympathetic viewpoint character who can teach me about the world. I tried reading it, and found it impenetrable, and you've convinced me that the impenetrability won't change, so I'll keep away. The "Culture" series seems to be similar?
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Nov 5, 2016 08:56
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For the Culture series start with Player of Games and then if you like that one read Use of Weapons. Stay away from Feersum Endjinn as it's only a Culture novel in passing.
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Nov 5, 2016 09:39
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Iunnrais posted:I tried reading it, and found it impenetrable, and you've convinced me that the impenetrability won't change, so I'll keep away. The "Culture" series seems to be similar? Iain M Banks Culture series is really sort of a genre defining series for space opera sci-fi. But its told as a series of vignettes into the lives of people who either live in or interact with the Culture and the stories are only vaguely linked by time/setting/characters, and each explores different themes in a futuristic society. The later books were some of my favorites both because of my build up of appreciation for the series and Banks continual improvement as a writer. Seconding Player of Games/Use of Weapons as the best place to start.
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Nov 5, 2016 16:49
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Man it's really sad to me that there's people that don't like the Malazan books. I can understand how they can be a little hard to get through and even I felt like they'd be getting too philosophical but then Fiddler or Hedge or Karsa would show up and I'd be right back in it. The entire series is so tragic and sad but amazing at the same time. They're some of my favorite books of all time and I just want more stories about the Bridgeburners.
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Nov 6, 2016 07:07
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Malazan: the Dark Souls of fantasy books!
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Nov 6, 2016 17:21
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Malazan is definitely very good but also the first book is probably one of the worst starts in fantasy series. Also its more closer to something like Glen Cook than Brandon Sanderson.
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Nov 6, 2016 21:01
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NeruVolpi posted:Malazan: the Dark Souls of fantasy books! That would be Shadow of the Torturer.
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Nov 7, 2016 08:13
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BananaNutkins posted:That would be Shadow of the Torturer. I'm physically incapable of not seconding this whenever I see it. Go read this god drat series right now. WARNING: You will like Brandon Sanderson less after you do. Not because Sanderson is bad, but because your ceiling for what good fantasy/scifi is will go up so much.
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Nov 9, 2016 18:44
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Benson Cunningham posted:I'm physically incapable of not seconding this whenever I see it. Go read this god drat series right now. I tried reading it years ago, it was just too opaque and incomprehensible. I've never been able to put that much effort into trying to pick apart the meaning of even the most mundane tasks in a book.
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Nov 10, 2016 00:21
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The Culture books are good and 100% accessible and readable. Personal recommended reading order: 1. The Player of Games for a general grounding in what the Culture is like and it's a good opener. 2. Use of Weapons because it's pretty awesome but it helps to know what the Culture is like beforehand. 3. Consider Phlebas because, although it's kind of hit-or-miss... 4. It gives a good context to Look to Windward which is also really great. And then just read whichever ones look interesting. Excession if you want a book that focuses heavily on ships and minds, Inversions if you want to know what it looks like to be a contacted civilisation, etc. Actually, while Inversions itself isn't great, it would be pretty handy to give to someone in fantasy to break them into it. Give them Inversions, see them kinda shrug it off, then hand them Player of Games for the 
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Nov 10, 2016 05:17
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bewilderment posted:The Culture books are good and 100% accessible and readable. Player of Games and Use of Weapons are so good. Excession is wonderful as well. Consider Phlebas is this weird book where I could not stand parts of it but overall I really enjoyed the book and its general theme.
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Nov 10, 2016 14:33
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Tor has a few things about the upcoming short story/novella collection: Art preview and interview with the illustrator Table of contents a description of the Drominad system
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Nov 12, 2016 12:10
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The first three chapters of Edgedancer can be read here. I think they already released the first chapter somewhere, but the other two were new to me.
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Nov 22, 2016 12:33
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Going to start reading right now! Fake edit: I had such high hopes and the first sentence is: Edgedancer posted:Lift prepared to be awesome.  Lift annoyed me a lot when I first met her. I hope I change my mind when I finish - if not the preview chapters, then at least the novella...On the other hand, the progress bar on Sanderson's website now reads 93% for Stormlight 3!
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Nov 22, 2016 12:52
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Weren't it for that whooping progress on stormlight I'd be losing faith in Brandon. All he has been doing are YAs, and I already exposed my opinion on those (very bad). But oh gosh, Lift must be cringe incarnate. She reads so much like a fan fiction, her character is so OC(do not steal)....
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Nov 22, 2016 14:32
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I don't believe that she's really a YA character. Don't let the "time to be awesome" thing deceive you. This exchange is pretty important I think:quote:"Is this about what happened to you?” Wyndle asked. “I don’t know a lot about humans, but I believe it was natural, disconcerting though it might appear. You aren’t wounded.”
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Nov 22, 2016 14:42
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Wasn't the spoilered stuff an old theory almost proven? Lift's tone is the same as steelheart and other YAs from Brandon. Hammy, cringey and awkward. I can believe she is deep and stuff. But I can't stand the way her story is exposed.... As said before, reads like fan fiction, trying to impress instead of bringing immersion.
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Nov 22, 2016 16:58
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Never got around to reading Emperor's Soul so I might have to pick up the Arcanum Unbound. Edgedancer seems interesting from those teasers but Stormlight 3 being listed as 93% finished is the best news. It's supposed to come out first half of next year isn't it?
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Nov 22, 2016 19:19
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Evil Fluffy posted:Never got around to reading Emperor's Soul so I might have to pick up the Arcanum Unbound. Edgedancer seems interesting from those teasers but Stormlight 3 being listed as 93% finished is the best news. It's supposed to come out first half of next year isn't it? First draft be done complete as of end of the month, out sometime in November next year. Dunno when the next book after that will be out, but at least he's pre-written all the Szeth sections for it while doing this one.
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Nov 22, 2016 19:23
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Yeah, he has to revise and edit the book. Words of Radiance took eight months between him finishing the first draft and release date. So next August or September. However, since revising takes a different brain muscle than writing, he'll probably write at least one if not more shorter novels during that period. Probably the third Wax & Wayne book. Also, Emperor's Soul is literally the best thing he's written.
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Nov 22, 2016 19:35
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Read Emperor's Soul Lift is insufferable. Maybe his YA is well received by young adults, but it certainly isn't worth picking up if you're older than 15. If you think Ayn Rand is a genius, you're still at the right maturity to enjoy Sanderson YA.
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Nov 22, 2016 20:01
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Lift is a delight, and her different voice was such a welcome change of pace after so many chapters of the Kakadin self pity train that I can only assume her detractors are joyless sticks-in-the-mud from the era when "awesome" was the latest slang The drat Kids Today were annoying them with. Other reasons to pick up AU: lots of new Cosmere tidbits, Khriss interludes, etc.
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Nov 22, 2016 21:20
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Benson Cunningham posted:Read Emperor's Soul I just got my copy of Arcanum Unbounded (inside rear cover is ripped, and dust jacket is creased  Amazon ) and read The Emperor's Soul.This. So much this. I am just blown away by how much I enjoyed it. Short and well loving written. I am just in love with the concept and execution.
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Nov 23, 2016 08:58
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Jorenko posted:Lift is a delight, and her different voice was such a welcome change of pace after so many chapters of the Kakadin self pity train that I can only assume her detractors are joyless sticks-in-the-mud from the era when "awesome" was the latest slang The drat Kids Today were annoying them with. NeruVolpi posted:Lift's tone...reads like fan fiction, trying to impress instead of bringing immersion. You might point to Spook's street slang as something similar, but that felt more organic to the story and it was expressed solely as dialogue, even when we were in Spook's head. It was like we had suddenly shifted narrative styles as well as character viewpoints. I felt like a chapter of The Reckoners somehow landed in the middle of my Stormlight Archive - it was that incongruous.
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Nov 23, 2016 10:11
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I don't understand you people. Even Nightblood likes Lift.
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Nov 23, 2016 16:19
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Leng posted:I felt like a chapter of The Reckoners somehow landed in the middle of my Stormlight Archive - it was that incongruous. Oh... The Reckoners... They remind me how much YA needs to grow and mature. Hunger games felt better, even Red Rising felt better than that. I see your statement as having a roadside diner roast amidst my Thanksgiving dinner. It feels gross... Maybe it is the way Brandon can always plan and study his stories before creating them. YA is very mass directed, needs to appeal to a broader audience, rely on tropes and be sorta "mindless". So when he builds the narration it seems like processed McDonald's. When you think before building something that is niche directed (epic) you end up creating a particular feel, instead of going for what everyone is doing.
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Nov 23, 2016 19:32
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I think the issue with YA is that it's only written at two levels these days- ages 7-10 (Goosebumps) or ages 11-13 (Sanderson, Red Rising, Hunger Games). If you're 14+, you either need to have the vocabulary to understand fiction aimed at adults (while generally lacking the emotional wherewithal to process it) or read below your level, further hampering your ability to develop said emotional processing capacity. The more difficult option, struggling to understand what you're reading and working harder when easier books are available, is not really encouraged outside of good parents or elite schooling. End baby rant.
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Nov 23, 2016 20:06
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When I was at those ages, I just read actual books and liked them.
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Nov 23, 2016 20:30
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PerrineClostermann posted:When I was at those ages, I just read actual books and liked them. Well as cool that it is that you could apparently read The Hobbit or Hyperion at age 7, I couldn't, and I don't think that most people, even able to read the words, could understand the complete meaning behind them.
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Nov 23, 2016 21:29
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PerrineClostermann posted:When I was at those ages, I just read actual books and liked them. When I was those ages I played video games and didn't care about books that I was not forced to read for school...
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Nov 23, 2016 22:12
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PerrineClostermann posted:When I was at those ages, I just read actual books and liked them. LOL, if weren't already writing novels for adults at that age. (stdh.txt thread is here)
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Nov 23, 2016 22:16
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