OT-Black Company

[lch]

Hi, all this talk about the fantasy books got me interested and I found some images which would make nice Dom3 maps. Maybe one of the fans of the "A Song of Ice And Fire" series wants to make a Dom3 map out of Westeros with those images?

See http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...?Number=621022

[HoneyBadger]

I haven't read TRIH. Cowboy Feng was the first experience I had with Brust, and although it's probably not everybody's cup of tea, the extraordinary, even awesome, thing about Cowboy Feng is that every chapter in the book is written in a different writing style-and there are a lot of chapters. It's like reading an anthology of 16 different short stories by 16 different authors, except that they're all the *same* author, and they all continue the *same* story. That's special, especially to me because, as a writer, I like to play with different styles and mimic other authors.

By the way, speaking of modern writers, this is what I'm reading now:

http://www.johndiesattheend.com/

I'm only on the first few chapters so far, but it's really, really good! not to mention free, and easily accessible online.

[sum1lost]

Hey, honeybadger, as a writer, what do you think of the community at Pagesunbound?

if you aren't familiar with the site, it has a bunch of aspiring writers who are attempting to circumvent publishers by self-publishing online.

[HoneyBadger]

Well, I love self-publishing. I'll check the site out, thanks

[Leif_-]

sum1lost said:
if you aren't familiar with the site, it has a bunch of aspiring writers who are attempting to circumvent publishers by self-publishing online.

Commenting as a reader, I'm not interested in reading anything that have "circumvented the publishers." I don't want to have to sort through the slush pile myself.

[JimMorrison]

Leif_- said:

Commenting as a reader, I'm not interested in reading anything that have "circumvented the publishers." I don't want to have to sort through the slush pile myself.

You make the assumption that the publishers' interests and your interests coincide, and that therefor they tend to make the best choices for you.

Since you are here, I would assume that you are not a slave to the Best Sellers' list, so I actually find this comment a bit odd. Well that comment, not this one, I don't find this one odd at all. >.> Okay, the last comment, yes that was odd, but the one before it wasn't, neither is this one.

Shhhh.

[Leif_-]

JimMorrison said:
You make the assumption that the publishers' interests and your interests coincide, and that therefor they tend to make the best choices for you.

Not at all; but experience has shown that publisheres overall make good choices for me, and I'm willing to pay them for that work. Plus, what I've seen of self published writing tends to suggest that practically all of it is overwritten, underedited, badly clicheed tripe.

Besides, the interests of an author's are no more convergent with my own than are those a publisher's, so why should I believe that self-publishing authors would in any way benefit me as a reader?

[Makinus]

I started reading the first book in the Dragonlance series (Dragons of Autumn Twilight) and i´m finding a very interesting book...

While the characters are very typical RPG (the book was based in a series of RPG sessions after all) they are very well portrayed, being well developed even when stereoptical (spelling?)...

The honor-bound paladin, the gruff warrior dwarf, the powerful lawful evil/physicaly weak wizard, the care-free kender thief, the charismatic half-elven ranger, the strong warrior, the barbarian warrior and barbarian warrior/cleric (i think), while easily identifiable are given a good characterization, with motives of being in the group, origins, personality traits and quirks, bringing normally two-dimensional characters to life...

ím a third throught the book and, so far, enjoying the ride...

[JimMorrison]

Leif_- said:
...practically all of it is overwritten, underedited, badly clicheed tripe...

I see you prefer your cliche'd tripe underwritten and overedited.

Well, Badger beat me to it. It's true for any art form, really. Financial success is not in any way an accurate barometer of skill, talent, or expression. Is there a lot of bad self-published writing out there? Well of course there is! Bad art is everywhere you look. Just because the store has a bestseller list that will allow you to read the same few books as everyone else, which are mostly the same as the books you read before them, but with different authors - doesn't mean that the self-publishing houses won't have a competitive product.


And Reno, I am not sure what you actually hoped to accomplish with that post.

[Saxon]

May I suggest The Sundering by Jacqueline Carey? The first book is Banewreaker. It is fabulous and is essentially the Lord of the Rings, told from the other side. Sure, the story is different, but the heart of it is there.

Why do the bad guys do it? What drove them to it? The books look at the characters of the “evil” characters and makes “the good guys” play a minor role and a somewhat evil one at that. If the Knight in Shining Armor has a sword and kills people, is he really that good?

I found this on George RR Martin’s website and must credit him for pointing out the LOR symmetry. He lists what he has been reading recently. Dan Simmons does the same on his site. Looking at what top authors are reading, with their comments, is often a much better guide at where to find quality reading than listening to random jokers like me in a forum.