-
Welcome
to BookAndReader! We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!
Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.
Final Vote for Sci-fi/Fantasy July Book Discussion
- Thread starter rune
- Start date
Will it help my chances if I offer to do a forum Q&A once you've read the book? (Though, I'll admit--DIAMOND THRONE is a pretty good book. My personal favorite Eddings novel.)
My website has sample chapters, if you want to preview before you decide.
Brandon Sanderson
(No, I didn't vote for myself. I'm a little biased.
)
My website has sample chapters, if you want to preview before you decide.
Brandon Sanderson
(No, I didn't vote for myself. I'm a little biased.
)Now that's neat 
. Always nice to see an established author interacting with the fans....
Over on Kelley Armstrong's site, they have an established monthly bookclub and they always try to get the author to attend in order to answer questions and receive feedback. Seems to have worked in the past from both sides.
Even if David Eddings pips you this month, I think a lot of us would enjoy the opportunity to schedule your book into our August reading so that we can discuss it.
. Always nice to see an established author interacting with the fans....Over on Kelley Armstrong's site, they have an established monthly bookclub and they always try to get the author to attend in order to answer questions and receive feedback. Seems to have worked in the past from both sides.
Even if David Eddings pips you this month, I think a lot of us would enjoy the opportunity to schedule your book into our August reading so that we can discuss it.
Ainulindale
New Member
I voted Elantris, that and Delaney are the only 2 on the list that interest me. Eddings is among my least favorite authors ever, and I have read the Stroud book which is worth forgetting.
I think you're a little too hard on Eddings, Jay.
Yes, there are some things to complain about in his writing. I think most people would agree that he tends to use one-dimensional characters, and that his plots are repetitive. And yet, he introduced a lot of us to fantasy (I remember how much I loved his books when I was much younger.) He wrote snappy dialogue, fun characters, and was very clever at times.
One of the things I like about fantasy is the variety. There is room for deep character pieces like GAME OF THRONES. But, I think there's also room for some fun adventures like DIAMOND THRONE.
Yes, there are some things to complain about in his writing. I think most people would agree that he tends to use one-dimensional characters, and that his plots are repetitive. And yet, he introduced a lot of us to fantasy (I remember how much I loved his books when I was much younger.) He wrote snappy dialogue, fun characters, and was very clever at times.
One of the things I like about fantasy is the variety. There is room for deep character pieces like GAME OF THRONES. But, I think there's also room for some fun adventures like DIAMOND THRONE.
Ainulindale
New Member
Which is my entire argument, and one that I think justifys not liking an author's work. If not, what else?
I don't take away anything from the impact some authors, many of which whose quality is questionable IMHO, have had on the industry-side of the genre. It can be argued that without the tired stories of authors like Eddings, and Terry Brooks, the genre would not be anywhere near as profitable or as large as it is now, and at the very least say it would have taken longer to get to this point.
There is no question, these authors helped establish the financial base for many publishers to carry the works and authors I do like. For instance, China Mieville (the prodigal son of speculative fiction), was published by Del Rey. It can be argued that Del-Rey's current Fantasy Empire is almost 100% attributed to the chance they took on Brooks (thus fantasy) in the late 70's.
My dog is clever at times - and probably more frequently then can be witnessed in Eddings output over the last 10 years.
My problem with the "variety arguement" is that it comes to mean varierty in quality in regards to fantasy for some reason, when it should imply variety in regard to thematic, and stylisitc qualitites.
I have no aversion to light reading, I don't think every good novel is a complex one. Steven Erikson's work I don't find complex or deep at all but is a damn good series; I don't think Robert E. Howard's work was intended to be a character study either but it's excellent work.
What is shocking to me about these "adventure stories" coming out is that nobody seems to be able to write a good one. David Gemmell is given tremendous praise and all he does is write what is essentially the same story over and over - sure I will admit the story is a decent one - but only the first time. That said none of these authors rival the authors who were writing the same types of work years ago like Leiber, the aformentioned Howard, Karl Edward Wagner etc.
Light reading has a place and there are many excellent examples Phillip Pullman for instance, I think Garth Nix does an admirable job, - the classic Richard Adams stories, Lewis Carroll etc.
I give authors like Eddings their respect, they opened doors, no doubt. Unfortunately unlike some older authors like Michael Moorcock, or a M. John Harrison, they have failed to stay relevant in regards to what I like, which is the only justification I need to state I don't like their work and the only criteria that matters to me.
I certainly agree with your statement regarding "room in the genre for Eddings", and just about anything else, however making room for something, and putting it at the high table are two different things entirely.
Well, after all these nice things I have said about Eddings, my site has an autographed copy of his new book we are giving away so if any are interested let me know!
Fair enough. You're absolutely justified in not liking an author--and, you didn't say he was terrible, you only said that you personally didn't like him.
I would just like to make two points. First, you're right on the ten years comment. I haven't read much that I've really liked by Eddings in about that much time. Perhaps my tastes have changed, but personally, I think that he has lost a bit of his touch.
Second, my comment about cleverness and fun vs. depth of character was to point out that I think a writer can do some things with excellence, yet be very poor at others. I really do think Eddings was excellent at some things.
Example (in butchered paraphrase): Two characters in an early Eddings novel were fighting, and one eventually threw the other off the side of a tall wall. A third character approached furtively.
Third Character: "Where's Second Character?"
First Character: "Oh, learning how to fly."
Third Character: Pauses. "How's he doing?"
<From below, they hear a thud--followed by a second, softer thud.>
First Character: "Well, I guess that depends. Does bouncing count?"
I STILL remember this exchange some fifteen years after reading it, and it still cracks me up. A lot of action movies have the exact same plot--James Bond movies are a good example. But they can still be fun to watch. Eddings is the same. And, I think Gemmel counts here too. Fun for different reasons, but still fun.
(Wow. We sure hijacked this thread, didn't we? Of course, it is a discussion about one of the books that people are considering reading for their book club, so it's probably a valid place to have this conversation. I haven't read any of the books on the list, though I know you can't go wrong reading one of Chip's books. Babel-17 got some really good reviews.)
I would just like to make two points. First, you're right on the ten years comment. I haven't read much that I've really liked by Eddings in about that much time. Perhaps my tastes have changed, but personally, I think that he has lost a bit of his touch.
Second, my comment about cleverness and fun vs. depth of character was to point out that I think a writer can do some things with excellence, yet be very poor at others. I really do think Eddings was excellent at some things.
Example (in butchered paraphrase): Two characters in an early Eddings novel were fighting, and one eventually threw the other off the side of a tall wall. A third character approached furtively.
Third Character: "Where's Second Character?"
First Character: "Oh, learning how to fly."
Third Character: Pauses. "How's he doing?"
<From below, they hear a thud--followed by a second, softer thud.>
First Character: "Well, I guess that depends. Does bouncing count?"
I STILL remember this exchange some fifteen years after reading it, and it still cracks me up. A lot of action movies have the exact same plot--James Bond movies are a good example. But they can still be fun to watch. Eddings is the same. And, I think Gemmel counts here too. Fun for different reasons, but still fun.
(Wow. We sure hijacked this thread, didn't we? Of course, it is a discussion about one of the books that people are considering reading for their book club, so it's probably a valid place to have this conversation. I haven't read any of the books on the list, though I know you can't go wrong reading one of Chip's books. Babel-17 got some really good reviews.)
direstraits
Well-Known Member
Hi euol, great to have you with us. Do stay and chitchat. I did see your book on my last visit to the bookstore, however I'm a little short for a hardcover at present.
Looking forward to hearing more from you...
ds
Looking forward to hearing more from you...
ds
Bookworm88
New Member
I just reserved The Diamond Throne at the library, so I should get it in a few days. I'm still hoping, though, that two more people vote for Midshipman's Hope so it pulls out ahead.
Ainulindale
New Member
Well this isn't looking promising.