Terry Goodkind interviews are always fun.

[Zolipara]

Someone commented on Stephen Kings arrogance in this thread. But he is nothing compared to Terry Goodkind. I sometimes visit his site to get a good laugh from reading his latest interviews posted there. I thought his comments were worth a thread of their own.

These are all from his latest interview posted on the "official" fansite.

There are those who focus exclusively on this least important element -magic - simply because people I don't know, despite my strenuous objections at the time, insisted on placing a red dragon on the cover of my work, and because of that, and who published the book, I was racked in bookstores as fantasy. As a result, in the minds of some readers I am for all time to be labeled as a ?fantasy" author. So I must now follow some unstated laws of writing - I must know my place - because I've been mindlessly labeled a "fantasy" author? That, my friends, is bigotry.

Poor Terry, that fantasy label must be hard to carry since there is nearly no fantasy elements in his books.

I am not an obedient subservient cog of a group, slavishly following the group's conventions. I am a thinking individual acting of my own free will.

Yepp those other fantasy authors are just sheep. Ooops did I just call Terry a fantasy author?

Most of my fans are not regular fantasy fans nor are they so bigoted that they think I must know my place and stay in it.

Question: Lately I've found myself in many arguments defending your books against 'fans' who say they used to like your books but no longer do to the extent that they used to. Would you mind settling some debates by answering the Question: What, if anything do you have to say to the people that voice the opinion that you're latest four books haven't been as good as the previous four and call them "too preachy"?

Answer: Don't be fooled. The assertion made by these detractors is a note wrapped around a brick thrown through the window. These people are not fans. There are hundreds if not thousands of fantasy books that fulfill their professed taste in books. Why would they continue to read books they claim are bad? Because they hate that my novels exists. Values arouse hatred in these people. Their goal is not to enjoy life, but to destroy that which is good -much like a school child who does not wish to study for a test and instead beats up a classmate who does well. These people hate what is good because it is good. Their lives are limited to loathing and indifference. It isn't that they want to read a good book, what they want is to make sure that you do not. Ignore them.

Ooookay.....

QUESTION: Annerinas: Will you, Mr. TG, actually ever go write a non-fiction book exploring fully your ideals and philosophy, getting it out of your system. So that it's not being presented in the next book at the expense of the actual story?

Translation: Will you please change that way you think and write, stop using your mind, stop being an individual and instead start writing books like every other hackneyed Tolkien clone on the fantasy shelves. Answer: NO
The Premise of this question and all that it entails is beneath contempt. To say that I view this notion with indignity hardly begins to cover it. What you are seeing with my novels is something unique. They are not like all the other fantasy books. A tiny group of fantasy fans happens to like things the way they are and only wants more of the same. These few do not under any circumstances; want anything to change or anything that requires thought. They want everything to stay static and simplistic. For these reasons (and others), these people do not like what I write and they never will. They even hate that my books exist, that I write things that dare to uplift and inspire.

Or maybe they just think they are bad books.

Rather than simply reading and enjoying the many books available that they like, they spend their time railing against the one author who is different.
What I have done with my work has irrevocably changed the face of fantasy. In so doing I've raised the standards. I have not only injected thought into a tired empty genre, but, more importantly, I've transcended it showing what more it can be-and is so doing spread my readership to completely new groups who don?t like and wont ready typical fantasy. Agents and editors are screaming for more books like mine.
They can?t find any-for 3 reasons. One, copying innovation is an impossibility. Two, individually cannot be copied. They don?t grasp the essence of my work. What they end up with are authors who imitate some of the nonessential elements unique to my books, believing they must be the secret to success, much as my publishers at first believe that it was the red dragon that defined my work.
Why are editors trying to get more books like mine? Because any one of my backlist sells more copies in a month than most fantasy authors' books sell in their entire run. NAKED EMPIRE has been on the NY Times list for two months now. Far more importantly, I break genre lines and draw my ever growing sales from the much larger pool of general fiction readers who embrace my books.

Yes noone can grasp the essence of your work

My true fans have chosen to think, to embrace all that life is.

Can i be a fan too please? So i can embrace life.....

 

[Jemima Aslana]

And here I was considering possibly reading some of his stuff...

That attitude alone will deter me. I've got better things to do with my time than reading stuff from a man who can't take criticism. I take his replies as meaning he would never listen to proof-readers either, since he knows best himself. Sheesh.

*shakes head*

So sad... What is it with some people? They write something good, and everybody's happy and then when they write something less good they won't accept the possibility that people saying it's less good may actually be right. They should go back to school. Back where it was actually possible to get an A for a paper and a month later get a C for another.

 

[Vorian]

his early stuff is great but he is an oppinunated sot!!! lol

 

[Wabbit]

Interesting and amusing post Zolipara! All I can say for Mr Goodkind is...

His arrogance and small mindedness has been brought up on this forum before. Very amusing. As we say here in the UK he needs to "get a life."

I can't wait to embrace his ideas! I'm glad he tells his readers what they should be thinking! And why, if they don't think it they are morons that just don't understand his brilliance! I'm also glad he has pointed out how his fantasy books, set in a fantasy world, with magic and stuff isn't fantasy because I just wouldn't have known that other wise!

Most amusing

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

This guy is unbelieveable . I can't believe that someone could be /this/ stuck-up and small-minded.

And here I was considering possibly reading some of his stuff...

That attitude alone will deter me. I've got better things to do with my time than reading stuff from a man who can't take criticism. I take his replies as meaning he would never listen to proof-readers either, since he knows best himself. Sheesh.

This is /exactly/ was I was thinking as I was reading this post. I don't want to support someone who thinks this way about anyone who /dares/ to tell him that he isn't the greastest writing master of all time

he needs to "get a life."

Agreed. Whole-heartedly.

 

[Vorian]

i'll read his books but i dont like him, it's much like the factthat i can't stand cortney cox but i will listen to the music she did with hole.

Just 'cos they are annoying people doesn't meen you can't enjoy their work.

 

[Jemima Aslana]

i'll read his books but i dont like him, it's much like the factthat i can't stand cortney cox but i will listen to the music she did with hole.

Just 'cos they are annoying people doesn't meen you can't enjoy their work.

'Tis very true - just like I can enjoy Michael Jackson's earlier music but at the same time think he's become a joke.

I will say though: As the dear Terry so clearly states: anyone who doesn't think his books are Da Mastaworks is obviously an imbecile. This will in effect mean that if a proof reader points out inconsistencies in plot for instance Goodkind will brush it off as proof tha the proof-reader clearly hasn't embraced the message of his work. This will in effect mean that many flaws that could've been avoided will be there. Hence there are other books that have suddenly been placed before Goodkind's works on my TBR list.

People who have no time for criticism may write something good - but it'll be more by a stroke of luck than anything else. I'd rather read the works of those who take kindly to criticism and thus may have written something brilliant.

 

[feyralla]

I can't believe what I'm reading,
how can TG claim he doesn't write fantasy? And just because I can't stand the whining of kahlan for example doesn't make me a moron! How a arrogant ***** he is!
I do have to say that what he write is different in some way then most other writers, and that gives him his succes, however saying that if you don't like the different style, you have no taste, no life and want to ruin every thing in this world(murder kill kick torther ) is just idiotic.

 

[Jemima Aslana]

despite my strenuous objections at the time, insisted on placing a red dragon on the cover of my work, and because of that, and who published the book, I was racked in bookstores as fantasy. As a result, in the minds of some readers I am for all time to be labeled as a ?fantasy" author.

Okay... so you don't write fantasy - fair enough.

What I have done with my work has irrevocably changed the face of fantasy. In so doing I've raised the standards. I have not only injected thought into a tired empty genre, but, more importantly, I've transcended it showing what more it can be

Okay... so you do write fantasy - fair enough.

Now I'd just like to know: How many are he?

 

[Brys]

Terry Goodkind is a constant source of hilarity. His interviews are priceless and his actual writing, if looked at in the right way, can be very humorous. Of course the humour is unintentional, but when Goodkind starts writing about Richard walking along a path half way up a sheer vertical cliff named Blunt Mountain and reminds you that "Richard was bigger than most men.These men were bigger than him", you can't help but laugh.

And the fans from his official forums are almost as funny - including the banning of anyone who tries to mention other authors, anyone who criticises his work etc.

 

[Anamnesis]

The man's very misguided, to say the least . It's okay that he wants to incorporate his opinions and viewpoints on how people should live in his books, but the way he goes about it is just irritating. Naked Empire was little more than a pro-Randian tract with some magical mumbo-jumbo thrown in. At least Chainfire was a step in the right direction.

 

[Stewart]

i can't stand cortney cox but i will listen to the music she did with hole.

That must have been an interesting collaboration.

 

[direstraits]

That must have been an interesting collaboration.

Did you do a search for Courtney or you actually read the SciFi/Fantasy forum?



ds

 

[stigmaticman]

i'll read his books but i dont like him, it's much like the factthat i can't stand cortney cox but i will listen to the music she did with hole.

Just 'cos they are annoying people doesn't meen you can't enjoy their work.

shuu
I almost bought one of his books

 

[ValkyrieRaven88]

XD. Never read the guy; now I don't think I ever will. I'd been considering it until now, if you can believe that.