SoZ Preview at IGN

[Lesifoere]

And the most important question, can you join Shadow Thieves?

Nah, the most important question about SoZ is...

...do we get to meet Drizzt ? And Elminster ? The Seven Sisters, maybe ? Oooh, what about Shandril Shessair ? Cadderly ? Jarlaxle ? Anybody ever invented by Ed Greenwood or R. A. Salvatore, in fact ? I'm just dying to know.

I endorse this question.

(I see you've read those books too.)

 

[Erebus]

(I see you've read those books too.)

The extremely butchered french versions, to be precise. They sometimes had more than 30 % of the original content missing, but enough was left for me to appreciate the merits of the FR munchkins.

...But I admit I enjoyed the D&D novels when I was 16-18. It wasn't even a guilty pleasure, I actually found them to be fun. Well, except for the Icewind Dale trilogy and the books about Shandril Shessair. There are limits, even for the tasteless teen I used to be.

 

[Radisshu]

Can I kill Drizzt?

 

[inwoker]

Uh, you need to have really twisted mind to be able to read Salvatore and Greenwood. And more than one book of each I assume.

 

[Radisshu]

I read the drow trilogy when I was about 15. I thought it was kind of crap.

 

[Wyrmlord]

Funny thing is, I don't care at all about SoZ previews.

Because I'll buy it anyway. MotB has already made a strong argument for buying SoZ. I was already sold after reading the press release.

I don't really need to know anything else, because I am already certain about buying the game. I don't care about info regarding the game, because I am going to find out when I play it anyway,

 

[inwoker]

Wyrmlord actually posted something worth reading.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Uh, you need to have really twisted mind to be able to read Salvatore and Greenwood. And more than one book of each I assume.

Word. Salvatore is unbelievable shit.

 

[inwoker]

Oh, if some of you know russian you need to try Perumov. Salvatore is kinda awesome in comparison.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Oh, if some of you know russian you need to try Perumov. Salvatore is kinda awesome in comparison.

Elaborate. This intrigues me, even though I don't speak Russian yet.

 

[Seboss]

Uh, you need to have really twisted mind to be able to read Salvatore and Greenwood. And more than one book of each I assume.

Word. Salvatore is unbelievable shit.

Ah it's ok for teenagers. Once you read anything from Weis/Hickman you can't go back though.

 

[inwoker]

Well. It's the most generic fantasy to actually exist. It's poorly written. Elves, ancient prophecy, chosen one and other cliche are involved. Successful book series consists of kinda lot of volumes. Like fifteen. Each of them is Tolkien-trilogy long. Wordiness is truly epic.

edit: Is Weis/ Hickman worth reading? Heard a lot, but never tried.

 

[WanderingThrough2]

Uh, you need to have really twisted mind to be able to read Salvatore and Greenwood. And more than one book of each I assume.

Word. Salvatore is unbelievable shit.

Ah it's ok for teenagers. Once you read anything from Weis/Hickman you can't go back though.

Man, oh man! Once in a while, you get something really, really good off these forums, and this--calling out Dragonlance as the pinnacle of fantasy fiction and, by implication, suitable to someone older than a teenager--is just perfect.

"As a young man, I loved Salvatore, but now that I am grown older and wiser, I have learned that Weis and Hickman are the best. Perhaps, in my dotage, I will realize the sublimity of Jordan, and, on my deathbed, the sweet mysteries of the Sword of Truth. . . ."

 

[inwoker]

bryce? Yoy mean jim kata, right?

 

[inwoker]

some masochism in you

 

[Xor]

I am curious what the Codex would consider 'good' fantasy writing.

 

[Disconnected]

I am curious what the Codex would consider 'good' fantasy writing.

Steven Erikson & Glen Cook spring to mind. Larry Niven too, though for whatever reason, half of his fantasy stories are about as terrible as fantasy gets.

 

[Solohk]

I am curious what the Codex would consider 'good' fantasy writing.

I haven't read much fantasy (or sci-fi), but I'm currently reading (and greatly enjoying) Scott R. Bakker's Prince of Nothing series. I also read the first book in Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever series and enjoyed that as well, and I'm sure the Codex would love a fantasy book with a rape scene. Tastefully done of course.

If you allow Sci-Fi as well, then I'll say Dune is amazing. I also liked Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Ringworld by Larry Niven, and The Mote In God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, and of course the Foundation books by Aasimov.

 

[Disconnected]

Dan Simmons, really? Not that I don't think he's a good author, but his SF every bit as stupid as Salvatore's D&D shit.

 

[Solohk]

Dan Simmons, really? Not that I don't think he's a good author, but his SF every bit as stupid as Salvatore's D&D shit.

How so?

 

[Lesifoere]

Dan Simmons is guilty of putting several paragraphs into The Fall of Hyperion that can be summarized thus: "LOVE HOLDS THE UNIVERSE TOGETHER." :/ No, seriously. Love is a greater force than gravity or electromagnetism in his universe. Love triumphs over all. I couldn't facepalm enough when I came to that part, even though I liked the rest okay.

I consider the following to be pretty good fantasy writers: GRRM, China Mieville, Roger Zelazny, Jeff Vandermeer. Your mileage may vary, and all that. Oh, Jack Vance is also decent, if very very quaint. I don't consider Tolkien a good fantasy author, or otherwise a good author of fiction.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I don't consider Tolkien a good fantasy author, or otherwise a good author of fiction.

Me neither. Tolkien is far too heavyhanded and overtly wordy.

 

[Solohk]

Yeah, there were some things here and there that I thought were a little silly in Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion such as Kassad's story (which I think was made up for by the Priest's story), but on the whole enjoyed them.

Speaking of China Mieville, I just picked up Perdido Street Station and plan on reading it after I finish the Prince of Nothing. Sounds very interesting.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

The fact that the PC can SEE One of Many is interesting. Isn't he supposed to be invisible?

 

[Disconnected]

Yeah, there were some things here and there that I thought were a little silly in Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion such as Kassad's story (which I think was made up for by the Priest's story), but on the whole enjoyed them.

Lesifoere answered for me, though I'll add that being an evangelical Christian hippy seems to be a prerequisite for not throwing up periodically when reading his SF (there's more than just the Hyperion series and it's not the worst of it either). His horror is very, very good though. If you like Simmons, that's what you should be reading.