Re: Books!

by bungobaggins Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:25 pm

Hmm, this Foundation series sounds interesting. I'll give it a look over. Having second thoughts on Wheel of Time now. Shrugging

by halfwise Mon Apr 14, 2014 8:53 pm

One of the virtues of the Foundation series is it's so easy to read. You could make it through the original trilogy in a couple weeks. After that he returned decades later when his publisher first leaned on him for years, then when gentle pressure didn't work forced his hand by sending him a hefty advance on a book. He got a call from his agent saying "and when we say 'book' we mean 'science fiction book', and nothing else. And when we say 'science fiction book' we mean 'Foundation book' and nothing else."

Foundation's Edge was pretty good. Foundation and Earth wasn't terrible. Prelude to Foundation was an embarrassment. But the trilogy and that first sequel are worth reading.

by Pettytyrant101 Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:27 pm

I enjoyed Pohls Heechi books, but in particular Gateway. The whole concept gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

by Bluebottle Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:10 pm

Wheel of Time, that brings back some memories. I read those books a long time ago. Though I only got to around book 6 or 7, which was before the story apparently come to a bit of a standstill. From what I read I would recomend it, the first couple of books are very good at least from my memory.

I had a friend who was a much bigger fan of that series than me, to the degree that his go to swearword for women who weren't nice to him would be to call them Aes Sedai. Razz

by Bluebottle Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:14 pm

Eldorion wrote:
Ringdrotten wrote:He's said he'll write seven books, though, hasn't he? I hope he sticks to that, considering the pace at which he writes these books

He has, although the original plan was for it be a trilogy. He has since upped the planned number of books to four, six, and the current seven. The original planned first book eventually became the first three volumes of the series that were actually published.

Strangely Robert Jordan of all people had this to say about that.

I look forward to seeing the next book and future books in the cycle. I see in "Locus" that George says he no longer think he can finish the story in a triology. Good. Not that his story will be longer, but that he isn't going to try shoe-horning his story into the form everybody semms to say such stories must folow. Writing what you want to write, in the way you want to write it, isn't easy when lots of people are telling you that you can't do it that waybecause it isn't done that way. he apparently is as lucky as I am in having a publisher and editor who is willing to go against the flow.

http://thewertzone.blogspot.no/2013/07/robert-jordan-bigging-up-game-of.html

by Eldorion Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:17 pm

"Going against the flow."

Books! - Page 5 XcQ2uaD

by Bluebottle Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:18 pm

As for the misgivings about how many books George will take to finish his series, I think a lot of it is down to how the fourth book turned out.

He originally intended it to be one book, when finding it was becoming far to long he released a first part featuring some of the view point characters as A Feast for Crows, announcing that the next part would be along in a year. In the end he kept writing after finishing the story of the other viewpoint characters and the next book, A Dance with Dragons, ended up taking six years, adding an additional 500 pages.

So people can be forgiven for having some misgivings, I guess.

He talks about it here:

"I would take the little one page thing at the end of Feast for Crows where I say the next book will be out in a year," he says. "That one has gotten me into no end of trouble."

"I can write 500 pages in a year, I've done it before, of course the book ended up needing another 1000 pages, not 500," he says, though 500 pages is for a "good year," not every year.

"I am unfortunately a slow writer... under delusions I can be a faster writer under certain circumstances."

http://huff.to/GY52GM

by Bluebottle Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:22 pm

Eldorion wrote:"Going against the flow."

Yeah, I guess as long as the books keep selling the publishers wont grumble. Razz

Though there's probably some truth in what he says about what was expected of fantasy writers. And maybe some answer to the reason the two of them floated to the top?

by Eldorion Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:25 pm

Yeah, it is kinda weird just how many books (and movies) end up turning into trilogies. Though in the realm of movies, at least, that seems to be changing as Harry Potter proved people would be willing to keep showing up for additional sequels so long as they didn't totally shit the bed. It may well be that it's length helped distinguish Wheel of Time back in the day.

by Bluebottle Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:40 pm

I was more refering to the "writing what you want to write, in the way you want to write it" part. Razz

Though I guess it has both that and lenght, it's certainly a monumental work. And the fate of Robert and his series is, I guess, a lot of the reason behind people willing George to finish his series sooner rather than later.

They seemed to be quite close. George wrote a rather heartfelt tribute to him on his blog when he died.

The world of high fantasy is poorer today.

James Rigney, better known to fantasy readers as Robert Jordan, has passed away. Although he had been fighting amyloidosis for several years, the news of his death still came as a shock to many, including me. He was so optimistic and determined that you had to think that if anyone could beat the disease, it would be him.

Jim was a good and gracious man, a pleasure to share a platform or a pint with, and his contributions to modern fantasy were many. His huge, ambitious WHEEL OF TIME series helped to redefine the genre, and opened many doors for the writers who followed.

He was also unfailingly generous towards other fantasists, always ready to offer them support and encouragement. My own ICE & FIRE series might never have found its audience without the cover quote that Jim was so kind as to provide, back when A GAME OF THRONES was first published. I will always be grateful to him for that.

The last time I saw Jim was at an Archon in Collinsville, Illinois. It was before his final illness. He was the convention Guest of Honor and I was the Toastmaster, and I introduced him by telling the audience that actually we were the same person. It was a gag that Jim himself had suggested in the Green Room beforehand. While I was doing the intro, and claiming credit for all his books, he slowly entered, walked up silently behind me, and stood looming over me, glowering like Zeus. We got a great laugh.

I had some great dinners with Jim and his wife Harriet there in Collinsville as well. We talked about other writers, editors, publishers, all the stuff that writers always talk about... oh, and a little about our own series as well... and Jim and Harriet invited me to visit them if I ever made it down to Charleston. Sad to say, I never did.

RIP, Jim. You will be much missed.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/21250.html

by bungobaggins Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:13 pm

Here's my shortlist for possible reading:

Foundation Series
Dune
House of Cards
The October Country

Right now I'm leaning towards The October Country, mostly because it's a series of short stories and I'm not feeling like I can get into a long series at the moment (I also really like Ray Bradbury). The second book in the House of Cards trilogy, To Play the King, is coming to Kindle in the summer. So I think I'll pick those up then.

by Mrs Figg Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:49 pm

ok heres a poser. of any book or series in the world, which would you guys like to see made into a big budget film. please dont say The Hobbit. Thats a given.

my choice would be either Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman or The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper (its a series of 5 books)

by bungobaggins Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:51 pm

Mrs Figg wrote:please dont say The Hobbit.

The Hobbit.

Razz

by bungobaggins Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:53 pm

Serious answer: The Dark Tower series. I really don't think I can bring myself to finish the books. Been stuck at half way through for a few years now.