Signor Finzione Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 This one should (hopefully) be interesting, since the Assail (both the race and the continent) are still somewhat of a mystery. Still, I doubt I'll have read ICE's other books by this release date, so will likely be waiting for the paperback. Same goes for the Erikson - I don't intend to read Forge of Darkness until my big Malazan re-read, so there'd be little point in me buying this one until then. That doesn't mean I'm not excited, though. Side note: do you think ICE should have been allowed to write the other books, or do you think they should all have been handled by Erikson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 I think it's only right that ICE got to write his own novels, having co-created the world. But yeah, it would have been more consistent if SE had written all of it. The two ICE books I've read so far haven't been anywhere near as good as Erikson's lesser efforts, unfortunately. Hoping for better from the subsequent books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I think it's only right that ICE got to write his own novels, having co-created the world. I suppose . . . *sigh* But yeah, it would have been more consistent if SE had written all of it. The two ICE books I've read so far haven't been anywhere near as good as Erikson's lesser efforts, unfortunately. Hoping for better from the subsequent books Do you know how many others they've got planned, aside from Kharkanas and Toblakai? I'd love it if they (well, mainly Erikson) just carried on writing Malazan forever and ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 Do you know how many others they've got planned, aside from Kharkanas and Toblakai? I'd love it if they (well, mainly Erikson) just carried on writing Malazan forever and ever. All I know is that they've got a Malazan encyclopedia planned at some stage Personally, I'm quite excited about him trying something different, like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 All I know is that they've got a Malazan encyclopedia planned at some stage Yeah, I first heard that mentioned years ago and am still waiting for it. Should be really good, especially if it has the same sort of artwork as that shown on the website. Personally, I'm quite excited about him trying something different, like this Initial reaction: Nooooo, not SF! On closer inspection: Actually, I may enjoy reading this . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 28, 2013 Author Share Posted October 28, 2013 Initial reaction: Nooooo, not SF! Heathen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 (edited) Cover art reveal for Esslemont's upcoming novel Assail: Awesome artwork as always. ETA: Sorry it's so damn huge . . . Edited March 29, 2014 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 It looks just like the covers of The Crippled God and Blood and Bone, just with a different background Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 It looks just like the covers of The Crippled God and Blood and Bone, just with a different background Yeah, but look at the colour of the background - it's so pretty!! And at least they all match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuriousGeorgette Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 (edited) The Malazan world was originally created by Steven Erikson and Ian Cameron Esslemont in 1982 as a backdrop for role-playing games using a modified version of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Right there is why I won't read it. To be more specific the books have never appealed to me, and generally speaking I just don't like books based on games, for games, as a backdrop to games, anything from, about, or to do with games. Edited March 30, 2014 by CuriousGeorgette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Right there is why I won't read it. To be more specific the books have never appealed to me, and generally speaking I just don't like books based on games, for games, as a backdrop to games, anything from, about, or to do with games. That's very narrow-minded of you, to say you "won't" read something despite knowing nothing about it. I think you'll find a huge amount of fantasy is influenced by D&D, whether the influence is acknowledged by the writer or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuriousGeorgette Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 (edited) That's very narrow-minded of you, to say you "won't" read something despite knowing nothing about it. I think you'll find a huge amount of fantasy is influenced by D&D, whether the influence is acknowledged by the writer or not. No it's not. It is however presumptive of you to assume I'm narrow minded. I have tried (emphasis on tried) to read several books purporting to be 'fantasy' based on some or the other game. They have all (with one notable exception) turned out to be rubbish. As far as this series is concerned, I have picked up one or the other books in the series several times and it just doesn't appeal to me. I reserve the right to not want to read every thing, and I further reserve the right to be able to choose what I like and what I don't like, regardless of how my criteria for choosing may seem to some one else. Furthermore I have the right to say if I don't like a book, or won't read it provided I do so politely, which I did. I am quite certain that you have books you don't like as well. Edited March 30, 2014 by CuriousGeorgette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I reserve the right to not want to read every thing, and I further reserve the right to be able to choose what I like and what I don't like, regardless of how my criteria for choosing may seem to some one else. Furthermore I have the right to say if I don't like a book, or won't read it provided I do so politely, which I did. Perhaps you could reserve the right to not post needlessly negative and/or dismissive comments about how you dislike the subject of the thread in a way that doesn't contribute positively to the discussion? There are plenty of books I don't like. Why would I waste my time telling people how much I dislike them when I can spend that time more productively discussing things I do like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuriousGeorgette Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 It is counter-productive to only ever hear one side of anything. Not liking something is as valid an opinion as liking something. Saying you don't like something can be a positive affirmation to others who also don't like something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 It is counter-productive to only ever hear one side of anything. Not liking something is as valid an opinion as liking something. Saying you don't like something can be a positive affirmation to others who also don't like something. I'm not saying your opinion isn't valid; just that others might find it annoying when you enter threads just for the sake of utterly dismissing the books they're discussing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 To be more specific the books have never appealed to me, and generally speaking I just don't like books based on games, for games, as a backdrop to games, anything from, about, or to do with games. Apart from Assassin's Creed, apparently. Assassins Creed was much better than I expected. They are based on the computer games of the same name but for all that are a good read. The historical accuracy is pretty good and they crack along at a good pace even if they do muddle a few things up together that weren't really historically concurrent. Often when reading a book from a successful game you have moments when you feel like you are reading a blow-by-blow account of the action in the game, but I only got that feeling once or twice in the whole series. I would give them a 4/5 stars for the kind of book they are. Don't expect more than a good action adventure novel with a reasonable amount of historical accuracy thrown in and a bunch of secret society woohoo stuff to keep the plot moving, but I have definitely read far worse in the genre. On the whole recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuriousGeorgette Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) Apart from Assassin's Creed, apparently. Yes I did in fact refer to 'one notable exception' in the next post. And as you can see from my review that I am clear that I don't like books based on games. They tend not to be well written, and you get this feeling of reading an account of the game which does not make for a good read, and usually the point at which I groan, roll my eyeballs and put the book down, if I even picked up in the first place which is unlikely. I have recently tried to read other books based on a game, which I only discovered after I bought them and they also just confirmed my belief that books based on games tend to be bad rather than good - those were also an unmourned delete. As for fantasy per se owing much to D & D regardless of the author - well that presumes an awful lot doesn't it? It presumes a great deal of knowledge by all fantasy authors of the game and its worlds, when many may in fact be blissfully ignorant. It presumes that authors do not have the imagination to create a magical universe without reference to the game which is also a rather large presumption. It's like saying that all fantasy authors are either trying to outdo LOTR or trying to escape its influence as one reviewer of fantasy fiction said, which is patently equally nonsense. Just because there is something like D & D and LOTR does not mean that authors can't write without reference to them. There are some universal elements to most fantasy in the same way there are some universal elements to crime or romance books. Books with common elements are grouped together in genres. This does not mean when there are similar elements in other works that they 'owe' something to the other work unless it is a blatant lift - I saw a review of a book about an alternate history set in prehistorical earth and the humans were called 'Tanu' - that was lifted straight from Julian May's Pleiocene Exiles Series. And I'm currently reading a book that has a 'mirror lake' in it and that is directly referencing at least two other books that I can think of, namely Thomas Covenant Series and more closely one of David Edding's books right down to the white buildings of the city. Give credit where credit is due. Authors don't work in a vacuum, but they are capable of creating their own imaginary worlds. And it is immediately evident when they don't. Edited March 31, 2014 by CuriousGeorgette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Yeah, but look at the colour of the background - it's so pretty!! Yeah, the background's great. Shame they seem to have cut-and-pasted the soldier's image - his feet don't seem to touch the ground In other news, the publication of Fall of Light has been pushed back to next year On the plus side, that means there won't be such a deluge of books I want to read come this June and July Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 In other news, the publication of Fall of Light has been pushed back to next year On the plus side, that means there won't be such a deluge of books I want to read come this June and July Hasn't it been pushed back once already? I'll definitely wait a while before I even start on Forge of Darkness! What do you have planned for June/July? I'm guessing . . . Abercrombie, Lawrence and Ryan? What else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Hasn't it been pushed back once already? I'll definitely wait a while before I even start on Forge of Darkness! Yeah, I think it originally moved from July to September. What do you have planned for June/July? I'm guessing . . . Abercrombie, Lawrence and Ryan? What else? Those, plus the Esslemont - although I may wait for the paperback of that one, seeing as I still have a couple of his previous ones to read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 The Subterranean Press edition of House of Chains is available for pre-order. The lettered edition (deluxe binding, signed by SE, in a special case) has already sold out - but these were only available to customers who had bought lettered editions of the first three books, so it's not surprising. I'd love to have collected these editions - I think they're stunning - but they're way out of my price range (let alone my shelf space!). Probably need industrial-strength shelves to hold them, anyway Also noticed that PS Publishing have grouped together signed copies of the last three ICE novels. Nice, if one was collecting those editions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 (edited) The Subterranean Press edition of House of Chains is available for pre-order. The lettered edition (deluxe binding, signed by SE, in a special case) has already sold out - but these were only available to customers who had bought lettered editions of the first three books, so it's not surprising. I'd love to have collected these editions - I think they're stunning - but they're way out of my price range (let alone my shelf space!). Probably need industrial-strength shelves to hold them, anyway Hmm, very nice. But, you know, I think those covers look a little generic . . . I actually prefer the ones I have (I think they're Bantam Press?) I also think that, if I paid that much for a set of books, I'd be scared to even have them out on a shelf in case something happened to them. Also noticed that PS Publishing have grouped together signed copies of the last three ICE novels. Nice, if one was collecting those editions Nice! I didn't even know they'd published the newer ones in these editions. (Which is a pity, since my NoK is PS!) I take it you won't be collecting them? Edited April 8, 2014 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Hmm, very nice. But, you know, I think those covers look a little generic . . . I actually prefer the ones I have (I think they're Bantam Press?) Really? Blimey, I think they're gorgeous, especially the lettered edition of Gardens of the Moon (bottom right in the picture) I also think that, if I paid that much for a set of books, I'd be scared to even have them out on a shelf in case something happened to them. Yeah, it'd be a definitel Spinal Tap moment: "Don't touch them! Don't even look at them!" Nice! I didn't even know they'd published the newer ones in these editions. (Which is a pity, since my NoK is PS!) I take it you won't be collecting them? Nah, haven't got the shelf space. I've got all the PS editions of the SE novellas, but that's as far as I'll go down that line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Hmm. Looks like there's even more to come from Ian Cameron Esslemont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 I take it by your smiley you're not sure if this is good news or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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