Ghjhero Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I'm currently on the 7th Malazan book and while it is going to be a while till I am done with the series Im already thinking about which one should be my next. The two authors I see mentioned the most here seem to be Ambercrombie and Bakker with fans praising their works tremondously. Without giving any spoilers which series should I read next and why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentRoamer Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I have not read Abercrombie yet but I am a big fan of Bakkers. I have heard a lot of great feedback about Abercrombie so he is definitely on my hit list. As a participant on the Second Apocalyspe forum and one of the TSACast participants I would definitely say to give Bakker a go and pop on over to TSA as we have a small but focused community over there. The Second Apocalypse is one of my favourite fantasy series of all time though so I may be slightly biased. The reasons I would recommend Bakker are:I think he has great prose.I really like the scriptural style.Great worldbuilding and metaphysics.Really different from other fantasy works out there.Very dark and bleak which I actually like as it fits with the tone of Earwa.I sincerely hope this thread does not turn into a .vs debate and you might want to change the title to Bakker or Abercrombie if you want to avoid this thread getting derailed. Hopefully we can have some decent discussions on the pros and cons of Abercrombie/Bakker. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalbear Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 A big reason to go with Abercrombie is that Bakker has been having significant difficulties finishing his novels and it is very likely that the series he has been working on will remain unfinished. If that bothers you (as it does a great many people) you should consider going with Abercrombie, who is both more prolific in writing and has been finishing series fairly well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Seswatha Jordan Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 A big reason to go with Abercrombie is that Bakker has been having significant difficulties finishing his novels and it is very likely that the series he has been working on will remain unfinished. If that bothers you (as it does a great many people) you should consider going with Abercrombie, who is both more prolific in writing and has been finishing series fairly well. Not true, he just handed in The Unholy Consult to his publishers and certain (lucky,Madness) others for review and feed back. Last I heard was early 2015 for the release, per this forum. And, it might be broken into two books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maithanet Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Do you want a story that seems simple but is actually pretty nuanced and complex? Choose Abercrombie.Do you want a story that seems complex, but the more you think about it, the less you really know? Choose Bakker.Do you want a story that is funny? Choose Abercrombie.Do you want a story that feels very epic, almost historical? Choose Bakker.Do you want your characters to be likeable? Choose Abercrombie.Do you like stories where horrible things (rape especially) happen to the characters over and over again? Choose Bakker.Do you like when characters try to change, but usually fail? Choose Abercrombie.Do you want a story where no one knows if the main character is the hero, villain, or something altogether different? Choose Bakker. Would you rather the villains be cruel and impersonal, like an evil corporation? Choose Abercrombie.Or do you prefer villains who are creepy, inhuman monsters? Choose Bakker. I like both series. But I find Abercrombie MUCH easier to recommend. Bakker is definitely not for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilusmagnus Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Do you want your characters to be likeable? Choose Abercrombie. Likeable assholes would be the actual denomination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Ambercrombie? The First Law as written by Roger Zelazny? ;) Abercrombie's stuff is more deliberately cynical, and more "meta" in respect to the fantasy genre. The First Law trilogy, for example, is one giant pulling the rug exercise, which may or may not be your thing. Abercrombie also likes to mix in humour, though not on Scott Lynch levels. Bakker's stuff is weirder and darker (but not as cynical). Less about going after the genre, and more about a sort of bizarre fantasy version of the First Crusade. Features copious doses of philosophising, the most exotic naming conventions you'll see this side of Clark Ashton Smith, and black semen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt b Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Not true, he just handed in The Unholy Consult to his publishers and certain (lucky,Madness) others for review and feed back. Last I heard was early 2015 for the release, per this forum. And, it might be broken into two books. I believe SJD was referring to the sequel series to the Aspect Emperor that's supposed to wrap up the Second Apocalypse series. We'll definitely see The Unholy Consult at some point, but it's at least somewhat doubtful if we'll see the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilusmagnus Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I don't understand why people consider the First Law cynical. There seems to be hope in the end. Little, but significant enough to be optimistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I don't understand why people consider the First Law cynical. There seems to be hope in the end. Little, but significant enough to be optimistic. Because everything has been for nothing. The characters are revealed to be puppets, and any investment you had in the outcome is ripped away from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Abercrombie, purely on the basis that Malazan is an epic undertaking to read all in a row like that and, although it's much shorter, Bakker isn't less so. You might want a breather in between and Abercrombie can provide that. I believe SJD was referring to the sequel series to the Aspect Emperor that's supposed to wrap up the Second Apocalypse series. We'll definitely see The Unholy Consult at some point, but it's at least somewhat doubtful if we'll see the rest. The impression I've got is that he certainly intends to push through and do the whole series, just that it might take much longer than originally intended (and might possibly need to be self-published) because the lack of sales means he had to pick up his day job again.So really, the more people we encourage to read them, the more likely it is we'll see the series completed sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghjhero Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 Another thing I should add, while the plot of Malazan is good enough for me to continue reading it, I don't care anything about the characters. Apart from once or twice I havnt felt anything when characters have died. Being able to root for certain characters and get angry, sad or burst into song is what makes ASOIAF such a great series for me. So if either of these series is espically good at character building then that might be the one for me. And while I don't need any typical clear cut bad guy, I'm fine with the enemy being a grey guy, I do tend to find books more enjoyable when there's someone I can hate with all my being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I do tend to find books more enjoyable when there's someone I can hate with all my being. That'd be Abercrombie then. With Bakker both you and the characters spend a good deal of time trying to work out who is the actual villain (the one "being", for want of a better term, who clearly qualifies is so Lovecraftian and out there, he or it isn't really hateable). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maithanet Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I do tend to find books more enjoyable when there's someone I can hate with all my being. Yeah I think that either of these series has some pretty hateable characters, depending on your preference. With Bakker both you and the characters spend a good deal of time trying to work out who is the actual villain (the one "being", for want of a better term, who clearly qualifies is so Lovecraftian and out there, he or it isn't really hateable). You really don't think Kellhus is hateable? I feel like I probably hate him more than any other character in fantasy, and that's even knowing that he may save the world. He makes us LOVE :devil: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 That'd be Abercrombie then. With Bakker both you and the characters spend a good deal of time trying to work out who is the actual villain (the one "being", for want of a better term, who clearly qualifies is so Lovecraftian and out there, he or it isn't really hateable). Let's be fair: if he's not insane, there's quite clearly one character in Bakker that he'll hate with all his being.And Akka is one of my favourite characters in all of fantasy, so there's at least one person on each side of the fence.But yeah, Abercrombie is better at character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sologdin Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 First Law as written by Roger Zelazny ha can you imagine? all characters are immortals, nothing makes sense, and arthurian components are accomplished with gunslinging ewoks. sorry, roose, but maybe i give that one a miss. read both, ghj! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 You really don't think Kellhus is hateable? I feel like I probably hate him more than any other character in fantasy, and that's even knowing that he may save the world. In any other context, he would be hateable (manipulative Nietzschean bastard that he is). But in the context of Eärwä, he is essentially an Antichrist figure who is claiming to save the world from rape aliens. I don't buy his propaganda, of course, but his place in the story means I look on him with scepticism, rather than hate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maithanet Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Let's be fair: if he's not insane, there's quite clearly one character in Bakker that he'll hate with all his being. Totally. Maybe he thought Kellhus was a pretty good guy until he abandons Leweth to die without a second thought, even though Leweth saved his life only days before. Of course, that happens in the first ten pages, so I don't really know why anyone wouldn't hate Kellhus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalbear Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 The impression I've got is that he certainly intends to push through and do the whole series, just that it might take much longer than originally intended (and might possibly need to be self-published) because the lack of sales means he had to pick up his day job again.He's said that it's unlikely that he'll be able to finish the series. While TUC is completed, he's also stated that it is likely that'll be the last book he'll be able to write in the series due to low interest and his work habits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghjhero Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 He's said that it's unlikely that he'll be able to finish the series. While TUC is completed, he's also stated that it is likely that'll be the last book he'll be able to write in the series due to low interest and his work habits. So is it ever worth reading a series that will never end up being written? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.