The Malazan Book of the Fallen is done!

[pat5150]

This from Steven Erikson's Facebook page:

GASP! That would be me, coming up for air. How long was I down there? About twenty years, from conception to completion. The Malazan Book of the Fallen is done. Sure, editing and all that crap to follow. But ... done. I don't know who I am. Who am I again? What planet is this? Three months of butterflies ... maybe this double whiskey will fix that. Hmm. No. Delayed reaction going on here.

Yep, The Crippled God is finished. So unless editing goes wrong, then the current pub date should hold. :)

Patrick

[davos]

Coolness. I've been holding off on reading Dust of Dreams until The Crippled God is closer to release simply because from what I've heard the former feels very much like the first half of a two part novel. Now I can pick it up and read it knowing that the concluding part will be available in the not to distant future.

Really looking forward to this one. TMBotF has been the most uneven of series. Moments of sure brilliance and great writing thoroughly mixed in with some awkward character decisions, large sections that, in some cases, drag on hundreds of pages longer than needed, and some instances of simply poor writing. Despite its flaws I love the series nonetheless. Outstanding world-building combined with some powerful images. I'm really excited to see how Erikson wraps it all up.

[Relic]

I'm really excited to see how Erikson wraps it all up.

With an encyclopedia released in 3 years that tries to explain wtf happened.

[Werthead]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is the literary equivalent of Lost.

Nevertheless, Erikson appears to have completed the series to his satisfaction, so congrats to him for that. And the furore can begin properly in February.

[IheartTesla]

Oh good, he'll send it to an editor this time.

If February is the release date, then the paperback will come out later, and in the US much much later. Thats about a year of waiting time for us I guess.

[Renasko]

Perhaps time I read DoD's...Not too bothered how it ends, to be honest.

Congrats to Steven, though, his production since the series began has been admirable. He deserves a good long break.

[werewolfv2]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is the literary equivalent of Lost.

lol, i was kinda thinking the same thing!

now to start yelling to my peps about a galley copy down the road :D

[Roland_85]

Good for him. I can only imagine how it must feel, to finally be done with such a major work...

[kuenjato]

Wert- you mentioned elsewhere that Memories of Ice was lost in a hard-drive crash? Did he not have a printed copy?

I can't imagine re-writing a book (particularly one as long as that) from scratch...

[Rhom]

So its done with the exception of the 20 planned outrigger novels that are supposed to explain everything...

[Emery Silverstein]

Good to hear. Now that I finally started Gardens of the Moon, hopefully I can plan it perfectly where I finish Dust of Dreams shortly before the Crippled God comes out.

[Werthead]

Wert- you mentioned elsewhere that Memories of Ice was lost in a hard-drive crash? Did he not have a printed copy?

I can't imagine re-writing a book (particularly one as long as that) from scratch...

No. Erikson was apparently distraught (not surprising really) so he went off to write DHG instead, giving us the current series structure. Apparently it worked out in the long run, though. I'm pretty certain the reason why Memories of Ice seems to be widely acknowledged as the best book in the series is that it is the only book which has had a second draft done of it (though not of Erikson's choosing).

[Jon Sprunk]

A cyclopean accomplishment. Cheers to Mr. Erikson.

[The Evil Hat]

Damn, this is amazing; an epic series has actually been finished. And it just happens to be one I love. I suppose I really need to get cracking on Dance of Dreams.

[Darkness]

I have been meaning to read the series, but was not keen on reading a long series again after I finished Raymond E Fiest and Robert Jordan's books, both of which are not complete and am waiting for them to be. I may put this at the top of the list now :D

[Rhadamanth]

Well, I guess I will read Dust of Dreams soon then. Glad to hear that it's finally done.

[Kat]

So its done with the exception of the 20 planned outrigger novels that are supposed to explain everything...

No, I doubt the next 10 books will explain anything. Like Lost, they will just introduce more characters (who will get killed off) and introduce more new questions than answer old ones.

It's ok, though, because SE usually throws in enough spectacular explosions/convergences for me to forget things I was frustrated with earlier in the book. Also, when he has bitter deities appear, they usually fit into the structure and theme of the narrative, rather than as tacked on mythology.

Comparisons with some spoilers:

Swirly things: Smoke monster<Whirlwind

Mysterious structures: Hatches~=Azath houses

Mysterious structures II: The Foot>Jade Giants

Annoying guys: Jack<Kruppe (as much as it pains me.....but Jack is really bloody annoying)

Undead: Christian Shepard<Whiskeyjack

Boring women: Kate~=The M'hybe

Absolute evils that must not be released: Flocke<Crippled God (because any evil that you can just shoot under certain circumstances is kind of a letdown)

Critters: Polar bear<<Malazan beasts, and bad CGI to boot

General characterization: Lost>Malazan

But yes, I am looking forward to it. :thumbsup:

[MattTaz]

I was a big fan of Malazan, then it dramatically changed and I spent the last 2 books thinking 'who are these people' and 'what the f'k is going on' and now I simply don't care anymore.

But SE's work ethic is second to none and a big congratulations goes to him on finishing it.

Time to put his feet up for a while.

[Ealdorman Halasahr]

I've read the first two installments of the massive series. I will pick up the other eight(!) sooner rather than later, I think.

I've also, as a pure amateur mind you, tried writing a massive story of my own. The one thing I've learned doing so is that it takes a lot of time and effort. Ergo, congratulations Mr. Erikson, for having finished (at least up to the actual editing part) his last book in the series.

[Calibandar]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is the literary equivalent of Lost.

Nevertheless, Erikson appears to have completed the series to his satisfaction, so congrats to him for that.

It's something that has struck me as typical of Erikson when I see his comments in the last few years. Erikson sees the loads of criticism for his work as well but he always seems to be very sturdy in his self confidence, indicating perhaps that it is more the reader at fault than any flaw of his. I do think it will be a final book that he will find satisfactory but that many people will be left confused and .........irritated. But regardless of what his readers think, he always insists it is right as it should be.