New R. Scott Bakker interview

[pat5150]

Courtesy of Adam, Larry, and I, there's a new interview with R. Scott Bakker on the Hotlist! The author was once again very forthcoming with his answers, which means that there is something for everyone in there, both for the lovers and the haters. Some food for thought and discussions, methinks!

I elected to begin a new thread, for the other Bakker threads are bogged down with metaphysical speculations and other hardcore material. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I felt it would be better to have a thread to discuss the interview.

Follow this link to read the full Q&A! ;)

Patrick

[Curethan]

Cool! Thx Pat.

[Gormenghast]

Bakker is awesome and the interview great, but where's the 2nd part?

[Grack21]

That was neat. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

I just started The Warrior Prophet like...5 minutes ago. :P

[TheValyrianDragonlord]

Thanks for that Pat. Good to hear from Bakker. I'm actually really kind of pissed that Light Time and Gravity won't be coming out. I loved the premise and was really looking forward to it. Pat, for part 2 did you ask when the Unholy Consult might be coming out? Thanks.

[Spring Bass]

That was an interesting interview.

• I presume he was joking when he said he had been offered money to abandon the series. I mean, what else does he have on the docket? Neuropath and Disciple of the Dog were both less-than-successful. Light, Time, and Gravity is more project than serious hope for making money.
  
  
• He still has a huge hate-on for rationalization. I wonder what he would make of the new Argumentative Theory of Reasoning - that human reasoning might have evolved as a means of rationalization.
  
  
• He has apparently not "mapped out the whole globe". Which makes me wonder how many authors have mapped out their entire worlds. Does GRRM have a mental map of what the whole Martinworld planet looks like?
  
  
• He is preparing a huge glossary.
  

[Relic]

nice. thanks pat. is there a part two?

[jurble]

Hmm, few weeks for the questions I really want, but

But this isn’t to say that surprises haven’t been painted across the horizon.

Eanna is the Land of the Rising Sun.

Earwa is the Land of the Setting Sun.

Right?

So I have no idea what that comment could mean. But I'm sure there's an answer in there somewhere.

[Galactus]

The more I read Bakker, the more I'm struck by how completely incapable he seems to be of self-reflection.

[Spring Bass]

It's hard to say. The man buries his arguments underneath so much jargon and philosophy-talk.

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

That was an interesting interview.

[*] I presume he was joking when he said he had been offered money to abandon the series. I mean, what else does he have on the docket? Neuropath and Disciple of the Dog were both less-than-successful. Light, Time, and Gravity is more project than serious hope for making money.

I took it too mean some anti-fan hated the books so much he was willing to pay him for abandoning them. I hope it was a joke, but considering extreme reactions the books cause in some readers, you never know ;)

[*] He still has a huge hate-on for rationalization. I wonder what he would make of the new Argumentative Theory of Reasoning - that human reasoning might have evolved as a means of rationalization.

Well, he would probably say it is a proof human reasoning sucks. I must admit he does have a point ;) even if it surely isn't as simple as he makes it to be.

[Antonius Pius]

I particularly liked these bits:

So much will be revealed [in The Unholy Consult], in fact, that I can’t comment–at least not in a family-friendly interview such as this! Things. Get. Positively. Hardcore.

I’ve already started working on the ‘Expanded and Revised’ Encyclopaedic Glossary, in fact, but more and more it’s looking as though The Unholy Consult will be larger than even The White-Luck Warrior. If so, I’m guessing that the Glossary will have to be published... gulp... separately.

Good interview, lot's of interesting stuff. I think I understand a bit better what Bakker's trying to say, but in all honesty there are still some bits about his arguments that I don't get.

[lokisnow]

The more I read Bakker, the more I'm struck by how completely incapable he seems to be of self-reflection.

huh, the more I read Bakker, the more I'm struck that he spends such vastly more time in self-reflection than a typical human that he sometimes doesn't spend enough time looking at the whole reflection, so to speak.

but thanks for proving his point for him. :) Very concise way of demonstrating exactly what he was talking about.

Once people socially commit to this position, then its game over. Others challenge them (because the books really are more complicated) and suddenly making their case becomes a matter of in-group prestige. They become invested, to the point of repeating the same arguments over years. It really is remarkable. They end up sounding like, well, gay conservatives. People who act like fans in so many ways, devouring the books, discussing them, and yet spending all their air-time taking the piss out of them. Such is the need to be believed!

And the unfortunate fact is that they prime the expectations of other readers, bend the funhouse mirror in ways that tend to close the possibility of open, charitable readings–a mindset that I think the books genuinely reward.

[Galactus]

huh, the more I read Bakker, the more I'm struck that he spends such vastly more time in self-reflection than a typical human that he sometimes doesn't spend enough time looking at the whole reflection, so to speak.

but thanks for proving his point for him. :) Very concise way of demonstrating exactly what he was talking about.

No, he spends a lot of time reflecting on the flaws of OTHERS. That's a different matter entirely :P

[lokisnow]

funny, I read that interview and see him reflecting on flaws in himself, and harping upon himself quite a lot, more than is typical. Amazing how different interpretations can be made. :)

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

No, he spends a lot of time reflecting on the flaws of OTHERS. That's a different matter entirely :P

He never claimed to be free from the flaws he criticizes. Of course, if you make a career of attacking human stupidity, you risk sounding arrogant, but Bakker is well aware of it and quite often goes out of his way to say he isn't any better.

[Galactus]

Honestly, I find the sheer sour grapes that he exudes pretty interesting. The sense I guess is that he wants to be considered a Great Artist, but since he isn't (although he is successful enough, I think) he goes off on rants about how useless "they" are.

Which is, y'know, true, but doesen't make it sound any less than sour grapes.

ead that interview and see him reflecting on flaws in himself, and harping upon himself quite a lot, more than is typical.

What? He spends the entire article complaining about people just not "getting" him. And how this is because they're locked into their own preconceptions (which might be correct, but it still sounds like trying to blame someone else for not communicating properly)

[Lyanna Stark]

What? He spends the entire article complaining about people just not "getting" him. And how this is because they're locked into their own preconceptions (which might be correct, but it still sounds like trying to blame someone else for not communicating properly)

Wasn't this exactly what was going on in the "Bakker and Women" threads as well? It seems to be exactly the same argument then.

As an aside, this might be an interesting approach to take as a teacher (and PoN is, if nothing else, trying the didactic approach, no? ).

"If you don't understand what I mean, it's because you are locked into your preconceptions, not because I am fail as a teacher". :lol:

[Arthmail]

What i tire of is his notion that he has struck upon something new, that his ideas are somehow so fresh and original as to be transformative. I like the series, and i like his ideas, but i think he is too repetitive sometimes. I think he needs to learn how to relax. I was going to say more, but i'm going back to bed.

[Galactus]

Wasn't this exactly what was going on in the "Bakker and Women" threads as well? It seems to be exactly the same argument then.

Yes, I really like The Second Apocalypse stuff. They're great books, but Bakker is just something of a douche.

What i tire of is his notion that he has struck upon something new, that his ideas are somehow so fresh and original as to be transformative. I like the series, and i like his ideas, but i think he is too repetitive sometimes. I think he needs to learn how to relax. I was going to say more, but i'm going back to bed.

Yeah, it's not as if determinism hasn't been around since forever.