August 2014 reads

[Starkess]

I bought Fool's Assassin, The Magician's Land, and The Republic of Thieves today. I want to read them ALL! And instead I am still slogging through The King of the Crags. <_<

[mashiara]

I've had a pretty good run, liking or loving all 3 of the last books I read.

The Girl With All the Gifts, M.R. Carey. Really well written, with a different ending than what I imagined. I enjoyed it a lot.

The Cuckoo's Calling, Robert Galbraith (JKRowling). This one was also a lot of fun to read. I hadn't read a good detective story in ages and I loved this one, especially since all the main characters seemed so fleshed out and interesting.

Magic Bites, Ilona Andrews. Loved this one as well, all of you who kept recommending it weren't wrong. Hopefully I'll love the rest of the series as well, especially since I'm now reading the second one, Magic Burns.

[David Selig]

Magic Bites, Ilona Andrews. Loved this one as well, all of you who kept recommending it weren't wrong. Hopefully I'll love the rest of the series as well, especially since I'm now reading the second one, Magic Burns.

I am in the middle of reading this series (just started the fifth book), good news it stays strong and there is no dip in the quality yet, which is very rare in fantasy.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

I bought Fool's Assassin, The Magician's Land, and The Republic of Thieves today. I want to read them ALL! And instead I am still slogging through The King of the Crags. <_<

I slogged through the entire series. It didn't improve in my opinion.

[HexMachina]

Finshed Fool's Assassin today on the way to work. Loved the book, can't wait for the next. I actually had tears in my eyes at times while I was reading.

I'm going to read Jane Eyre next I think

[SerArthurHeath]

Read the two books so far from the kingkiller chronicles. Name of the Wind was fantastic, Kvothe should be a stu but somehow Rothuss rescues it and his writing is occasionally sublime. Name of the Wind I wished had actually contained more and repeated less. Some people have talked and complained about a certain scene and Kvothe's increasing Stuness. This is fair to a degree, except a) Kvothe IS a deconstruction of sorts b) he has too many character flaws and these hurt him too much to truly qualify c) the story is told by Kvothe. Unreliable narrator much?

[Gormenghast]

Are there any updates on Rothfuss third book? I stopped reading the blog when he completely stopped providing any info about the writing progress. He's learning all the worst lessons from GRRM.

He's also getting good at imitating his Gaiman idol. You know, "celebrity writers" who got popular and so get away writing a short story every 4 years and can't be arsed to atually write a decent novel anymore, since their public will gush at whatever two pages they produce and win prizes and rounds of applause regardless.

The same as the comic industry where comic artists get popular drawing monthly comic books, then after they get popular they completely halt their production and get away drawing a cover or a poster maybe once every 6 months, and can't be arsed to actually draw a monthly comic book ever again. Or maybe some one-shot super special collector issue, and that's it.

I know Rothfuss has queued up a number of short stories, novellas and whatnot. Everything to avoid writing the actual novel. He's right after Gaiman's "I am so popular I don't even have to write anymore".

Anyway, beside the rant, are there any updates on the status of the actual book?

[SerArthurHeath]

Gaiman writes loads. Just look at his bibliography/filmography/tvography at his age. Can't remember a year he hasn't had something out, he works in so many areas and is not a novel writer first and foremost. Also, frankly he's earned it, the only series he has left to finish is the one he's doing a prequel to and he can write at whatever pace he wants. The only material anyone is waiting for is Sandman. The only authors I think write considerably more are Pratchett and Sanderson

As for the 3rd Kvothe book, no idea, it's not been that long since the second though.

[Gormenghast]

Gaiman writes loads. Just look at his bibliography/filmography/tvography at his age. Can't remember a year he hasn't had something out, he works in so many areas and is not a novel writer first and foremost.

That's the point, a bunch of minor, side projects of every kind and nothing remotely as ambitious as the STUFF that actually made him popular. These kinds of writers produce one or two BIG things, and then for the remaning of their careers produce cute toys, or actually put their name on projects done by other people.

The last Gaiman project I heard about is a new Sandman comic book. Obviously just 6 issues. Once every TWO month. And a "prequel". And on top of that it was ALSO delayed because it was too much writing for him. Maybe right now he's thinking how he could ever accept to commit to SIX whole issues. Too much work for the likes of him.

As for the 3rd Kvothe book, no idea, it's not been that long since the second though.

For the 2nd book Rothfuss motivated the delay with all that happened in his life during that period. It was absolutely plausible. The first book came out in 2007, the second in 2011. So four years, and delay motivated by a bunch of problems that he wasn't responsible of and that would have slowed down anyone.

What are the excuses for book 3 though? We hit another four years early next year. So see the pattern, the second book took a whole lot because of issues and he thought he owed his readers explanations because of the delay. The third book is taking AT LEAST as much, and this time there are no excuses, Rothfuss doesn't even feel like he owes his readers some explanations, he just adapted t the lowest standard of expectations. Now four years are the norm, not the exception. If the book comes out in four years, or a little more, he'd think he's hitting perfectly the deadline. We should congratulate him for how fast he wrote this time.

[SerArthurHeath]

Gaiman isn't just a novelist, he has no need to just write novels and IMO his best work is not his novels, but his comics and most of all his short stories. Why should he waste his time writing novels?

[SerArthurHeath]

The sandman alone is already a big enough thing that he would be a writing great if he'd never written a single novel. As it is I think you are being grossly unfair

[Darth Richard II]

Rothfussis probably too busy trying to figure out all the female characters boob sizes to actually write. >.>

Edit: Holy shit, dude, entitlement much?

[First of My Name]

That's the point, a bunch of minor, side projects of every kind and nothing remotely as ambitious as the STUFF that actually made him popular. These kinds of writers produce one or two BIG things, and then for the remaning of their careers produce cute toys, or actually put their name on projects done by other people.

The last Gaiman project I heard about is a new Sandman comic book. Obviously just 6 issues. Once every TWO month. And a "prequel". And on top of that it was ALSO delayed because it was too much writing for him. Maybe right now he's thinking how he could ever accept to commit to SIX whole issues. Too much work for the likes of him.

Gaiman is under no obligation to work solely on huge projects because you prefer those to a 6-issue comic, and implying that he might steal works from someone next is a statement that makes very little sense.

[Darth Richard II]

I find it odd that of all the people to complain about not putting out regular work, you pick Gaiman, I swear that man has something new out every time i go to B&N.

[Gormenghast]

I was just making an example. There's a "type" of popular writers, and it happens especially in comic books, that ONCE reach celebrity they stop doing the job.

The point here that Gaiman wrote Sandman at some point, as a monthly ongoin series. You do think that now he'd accept writing another monthly, ongoing series? Nope. He's done BECAUSE he's a celebrity.

I'm not accusing Gaiman, I'm pointing to a trend of which Gaiman is just an example. This pattern is especially evident with comic book artists. The McFarlane, Jim Lee, Madrueira got popular by drawing monthly comic books. Then AFTER they became popular they stopped almost entirely drawing monthly comic books. They'd rather just draw a cover.

Are they to blame? Nope. I'm just describing a pattern. No writer or artists is obliged to work in a different way. I'm simply pointing out what happens in American industry, and how it is a recurring pattern (for example "Naruto" or "One Piece" have thier artists reach celebrity, but this doesn't make them stop their output).

In the case of Gaiman I'm simply saying that he's still at the very top of celebrity fandom. Yet the best stuff he produced is still the stuff he made 10+ years ago. The problem isn't Gaiman itself, but an aspect of the industry that makes people into celebrity and then applauds them and give them prizes even if these celebrities lower their standards and start to produce and "ration" shit.

Gaiman, in the matter of the delay of this 6-issue, bi-monthly comics literally said: "I was too busy touring and signing things to actually get writing done".

Why should Gaiman write a novel now, if he can write once every 5 years a shit novella of 150 pages, publish it like a novel, full price, and have it sell like hot cakes? Gaiman is now the kind of writer that can produce utter shit and still have it sell like if it's the best thing in the world. And this, in general, completely ruins the potential of all these writers, because they stop even trying.

And it's evident to me that this is EXACTLY what Rothfuss is after. Not the writing. But using the writing to access this fandom and popularity and social gratification that is the REAL GOAL. Just after false gods.

Imho, this completely, utterly ruins what could potentially be a good writer. Whose goal should be his own art and nothing else.

[Starkess]

I don't read comics so maybe I'm missing your drift, but I will say that Gaiman's recent novel was one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. So. Perhaps it's just your opinion.

[Darth Richard II]

Yeah like that Stephen King guy, all he does is ride off the coattails of The Shining. I mean does he even write books these days?

[Toblakai]

Why should Gaiman write a novel now, if he can write once every 5 years a shit novella of 150 pages, publish it like a novel, full price, and have it sell like hot cakes? Gaiman is now the kind of writer that can produce utter shit and still have it sell like if it's the best thing in the world.

Wow. Regardless of opinion, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is not a novella. It is about 55K to 60K words, which certainly makes it a short novel, but is over 40K. Now speaking of opinion, did it ever occur to you that it is not "shit"? The story is poignant, emotional, gripping and occasionally terrifying. There were some serious themes going on which makes me feel that it is the most literary piece he has written. While certainly a lot shorter than American Gods, he certainly spent a lot of time on each sentence. It also made a lot of best of lists. But I assume they are all delusional and simply enthralled by Gaiman and his past works, correct? We should all listen to you instead, as your opinion is superior?

[Toblakai]

As for Rothfuss, I am concerned about how long he is taking on the third book. However, I am not going to assume the worst about his character and reasons.

First, we now know that he has been actively writing with The Lightning Tree and Slow Regard of Silent Things novellas, and next year's Laniel Young-Again novel. For all we know, he may also be writing other things too outside of the Kingkiller world. He may be like Sanderson in that he has to take breaks from his big work to write other stuff. But maybe unlike Sanderson, he is holding onto what he writes vs releasing it immediately. Or maybe Rothfuss is just slow as molasses since he probably agonizes over every phrase.

Regardless, I will assume positive intent about Rothfuss unless proven otherwise.

[mashiara]

I am in the middle of reading this series (just started the fifth book), good news it stays strong and there is no dip in the quality yet, which is very rare in fantasy.

This is good to hear. I just finished the second one (Magic Burns) and really enjoyed the hell out of it. I had initially planned on reading something else after this but I just need to read the 3rd one, Magic Strikes, I'm not ready to say goodbye to the characters just yet. Then I'll stop for a while, because too much of a good thing can become too much. I'll get back to the series in a couple of weeks.