Rothfuss XVI: Books? What books?

[Rhom]

24 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

GOD DAMN IT!!!

He’s not even publishing a fucking short story.  It’s fucking publicity for a fucking RPG.

But how do you feel about it? 

 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

1 minute ago, Rhom said:

But how do you feel about it? 

 

Irritated.

:|

[Larry of the Lawn]

1 hour ago, Jace, Basilissa said:

You're Patrick Rothfuss. Much respect, no joke. You live your life, playa.

I feel like you could turn a modest, but decent profit with a certain niche market selling "I am Patrick Rothfuss" t-shirts outside of cons.

[Ninefingers]

2 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

GOD DAMN IT!!!

He’s not even publishing a fucking short story.  It’s fucking publicity for a fucking RPG.

You should check out his blog. 

Nothing for months, then out of the blue: I really miss blogging. I'm going to do it more. Oh BY THE WAY, I'm doing a new fundraiser.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

19 minutes ago, Ninefingers said:

You should check out his blog. 

Nothing for months, then out of the blue: I really miss blogging. I'm going to do it more. Oh BY THE WAY, I'm doing a new fundraiser.

I’m half convinced he’s going to do something awful like claim a video game or RPG based on KKC is the third volume in the KKC.  

If he does that I will be quite put out.

[Proudfeet]

7 hours ago, john said:

Taking him at his word, Kvothe doesn’t give a good impression? He saves a town from a rampaging beast, he cares for a traumatised, starving child, he risks his life to save people from fires, he saves young girls from gangs of sex slavers, he hunts down and kills terrorists threatening a kingdom and thwarts a political plot, curing a poisoned king.

He’s kind of lame in many ways (and a lot of his exploits involve him saving young girls from various troubles) but he definitely gives a good impression.

You missed the cheating, stealing, bullying/intimidation and fraud in between. But I suppose that's just him being clever?

[Inkdaub]

I don't recall much about Kvothe at all but I don't remember him being all that bad a guy.  Maybe I'm wrong.  I read that book when it came out so it's been a few years. 

I'm not sure how Harry Potter came up...the school similarity I guess...but Harry Potter is far better than the Rothfuss books.  Rothfuss has a puncher's chance with his prose but is over-matched in every other way. 

[lysmonger]

2 hours ago, Inkdaub said:

I don't recall much about Kvothe at all but I don't remember him being all that bad a guy.  Maybe I'm wrong.  I read that book when it came out so it's been a few years. 

I'm not sure how Harry Potter came up...the school similarity I guess...but Harry Potter is far better than the Rothfuss books.  Rothfuss has a puncher's chance with his prose but is over-matched in every other way. 

I'd say this about Kvothe, Kvothe is kind of the manifestation of a six grader mary sue version of harry potter is.  When kids read Harry Potter, they sometimes pretend they are harry. So all the fantasies of killing Draco Malfory that a ten year old has, Kvothe actually does. 

[lysmonger]

8 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

GOD DAMN IT!!!

He’s not even publishing a fucking short story.  It’s fucking publicity for a fucking RPG.

Hey, be considerate. Rothfuss knows there is a huge market for Japanese rpgs based in magical school settings. He's being a smart capitalist. And if that rpg is successful then more pressure for the CW or ABC family to pick up his series and that will be his 3rd book. 

Ta da!!!

[lysmonger]

Given he hasn't been talking to his editor about the book for a few years, and she basically stopped talking to him about it. Who is giving Rothfuss legal and business advice that would come from his publisher about selling his books to a tv series??

If he isn't talking to his publisher, then would it make sense he's cutting out everyone excluding his wife?

[Kyll.Ing.]

6 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

I’m half convinced he’s going to do something awful like claim a video game or RPG based on KKC is the third volume in the KKC.  

If he does that I will be quite put out.

If that's the only way the story can continue, so be it. It would be more satisfying than nothing, at least.

[ljkeane]

9 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

GOD DAMN IT!!!

He’s not even publishing a fucking short story.  It’s fucking publicity for a fucking RPG.

I had the same reaction as Chataya. I don't think I've ever seen you swear before Scot.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

7 hours ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

In 15 years, I’ve never seen @Ser Scot A Ellison swear - much less with the f-bomb!!! 

I just see him pushing toward an “alternative” way to “complete” his story.  I find it somewhat irritating.

At least George is working on TWOW.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

3 hours ago, Kyll.Ing. said:

If that's the only way the story can continue, so be it. It would be more satisfying than nothing, at least.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no... a million million times NO!  

I appreciate that he is an artist and that art is difficult.  I have maintained for more than a dacade that well made art is difficult and space should be allowed for the artist to create.  If and when book 3 of KKC is released I will buy it and read it happily.

However, in the event the artist decides to complete their serialized novel as an interpretive dance performed before their class at the University of Wisconsin or placing baloney on his head while holding dildos in either hand screaming about Telhu’s justice on the steps of the United States Supreme Court as performance art I would find that rather less satisfying than an actual completed narrative.

I don’t play video games or RPG’s (well I haven’t played an RPG or video game in a bit more than 20 years (and I’ve never played and don’t care to play a MMORPG)).  Changing media to “complete” a serialized novel is a really shitty thing to do to the serialized novels readers not to mention the publisher to whom the author made a contractual commitment (supported by consideration in the form of an “advance”) to finish the serialized novel.

I would hope that the publisher would sue the crap out of the author in such a circumstance.  

So, no, in my earnest opinion, I (and many others I suspect) would not find an “alternative” way to “complete” the narrative satisfying in any way.  I read Rothfuss’ work for the wonderful prose (I’ve told him that in person).  

An RPG, a video game, an interpretive dance, or a piece of performance art all lack the one thing we want from Mr. Rothfuss, the prose we enjoy so much.  As such alternative means of “completing the narrative” that all lack that key ingredient would be wholly and completely unsatisfactory.

I would much rather Mr. Rothfuss humbly announce he’s decided to dedicate his life to working on charitable causes and doesn’t care to complete KKC now, or (perhaps) ever.

[williamjm]

8 hours ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

In 15 years, I’ve never seen @Ser Scot A Ellison swear - much less with the f-bomb!!! 

I think we might finally have found something that annoys him more than Denothor's plotline and the army of the dead in Peter Jackson's Return of the King.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

4 minutes ago, williamjm said:

I think we might finally have found something that annoys him more than Denothor's plotline and the army of the dead in Peter Jackson's Return of the King.

I’m not sure about... that.

[john]

8 hours ago, Proudfeet said:

You missed the cheating, stealing, bullying/intimidation and fraud in between. But I suppose that's just him being clever?

Well if we’re taking him at his word, he steals through necessity from those who can afford it, cheats those who deserve it and intimidates his worst enemy that’s literally trying to kill him. Still a pretty good impression he’s giving of himself.

And yes, stealing, lying and tricking are often a shortcut for cleverness in fantasy settings.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

1 minute ago, john said:

Well if we’re taking him at his word, he steals through necessity from those who can afford it, cheats those who deserve it and intimidates his worst enemy that’s literally trying to kill him. Still a pretty good impression he’s giving of himself.

And yes, stealing, lying and tricking are often a shortcut for cleverness in fantasy settings.

He stole from Ambrose (his words) almost out of habit after burning Ambrose’s rooms.  

[Werthead]

4 hours ago, lysmonger said:

Given he hasn't been talking to his editor about the book for a few years, and she basically stopped talking to him about it. Who is giving Rothfuss legal and business advice that would come from his publisher about selling his books to a tv series??

If he isn't talking to his publisher, then would it make sense he's cutting out everyone excluding his wife?

No-one, I'm guessing. It seems to be less of a thing in the USA where publishers will sometimes pick up the film and TV rights from the author along with the print rights (it doesn't happen often, as usually the author can charge a lot more money for that), so Rothfuss probably just started looking through the offers that came through when - or, based on the pre-release hype, long before - the book was published and picked the one that had the best mix of money, track record and how much involvement he'd have in the process. Lionsgate offering money for both TV and film, and letting him work on the project, just appealed the most.

[Kyll.Ing.]

1 hour ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no... a million million times NO!  

I appreciate that he is an artist and that art is difficult.  I have maintained for more than a dacade that well made art is difficult and space should be allowed for the artist to create.  If and when book 3 of KKC is released I will buy it and read it happily.

However, in the event the artist decides to complete their serialized novel as an interpretive dance performed before their class at the University of Wisconsin or placing baloney on his head while holding dildos in either hand screaming about Telhu’s justice on the steps of the United States Supreme Court as performance art I would find that rather less satisfying than an actual completed narrative.

I don’t play video games or RPG’s (well I haven’t played an RPG or video game in a bit more than 20 years (and I’ve never played and don’t care to play a MMORPG)).  Changing media to “complete” a serialized novel is a really shitty thing to do to the serialized novels readers not to mention the publisher to whom the author made a contractual commitment (supported by consideration in the form of an “advance”) to finish the serialized novel.

I would hope that the publisher would sue the crap out of the author in such a circumstance.  

So, no, in my earnest opinion, I (and many others I suspect) would not find an “alternative” way to “complete” the narrative satisfying in any way.  I read Rothfuss’ work for the wonderful prose (I’ve told him that in person).  

An RPG, a video game, an interpretive dance, or a peice of performance art all lack the one thing we want from Mr. Rothfuss, the prose we enjoy so much.  As such alternative means of “completing the narrative” all lack that key ingredient would be wholly and completely unsatisfactory.

I would much rather Mr. Rothfuss humbly announce he’s decided to dedicate his life to working on charitiable causes and doesn’t care to complete KKC now, or (perhaps) ever.

You're comparing those alternative outcomes to the book itself. Of course I would prefer the book to be released too.

But if the book is not an option, at least an RPG handbook or whatever to let us know what happened would be something. It wouldn't be the thing, but as an alternative to total silence forever, I think it's the preferable option. If Rothfuss can't and won't ever get the book finished, I wouldn't mind if we at least got a plot summary through other media. The alternative would be to never hear anything again.