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Pat Rothfuss XVII: Games, Bets, and Minecraft


Ser Scot A Ellison
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12 hours ago, Ser Not Appearing said:

Lol, this reads like Kingkiller was translated to another language by someone who was only loosely fluent in that language and then Google translate was used to bring that back into English in a translation "telephone game" case study.

Even the world name is like a "nailed it" version of Temerant. I bet the main character "Ari" has a good friend name "Keyvote" who lives in the sewers.

Exactly.  And yet...it was published.  What does that tell you?

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On 3/6/2023 at 8:28 PM, polishgenius said:

As an aside, unrelated to Rothfuss himself, but as we know we've had quite a few books since inspired in one way or another by Rothfuss. The 'I am telling you my story from the future' form has become popular since then. 

However nothing has been so frankly brazen as a book I happened across yesterday when I was scanning back through some recommended reads from 2022. I can't do a screenshot because, well, we don't do that here, but check out the free preview of RR Virdi's The First Binding on Kobo and read the first few lines of the first chapter.


For all I know it's a perfectly fine book past that, and the premise sounds intriguing, but he's biting a man's flow there. 

I was curious and read some reviews on Goodreads, one included this quote from the book which suggests even the protagonist has read The Name of the Wind:

Quote

"I made my way to the bed, setting my belongings down at one side. My hands went to one of the journals I always carried, turning it open with a brush from my thumb. An old and familiar story flashed before me and I smiled.
It was of a red-haired boy who grew to be a man many thought a demon. Partly on account of his odd hair color, but more so for the deeds he came to be known for and by. By the end of it all, they say he killed a prince. Some say a king. Wizard. Bard. Hero. A villain.
The world saw it easier to mark him both, none, and sometimes, pick between depending on the day. Only he knew the truth.
And now I found myself understanding why he never told us the true accounting of things."

 

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2 hours ago, Gaston de Foix said:

It's Tor, not exactly a small fish.  But that's a fair answer.  I suppose I look at this and think, if he can get published why not others?

I didn't even bother checking to see. That it's Tor is kinda wild, tbh.

 

I know the question is rhetorical but ... I suspect a lot of people simply don't put in the work to finish (that's me). Others actually try to create and don't mimic or follow a formula and that makes it read strangely. Others maybe just aren't writing the trends or break some simple "don't do" rules that get them tossed (though that's probably related to not mimicking). Still others just get lost in the shuffle. And maybe some just don't write well.

Plenty of reasons.

But if you're willing to study the market and jump on trends, aren't a perfectionist and follow common structure formulas ... and you put in the work / time ... I tend to think most people could get published one way or another.

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1 hour ago, williamjm said:

I was curious and read some reviews on Goodreads, one included this quote from the book which suggests even the protagonist has read The Name of the Wind:

Just the two brief excerpts I've seen of this are so on the nose and, jmo, poorly written that I'm kind of surprised.

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5 hours ago, williamjm said:

I was curious and read some reviews on Goodreads, one included this quote from the book which suggests even the protagonist has read The Name of the Wind:

 

 

That is absolutely wild. I get being a fan, and paying homage, and all that. But if you're gonna write a fanfic, call it that.

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10 hours ago, williamjm said:

I was curious and read some reviews on Goodreads, one included this quote from the book which suggests even the protagonist has read The Name of the Wind:

 

If you are going to imitate someone's style (badly), it's best to be brazen about it no? And do a little ass-kissing.  Best way to fend of a law suit.  It was a homage!

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I just had a thought - Do we know if this book was originally written in English?

 

I have legit zero knowledge or experience with translation services in the industry but I started thinking that maybe one part of the reason that those excerpts read awkwardly to me could be because of actual translation issues.

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I almost bought this book as I read some hype that made it seem original. I read an exerpt and noped out of it HARD. 

I suspect they will get away with it. Hell, no one sued Christopher Paolini for his transgressions. 

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3 hours ago, Ser Not Appearing said:

I just had a thought - Do we know if this book was originally written in English?

According to his author bio he is American. Apparently he was nominated (with a co-author) for a Nebula Award for Best Novelette, a few years ago.

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I think we should be fair that the writing doesn't seem incompetent. It's just trying way too hard, and additionally looks worse in comparison to the inspiration. 


 

3 hours ago, Jerol said:

I suspect they will get away with it. 


There's nothing to get away with really. As obvious as the ripoff is, it doesn't seem to lift any actual passages, or events or the like, from Rothfuss. You can't copyright the idea of a cocky storyteller, or showy writing about silence. 

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21 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

I think we should be fair that the writing doesn't seem incompetent. It's just trying way too hard, and additionally looks worse in comparison to the inspiration. 


 


There's nothing to get away with really. As obvious as the ripoff is, it doesn't seem to lift any actual passages, or events or the like, from Rothfuss. You can't copyright the idea of a cocky storyteller, or showy writing about silence. 

Phew.  In that case would you please buy my forthcoming book: The Flame-Haired Musician's Adventures in Faerieland (Adult Version).  $30, pp.700.   

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I'm gonna write a story about this idea I've running around my mind for awhile. I'm tentatively considering calling it The Winternos Chronicles:

An ancient evil is rising as magic returns to the Halfish Dozen Kingdoms. Across the ocean, a slave girl rises to power after capturing the first giant worm seen in hundreds of years. Through it all, one family strives to keep the land on a path of justice and, when that fails, vengeance.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Ser Not Appearing said:

I'm gonna write a story about this idea I've running around my mind for awhile. I'm tentatively considering calling it The Winternos Chronicles:

An ancient evil is rising as magic returns to the Halfish Dozen Kingdoms. Across the ocean, a slave girl rises to power after capturing the first giant worm seen in hundreds of years. Through it all, one family strives to keep the land on a path of justice and, when that fails, vengeance.

 

 

Do it, but I gotta warn you, Frank Herbert's estate is gonna come after you for ripping off Heretics of Dune.  

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