Alarich Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Fair enough, but you'll have to agree that Akka is the uber-emo male Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Baelish Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 I liked Akka at the start, but the way he just submitted to Kellhus and didn't put up much of a fight put me off him. He was far more interested in whining than fighting. But then I haven't read The Thousandfold Thought yet, so there's a chance he may have changed in that book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brys Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 He is very much a love-hate figure. Some people (me included) think he is probably the best fantasy author around at the moment, while others think he is the worst. Whether you like him or not probably depends on what you look for in a book. I love his work because there is so much history there to piece together, there are so many powerful characters that it's great fun speculating what would happen if they all converged (I think Fiddler would win ). I love the way there are no info dumps, the way you have to take seemingly insignificant quotes from different books and put them together in order to understand them. Other people hate it because a lot of the charactes aren't really fleshed out much, and some of his writing sounds a bit clunky. I am prepared to forgive that, though, because I feel his pros far outweigh his cons. I have to completely echo that - it's the history and worldbuilding that really makes me a fan of Erikson. As for the insignificant quotes - exactly! I was just re-reading Memories of Ice recently, and there was one seemingly random quote about the Malazan army at the beginning of one of the chapters in the middle of the book, and it had so much information packed into one paragraph it was ridiculous - it pretty much explains how the end of the second book was possible. Other authors have used quotes at the beginning of chapters etc, but none so well as Erikson IMO. He manages to switch between a fast paced, entertaining, intelligent fiction writing style to an academic style entirely appropriate for worldbuilding with almost no effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hark Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 I've only read the first 3 books, but so far this series has gotten better with every book. I spent most of book 1 feeling "Yeah, this is interesting enough for me to keep reading, but it ain't no GRRM." By the end of the book, I was hooked. Inspite of this, the first 200 pages of Deadhouse gates were REALLY hard to get into, but again by the end I knew I had just read one of the best tales in fantasy. The third book, Memories of Ice, is the best novel I have ever read, from cover to cover. But it comes down to taste. Not everyone who loves GRRM loves Erikson. They are very very different writers. The only thing they have in common is ambitious story-telling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 (sigh) I may have to combine this with the general Gardens of the Moon thread in a bit, since discussion of that book should be done there. For my 2c, it's quite interesting and typical of the Erikson debate that the second someone posts a pro-Erikson thread here, someone does an anti-Erikson one over on Wotmania. Curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaine Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Hey Chats - I read the first two and found myself hating the process of even picking up the books. Though I will say the second book was waaay better than the first. For some reason though, his writing just bores me to tears. None of the stuff I dig about GRRM can be found there, particularly in the area of characterization and dialogue. But many very vocal and intelligent people completely disagree with me on my opinion of it, so maybe you'll love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azmure Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Erikson is one of those authors that I'm still a little in two-minds about, especially when it comes to his overall body of work. I love some of his writing (most of DG, huge chunks of MOI) but hate other parts (nearly all of HOC). I love his scope, and his ability to evoke a sense of time and antiquity, but I find his books too...I don't know, busy. That's why I tend to read Erikson without trying to understand everything, and slowly let stuff sink in. There is also a lot of seemingly-contradictory information in the series, which frustrates me a bit, but after five books I'm satisfied to just switch my brain off and go with the flow. I've never really understood the polarizing effect Erikson has on readers. IMO, his books aren't great (too bloated and crammed with useless stuff, and too much trite philosophising) nor are they terrible (there's just so much fun stuff going on!), so he falls somewhere in my fantasy middle-ground. I'm enjoying the series enough to keep reading, but I wouldn't be going out and buying them in hardback. So I guess I find it a bit weird that so much vitriol gets thrown around about Erikson online. I guess it shows that if nothing else, his books inspire thought and debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hark Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I find his books too...I don't know, busy. I have never read a criticism of Erikson with which I did not agree. It's just that the same things some people hate about his writing, I happen to love. The business is another of those things. Something is happening on EVERY page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alarich Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Akka went beyond emo into pansy ass. He was toilet paper. "Please Mr., will you wipe your arse with me, pleaaaase!!!" pathetic. Ouch, that hurts. He's my favourite character... You aren't exactly the kind of woman I'd like to be around if I was on a super-emo trip. :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hereward Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I liked Akka at the start, but the way he just submitted to Kellhus and didn't put up much of a fight put me off him. He was far more interested in whining than fighting. But then I haven't read The Thousandfold Thought yet, so there's a chance he may have changed in that book. It seems that avoiding Bakker threads is not sufficient to avoid spoilers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Baelish Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Sorry H7. I didn't think to put it in spoiler tags because I didn't mention any outright spoilers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray the Enforcer Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Sorry Hereward. I was stating opinions, not direct spoilers so I didn't think to use spoiler tags. Alarich, it was just too much for me. I know. I get all whiny and emo just thinking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alarich Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Alarich, it was just too much for me. Yeah, I can understand that. Having reached the end of book 2, I'm all like "Holy shit what's going to happen when this guy explodes." The building-up of emotional tension is amazing though, one of reasons why I think that Bakker is such a genius. And sorry Hereward if I spoiled your read, I know how annoying that can be. Like Rhelle, I was just stating an opinion that was without spoilers IMO, but of course I triggered the whole thing. So please accept my sincere apology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Lady Ashalind Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 so far I have not read any of the Bakker books. I have however read Gardens of the Moon and Deadhouse Gates. Both of which I found didn't keep my interest. I did finish them and went on to Memmories of Ice, which I loved. So on that note hopefully the books in the rest of the series will continue getting better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werthead Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I'd say HoC, MT and TBH are all very good, but definitely weaker than MoI. It's certainly worth persevering with just to see how all the numerous and disparate story threads (which I liken to a 10,000-piece jigsaw which is given to you with no picture guide and you have to put it together yourself) come together. Btw, merged this into the already-existing Gardens of the Moon thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Lady Ashalind Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 I just got done with GotM. I can see why Blaine didn't like it - and, honestly, had I not been forewarned that it had a high magic content and was more plot-driven rather than character-driven, I might not have liked it as much, either. As it is, I liked it OK - definitely enough to keep me sated and happy until the next GRRM novel comes along. I feel the same way. enough to keep me occupied while waiting. Never read a series that I have enjoyed as much as ASOIAF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doppelganger Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Well I started reading GotM last night, as I have been busy. I'm about 130 pages into it, and this book is... amazing. The writing is lovely, the battles are kick-ass, and the world is so full of depth. I could definately power through 10 books of this. You guys have never steered me in the wrong direction with what series to read. First "Prince of Nothing", and now "Malazan". I love you guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Padraig Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 And yes...I finished GotM a week ago after having it on my to-read pile for around 4 years. It was fun. Like a big action movie. I'll certainly add the next book to my reading pile, especially since it seems commonly accepted that the books improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerol Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 A sci-fi store in my area sends out a newsletter every few months with lists of new releases and reviews. The owner finally read his copy of the American release of MoI, even though he has found Erikson a bit frustrating. He was floored by it and pleased that a lot of what happened in GotM and DG now makes more sense. Now he's overcome by a strong urge to reread the first two. The thing I like about Martin and Erikson is that they are the rare writers whose work reveals even more on rereads. The more you read the deeper your addiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
childe roland Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 I feel the same way. enough to keep me occupied while waiting. Never read a series that I have enjoyed as much as ASOIAF. MLA the chain of dogs didn't hold your interest. i love that book. have you read the bonehunters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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