I do not disagree abotu the fact that only the hard core fans knew that Runes was coming out. If I had not completely stumbled upon SRD's web site, Iwould have had no idea that a new book was coming out. But his response leads me to wonder whether (a) his standards are too high, i.e. if he does not ...

How can SRD or his agent for that matter not know that Runes was on the NYT bestseller list? I'd be ALL over that one. I recently asked on SRD's GI, why he seemed upset that Runes did not sell better when it appeared on the NYT Bestseller list. He said that he had not seen it on any NYT bestseller l...

I know we've said it again and again, but I'm disappointed in the sales not only as an SRD fan, but that within SF & F itself, Runes did not make more of a splash. The quality of SRD's writing, his former popularity, and the critical acclaim he has recieved merit more attention. There is an awfu...

Runes fell off the NYT bestseller list for Nov 28th. It is still off the USA top 150, and last check at B& N was #926. Within SF & F, Runes was the #24 bestseller on B & N. Getting onto the NYT list was certainly an acocmplishment for SRD--he has not been there in a LONG time. He has sai...

I am still trying to figure that one out. SW fans (including myself) rightly lament the prequel movies, b/c they are lousy in almost every respect except FX (and Natalie Portman). But SRD fans? I did not like the Lena rape scene either--I read it 3 times b/c I could not believe what had happened--I ...

With Martin, just dive into his current series. A Game of Thrones is the first book, followed by A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. With McKillip, try The Forgotten Beasts of Eld or the Riddle-Master trilogy, composed of The Riddle-Master of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind. ...

How about this. Read two of the writers that influenced Donaldson's writing: Joseph Conrad, and William Faulkner. Unless you're genre-frozen, it's hard not to appreciate them, and both have a considerable body of work. If you prefer your fiction with a touch of magical realism, try Gabriel Garcia M...

What franchise fans are the complainers?

A suggestion, if I may be so bold. Although the dissections of RotE have not yet begun, I think that re-reading chapter 11 Hints might be a good idea. I personally picked up on quite a few possibilities from that chapter alone. If "foreshadowing" is a term still used in the literary world...

Going back to Kevin's time sounds like a cheesy set-up. I hope SRD doesn't use some sort of cheesy timetravel theme to go Back-To-The-Future-esque. I really don't think he will. Please forgive the audacity, but, this is the way I imagine the above scenario: Linden goes back in time to High Lord Kevi...

I see where you're coming from, but what I'm talking about is not an opratic flow. It's the use of big words. I'm not talking about the effect of the big words on the flow, which I did enjoy, I'm talking about the vocabulary itself, seperate from the opratic feel. I missed the vocabulary in the new...

Is that because you think SRD will have re-built his fan base?

It is not a bad theory. Most of us agree that Runes will probably be a steady sell, and given that, the future novels may do better.

Some of the greatest writers of our time - most of them in fact - have produced extraordinary works of literature without causing a person to look up fifteen words every three pages. Even one of SRDs favorite authors (who uses a few words that SRD does), Joseph Conrad, tells a marvelous story witho...

I love that. Send that to Steve's agent. The only downside is that NOTHING is resolved in Runes, and it looks like it won't be finished for a decade, which will make it a harder sell for the big O.

I just checked the lists again this AM. Runes falls to NYT #26, falls off of USA Today's top 150, was at Amazon #410 and B& N #766. I still don't get how Runes could do well on NYT and not as well elsewhere.

I don't care if he doesn't get a single new reader, to be honest. I mean, I hope he does, but I always got the impression that he was finishing the series both for himself, and for us... those that need to see the story come to its end. But more sales also give SRD more power vis a vis the publishe...

I think that the fact that SRD used fewer esoteric words made Runes far more readable. Personally, I think SRD's style, especially his vocabulary, substantially hurt his popularity in the 1st and 2nd series. His characters and plotting made him popular. But if his prose were as approachable as Steph...

I agree that an appearance on the NYT bestseller list is nice, but it did not make the top 10 and it appears to be dropping. We'll have to see where NYT puts it this week. (I just checked amazon and it is at #502!) I wondered i the NYT apperance was a spike for all the old fans that went and purcahs...

I just checked the NYT list, Runes is at #21, it slipped to #104 on USA Today's list and is at #210 at Amazon. I confess that I am disappointed--Runes is a minor splash.

I agree with burgs66 in that SRD's narrative style is cleaner than the previous 2 TC series. I also share the sentiment that millennia pass, without much change, and that, in and of itself, makes the story seem a bit contrived. There is certainly no sense of history like there is in LOTR. I also thi...