Terry Brooks = Terry Goodkind?

[kevinswatch]

Heh, well, considering the confusion we had over who Terry Goodkind really was and which books he in fact wrote, maybe we should have a topic to determine scientifically that they are really the same person. Let's go over the facts:

1) They both have a first name "Terry". Coincidence? I doubt it.

2) They both write fantasy novels. Now isn't that convenient?

3) Not only do they write fantasy novels, they write very uncreative and bad fantasy novels.

4) Not only do they write uncreative fantasy novels, but somehow they both manage to sell bazillions of copies of their books.

5) One has a book called "The Sword of Shanarra", the other has a series called "The Sword of Truth".

And...er...that's all I can think of.

Now, I'm probably being a little harsh, and I have to say that I'm posting this as mostly a joke, because I've only read one book from each author so far. The Sword of Shanarra and Wizard's First Rule. WFR was interesting but really didn't motivate me to read more of his books and The Sword of Shanarra was just crap.

So are they the same person? Or maybe there is a greater conspiracy? Because there is another author that shares many of the traits listed above, dare I mention Robert Jordan? Heh. Maybe there is just one person who is responsible for writing all of the popular trashy fantasy novels out there... Hm...

Although this Terry VS Terry sounds like a good idea for some sort of lame graduate thesis. Hehe.-jay

[Alynna Lis Eachann]

Hmm, now there's a thesis idea I could run with!

[duchess of malfi]

Well, Goodkind has some S&M in his books, featuring hot girls in skin tight red leather. I don't know of Brooks having anything similar, though I am certainly no expert on either of them.

[CovenantJr]

*goes for a lie down*

[Drundaar Rockheart]

I've read THE SWORD OF SHANNARA trilogy it wasn't bad......it wasn't that good either... It does bare some resemblances to Goodkinds work....I wonder.............

[Variol Farseer]

Terry Brooks was GoH at a con in my area a couple of years ago, and the worst thing anybody could say about him was that he used to be a lawyer. Terry Goodkind, on the other hand, probably should be a lawyer. Brooks, whatever his shortcomings as a writer, is widely known as one of the nicest human beings in the business; Goodkind, well, isn't.

So they're not the same person. At least, not quite. My personal theory is that Goodkind is Brooks's evil twin.

[danlo]

After reading Angelfire East (The third book of Brooks' A Knight of the Realm series--that has a very promising opening: Running With the Demon) there's no way they could be the same person. It really takes a special skill to write THE worst book (and I use that term loosely) ever written.

[duchess of malfi]

NO, the worst book ever written is by Goodkind ~ The Pillars of Creation.

Danlo, I double dare you to read that awful pile of steamin' poo sometime.

[danlo]

Then they ARE the same person! No thanks I'd rather read The Runemasters of Eldritch... (is there a crappiest book ever thread?)

[Ard Rhys]

In my opinion, Angel Fire East is one of the best books written and that Word/Void trilogy is a masterpiece of contemporary fantasy.

[Holsety]

NO, the worst book ever written is by Goodkind ~ The Pillars of Creation.

Danlo, I double dare you to read that awful pile of steamin' poo sometime.

Having read both, I have to agree pillars was worse than angel fire east.

IMO Naked Empire was a move from sometimes creative but bad works to utterly derivative works. Then in pillars, he simply created a tome of drivel.

EDIT-I hope pillars was creative. If it wasn't, that means there's another book in the world with the same flaws. And by naked empire i meant faith of the fallen,

[burgs]

So are they the same person?

Without having read through the rest of the thread, forgive me if I repeat anyone else's thoughts, but they can't be the same person. I just watched a Goodkind interview on Amazon, and that guy is SPOOKY. Creepy. Serial murderer insane. Knowing that his first book, and the first half of his second book (it was all i could stomach) was so full of gratuitous violence really adds something to that interview.

Terry Brooks, as unimaginative and bad as almost all of his stuff is, is a very nice man. And normal (so it appears). I've heard other authors say he's the nicest guy they've ever met. (But they don't like his writing...)

[Matthias]

May I be the first in this thread to say that I actually ENJOYED Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series.

Yeah, you saw me say it. You can quote me on that if you wish.

I've never read Brooks, though. Not enough willpower on my part.

[Farm Ur-Ted]

You've been breathing too many fumes from the DuPont plant.

[Matthias]

You've been breathing too many fumes from the DuPont plant.

nuh-uh. I'm just different.

[Orlion]

I remember reading Wizard's First Rule, I remember being so pissed off at the ending, I hurled the book across the room, wishing that I had a time machine to travel back in time with so as not to have wasted my time.

I kinda enjoyed Terry Brooks until I read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. To tell you the truth, I haven't been able to read any epic fantasy since I read CoTC except what's written by Donaldson and Tolkien (still need to read Peake's novels, though, but I digress).

My opinion, Terry Brooks drank a cup of chemicals and Terry Goodkind is his evil alter-ego, proof that talent has nothing to do with whether or not you're good or evil (ahh!! I told myself that I wasn't going to rant so much! Stop it! Stop it! ) Ow, my head...

[Zenlunatic]

Although this Terry VS Terry sounds like a good idea for some sort of lame graduate thesis. Hehe.-jay

Mathematically, it almost works out...let's see, our hypothesis is:

Terry Brooks = Terry Goodkind

The Terry's and double o's cancel out leaving us:

Brks = Gdkind

The k's cancel - leaving us:

Brs = Gdind

Taking the "numerical" values of the letters left as they are represented in our alphabet we get:

B =2 + r =18 + s =19 comes to 39 and G =7 + d =4 + i =9 + n =14 + d =4 comes to 38

39 = 38

So, it's close, but I would postulate that they are not the same person, perhaps twins seperated at birth...

[danlo]

You need a hobby sir!

[Zenlunatic]

I have one! Didn't you see my previous post?

[Cameraman Jenn]

Y'all are high-sterical. I submit photographic evidence to support prior claims that Brooks is a nice man and Goodkind is a psychopathic maniac.