The Gradual Interview

Post by **Cameraman Jenn** » Thu May 24, 2007 7:10 pm

She's a touchy one, that Lucimay!

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Sat May 26, 2007 12:02 am

Speaking of ambergris...
www.sciam.com:80/article.cfm?SID=mail&a ... anID=sa029

Post by **Astavyastataa Kadna** » Sat May 26, 2007 1:27 am

Cameraman Jenn wrote:She's a touchy one, that Lucimay!

Paybacks can be HELL when you mess with CHAOS and DESTRUCTION!!

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Sat May 26, 2007 10:15 am

Fist and Faith wrote:Speaking of ambergris...
www.sciam.com:80/article.cfm?SID=mail&a ... anID=sa029

Good article, Fist.

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:49 pm

Mr. Moore: Ok, I just scoured the GI for an answer to my question, or a clue to it, but found none (quite surprisingly). My question concerns translation to the Land.

In the First Chronicles, Covenant (and Hile Troy, I guess, for that matter) was summoned to the Land by way of a tool, i.e. the Staff of Law. Triock and Foamfollower didn't have the Staff in TPTP, but they still used a tool (orcrest by Triock and incantations of some kind by Foamfollower--yes?) In the Second Chronicles, summons happens...how? I never found a real answer to this. There was the fire, and the ritual (guided or caused by either Foul or a raver...), and when Covenant and Linden arrived on Kevin's Watch, no summoner was there to greet them, in contrast to all summons in the First Chronicles. So now the questions:

Does these changes or differences in being summoned to the Land have anything to do with the breaking of laws in the Land? How connected is a summons to the Land with white gold? How essential is a tool of power for a summons to the Land?

(There's something here, I just know it...)

Hail,
Mr. Moore

From my perspective, the question of "tools" is secondary. As I've said before, in "The Chronicles" power ultimately comes from the living will and heart of the being who wields it, not from the means by which that power is wielded. Sure, particular tools are designed for specific purposes. It's difficult to drive nails with a chisel. But it isn't the hammer that drives the nail: it's the man or woman using the hammer. In this sense (if in no other: I'm not sure how far I'm prepared to follow this line of reasoning today), the Staff of Law and white gold and the Illearth Stone and orcrest etc. etc. are comparable to mundane tools. (Although a nail-gun might be a better analogy, since nail-guns run on electricity, and electricity can be compared to Earthpower without too much strain....)

It's true that no tool is specified when Lord Foul summons Covenant (and--perhaps inadvertently--Linden) to the Land. But the circumstances aren't really comparable. In "The Second Chronicles" (and "The Last"), LF had, in a manner of speaking, help on *this* side; the "real world" side. The pain and malice of people in Covenant's/Linden's world helped LF perform the summons. Perhaps that obviates the need for an appropriate tool. Perhaps those people were themselves the tool. Or perhaps the fact that LF is an immortal being implies that he isn't constrained (by mortal limitations) in the same way that Drool and Atiaran and Elena and Mhoram and Triock and Foamfollower were.

In any case, as Atiaran demonstrated with Hile Troy, there is no *necessary* relationship between being summoned to the Land and white gold.

(06/25/2007)

Perhaps inadvertently? Is this a clue?

Post by **Seareach** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:51 pm

From news section:

've recently finished proofreading the Putnams (US) text for "Fatal Revenant," so I can now report that in their edition the book is 590 pages long, not counting either "What Has Gone Before" or the Glossary. "The Runes of the Earth" was 513 pages.

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:53 pm

I'm really looking forward to reading SRD's "What has gone before" for Runes.

Post by **Seareach** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:39 pm

dlbpharmd wrote:I'm really looking forward to reading SRD's "What has gone before" for Runes.

Yeah, I think I need a general refresher on Runes...maybe I should read it again before October!

Post by **Relayer** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:36 am

dlbpharmd wrote:Perhaps inadvertently? Is this a clue?

I noticed that too. But I can't remember if it was discussed in some other GI question...

And yea, I can't wait for the What Has Gone Before, for 2 reasons:

1) To find out what SRD considers important.

2) Because it means I'll have FR in my hands!!!

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:03 am

Relayer wrote:
dlbpharmd wrote:Perhaps inadvertently? Is this a clue?
I noticed that too. But I can't remember if it was discussed in some other GI question...

And yea, I can't wait for the What Has Gone Before, for 2 reasons:

1) To find out what SRD considers important.

2) Because it means I'll have FR in my hands!!!

This is what I'm talking about - SRD's WHGB for Runes was so revealing.

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:17 pm

Scott: This may be a better question for your webmaster.... or you may not wish to share, but- how many hits does this site recieve in a day, or a month- or however you are measuring?

Just curious to see how many of us are out here.

This site averages just about 70,000 hits a month. Unfortunately, the software we use to compile statistics doesn't distinguish between "new" and "repeat" hits. For all I know, one person visits this site 70,000 times a month. If so, he/she must be *very* lonely. <grin>

(06/26/2007)

wow - 70,000 hits a month.

That's amazing.

Post by **drew** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 pm

Well..I go there everyday...so without me it would only be 69970 per month.

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:21 pm

Peter B.: Hi Steve.

Just wondering if you've seen the cover art for Fatal Revenant yet and what you think of it. Any chance we'll all get a sneak peek anytime soon?

Take care.

-Peter

Yes, I've seen the cover art for "Fatal Revenant". Both UK and US. I have mixed feelings about both (feelings which it would be premature to discuss here), but they are *extremely* well done. My webmaster will be posting them as soon as we receive finalized versions from my publishers. But I have no way of knowing when that will happen.

(06/26/2007)

Having seen both covers, I wonder what his "mixed feelings" are?

Post by **drew** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:24 pm

No Naked Barbarian Chick like on the old French Covers.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:25 pm

dlbpharmd wrote:
Peter B.: Hi Steve.

Just wondering if you've seen the cover art for Fatal Revenant yet and what you think of it. Any chance we'll all get a sneak peek anytime soon?

Take care.

-Peter

Yes, I've seen the cover art for "Fatal Revenant". Both UK and US. I have mixed feelings about both (feelings which it would be premature to discuss here), but they are *extremely* well done. My webmaster will be posting them as soon as we receive finalized versions from my publishers. But I have no way of knowing when that will happen.

(06/26/2007)
Having seen both covers, I wonder what his "mixed feelings" are?

I thought they were both gorgeous, but who am I to judge?

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:26 pm

drew wrote:No Naked Barbarian Chick like on the old French Covers.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:26 am

dlbpharmd wrote:
wow - 70,000 hits a month.

That's amazing.

All depends on how you measure it. IIRC, some stats packages count every page load as a hit...so if you navigate across 3 or 5 or 10 pages, that's the equivalent of the same number of hits. (Indexing bots etc. also count as "hits")

The real measure should, I think, be "unique visitors" as he implies. That would tell you how many actual people visited the site every month.

--A

Post by **wayfriend** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:24 pm

dlbpharmd wrote:Having seen both covers, I wonder what his "mixed feelings" are?

I think Donaldson reveals his taste in another question he answered (on the question just prior):

Peter Hunt: Mr Donaldson,

in a previous answer, you mentioned that you liked the Fontana cover illustrations for the First Chronicles. They are also my favourite; the front covers somehow evoke the tone of each book without necessarily reproducing a specific scene from them.

I thought I'd also mention, though, that if you put the three volumes face down, the back illustrations combine to form a single wonderful panorama of the Land as seen (I think) from the summit of Melenkurion Skyweir.

Best regards,
Peter
You're quite right. This is just another example how well I was published 30 years ago--and how much things have changed since at Fontana (now HarperCollins) and DEL REY/Ballantine.

(06/26/2007)

These are the Fontana covers:

Conclusion? I think he prefers to see a characters and landscapes from the book (not necessarily real scenes) that are both well-done and also which evoke the mood and spirit.

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:59 pm

I'm very partial to those covers also.

Post by **wayfriend** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:56 pm

(Wish I could see what the backs looked like all put together.)