Edgetars... get yer fresh edgetars!
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Lord Mhoram
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Fist and Faith
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Lord Mhoram
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Heh. Yeah I know a lot of fantasty fans are huge on it. I didn't think it was that great. I read Gardens and Deadhouse Gates. They were both good, but not spectacular. Not good enough to make me read several more 700-page novels. It has a huge cast of characters, most of whom lack any meaningful depth. The series has a pretty intricate political world which I liked, but the magic was too complex for me to get into. By the way, A Song of Ice and Fire is a million times better than Malazan. 
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Fist and Faith
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I'll give you Gardens. It was, iirc, a video game world that he turned into a novel. I have some problems with it, which I discussed in the thread, and I pretty much agreed with Malik.
But Deadhouse Gates??? Man, if you don't get a feeling of extreme reverence when you hear the words Chain of Dogs, then I'm not sure you've still got a pulse!!! The many years that came between Gardens and Gates really showed, imo.
And yet Memories of Ice is my favorite of the (not quite) four I've read! DAMN!!
Amusing that you and I feel opposite about both ASOIAF and Malazan, and for the same qualities!
The politics of Malazan may or may not be as complex as in ASOIAF. But politics alone isn't remotely interesting to me, and that's all there is in ASOIAF. But it's accompanied in Malazan by the most complex magic I've run across in any series I've read. Combined with a couple of the races/species, and the Bridgeburners... Just extraordinary stuff!!!
*shrug* Different strokes, eh?
But Deadhouse Gates??? Man, if you don't get a feeling of extreme reverence when you hear the words Chain of Dogs, then I'm not sure you've still got a pulse!!! The many years that came between Gardens and Gates really showed, imo.
And yet Memories of Ice is my favorite of the (not quite) four I've read! DAMN!!
Amusing that you and I feel opposite about both ASOIAF and Malazan, and for the same qualities!
The politics of Malazan may or may not be as complex as in ASOIAF. But politics alone isn't remotely interesting to me, and that's all there is in ASOIAF. But it's accompanied in Malazan by the most complex magic I've run across in any series I've read. Combined with a couple of the races/species, and the Bridgeburners... Just extraordinary stuff!!!*shrug* Different strokes, eh?
All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
*narrows eyes at heretofore heroic young man* <sigh>Lord Mhoram wrote:Heh. Yeah I know a lot of fantasty fans are huge on it. I didn't think it was that great. I read Gardens and Deadhouse Gates. They were both good, but not spectacular. Not good enough to make me read several more 700-page novels. It has a huge cast of characters, most of whom lack any meaningful depth. The series has a pretty intricate political world which I liked, but the magic was too complex for me to get into. By the way, A Song of Ice and Fire is a million times better than Malazan.
(do mods get a one time use only ban stick ever? how could one GET a one time use only ban stick. to whom would one petition to get a one time use only ban stick.
)i cannot speak to ASoIaF. i have not read it. and it will be a long time till it do. because i am entrenched in all things Malazan, oh ye of short attention spans.
(
)oh yeah and ps...
i think that's Ganoes Paran and Adjuct Lorn on the cover of GotM, only one of whom sort of becomes a Bridgeburner.
and guess what folks, that's always been my title, except for the short time we were bereft of custom titles and i was a Lord.
you're more advanced than a cockroach,
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies
i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio
a straight edge for legends at
the fold - searching for our
lost cities of gold. burnt tar,
gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
Haphazard Lucy strolls by.
~ dennis r wood ~
have you ever tried explaining yourself
to one of them?
~ alan bates, the mothman prophecies
i've had this with actors before, on the set,
where they get upset about the [size of my]
trailer, and i'm always like...take my trailer,
cause... i'm from Kentucky
and that's not what we brag about.
~ george clooney, inside the actor's studio
a straight edge for legends at
the fold - searching for our
lost cities of gold. burnt tar,
gravel pits. sixteen gears switch.
Haphazard Lucy strolls by.
~ dennis r wood ~
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I'm Murrin
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[Syl]
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The difference between Erikson and Martin is that Erikson's books get better with each successive book. Deadhouse Gates was hard, but I made it through. Not so with Martin's last.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
-George Steiner
I guess I throw in with Mhoram on this one. I've only made it through Memories of Ice in Malazan but I think ASOIAF is clearly superior.
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. John Stuart Mill
:run:
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Fist and Faith
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Right? For the vast majority of my life, getting my hands on those babies has been difficult enough. Encasing them in steel is redundant and cruel.Murrin wrote:About Menolly's cover: The fans complained about th cover in general, but in particular about the ridiculous steel bodice.
All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
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Furls Fire
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Never read the Malazan books (what are they about?) or ASOIAF.
It's so wonderful to have Brian back!!! Brings back fantastic memories!!!
It's so wonderful to have Brian back!!! Brings back fantastic memories!!!
And I believe in you
altho you never asked me too
I will remember you
and what life put you thru.
~fly fly little wing, fly where only angels sing~
~this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you~
...for then I could fly away and be at rest. Sweet rest, Mom. We all love and miss you.
altho you never asked me too
I will remember you
and what life put you thru.
~fly fly little wing, fly where only angels sing~
~this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you~
...for then I could fly away and be at rest. Sweet rest, Mom. We all love and miss you.
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Lord Mhoram
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Malazan fans: My big gripe is that I have no motivation to read the next book. I don't care about any of the characters, since I got not depth out of any of them. With ASoIaF, you become extremely emotionally attached to a lot of the main characters. Or at least I have. It's not just that there are too many characters in Malazan (there are). Martin has almost as many, and his series is (imo) way better. Also, it didn't help that at the time that I read Deadhouse, there was no version of Memories of Ice in print in the US. Is this still the case?
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[Syl]
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Erikson lets you get inside the head of very few characters. For the most part, you have to learn them from the outside in. Like Wolfe, there are many clues buried in what is left unrevealed (and I'd say it's even harder to feel much for Wolfe's characters). I much prefer this approach rather than 'beat you over the head with every different character's PoV.' The payoff is more rewarding, I think.
But to each their own.
(Seriously? Not even a glimmer of interest in Whiskeyjack or Quick Ben?)
Midnight Tides was released by Tor in April.
But to each their own.
(Seriously? Not even a glimmer of interest in Whiskeyjack or Quick Ben?)
Midnight Tides was released by Tor in April.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
-George Steiner
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The Laughing Man
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......I hereby raise the challenge of a 'Tar Off! 