Dragonlance Chronicles

[Blue_Spawn]

To be truthful, I do not see what the big deal about Dragonlance is. The first book is written very poorly and the plot is boring and unoriginal. There were in fact spots where I wanted to come in and rewrite a passage because I thought I could do a better job at it. The only thing that kept me going and continuing to read the series was the ending to "Autumn Twilight" (which actually turned out somewhat interesting). Overall, I thought it was a decent series, but much of it did not seem professional like "Amber Chronicles." In fact, it felt more like watching an RPG than reading a novel.

[Landwaster]

I read a couple of books ... doubt they were in order or anything ... I think there was dozens of Dragonlance, right?

Didn't mind them, for fluff.

[Theo]

To be truthful, I do not see what the big deal about Dragonlance is. The first book is written very poorly and the plot is boring and unoriginal. There were in fact spots where I wanted to come in and rewrite a passage because I thought I could do a better job at it. The only thing that kept me going and continuing to read the series was the ending to "Autumn Twilight" (which actually turned out somewhat interesting). Overall, I thought it was a decent series, but much of it did not seem professional like "Amber Chronicles." In fact, it felt more like watching an RPG than reading a novel.

Is there a big deal about Dragonlance? I missed that.

The Dragonlance entry from Book-a-minute, by the way:

Tanis
I am a half-elf, tortured by my half-elven, half-human nature.
Flint
I am a dwarf. I am dour and grumpy but secretly loving and tender.
Sturm
I am a knight. I exist so I may die with honor and make everyone sad.
Caramon
I am a doofus warrior. I exist solely to give Raistlin someone to insult.
Raistlin
I am an ultra-smart wizard, but I'm secretly evil. Har har har. Caramon, you're a doofus.
Tasslehoff
I am a Kender. I'm here for comic relief.
Tanis
We are together again after five years of separation. Let's go do all the important stuff in the war that's about to happen, rise to amazingly high levels in our AD&D® character classes, and become heroes.

(They do, and the reader hears DICE rolling in the background.)

[[Syl]]

That last line sums it all up. Much like Record of Lodoss War, my favorite anime, it was all just originally based off of a long roleplaying game (or games). So's Feists stuff, I believe (and like Dragonlance, the earlier stuff is good).

Even though I can't stand the franchise Dragonlance has become, I'll always be a fan of the original stuff. It's the best escapist, fluff fantasy. Yeah, it's not classic literature, but the vast majority of fantasy and sci-fi isn't.

[Blue_Spawn]

You got to admit though, among all those two-dimentional characters, Laurana turns into a pretty well developed character. Probably the only well developed one.


The thing is, so many people are dooped into liking the series....otherwise, how do you explain the sheer number of books dedicated to it (over 80).

[Loredoctor]

Raistlin will always remain one of my favourite characters. Still, it's pretty obvious they ripped the image of him off the film the Omega Man.

[Blue_Spawn]

I thought Rastlin was really flat and cliche.

"I'm evil and hate everyone of you."
*Shoots a fire cracker at a bunny*
*Coughs to death*

[Loredoctor]

I thought Rastlin was really flat and cliche.

"I'm evil and hate everyone of you."
*Shoots a fire cracker at a bunny*
*Coughs to death*

LOL! that's true.

[[Syl]]

Eh, wouldn't go that far. Reminds me of Samuel Jackson's line from Pulp Fiction. [I am the tyranny of evil men. But I'm trying, Ringo, I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd.] Except kind of the other way around. Raistlin was one of the first characters I ever read of that was pretty much inherently evil but forced to be good (or neutral, anyway), later proving that even an evil man can do good, even be redeemed without moaning about it. You see the reverse a lot, but...

[Blue_Spawn]

Still, his character was somewhat unrealistic. He appeared to be evil for no reason. Sure a few kids teased him, but everybody else, especially his brother, treated him well. Also, his turning of side at the very end was farfetched. After being so much determined in taking over the world, he was so gullibel as to believe his brother's account of the future without a shred of evidence.

Of course, in my opinion the Dragonlance novels were written by two amatuer writters (one of which was a game developer), so not much can be expected from them.

[Loredoctor]

Still, his character was somewhat unrealistic. He appeared to be evil for no reason. Sure a few kids teased him, but everybody else, especially his brother, treated him well. Also, his turning of side at the very end was farfetched. After being so much determined in taking over the world, he was so gullibel as to believe his brother's account of the future without a shred of evidence.

Of course, in my opinion the Dragonlance novels were written by two amatuer writters (one of which was a game developer), so not much can be expected from them.

I think he read his brother's mind as to the future. But anyway, you have to wonder about a world created by a bunch of d&ders - it was created purely for the campaign setting.

[Baradakas]

Definitely enjoyed the Twin's Trilogy better. The reason the first three blew chunks was, as Urvile said they were written FOR D&D, the writers didn't even create the characters, some obscure board did. Then they had to keep up with game modules being produced and follow plot lines the same committee made up.


They were given pretty much free reign in the second trilogy, but I came out only liking Raistlin. (Tanis had become a whiny jerk, Tas 'grew up', and Caramon became a CARING doofus)

Have you read the Death Gate Cycle, though? A definite improvement.

-B

[Loredoctor]

Yeah true, Bardakas. Raistlin was the only remotely interesting.

[[Syl]]

The Deathgate Cycle was a pretty good series.

[LordAbsinth]

I have been a dragonlance fan for years, and honestly, i have everybook in the dragonlance saga, but my real favorites are the original quests with Raistlin and Caramon Majere (hey isnt that spice ((youd have to be a real fan to get that little joke I suppose?)) and the rest of the crew.
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LordAbsinth

[dANdeLION]

Dragonlance? Why do I almost remember this name? I may have read one of the books once, but apparently it didn't leave a mark.

[Revelstone_dweller]

I've read some Dragonlance books too. Fourteen or fifteen. But it was a long time ago (years have passed...). I liked them very much, they were pretty popular among Polish fantasy readers / RPG fans. After a long intermission I tried to read two Dragonlance novels which I hadn't read before. I managed to read 50 - 60 pages of the first one. It seemed so primitive and shallow to me that I returned those books to the library without even finishing reading the first one.
Dragonlance series was created to earn additional money from RPG / fantasy fans. Now I regret that I didn't grow up faster.

[Loredoctor]

Same.

[Roland of Gilead]

I wouldn't rank Dragonlance as low as some, but it's certainly not on the level of say, Covenant, Dark Tower, LotR or Song of Ice and Fire.

I would consider it more on the level of Eddings' Belgariad, Brooks' Shannara and Feist's Riftwar.

I actually prefer Margaret Weis's space opera, The Star of the Guardians series. This is sort of a thinking man's Star Wars.

[Baradakas]

The Test of the Twin's series was pretty good.

I preferred the Deathgate Cycle; seven books long, with a good ending.

For space opera though, nothing beats the Gap.