Gildenfire

[Goma Pile]

Has anyone out there in TV Land read Gildenfire? If you haven't, you should. Why?

1. Because it completes and fills the gaps in The Ilearth War.
2. You learn more about the Haruchai/Bloodguard.
3. A bit more about Kevin.
4. More about the seareach mission and in particular, Korik, Shetra & Hyrim and their impotance in TIW.

While not a complete story in its own right, very good readin all the same. It would be great if SRD could re-release TIW in the four parts that he had originally intended.

[aliantha]

Goma -- We talked about this not long ago on another thread. (Hearthcoal, help! ) SRD deliberately cut Gildenfire from TIW because he felt that it resolved the question of whether the Land is real, and he didn't want that resolved.

That said, yes, Gildenfire is a great read!

[Bannor]

Yes, Gilden Fire is certainly an excellent little story to read. I'm glad it was offered up for sale (whatever the reason). SRD made it available as part of a group of stories called Daughters of Regal as a kind of revenge (for the publishing company who released it for money) and a reward (for the avid fans).

[saltheart foamfollower]

i haven t read it, whit is it about?

[robo]

Yep, I read it, but I don't have it and don't recall whose copy I read. Gildenfire was about the first quest from Revelstone to contact the Giants (Shetra et al I think). It's covered in Book 2 or Book 3 but in much more detail here.


Edit: changed Rivendell to Revelstone. Doh!

[Lauralin]

Rivendell? You mean Revelstone, right? I've never read it, mostly because I dont want to spend 20 dollars on a book that's over in a couple of hours. Is it really worth getting?

[Bannor]

Gilden-Fire is included in the book, Daughter of Regals, and it is certainly worth it because you get Gilden-Fire in its entirety (along with 7 other great SRD stories). It may or may not be worth buying Gilden-Fire by itself. The cover art of Daughter of Regals is worth the price of the book by itself! (IMHO)
Here is a review from Barnes and Nobles:


Daughter of Regal
Stephen R. Donaldson

Our Price: $50.00
Readers' Advantage Price: $47.50 Join Now
In Stock:Ships within 24 hours
Same Day Delivery in Manhattan.

ABOUT THIS ITEM

From the Publisher
The Creator Of Thomas Covenant Adds Eight New Wonders To The World.

In his first collection of short fiction, the bestselling author of White Gold Wielder presents eight superb stories, including "Gilden-Fire," the famous "outtake" from Illearth War, and two brand new novellas written especially for this edition. Enter a world of mystics and unicorns, angels and kings — all realized with the same dazzling style and imagination that has made Stephen R. Donaldson a modern master of the fantasy genre.

Daughter of Regals is a fantasy novella concerning a unique royal line and an unusual conception of magic.

The Conqueror Worm is a deliciously creepy "horror" piece in which havoc is wreaked by one lowly centipede.

Ser Visal's Tale begins as a simple story told over several flagons of wine at the local inn, this novella ends with a surprising twist.

Gilden-Fire is the famous chapter about Korik of the Bloodguard and his mission to Seareach that was part of the original manuscript of The Illearth War, but omitted from the published version.

SHOCK! I did not realize the cost had risen so much! I bought mine new (1st edition, 1st printing) in 1984 for $14.95. The cover on this new version is not the same as the one I admire so much.

The best deals are on EBAY. Four versions (one is paperback), and one of them is a first edition hard cover! None are listed for more than $7.95. Here is the URL:
search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&ht=1&query=daughter+of+regals

[arwenavery]

the daughter of regals is well worth reading , ive only started on it but its great so far ....havent got to gildenfire, but if you want to buy it and dont want to spend extortionate amounts of money , buy it second hand , i got my copy for 50p ......theres allways donaldson books in thrift shops ( i dont know why!!!!)

[Hearthcoal]

So how did Gilden-Fire come to be published?

SRD: I was approached by a specialty publisher in the US called Underwood and Miller. They wanted to do a collector's edition of any Covenant digressions I happened to have lying around. The only Covenant digression I had was this out-take. I took it out but I hadn't thrown it away. I wrestled with myself for a while. I finally decided that granted that it violated the narrative integrity of the story I would explain that in the foreword. And I would make the material available to those who, having read the original story and accepted it for what it was, would enjoy having a little extra light shed on some of the characters. It was only a thousand printing kind of fun to have this nice book, illustrated and it could be nice for everyone. So I decided to go ahead and do it. But Underwood and Miller were amateur publishers and didn't think through the contract I had signed with them. They were approached by the Science Fiction Book Club to try to get the rights to republish Gilden-Fire, and they didn't realise they didn't have the right to say yes. So they did say yes, and without ever consulting me, the Science Fiction Book Club came out with, I mean this book is still selling, so about a hundred thousand copies. Well, the first thing I heard of this was when I got my mailing from the Science Fiction Book Club announcing the new release of Gilden-Fire. I almost had a stroke: I mean it's an out-take, and these people are paying hardcover prices for something that I threw away. I felt that everybody who bought that book was being cheated. I mean when you buy from the Science Fiction Book Club it's not like you get to read the introduction first and then decide whether you want to buy the book or not. They thought it was like The Lost Tales or The Silmarillion or something that Tolkien had dug out of his trunk, but had really been there all along, and was really part of the idea; it just didn't fit in the book. But that wasn't true in this case. I screamed at Underwood and Miller for a considerable period of time because they were getting the royalties too, it was a really wonderful system the money went to them, they were having a great time. They were horrified when my agent called up and asked them what they thought they were doing. I really felt that my readers had been cheated. So the only solution I could think of was to put the story in my short story collection, which I was doing at the time, to try to make it available cheaply. People could then read the introduction and could go into the bookstore and look through it before they paid money for it, and besides it wouldn't be hardcover prices, it would be paperback. I was trying to restore the inequity which I felt had been accidentally created. So that is where it rests, it's in the short story collection and people who are fascinated by the Covenant material can read it and get a little extra light shed on it.

- from an interview was done in October 1991, just after the UK publication of Forbidden Knowledge.

Hope this helps, Aliantha. I did a search at the Old Discussion Board (ODB) which resulted in a few off-hand references to Gildenfire, but I could find no real discussion about it. SRD's comments are interesting and revealing. ("something Tolkien dug out of his trunk" indeed...huff!)

[variol son]

my only prob with gildenfire is that it left me hungry 2 learn more about hyrim & shetra & koric & the bloodguard & the vow. now that ive read the start of the original part 2 of TIW (which was supposed 2 have 4 parts, part 2 about the quest 2 seareach & part 3 about the war & hile troy & stuff) i want 2 read the rest.

sum sui generis

variol son

[Bannor]

Hello, Variol Son! You've got to meet Danlo! He writes in much the same manner. I didn't quite understand you when you talked about the original TIW. Did you mean TIW without Gilden Fire? Did you mean there is a version with Gilden Fire written in ? Just a little confused (but that's pretty much busiuness as usual with me).

[danlo]

Must b rubbing off--I loved Gildenfire--but I'm VERY glad it wasn't included in the TIW--I would love 2 c a seperate story created out of it--it could include a series of flashbacks--outling the origins of the Haruchai. The publications confused me 4 a very long time--I read it a couple of times in Daughters of Regals (which does have a beautiful cover w/the dragon and the girl--just b careful there is an old paperback edition floating around used bookstores w/nothing but a boring looking castle on the cover-that copy does NOT include Gilden Fire) and then people here @ the Watch started talking about the independant version!--must b a VERY small book---In any case I highly recommend that NO ONE who is reading TCTC read Gilden Fire until they have finished all 6 books--BEYOND SPOILER ALERT!!! (If u haven't read Gildenfire DO NOT read futher) 4 me the prob is this (and in retrospect u can even sense there is something missing as Tull begins his tale, in TIW) told from Korik's pov it points towards facts that may negate the possibility that The Land is not real--If included, it would have been the 1st place in the Chrons not looked @ from the pov from some1 from our world--b it TC, LA or HT.

[Bannor]

I used to have the separate version of Gilden Fire, but when it came with Daughters of Regal, I sold my copy on EBAY. I really like Gilden Fire, but as Danlo said, it's best to read it after reading all 6 books (or at the least the first 3).

[Vain]

I just went out and bought Daughters of Regal and it doesn't have Gilden Fire in it. It's an '84 version so maybe that's why.

OK - And I bought the Gap series and The Mordants Need books. I have some reading ahead of me

You think we could convince jay to open up a forum called: All the books you've ever read and what you thought about them?

[danlo]

U can recommend any book u're reading now or have ever read on that thread. Vain u must have bought the copy of DofR I warned u about: the one w/the funky castle on the cover!

[Vain]

I must have forgotten that warning No problem though - I have Gildenfire on its own.

[Caer-Caveral]

"Gilden-Fire" is definitely worth reading, mainly for the amazing insight it provides into the Bloodguard. It's got some fascinating stuff about Kevin, and how the Bloodguard regard him and his decision to send to send them away during the Ritual of Desecration. It actually flashes back to the original Haruchai invasion and shows them arriving at Revelstone, meeting Kevin, and invoking the Vow. It also tells you a little about Haruchai history, how they came from two ancient warring tribes, and about their rites of leadership.

Hyrim and Shetra also get fleshed out, and prove to be wonderful characters. I could have happily spent a quarter of "The Illearth War" with them in their own section (as TIW was originally written), although understant Donaldson's reasons for leaving them out.

I have the separate version, in paperback - it's something like 90 pages long, but the print is ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS, there are full-page illustrations, and part of the 90 pages is Donaldson's introduction.

[xp_spec]

I'd say that Gildenfire is an excellent book and I suggest buying the 1984 edition because it has a little different feel (better too) than the latter edition.

[danlo]

Here's another 1! (we're trying 2 limit the # of GF topics 2 one...)

[hamako]

hi all,

I have a copy of Gilden Fire in .txt format if anyone wants it. I found it on KaZaa p2p.

I had the original as a kid, probably in my folks loft collecting dust, but only really appreciated it lately. It's a great compliment to TIW and the chronicles in general.

mail me if you want it, time allowing I'll get it back to you.