Greetings, unbelievers...

[Arch of the Covenant]

I have been lurking here for a few weeks, and felt the need to start posting. Great forum!

I read TCTC back in the 80s. I remember pre-ordering The One Tree at my local bookstore. When they called and I came in to get it, I was surprised to see scores of copies all over the store -- until that point I had thought of it as "obscure".

I moved on to many other writers, but always had a fondness for SRD, which was confirmed when reading those short-story anthologies.

I had no idea that he'd started a new trilogy until last year when I found ROTE. Wow -- exciting! (And yes, I speak of it as a trilogy in the same way as Arther C Clarke, who said "no trilogy should have more than 4 books.") ROTE evoked many feelings -- it was a bit heavy-handed and morose, it had Linden Fuggin' Avery as the main character, and some of SRD's infamous word-smithing felt annoying. But overwhelming all of that was the tingle and excitement of revisiting the Land, the Arch of Time, and Covenant himself! Absolutely thrilling, minor flaws and all!

So now I'm reading FR and can't put it down. It's totally gripping me in a way that SRD and *few others* can manage. I am probably going to reread the entire series from the beginning before moving beyond FR. (There is SO MUCH I do not remember from the first 6 books. And one thing I do remember is hating The One Tree -- but I understand from the Gradual Interview that TOT is SRD's *favorite*. So I HAVE to re-read it all.)

Looking forward to mixing it up with you fellow unbelievers out there...

[Iolanthe]

Hello Arch. We seem to have led parallel lives! Found SD in the 80s, but only recently (about 3 years or so ago in my case) realised he had written the 3rd Chrons.

[Vraith]

Looking forward to mixing it up with you fellow unbelievers out there...

Heh...I'm not part of the official welcoming crew [mostly cuz I'm not official, particularly welcoming, nor crewish...no one, least of all an author tells me what I can row or what I can't!!!]

You may be surprised to learn we have non-, a-, pure-, semi-, and [other]- believers here in addition to un-.
And some of me....er...I mean "us" don't approve of mixing it up. It's ME or US or THEM, [or other] DAMMIT!! pick a side!-[ish]!

I'm sure a trio or ten will be along soon to say something like
Welcome to the Watch
Be Welcome and true!
or some other glad-handing.

I just say "Put up your sword!"
[in all the senses...put it away, raise it up, traditional Bard-style rapier, real period style blade, modern re-make Sword-model handgun, metaphorical "defend yourself cuz even folk who agree with you will quibble about everything, so lay back and enjoy it, etc.]


ooohhhh...damn, my left hand is the typer and my right hand doesn't know what it's doing...

I mean...

Hi there!

[ussusimiel]

Hi AotC, welcome to the Watch!

We're all Believers here There's loads of stuff on the Chronicles and SRD's other books. Don't try to read it all before you post. Don't be afraid to resurrect old threads or start new ones (if the Search option fails you).

If you're not a fan of Linden you may want to join the enlightened company of THOOLAH.

Nice pun in your name, BTW.

Be Welcome and True!

u.

[Lord Foul]

Greetings, Arch of the Covenant.

As already mentioned above, unbelief is not a necessary characteristic - actually, I consider it quite an inconvenience - try to materialize yourself anew after a few millennia while not really believing in your own existence, and you might well end up as just one eye or even looking like Marilyn Manson high on toxic mushrooms. Though perhaps some of that is not too bad of an option.

[Menolly]

I'm sure a trio or ten will be along soon to say something like
Welcome to the Watch
Be Welcome and true!
or some other glad-handing.

ayeup.

Be Welcome to the Watch, AotC,
Be Well Come and True.

So, you're going to reread the entire series before moving on to AAtE? Not sure I would be able to do that, knowing it was released.

[Savor Dam]

Welcome to the Watch, Arch of the Covenant.
May you thrive here...and contribute.

[Avatar]

Welcome to the Watch. Ignore the mad people, and join in wherever you like.

--A

[sgt.null]

hi arch

[Shaun das Schaf]

Hi Archie.
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
Hope to see you posting and chatting about the place.
And like Avatar said.... ignore Avatar!

[Iolanthe]

Nice pun in your name, BTW.

u.

Damn! I missed that. Excellent.

[Arch of the Covenant]

Hi AotC, welcome to the Watch!
If you're not a fan of Linden you may want to join the enlightened company of THOOLAH.

Ah yes, THOOLAH. I would count myself as a provisional junior applicant for THOOLAH. But I have a love/hate relationship with that character. I'm almost finished reading Fatal Revenant, and her transformation is almost as fascinating as Covenants.

Part of my loathing is based on books I read once in high school and never re-read. But there is SO MUCH I don't remember at all from One Tree and Power that I suspect I might be a Linden Avery liker in hiding. I need to do a full rereading, clearly.

[Arch of the Covenant]

So, you're going to reread the entire series before moving on to AAtE? Not sure I would be able to do that, knowing it was released.

Well, now that I'm approaching the end of Fatal Revenant, I'm starting to think AAtE might be a good next step before the full sweep...

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Battle duties demanded attention elsewhere, but Coldspray's troop bids new Land-visitors welcome.

Avatar ought not to call anyone mad after claiming himself that +15C is "freezing and inhuman".

NOOOO TOT is the very best of the entire Chronicles! So many intriguing places and characters. Pitchwife! Honninscrave! NOM! It needs moar love.

[Menolly]

Hi AotC, welcome to the Watch!
If you're not a fan of Linden you may want to join the enlightened company of THOOLAH.

Ah yes, THOOLAH. I would count myself as a provisional junior applicant for THOOLAH. But I have a love/hate relationship with that character. I'm almost finished reading Fatal Revenant, and her transformation is almost as fascinating as Covenants.

Part of my loathing is based on books I read once in high school and never re-read. But there is SO MUCH I don't remember at all from One Tree and Power that I suspect I might be a Linden Avery liker in hiding. I need to do a full rereading, clearly.

You sound like the perfect candidate for OPAL (Opinion Pending About Linden) for now.

[Avatar]

Avatar ought not to call anyone mad after claiming himself that +15C is "freezing and inhuman".

Pfft, as far as I'm concerned, that's just a sign of my absolute sanity.

And The Wounded Land is the best.

And like Avatar said.... ignore Avatar!

Feel free, I'm quite used to it.

--A

[Vraith]

Hi AotC, welcome to the Watch!
If you're not a fan of Linden you may want to join the enlightened company of THOOLAH.

Ah yes, THOOLAH. I would count myself as a provisional junior applicant for THOOLAH. But I have a love/hate relationship with that character. I'm almost finished reading Fatal Revenant, and her transformation is almost as fascinating as Covenants.

Part of my loathing is based on books I read once in high school and never re-read. But there is SO MUCH I don't remember at all from One Tree and Power that I suspect I might be a Linden Avery liker in hiding. I need to do a full rereading, clearly.

You sound like the perfect candidate for OPAL (Opinion Pending About Linden) for now.

AND, because it is practically obligatory at this point I revert to::

the weak-kneed Vraith forever bowing his anile head at the alter of the Whiney One and relentlessly seek to impugn the anointed of THOOLAH

to say or you COULD actually like [or at least appreciate] Linden. It IS possible, and she ISN't a whiner.

[Linna Heartbooger]

ooohhhh...damn, my left hand is the typer and my right hand doesn't know what it's doing...

I mean...

Hi there!

I found that whole post hilarious.
It had to be said...

Lest I act like this is a "people-who-already-know-each-other" club,

Welcome, Arch of the Covenant!
Enjoy your re-read, and enjoy the Watch!

[wayfriend]

Welcome to the Watch, Arch of the Covenant. I'm glad to see that you've been found. But don't let those Holy Orderites raid you - join Linden's Army, so that you can be on the right side a year from now. You know I'm right. It's practically etched on a stone tablet.