I thought it would be fun if people recount how they discovered certain books and/authors...
Stephen R Donaldson - back in junior high (7th-9th) I was called to the principles office. they wanted the kid who would later become my best friend, George Woods instead. while I was sitting waiting to find this out I picked up a book sitting there in a chair.
intrigued I opened it up and found it wasn't a library book. when the vp told me they had the wrong kid - I asked for the book he said sure, take it. after reading it I found that the library there did have the trilogy. so began what would finally bring me to New Mexico to meet SRD some thirty odd years later.
imagine of if they had called the right kid first? (they always mixed us up.)
I was sitting before early morning seminary reading The Silmarillion for the umpteenth time instead of reviewing the day's Book of Mormon readings like other students or gossiping like most of the other students. I had always read some sort of fantasy novel before these began, since my parents made sure their kids were their before the six oclock class started, and my seminary teacher asked me at this occasion if I liked fantasy novels.
When I responded, 'yes', she told me that I absolutely had to read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. I had read "Reave the Just" in an anthology before, but I consider this to be my proper introduction to Donaldson. I breezed through the books and we discussed them, what we liked, what characters we enjoyed... just about the books. There was absolutely no ulterior motive in my seminary teacher introducing these books to me. Of course, in the 'scripture journals' we kept, I could refer to the books in trying to explain how I felt about something and for once have someone who knew what I was referring to and understand.
I've gotten her each volume of the Last Chronicles as they have come out and even had Donaldson sign a copy of Against All Things Ending for her when he was here in Ohio for the World Fantasy Convention. The Last Dark will be the last time for this tradition. (Incidently, mine getting her the Last Chronicles encouraged her son to pick them up
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
My first year of college (Fall, 1978) I met a guy in the dorm who was reading TIW in hardback (it had just come out I think). I asked him about it, if it was any good, etc. and he was at the part where Hile Troy was on Kevin's Watch looking out over Foul's army. He let me read a couple pages and was hooked. He loaned me his copy of LFB and I dove in
Instantly entranced. Bought volumes 1 and 2, read both of them and then kept bugging the bookstore lady asking when TPTP was coming out LOL
Then a couple years later I was browsing around Waldenbooks and saw a paperback with a picture of this guy pulling a glowing sword up out of the water. I thought "wow, looks like a ripoff of TCTC... OMG, a new trilogy?!?"
Pretty sure I've told the story, but I was given LFB when I was 13, by a young guy (I guess he was in his early 20's then) who worked for my dad as a display manager.
He was a junky, cadaverously thin with long black hair , and the son of a pastor. Because the display department had a lot of fun stuff in it, I played in it a lot when I went to work with my father, so we spoke regularly and he noticed I was a keen reader.
He gave me LFB, and the first Amtrak Wars book. My copy of LFB is still the one he gave me over 20 years ago. (He disappeared not too long after, but I bumped into him again years later in a very unsavoury part of town. )
Book 2 and 3 of the 1st chrons, which I had to have, were the first books I ever went into a store and ordered, and had to wait for them to be delivered.
At some point in secondary school a class of us were taken up to the school library and told we all had to check out one book. I can't remember why this was. Anyway, I wound up choosing Lord Foul's Bane, because it looked interesting. After that was the first time I ever asked for the librarian to order in another book - the next two Chronicles. And then I asked for the full trilogy for christmas. A week after christmas, having read all three books again, I found out the Second Chronicles existed and got that.
I don't really have any interesting stories about finding books.
Read Wayne Barlowe's art book on fantasy characters, with the apparently infamous illustration of Drool Rockworm holding the staff of law (IIRC, maybe it was the illearth stone).
Years later, getting on a plane, I purchased LFB from one of those little airport bookstores, probably a Hudson News, because I recognized the title or something else about it.
In a way, I have a strong kinship with Covenant, because Drool summoned us both to The Land.
my mom had this book. as a young teen I asked if I could read it and she said sure. my first Stephen King and I fell in love with it.
it was Jimmy Cody's fate that stayed with me. since then I've read most everything King has written. he is by far my favorite author. a lot of it having to do with the New Hampshire (and New England) settings of most of his writings.
and through King I discovered Lovecraft, Matheson and Wallace Stevens.
and if you ask why I keep returning? it is the Yankee voice of King that I recognize and love so well. our New England may be vanishing, but he helps keep the dark places open for me. Grace Metalious knew those dark place as well.
I was given a trilogy for Christmas when I was about 9. It took me a couple of years to actually start reading it but once I did, I was hooked and from there branched out into all sorts of different authors and genres.
Wildling wrote:I was given a trilogy for Christmas when I was about 9. It took me a couple of years to actually start reading it but once I did, I was hooked and from there branched out into all sorts of different authors and genres.
What was that trilogy?
The Iron Tower Trilogy by Dennis L. McKiernan.
I remember picking that up at a used book shop for like $1 (for the series). If I remember right, it wasn't that bad, but for some reason I don't seem to have it any more.
Sarge, my first Stephen King was The Gunslinger, which my uncle gave me for christmas when I was 13.
My second was Skeleton Crew.
--A
I thought Iron Tower was pretty good. Though I do admit that some of that may be coloured by nostalgia glasses. It was among his first novels and, in some ways, showed it. It was very much influenced by Lord Of The Rings and is, in a lot of ways, almost a re-telling of it. But it did have a bit of it's own voice and in later books, so did the author. If that makes any sense.
Sarge, my first Stephen King was The Gunslinger, which my uncle gave me for christmas when I was 13.
My second was Skeleton Crew.
--A
I thought Iron Tower was pretty good. Though I do admit that some of that may be coloured by nostalgia glasses. It was among his first novels and, in some ways, showed it. It was very much influenced by Lord Of The Rings and is, in a lot of ways, almost a re-telling of it. But it did have a bit of it's own voice and in later books, so did the author. If that makes any sense.
Yes, McKiernan's later books were better. But this series was decent.
Sarge, my first Stephen King was The Gunslinger, which my uncle gave me for christmas when I was 13.
My second was Skeleton Crew.
--A
I thought Iron Tower was pretty good. Though I do admit that some of that may be coloured by nostalgia glasses. It was among his first novels and, in some ways, showed it. It was very much influenced by Lord Of The Rings and is, in a lot of ways, almost a re-telling of it. But it did have a bit of it's own voice and in later books, so did the author. If that makes any sense.
Yes, McKiernan's later books were better. But this series was decent.
"A good start" is how I put it to one friend when he asked if it was good.
And I say that as a fan of McKiernan. Especially the last couple of the Mithgar books.
Avatar wrote:Never heard of the author either. Will have to look them up.
--A
You should. They're not quite as heavy and loaded with meaning as, say, a Stephen Donaldson book. But they are quite adventurous.
One weird thing is, as you go through the various sets of books most of them happen before the one that was released previously. For example, the first two series he did were the Iron Tower trilogy, followed by the Silver Call Duology. Silver Call follows the events of Iron Tower. The next book that was released, Dragondoom, takes place before the events of Iron Tower. The next release was Eye Of The Hunter which takes place before Dragondoom (if I remember right). Then came Voyage Of The Fox Rider, which takes place before that. It seems like he plants a legend in each book to explore in the next one.
Avatar wrote:Never heard of the author either. Will have to look them up.
--A
You should. They're not quite as heavy and loaded with meaning as, say, a Stephen Donaldson book. But they are quite adventurous.
One weird thing is, as you go through the various sets of books most of them happen before the one that was released previously. For example, the first two series he did were the Iron Tower trilogy, followed by the Silver Call Duology. Silver Call follows the events of Iron Tower. The next book that was released, Dragondoom, takes place before the events of Iron Tower. The next release was Eye Of The Hunter which takes place before Dragondoom (if I remember right). Then came Voyage Of The Fox Rider, which takes place before that. It seems like he plants a legend in each book to explore in the next one.
Dragondoom actually takes place before most of the books in the series except Dragonstone and maybe Voyage of the Fox Rider.
They are good fun, I enjoyed most of them in my youth (except Dragonstone and Silver Call...those were kinda atrocious). His best ones are the Mithgar short stories, Eye of the Hunter, and Voyage of the Fox Rider. The Hel's Crucible duology was fun and Silver Wolf, Black Falcon was a nice conclusion. I have not read the Green Tower or the More Tales of Mithgar.
'Tis dream to think that Reason can
Govern the reasoning creature, man.
- Herman Melville
I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all!
"All creation is a huge, ornate, imaginary, and unintended fiction; if it could be deciphered it would yield a single shocking word."
-John Crowley
Avatar wrote:Never heard of the author either. Will have to look them up.
--A
You should. They're not quite as heavy and loaded with meaning as, say, a Stephen Donaldson book. But they are quite adventurous.
One weird thing is, as you go through the various sets of books most of them happen before the one that was released previously. For example, the first two series he did were the Iron Tower trilogy, followed by the Silver Call Duology. Silver Call follows the events of Iron Tower. The next book that was released, Dragondoom, takes place before the events of Iron Tower. The next release was Eye Of The Hunter which takes place before Dragondoom (if I remember right). Then came Voyage Of The Fox Rider, which takes place before that. It seems like he plants a legend in each book to explore in the next one.
Dragondoom actually takes place before most of the books in the series except Dragonstone and maybe Voyage of the Fox Rider.
They are good fun, I enjoyed most of them in my youth (except Dragonstone and Silver Call...those were kinda atrocious). His best ones are the Mithgar short stories, Eye of the Hunter, and Voyage of the Fox Rider. The Hel's Crucible duology was fun and Silver Wolf, Black Falcon was a nice conclusion. I have not read the Green Tower or the More Tales of Mithgar.
I stand corrected. It's been a while since I read them so some of the time frames are a bit vague to me.
I haven't read the last couple of books either. In fact, I just found out about City of Jade the other day.
)
The Land is on LV-426!
