Is anyone disappointed in Runes?

[Creator]

I donno, was the Gap series edited by Del Rey?

No, Jay. Only the first and second Chronicles (to the best of my knowledge). I actually think he had women editor(s) for the Gap?

WOW!! The first book must have been tough!! It was reading it!!!

[danlo]

The Real Story original publisher-Spectra (January 1, 1991)

[Zarathustra]

very disappointed. I am guessing SRD was short of cash and has tried to create a ongoing story line when the p[revious one was finished. All 6 books of the original were a complete story. there was a seamless flow from the first chronicles to the second. From the evidence so far this 3rd series seems to be contrived.


ps happy new year .

It's way too early to make that kind of judgement. You don't know how it's going to turn out, so you don't know if its conclusion fits with the overall story.

Besides, SRD said (and I believe him) that he got the idea for this Chronicles at the same time as the 2nd Chronicles, and that planned them together. He intentionally put the "seeds" for this one in that one. So, yeah, it's contrived--it's contrived in such a way that they all fit together in one gigantic story.

I also don't get the comments about the prose. I found the prose to be just as creative, evocative, emotive, and powerful as the other 2. The pacing is obviously different: slower, closer to the character's internal rhythm, following her thoughts and emotions more closely. But the actual wording was not much different in terms of language, word choice, tone, etc.

The only major difference in characterization this time around was in Linden's motivation. Looking for her son is a completely different matter than Covenant learning to let himself feel again, to break down his self-imposed walls of rigid control in order to embrace his own humanity again. Looking for her son is also much different from her coming to grips with her own capacity for evil, learning to forgive herself and her parents for their mortality and capacity to harm. But it IS closely related to the lessons she learned: she is now a healer because she loves life, rather than hates death. So it's a natural progression.

I'm just curious to see Covenant's natural progression. What else does he have to learn?

[Usivius]

[danlo]

I was amazed by the Chronicles, throughly enjoyed Mordant's need, stunned by the Gap Sequence, blown away by the man's readings, panel participations, interviews and personality. I know I put too much pressure on him when I mentioned the, subtle, fact that after Runes his readers expect him to take it up to the next level. I'm not, necessarily, a disciplined person, but I can tell that SRD is just by looking at him. No I'm not just bringing in the years of martial arts study. He didn't exactly say this in response to caamora's question during the Elohimfest interview, but I believe he puts as much pressure on himself as a writer as he does on his characters.

I have no worries about the series, I expect to be awe-stuck by it. If he's succeeded so mightily with two major opuses, then why are these fans so eager to set him up to fail? Let's see you do better, after, what, 20 years or so?

It must be a sad sign of the times when we get a kick out watching talents fall from grace...(or, at least have the gall to imagine it...)

[A Gunslinger]

another fin post by danlo!

[alanm]

Have to disagree. The 2nd chrons finished very nicely with the natural order being set by a living staff of law. there was nowhere for Lord Foul to go this time, he was completely defeated by TC. How can all of ROTE be anything but contrived and there to make SRD some more money. Don't get me wrong I like the book but it just doesn't fit in with the other 6.

[High Lord Tolkien]

Have to disagree. The 2nd chrons finished very nicely with the natural order being set by a living staff of law. there was nowhere for Lord Foul to go this time, he was completely defeated by TC. How can all of ROTE be anything but contrived and there to make SRD some more money. Don't get me wrong I like the book but it just doesn't fit in with the other 6.

If you added the word "yet" after "the other 6" I'd agree with you 100%.

Except the part about SRD just doing it for money.
You're not going to make any friends here tossing that inaccurate bomb around.

[Seareach]

How can all of ROTE be anything but contrived and there to make SRD some more money. Don't get me wrong I like the book but it just doesn't fit in with the other 6.

Sorry to sound narky (and keeping in mind I'm trying to quit smoking)

Two things :
1) How can one make a fair assessment of whether it "fits" in with the other 6 until you've read the last word of the last page of the last book (as HLT says...if you'd added the word "yet"....)
2) As for a money making exercise. All I can say to anyone who thinks this is vote with your wallet. That is: don't buy the book! With that kind of mindset (ie: he's only doing it because he wants to make money) you're bound to try and pick holes in the novel anyway).

That's my


Oh and Danlo, great post!

[dlbpharmd]

Have to disagree. The 2nd chrons finished very nicely with the natural order being set by a living staff of law. there was nowhere for Lord Foul to go this time, he was completely defeated by TC. How can all of ROTE be anything but contrived and there to make SRD some more money. Don't get me wrong I like the book but it just doesn't fit in with the other 6.

2nd Chronicles felt complete to me as well, but yet I'm as thrilled as anyone that SRD is writing another Chronicles.

About the making money comment - we all do what we do for a living to make money, so I'm certainly not going to criticize SRD for writing in order to earn income for himself.

[Ard Rhys]

For me, it's not the story. I think the story that SRD is in the middle of telling is far more epic than the first two Chronicles. Of that, there is no doubt in my mind. I am excited for the story.

And I understand that a lot of people can't separate the two parts of what make a book -- the story and the writing.

But it was the writing -- the style of writing -- that I had an issue with. It's like half of what made me like SRD (the combination of style meets story) was suddenly gone with Runes. SRD has owned up to it at least once in Locus Mag and another time in the GI, so he is very aware of how his own use of language has changed. Do I like it? Nope. I am a raver when it comes to it!

As for money, I doubt SRD has any need for additional funds. He makes enough on royalties from his various books and has no need to write at all. He writes because he is a writer, and to not write would be like not breathing. In that, he is very similar to Terry Brooks, someone I know very well. So push the money debate away and leave it far behind because as my grandpa used to say, "That dog won't hunt."

[Ard Rhys]

And regardless of how I feel about the writing, it is still better than most of the writing out there. And that's the main reason why I will continue with the series. Don't think I just hate to hate. hehe

[Relayer]

I agree that the 2nd Chrons felt complete in and of itself. If it had ended there (as it effectively has been for 20 years) it stood on it's own.

But this "he's contrived this just to make some money" (I assume that's why there are 4 books instead of 3? ) falls short on one simple count:

He's had the 3rd Chronicles planned since the time he decided to write the 2nd Chronicles. He's said this numerous times. And if you want to try to say that he's just backtracking, you'd be wrong. There was a review/interview in Time Magazine 25 years ago (around the time of TWL being published) that talked about 3 Chronicles. I remember seeing it and celebrating ... I asked him about it in the mid-80's at a book tour and he said he had the story but didn't know if he was brave enough to write it. He's also said much the same thing more than once in the GI, about how he felt he needed to grow as a writer before he could continue w/ TCTC.

So you can love Runes, hate Runes, take issue with the writing style (I agree it's different, but I like it anyway), or whatever. We all have different tastes, and debating all that stuff is one of the things that makes the Watch so much fun. But don't accuse SRD of something that's patently inaccurate. Will he make money? Hopefully. Is that his primary motivation? No.

[dlbpharmd]

You wouldn't happen to have a copy of that Time Magazine article, wouldja?

[Ard Rhys]

I sense a quest coming on. haha In fact, I'd love to help out in that search as I'd love to see what SRD has to say about the 2nd Chronicles back then. Do you have approximate years/months known, Relayer?

S.

[Relayer]

I doubt I still have it, unless it's buried deep in one of those boxes in my closet. Wish I did!

It thought it was somewhere during the release of the 2nd Chronicles, so say 1980 - 1983 for a starting point. But maybe it was closer to the release of Mordant's Need? I don't remember.

Quest on!!

[dlbpharmd]

I did a search at the Time Magazine website and didn't find anything. Could it have been another magazine instead?

[Ard Rhys]

Amusingly, there was an interview SRD did in 2004 with Locus Mag where he mentions Time Magazine and in that interview he also discusses that he had the idea for the Last Chronicles 20 years ago. Not sure if this is what you are referring to, Relayer. Probably not.

Here is the quote from that interview where he discusses how he has changed as a writer:

"Going back to the 'Covenant' series has affected me in both negative and positive ways. On one side, I don't feel that I can actually compete with my younger self. The energy of language and imagination that I had 20 and 25 years ago doesn't exist for me any more. On the other, I do believe that I have something new to offer.”

Energy of language. That's what's missing to me.

[Warmark]

I did a search at the Time Magazine website and didn't find anything. Could it have been another magazine instead?

Heh, That what i tried aswell. Great Minds....

[Relayer]

I did a search at the Time Magazine website and didn't find anything. Could it have been another magazine instead?

Heh, That what i tried aswell. Great Minds....

Me too. I thought it was Time, but I guess it could've been Newsweek... Maybe they only archive articles they thought were important?

Ard, the article I'm thinking of is definitely old. Heck, that's the only way I would've known to ask him about it back then (it's funny thinking back to pre-internet times when you didn't have instant access to everything). But it sounds like he's referring to it in the Locus interview. Too bad the interview on SRD.com is only an excerpt.