Kevin's Watch

When I looked at FR on Amazon, they had this blurb on Donaldson:

Stephen R. Donaldson is one of the most critically acclaimed and successful authors in publishing history.

OK, let me say first that SRD is unequivocally one of my favorite authors, but "one of the most critically acclaimed and successful authors in publishing history" seems too much.. most people I know of, even many who read King, Tolkien, Brooks, Martin, Jordan, etc -- havent heard of him or can't place a name to his works. Some will recognize his works but don't know his name. Now, I would love for SRD to have the kind of fame that these other guys do, IMHO he writes as well or better, and I havent seen anyone address the kinds of things SRD does.... I just don't think he is one of the most successful authors in publishing history....

what do you guys think?

Maybe it was someone from the Watch that wrote the blurb

Well, if it helps sell books...

I guess it all boils down to the definition for "successful author." Pretty subjective statement, if you ask me. I think they really meant to say "most awesome author that ever lived."

I think the marketing department laid it on a little thick. But, yeah, if it sells more books....

The 1st Chronicles were international bestsellers. The guy sold millions. He was like the J.K. Rowling of the 70s. (Well, not quite. But no one sells books like her. )

But besides his amazing sales-out-of-nowhere (remember, he was an unpublished author at the time; he didn't slowly develop an audience), he also did the unprecedented act of publishing all three books of his trilogy virtually simultaneously. So there was no waiting a year or two between books. All three became nearly instantaneous bestsellers. And all three were good. Besides Tolkien, there was really only that hack Brooks publishing fantasy at the time. So Donaldson's books were runaway success, and they were "literary." And then came the second Chronicles, which sold even more, I believe.

That blurb is absolutely accurate. I'm sure he's still living off the money he made back then. It's our own damn fault as a society if we've forgotten him and his unprecedented achievements in the fantasy genre.

Let's just take a moment to reflect upon what a towering achievement the first two chronicles were.

Wait a minute, we're here having a conversation on a website that is devoted to a fantasy series that was totally dormant for 21 years, which is full of nauseating moments, empty of any reassuring platitudes, and headlined by one of the least sympathetic protagonists in literary history. Oh, and the author left the entire genre behind for better than 15 years (not counting a short story collection, but you get the idea).

He must have made some kind of impression.

Personally, Ex Nihilio, I find the lack of reassuring platitudes very reassuring. I like Thomas Covenant so much because I identify with his way of thinking to a manner that scares me a little.