Kevin's Watch

Im between series again and Im going to order one of the series from SRD that I havent read.....

Question: Which do you think I should read first?

The Gap was great, I couldn't force myself past the 100-page mark in MN.

I really liked MN, but GAP has a lot more impact, and also more accessible. (IMO)

The're both good for different reasons. MN took me a LOT longer to get into though, and the Gap series is one of my all time favorites.

If you want something light(er) and easy to read, go with MN. If you want something that will punch you in the kidney, rip off your head and spit down your stump of a neck (it's not as bad as it sounds,) read the Gap.

Cail wrote:The Gap was great, I couldn't force myself past the 100-page mark in MN.

Wow! Really? It's been 20 years since I read it, but of all the books I've read in my life, I would say that those two were quite possibly the hardest books to put down that I've ever read. I think I read them in about a week, which is crazy fast for me. I do remember that the first book takes a while to get going, but damn, I thought it was awesome.

SoulBiter wrote:Im between series again and Im going to order one of the series from SRD that I havent read.....

Question: Which do you think I should read first?

well, since we're gettin ready to do a group read of The Real Story, i voted The Gap!!

wanna join us???

The Gap is good, but MN is beyond exceptional. I was just sorry there are only the 2 books.

Look, the Gap is arguably a better story, while MN is arguably more delightful to read.

But if you have to choose which to read first, you have to choose a path that trends upward, not downwards!

The Gap series has the most impact -- save that for last. If you save MN for last, there's a good chance your expectations from reading the Gap will lead you to like the story less than you otherwise would. After saving the universe from the Amnion, saving the kingdom of Mordant from mirrors might just seem trivial...

(This is basically the argument for reading things in the order that the author wrote them.)

Wayfriend wrote:
(This is basically the argument for reading things in the order that the author wrote them.)

I think that's a good argument. King Joyse can be seen as the forerunner of Warden Dios. And maybe Terisa could be seen as the forerunner of Min Donner. It's interesting, from the perspective of the writing, to see how Donaldson got himself across the gap (NPI) between fantasy and science fiction. In the GI, he states how writing MN was necessary as a preparation for writing the Gap series.

I too voted Mordants Need. Mordants Need is a very fun and complicated twist of plots and charactor development. I enjoyed it immensely. I loved the charactors and all that they went through for their own personal journeys. The Gap is dark and difficult yet wonderful and complex and fascinating in much the same way only so much more so deep in certain areas. Both are great reads but read MN first.

Mordants Need is so much better than those stupid violent GARP books.


Ok, I only read the 2 MN books.

But I saw the movie and even though Robin Williams did a good job it still kinda sucked.

Can't vote. I couldn't get through The Real Story or Mirror of her Dreams.

I say, read First Chronicles again.

With the fifty/fifty it's going to come down to a cage-match.

I got dibs on the chainsaw!

I'm with Wayfriend on this one, I've often found deeper insight into an author's work by reading their stories in the order they wrote them.

So my vote is for MN, and then the Gap

It's been a long time! But the Gap is more hard science and political intrigue. The only other series that comes to mind that I would compare it with (in the foggy recesses of my mind) is Piers Anthony BIO of A Space Tyrant.

Mordants Need focused more on the characters and I remember it as a 'softer' set.

Of course, I could just be getting too old to remember properly! After all, I just turned 48 this month!!

I voted the Gap. It's truly brilliant.

Cail wrote:The Gap was great, I couldn't force myself past the 100-page mark in MN.

I'm almost the complete opposite: loved MN...but had to force myself to finish The Real Story (and have yet to touch the rest of the Gap series).

I recommend MN cuz, hey, it's "just" 2 books.

Well the gap books (and their synopsis) have never sounded like my kind of thing to spend time reading, so I have to admit I've never read them. But I still think Mordant's Need is likely better worth your time. Mordant's Need makes you cringe and laugh and cheer on so many different levels, mostly because it lets you get very familiar with the characters.

dlbpharmd wrote:Can't vote. I couldn't get through The Real Story or Mirror of her Dreams.

I say, read First Chronicles again.

Even if you hate Linden, I think the second series is better overall. The first trilogy has a more epic feel, but the second has more potency.

What? Get them both obviously, then read MN then the Gap.

(The Gap is his best writing ever in my opinion. In fact, I'm busy re-reading it right now.)

--A

Tjol wrote:

dlbpharmd wrote:Can't vote. I couldn't get through The Real Story or Mirror of her Dreams.

I say, read First Chronicles again.

Even if you hate Linden, I think the second series is better overall. The first trilogy has a more epic feel, but the second has more potency.

Oh, I definitely agree that 2nd Chronicles is better than the 1st - but that's a different vote/debate.