Kevin's Watch

Greetings, fellow watchers. If you're like me, the thought of the wait for various volumes of the Last Chronicles sends you into a spiraling depression, and it's all you can do to prevent yourself from burning down a few cities.

We now have about a year before we can begin to read AATE, and the anticipation is becoming more than I can bear. So what can we do about this? How can we channel these anticipatory energies into non-destructive activities? This thread is for opinions on these matters as well as suggestions to prepare for AATE.

Here are some of my ideas:

1)Re-read the Chronicles-an obvious place to start, but that is what it is, a STARTING point in my insane plots. This re-read would be to get a general idea of the story, an overall picture, if you wish, which will be useful in phase 2:
2)Re-read the Chronicles AGAIN (gasp!)-This time around, I plan to keep my eyes open to different themes and interrelationships within the series. I'll keep in mind that 1:The first chronicles was written to stand alone, 2: The second chronicles contains set-up for the Last Chronicles, and 3: The Last Chronicles proposes to tie together the entire series.
With massive amounts of notebooks, I shall jot down page numbers, ideas, and other pertanent information for the formation of theories. These notebooks will be useful in phase 3 of my world-ending scheme
3)Post a bunch of new topics on the Watch in the appropriate forums- Exposing ideas or questions that were gained while reading will allow them to be analyzed by different minds. Also, it will enable wayfriend or theWormoftheWorld'sEnd to point out how horribly wrong your perceptions are and why

By the time I accomplish the first three phases, we should be seeing sneak peeks of AATE on the SRD site. thus, we move on to phase 4
4)Pour over the crumbs that the publisher is willing to toss us, and speculate on them like crazy!

Then, after a few months, AATE will finally be out. Before hand, I will have prepared an undeground bunker in an undisclosed location guarded day and night, where I will be able to read it in peace, and also so when I reach the cliffhanger at the end, I won't destroy too many things.

Also, it might be good to get extra glasses. Wouldn't want your only pair to break when you're picking up your copy of AATE to read. That just wouldn't be fair...

No need to re-read the First Chrons. Start with the Second, then do Runes & FR again. SRD himself has said the 2nd Chrons contain a fair amount of backdoors & loose threads that directly tie into the Last Chrons. Think about the Elohim (specifically Findail & his stories).

Orlion wrote:We now have about a year before we can begin to read AATE, and the anticipation is becoming more than I can bear.

um...but ain't it closer to TWO years than it is to one. Well, it's more than a year and a half, isn't it?

Yes, cruel of me to point out the truth!

Until the actual book publication, yes... it is closer to two years, HOWEVER, I like to think positive, we have about a year before sneak-peeks (if they happen) So we'll have read at least one (possibly two) chapters of AATE before it is actually released.

ah, that explains it! I'm a realist/fatalist so...I wasn't even thinking about the preview chaps. You have a point.

Seareach wrote:ah, that explains it! I'm a realist/fatalist so...I wasn't even thinking about the preview chaps. You have a point.

I'm a fatal cynic....SRD said he's behind, but will try to catch up if everything goes well. It won't. He won't. It'll be 2-6 months late.

Vraith wrote:I'm a fatal cynic....SRD said he's behind, but will try to catch up if everything goes well. It won't. He won't. It'll be 2-6 months late.

Nah. I reckon he'll work his butt off and get it done on time.

I think we should start taking bets!

Step # 5. Establish a head to head depth chart pitting Last Chrons characters against each other in combat scenarios.
Covenant VS. Kastenessen
Joan VS. Linden
Masters VS. Swordmannir
Sandgorgons VS. Skurj
... and so on. No? Ok I guess I'll be the only one doing that.

So, assuming Mr Broken is right, and Covenant takes on Kastenessen, Linden takes on Joan, the Giants and Masters fight each other and the Sandgorgons measure themselves against the Skurj..

Does that mean that it will fall to Liand to take on Lord foul with his Orcrest? Anele to confront Roger? Mahrtiir to remove Jeremiah's croyel??? I would like to see them have a go.

Seareach wrote:

Orlion wrote:We now have about a year before we can begin to read AATE, and the anticipation is becoming more than I can bear.

um...but ain't it closer to TWO years than it is to one. Well, it's more than a year and a half, isn't it?

Yes, cruel of me to point out the truth!

Evil. Just plain evil.

dlbpharmd wrote:

Seareach wrote:

Orlion wrote:We now have about a year before we can begin to read AATE, and the anticipation is becoming more than I can bear.

um...but ain't it closer to TWO years than it is to one. Well, it's more than a year and a half, isn't it?

Yes, cruel of me to point out the truth!

Evil. Just plain evil.

...Bad Sea.... .

Go on, Sea!

Mr. Broken wrote:Step # 5. Establish a head to head depth chart pitting Last Chrons characters against each other in combat scenarios.
Covenant VS. Kastenessen
Joan VS. Linden
Masters VS. Swordmannir
Sandgorgons VS. Skurj
... and so on. No? Ok I guess I'll be the only one doing that.

Covenant
Linden
Masters
Sandgorgons

are my picks.

spoonchicken wrote:No need to re-read the First Chrons. Start with the Second, then do Runes & FR again. SRD himself has said the 2nd Chrons contain a fair amount of backdoors & loose threads that directly tie into the Last Chrons. Think about the Elohim (specifically Findail & his stories).

Just my own humble opinion, but I think everyone puts WAAAAYY too much emphasis on The Elohim. IMHO, they're minor characters who played their part in moving the plot along in 2nd chronicles. This series has always boiled down to 2 charcters: TC and LF. During the final scenes of The Last Dark, I think you'll see just those two, settling the issues that SRD has written about for 10 volumes. Even Linden and her son will have been sent home by either TC or LF.

These are, and always have been, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Not Linden Avery. And certainly, not The Elohim.

Yeah...Elohim are just plot-devises in eatherly form...they can float and spin...

ninjaboy wrote:So, assuming Mr Broken is right, and Covenant takes on Kastenessen, Linden takes on Joan, the Giants and Masters fight each other and the Sandgorgons measure themselves against the Skurj..

Does that mean that it will fall to Liand to take on Lord foul with his Orcrest? Anele to confront Roger? Mahrtiir to remove Jeremiah's croyel??? I would like to see them have a go.

You make perfect sense. Mahrtiir would be the only one able to withstand the croyel disgusting appearance and grab him, Anele would withstand Roger power of flame with the aid of his friends the flame-resistant rocks, and Liand is so naive innocent that he'll believe that good can withstand evil and cow Foul off with the force of his conviction.

But what will Phani do? And what about Stave? He's a different category than the Maesters.

shadowbinding shoe wrote:But what will Phani do? And what about Stave? He's a different category than the Maesters.

I think they should sneak off to a quiet corner and get it on!

Oooh, there's an idea, Sea! Not particularly likely, but there are multiple attractions:

It might heal the long-standing rift between the Ramen and the Haruchai and possibly lead to a new bloodline that would embody the strengths of both races.

After experiencing the passion of a Haruchai, Pahni would develop a broader depth of affectionate expression than laying her hand on another’s shoulder or linking her arm in another’s elbow. (Come back when you grow up, girl…)

Liand surely would be hurt in the short term, but would recover and grow up a bit himself, which he needs to do to fulfill the destiny we all expect of him. He’s too good for Pahni anyway.

(You can all now start picking this concept to pieces…)

Savor Dam wrote:After experiencing the passion of a Haruchai, Pahni would develop a broader depth of affectionate expression than laying her hand on another’s shoulder or linking her arm in another’s elbow. (Come back when you grow up, girl…)

That made my day!

Andy Lane wrote:

spoonchicken wrote:No need to re-read the First Chrons. Start with the Second, then do Runes & FR again. SRD himself has said the 2nd Chrons contain a fair amount of backdoors & loose threads that directly tie into the Last Chrons. Think about the Elohim (specifically Findail & his stories).

Just my own humble opinion, but I think everyone puts WAAAAYY too much emphasis on The Elohim. IMHO, they're minor characters who played their part in moving the plot along in 2nd chronicles. This series has always boiled down to 2 charcters: TC and LF. During the final scenes of The Last Dark, I think you'll see just those two, settling the issues that SRD has written about for 10 volumes. Even Linden and her son will have been sent home by either TC or LF.

These are, and always have been, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Not Linden Avery. And certainly, not The Elohim.

right on.