New addict.

Post by **Chun** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:11 pm

Heyho, I was searching the net for new fantasy books to add to my collection - (and trying to avoid watching tv dramas my wife’s into) - and I came across this site which appears to have like-minded people.

I'm 30, I live in the North East of England and I have been reading fantasy/sci fi/horror since I can first remember. I’m always on the lookout for more books, but at the same time I like reading over and over my favourites, so the best ones are all dog eared tea-stained and creased stacked haphazardly in my book shelves. My wife keeps trying me to get a Kindle/Tablet whatever you call it, but when I read I want to hold a real book and turn real pages, not stare into a screen which I do enough of as it is when I work.

It was only about 8 years ago I got into Donaldson when my older brother moved to the west coast of the states and gave me his entire book collection, mainly because he couldn't afford the luggage costs. From that I got a treasure trove of many authors like Koontz, H Turtledove, James Herbert, Jack Vance, H P Lovecraft, and of course Stephen Donaldson.

The reason I really like Stephen Donaldson can be summed up in two words: bad guys.

Growing up watching 80s t.v. I was always the kind of kid who supported the bad guys. Mu'Mraa was always my favourite and I wanted him to beat those pesky moralistic Thundercats. I could never understand why the Gremlins didn't just eat Gizmo for an after 12 snack to multiply more cool baddies. The power-hungry Laputian Prince with his army of Ghiblis sky robots got all the fun... Yeah, I grew up fantasising about becoming some sort of Bond Villain with my own shark tank (no white cats though- I’m more of a dog person.) Sadly, that sort of thing costs a hell of a lot of money so I’ll have to keep my dark dreams in my head and in stick to books.

You can write a book with a fantastic plot, interesting good characters and great themes, but without a well-written bad guy, it won’t work. I found that the Chronicles is full of interesting bad guys and anti-heroes which makes it one of my favourites. Not sure which wins for me though- Mordants Need or the first 6 Chronicles, as I wasn't very impressed with the third Chronicles trilogy I’m sorry to say.

Anyway hi, and I look forward to some interesting chats.

Website · Post by **Iolanthe** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:18 pm

Hello Chun

We are worlds apart, I grew up on the Likely Lads in the 60s, but we meet halfway on Donaldson.

Post by **ussusimiel** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:57 pm

Hi Chun, Welcome to the Watch!

This is a great place to find what fantasy and sci-fi book to read next. Some people here have, almost literally, read everything!

I'm never short of a recommendation for what to read next.

Check out these threads for endless material:

- What fantasy/science fiction book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

- Latest SF/Fantasy Acquisitions

Enjoy!

u.

Post by **wayfriend** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:14 pm

Welcome to the Watch, Chun! I look forward to discussing bad guys with you. No one knows what it's like ...

Post by **Savor Dam** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:31 pm

Welcome to the Watch, Chun!

May you thrive here and contribute.

Wayfriend, are you implying Frank Sinatra is in front of you?

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:40 am

I like the sound of Chun, so I googled it. I guess you got it from Vance's Dying Earth? Which I've never read. But wiki says it's on Locus' 1987 Best All-Time Fantasy Novels list. So I looked at that, and was surprised to see Silverlock, by John Myers Myers, which I really enjoyed, but never heard anyone ever mention in my life.

So welcome to the Watch!

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 8:18 am

What do you mean...SRD quotes Silverlock at the start of Mirror of Her Dreams.

Welcome to the Watch Chun. There's a lot more to this place than SRD, so I hope you dive in and start posting. Always good to have new people on board.

--A

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:30 am

Really? Lol. Never read Mirror. That's very cool.

Post by **wayfriend** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 2:56 pm

Savor Dam wrote:Wayfriend, are you implying Frank Sinatra is in front of you?

That took me a minute ... well played.

Post by **Chun** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:44 pm

Thanks for the warm welcome.

The name Chun does indeed come from the Jack Vance character 'Chun the Unavoidable' who is a lonely beast haunting the outskirts of a ruined city 50 million+ years in the future, under the red light of the dying sun in the last days of earth. He is cursed to steal the eyes of any wanderer he comes across and stitch them to his raggedy cloak... I'll need to find a suitably gruesome avatar

Thanks for the list links Ussusimiel, that's my pay check out of the window! Might need to add another book shelf too

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:47 pm

wayfriend wrote:
Savor Dam wrote:
wayfriend wrote:Welcome to the Watch, Chun! I look forward to discussing bad guys with you. No one knows what it's like ...
Wayfriend, are you implying Frank Sinatra is in front of you?
That took me a minute ... well played.

*SD's comment flying over my head. I thought I knew Sinatra*
...and here I thought way was invoking The Who.

Be Welcome to the Watch, Chun.
Be Well Come and True.

Post by **wayfriend** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:24 pm

Menolly: a hint: Blue Eyes.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:46 am

ohhhh...
*head smack*

Post by **Savor Dam** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 2:36 am

Menolly wrote:ohhhh...
*head smack*

Surely you have become accustomed to the free-association style of my sense of humor by now, bashert?

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:43 am

I was thinking lyrics...

Post by **Savor Dam** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:47 am

As were Wayfriend and I.

Who's Next?

Post by **Lord Foul** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:48 pm

Chun wrote:The reason I really like Stephen Donaldson can be summed up in two words: bad guys.

My greetings. I see we have some fresh blood with potential here...

Chun wrote:Yeah, I grew up fantasising about becoming some sort of Bond Villain with my own shark tank (no white cats though- I’m more of a dog person.) Sadly, that sort of thing costs a hell of a lot of money so I’ll have to keep my dark dreams in my head and in stick to books.

Piranhas should be more convenient - and easier to turn into some fresh meat on their own, should you need to hide the traces of your activity.

Chun wrote:You can write a book with a fantastic plot, interesting good characters and great themes, but without a well-written bad guy, it won’t work. I found that the Chronicles is full of interesting bad guys and anti-heroes which makes it one of my favourites. Not sure which wins for me though- Mordants Need or the first 6 Chronicles, as I wasn't very impressed with the third Chronicles trilogy I’m sorry to say.

This is practically what Stanley Kubrick said about villains - you might like some of his movies, particularly A Clockwork Orange. And I don't see any mention of the Gap Cycle - haven't you read it?

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 7:52 am

Fist and Faith wrote:Really? Lol. Never read Mirror. That's very cool.

Wait, what? Are you joking?

Silverlock is where the titles of both books come from:

Steeped in the vacuum of her dreams,
a mirror's empty
'til a man rides through it.

Chun wrote:Might need to add another book shelf too

Oh, I've had that problem...

--A

Post by **Cord Hurn** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:21 pm

Welcome, Chun! I can relate to what you're saying about SRD's creation of villains. He is indeed very good at it, and it is certainly one of the reasons his writing is so good (I have recently completed a re-reading of the SRD short story "Ser Visal's Tale", and found the self-righteous villains there to be chilling).

May you have many great adventures here (only two days after your first post, and you've already encountered Fangthane--impressive, as I had to seek him out to look for trouble)!

Post by **TheFallen** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:37 am

Welcome, Chun. Another Brit on the Watch... and thus the overall average of the KW Sheer Class Quotient creeps upwards. It can only be a good thing...

Kevin's Watch

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