Steven Erikson

[Zakari]

The Malazan books are fantastic...

Hurry up MT and be in ordinary paperback!! *grumble*

I believe it didn't come out in the US til so late bcause he didn't believe it would get very far...some publishing politics involved anyway.....

About time us Brits got first bite!

[I'm Murrin]

It seems the fans have made themselves heard:



Note the quote up top.

[Reave the Just]

Murrin

'scuse me (I'm a bit slow), but are you saying that the publishers are ditching the Youll cack for the USA?

I don't blame Youll- a professional who was comissioned to design a particular type of cover. I blame the publishers for shamelessly trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. If I was American, I'd feel insulted.

[I'm Murrin]

I think they may be doing just that. The 'Deadhouse Gates cover' thread at the Malazan boards was updated recently to show the above cover instead of Youll's artwork, so I assume that Youll's cover will not be used.

I agree about Youll - it is true that he originally drew the scene as a dark interior setting, with an older Shaik, but the publishers had him change it.

[Reave the Just]

(apologies -off thread)

Murrin - I notice your in York. Fine city.

The Maltings and the Three Legged Mare are two of my all-time Favourite pubs. great ale

[I'm Murrin]

For any who are interested: Steven Erikson once promised we would get a Draconean Family Tree with either House of Chains or Midnight Tides - we didn't. But recently some of the members who know him were given a copy and permission to post it online. If you want to see, head here (PDF; no spoilers - was intended for inclusion in Midnight Tides):
members.shaw.ca/christopher_grant/DraconeanTree.pdf

It doesn't really give anything new away, apart from one surprising fact (or two), but it's interesting to finally see it all laid out clearly.

[Warmark Jay]

Greetings and cheers from a Yank in California. I picked up "Gardens of the Moon" last night and am looking forward it; if SRD gives it a thumbs-up, I gotta read it. That being said, I found "The Wheel of Marketing - er, Time" to be utter crap, in no small part because IT NEVER ENDS. I'm hesitant to start a 10-book series, but I'm taking the leap of faith (primarily due to the buzz that surrounds Erikson). I'm curious - for those of you in Canada and the UK, do you find that the story retains its quality over the course of several novels?

[I'm Murrin]

Most certainly. It's just a tiny bit shaky in the first book (still very good, just talking comparatively), and the fifth has a slightly odd style with the book being half humour/half deadly serious and depressing, but it's quality throughout.
Hope you enjoy the book, and pick up Deadhouse Gates when youre done (it only just came out over there, I think).

[Warmark Jay]

Thanks for the insight - I'm about 50 pages into "Gardens" and it's excellent. Nice to read an epic fantasy written for adults.

[Ainulindale]

Being across the pond myself I have had an opportunity to read the series for awhile. One I think it's one of the best ongoing epic series available at the moment. It's one of the few heavy magic series that doesn't go overboard diluting the plot with quick fix up with magic use in the plot. Behind Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, and R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series, this is probably the epic series I enjoy the most, and look forward to reading forthcoming installments the most, and Although I think bother Erikson and Bakker are writing exceptional series, I do think their is a substantial drop-off from Martin.

Great series, nice atempt at history, some non-archetypical characters, and interesting magc system, defintely recomended.

[Reave the Just]

Ainuindale (hope that's right)

Couldn't stomach GRR Martin - I seem to be one of the few who thinks he's very overrated - superficial, poor quality world building.

I found his handling of heraldry inept. Sounds a bit petty I know, but things like this just make the whole scenario seem artificial and paper thin.

Still, I must be missing something, judging by his legion of fans (most of whom are also Erikson people)

[Ainulindale]

Couldn't stomach GRR Martin - I seem to be one of the few who thinks he's very overrated - superficial, poor quality world building.

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion:) The World Building I agree is not first rate, in some elements I agree, but hardly below average in my opinion considering the majority of fantasy writers are devoid of an yworld buidling skills at all. In my mind I could probably only think of a dozen exmples of a worldbuilding that clealry could be defined as superior examples of such. Although I am not underestimating the luxury and importance of worldbuidling, I think to many authors focus on worldbuidling so much, and forget they don't have the writing abiltiy to populate it with characters or plotlines worthy of their setting. Jordan, comes to mind. I think the genre is full of fine map makers and not enough quality writers. For instance one can point out the mega- expansive world Frank Herbert left for his son Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson who seemingly can't do anythign with it except tarnish the name of Dune. You have numerous shared-world settings that are huge/full of pantheons etc, but populated by second rate authors (their are some exceptions to be sure)

I found his handling of heraldry inept. Sounds a bit petty I know, but things like this just make the whole scenario seem artificial and paper thin.

Now this is interesting, can you give me a specfiic example(s) by chance?:)

Still, I must be missing something, judging by his legion of fans (most of whom are also Erikson people

Hmmm, I guess teh two series woudl lend themselves to the same core of fans to some extent, however although I enjoy Erikson myself I have noted their are quite a few Martin fans, that absolutely abhor Erikson.

[Roland of Gilead]

Well, I'm a huge Martin fan who doesn't abhor Erikson. As I mentioned in another thread, I think Deadhouse Gates is a distinct improvement over the only average Gardens of the Moon. I had heard that Gardens was the weak sister of his Malazan series, and hopefully this pans out, because I'm really enjoying Deadhouse through the first hundred pages, and I'd like another high quality epic fantasy to religiously follow for a few years, what with Dark Tower now over, and Martin being, with the possible exception of J. D. Salinger, the slowest writer on the planet.

There's our very own SRD, of course, but quite frankly, although I thought Runes was a good novel, I didn't think it measured up to the other Covenant trilogies, so I'm no longer champing at the bit for Fatal Revenant.
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[Ainulindale]

Well, I'm a huge Martin fan who doesn't abhor Erikson. As I mentioned in another thread, I think Deadhouse Gates is a distinct improvement over the only average Gardens of the Moon

I agree, I think Deadhouse Gates is a marked improvement, however I must admit I think Gardens of the Moon was much better than average IMHO, which in regards to fantasy, average can be quite atrocious.

and I'd like another high quality epic fantasy to religiously follow for a few years,

Have your tried R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series? Damn good epic series.

[I'm Murrin]

About Bakker - The earliest date I can find for The Warrior-Prophet in the UK now is early March - what's going on there, why do they need to keep pushing it back when it came out elsewhere back in July 04?

[Ainulindale]

About Bakker - The earliest date I can find for The Warrior-Prophet in the UK now is early March - what's going on there, why do they need to keep pushing it back when it came out elsewhere back in July 04?

I don't really know, I had no problem aquiring Warrior Prophet (order evrything online), keep hunting thought a damn good novel with a real awesome writing perspective, I am patiently waiting for the next novel The Thousandfold Thought. Kellhuss just owns.

[I'm Murrin]

I suppose I could import it, but I don't know what that'll cost me.
BTW, when is Thousandfold Thought due? And is there any rough schedule on the rest of the Second Apocalypse series?

[Roland of Gilead]

Ainulindale, I'm waiting for the first Prince of Nothing novel to be published in paperback in the States.

[Ainulindale]

BTW, when is Thousandfold Thought due

I haven't really been able to see a concrete date. the earleist most reasonable credible date I have seen is October (from wha his site says) but I have seen no listings at retailers. So i'd figure earliest October, but more likely later.

And is there any rough schedule on the rest of the Second Apocalypse series?

Honestly, you probably know more than me about as a whole, all I know is the title he dropped something like Aspect-Emperor in an interview I read, and it's probably going to be a duology. Actually found it, here is the excerpt (in case you haven't read it) from the interview:

What are you working on now? How many books will ultimately be set in the world of The Prince of Nothing?

The Prince of Nothing consists of three books, The Darkness that Comes Before, The Warrior-Prophet, and The Thousandfold Thought. They tell the story of the crucial events that occur some twenty years before the Second Apocalypse begins. I have outlines (whose original forms, coincidentally, date back some twenty years) that sketch the story of the Second Apocalypse, starting with The Aspect-Emperor and ending with The-Book-that-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Whether these will turn into trilogies like The Prince of Nothing remains to be seen. My guess is that each will be a dualogy.
I'm presently working on The Thousandfold Thought. Following this, I have a draft of a near future thriller entitled Neuropath, which I hope to gussy up and shop around before returning to fantasy, which is my first love.

[I'm Murrin]

Yeah, that's the interview I read, too. Guess it's the only info available on the later parts of the series right now.