Kevin's Watch

SRD is working on his revisions list for the paperback version of Runes. The EXTREMELY short publishing time for the book provided less on an opportunity than usual to make sure all the story inconsistencies were flushed out, and he'd like to fix what he can. Most of the ones found already are relatively benign (with respect to their effect on the plot), but he wants to make sure he has as complete a list as possible.

So if you've found any inconsistencies in Runes, please email them to me so I can compile a list for Steve:

johnf@eccker.org

If you've already groused about a particular issue here on the Watch , please let me know the name of the thread - I'm giving extra points to people who were the first to report a problem (and I haven't had time to read all the threads, so I may not find it unless I'm led to it). Also let me know if you've previously reported something through the Gradual Interview.

Some examples of problems already reported:

- The ages of Jeremiah's siblings aren't quite right.
- Linden doesn't remember Covenant mentioning hurtloam to her.
- Ur-viles may have some some breeding lore (it was believed that only the Demondim could breed ur-viles and wayhnim, until someone pointed out a single line from Hamako in TWL that suggests otherwise ... big DOH!)

Some examples of things that do NOT count:

Spoiler

- Typos
- Covenant is dead - how can he show up at the end of the book?
- It's called The Last Chronicles of TC, but it's all about Linden!
- A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut!

I'm not entirely sure about this one (don't have access to my books to check) but I think I remember something about Linden thinking she hadn't used Wild Magic to heal, before Stave - but she healed Mistweave with it in WGW.

I moved this to the top as an announcement, so it won't be overlooked.

Here's mine:

I was rereading White Gold Weilder, and after Sunder breaks the Law of Death, Holliand comes back to life. Linden sees them with her health sense and she sees that they are beings of Earth-Power but that they were limited to staying in Andelain. As a matter of fact, she notices that if they were to leave Andelain they would quickly die.

Perhaps with the new Staff Of Law they were able to avoid this.

B

BraulioB: I'd assumed this was because of the corruption of Earthpower outside of Andelain, which Linden later healed.

I think Runes is a terrific piece of writing. It is thrillingly exciting and is spangled with brilliance.
(I need to prefix my feedback with this note of appreciation!)

Here is something that JARRED, and knocked me right out of the story, thinking that's not right(!) that would never happen(!), SRD got that wrong(!), BAD author(!)

And as the author surely doesn't want that to happen(!), I mention it -even though it is not an outright inconsistency of statements.

It is that Linden did not IMMEDIATELY notice that Revelstone had gates.

She passed through two sets of gates, and I can understand her not immediately noticing the ones that replaced those destroyed in the illearth battle, but I believe she would have totally immediately noticed those that replaced the ones pulverised by Nom.

THE INSTANT SHE SAW THEM. Just as this reader did! How could any reader not see this immediately, given the history, AND SO MUCH MORE SO FOR LINDEN HERSELF.

I know she was in the middle of activity, fleeing the Demondim 'n' all, but I credit any and every person with FAR MORE alertness and receptiveness than that. WE ARE ALIVE! (And heck, in the middle of battle we are even more alive than ever!)

It would have been a thrill and a joy to see them the INSTANT she saw them, and her heart would have sung for her giant friends THAT VERY INSTANT!

That's is why this small crazy detail JARRED SO VERY MUCH with me!

[To be clear - for a terrific deal of the time I was reading this book, I was thinking EXCELLENT author, EXCELLENT author, EXCELLENT author!]

I agree that at first the presence of gates was shocking and seemed to be a gross inconsistency; however, the explanation given was satisfactory.

I wish he'd just leave it as it is. My brain does cartwheels whenever I think of more than one version of a text floating around.

Like when Rowling changed the text in Harry Potter 4 -- actually changed the events, like it was nothing, because she made a mistake she couldn't write herself out of.

Tolkien changed the text of The Hobbit after it was puiblished, to jive with Lord of the Rings -- but he actually wrote the change into the story, as if Bilbo had written The Hobbit with an intentional lie, then re-wrote the "true" version into a new edition, sort of explaining to the audience about why there are two different stories floating around.

I guess if I'm trying to discuss fiction with someone, I want to be able to assume we're talking about the same work. I say published is published -- carved in stone. Story inconsistencies ought to be 'flushed out' before a book goes to print.

Insanity Falls & dlbpharmd: I didn't notice the gates until the point where Linden realised.

Ah .... Perhaps I am oversensitive

I do think that, being there 'n' all, the presence of gates would have hit Linden instantly, and she would have been thrilled by them, and instantly realized that giants had made them, and be thrilled by that too!

I cannot see her being ... er ... um ... puzzled!

Stead : what did JK change? Please give!

PS. I think such changes add to the fun!

Insanity Falls wrote:Stead : what did JK change? Please give!

At the end of Goblet of Fire, Harry's wand pulls out the ghosts of all the murdered victims from Voldemort's wand, in reverse order.

In my copy, Cedric Diggory comes out first (most recent murder done by the wand,) and Harry's mother comes out last, after his father.

This had everybody saying: "Aha! So somehow Voldemort must have killed Lily before James, which isn't what everybody keeps telling Harry. This has huge implications on the plot!"

To which Rowling said: "No, it was a mistake, and it has been fixed in all subsequent editions so that Lily comes back out of the wand before James."

As far as that series goes, that little detail would have made a huge difference to the mysterious back-story, which is the basis for everything that happens in the books.

And Tolkien, I believe, originally had Gollum and Bilbo parting on friendly terms. Gollum had promised the ring to Bilbo if he won the riddle contest, so Bilbo was justified in keeping it hidden in his pocket. This was changed to Bilbo cheating the ring from Gollum, and Gollum screaming that he would hate Bilbo forever.

Thanks Stead!

That Voldemort could have that wand in his possession now stuck me as incredible (unbelievable!).

How in the heck?!!!!!!!!!!!

Even with the re-appearance order corrected, that scene still shouts HOWLER!!!

I agree with Stead, the only difference between a paperback and a hardcover should be the size of the pages, and the hardness of the cover!

If there is anyhting that SRD feels as inconsistant, he can explain it in the future volumes, or leave it alone.

Revelstone's new gates didn't bother me in the least. I never imagined they wouldn't be replaced.

Romeo wrote:

Spoiler

- A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut!

Let's not be hasty. Is this an African bird, or European?

Stead wrote:I wish he'd just leave it as it is. My brain does cartwheels whenever I think of more than one version of a text floating around.

I'm with you!

drew wrote:I agree with Stead, the only difference between a paperback and a hardcover should be the size of the pages, and the hardness of the cover!

Another Well said.


OK, how about the Ravers' origin? Were they "triplets, the spawn of one birth from the womb of their long-forgotten mother," or is it the origin given in Runes? You'd think the Ravers knew themselves, which is where Mhoram got his info.

Revelstone's new gates didn't bother me in the least. I never imagined they wouldn't be replaced.

I don't know - I never imagined they would be.

heh

pg 34 line 7/8 Megan replies 'This is a unexpected pleasure.What can I do you out of?' this doesn't read right. it appears that Megan is antisipating ripping Linden off?

It was a joke. Light-hearted banter between friends. Megan playing on the popular perceptions of her profession.

As for the gates - I didn't notice. In fact, when Linden noticed the gates, it took me some head-scratching to work out why that was an issue.

I seem to recall that Linden <i>does</i> remember hurtloam. Let me fish it out...

P.178 - "Somewhere she had heard of "hurtloam", but she could not remember what it was, or who had mentioned it."

I thought this pretty realistic. After all, it has been ten years since she was there and she encountered a hell of a lot of fantastic stuff in the land. A thing mentioned while she was still new and which she never actually encountered may well have slipped her by.