It's Terry Goodkind

[onewyteduck]

Iryssa ... are you telling me that there is indeed hope, and that all is not lost?

Why should all be lost? You can always use the pages for toilet paper, lining a bird cage, wrapping presents, shred it and use it to mail packages with and I am sure there are many other ways to keep it from going to waste. Or, you can read the series and make your own decision!

Duck

[duchess of malfi]

Yes. Everyone has different tastes and you might like it!

[SoulBiter]

I thought that "Wizards First Rule" was a VERY good book and on my list of favorites. And I thought the next two or three books in that series was a good read. However it seems to fall apart in "Pillars of creation". Im hoping that he will do a turnaround on the rest of the series.

By far the money spent on these was not a waste.

SoulBiter

[I'm Murrin]

A recent question posed to Goodkind, and his response:

QUESTION: Annerinas: Will you, Mr. TG, actually ever go write a non-fiction book exploring fully your ideals and philosophy, getting it out of your system. So that it's not being presented in the next book at the expense of the actual story?

Translation: Will you please change that way you think and write, stop using your mind, stop being an individual and instead start writing books like every other hackneyed Tolkien clone on the fantasy shelves. Answer: NO
The Premise of this question and all that it entails is beneath contempt. To say that I view this notion with indignity hardly begins to cover it. What you are seeing with my novels is something unique. They are not like all the other fantasy books. A tiny group of fantasy fans happens to like things the way they are and only wants more of the same. These few do not under any circumstances; want anything to change or anything that requires thought. They want everything to stay static and simplistic. For these reasons (and others), these people do not like what I write and they never will. They even hate that my books exist, that I write things that dare to uplift and inspire.
Rather than simply reading and enjoying the many books available that they like, they spend their time railing against the one author who is different.
What I have done with my work has irrevocably changed the face of fantasy. In so doing I've raised the standards. I have not only injected thought into a tired empty genre, but, more importantly, I've transcended it showing what more it can be-and is so doing spread my readership to completely new groups who don’t like and wont ready typical fantasy. Agents and editors are screaming for more books like mine.
They can’t find any-for 3 reasons. One, copying innovation is an impossibility. Two, individually cannot be copied. They don’t grasp the essence of my work. What they end up with are authors who imitate some of the nonessential elements unique to my books, believing they must be the secret to success, much as my publishers at first believe that it was the red dragon that defined my work.
Why are editors trying to get more books like mine? Because any one of my backlist sells more copies in a month than most fantasy authors' books sell in their entire run. NAKED EMPIRE has been on the NY Times list for two months now. Far more importantly, I break genre lines and draw my ever growing sales from the much larger pool of general fiction readers who embrace my books
Typical fantasies saturate the core fantasy readers and can't grow beyond. Only a few have, like Tolkien which is why every fantasy book blurts out "The Next Tolkien!" It's a lie that only fantasy readers believe or care about. My novels are best sellers in over twenty countries, including countries like Japan where fantasy just doesn’t sell. In Australia alone, the sales of NAKED EMPIRE more than doubled over the previous book, a best seller itself.
An advertising campaign in England and Australia that appealed to general fiction readers, rather than strictly fantasy readers, along with enthusiastic word of mouth about the novel, are responsible. My true fans have chosen to think, to embrace all that life is.
They like that my books inspire them, uplift the, help them see the joy in life. Just today I received a letter that eloquently expressed a common sentiment:"I learned from the underlying messages in your books and even the messages that smacked me in the face.
I have been able to apply them to my life and they helped me a great deal. Rather strange, huh? Learning life lessons from a "fantasy book"? But then again, they are more than just "fantasy books." Mr. Goodkind, you write of beauty and majesty, and in the long run that gives me hope. So I guess the reason I'm writing you for the hope and to thank you for a message that breeds life, love,
and understanding. Thank you from the depths of my heart. Thank you for something so pure."(---Lizz from NY)
So, in essence, this question is asking me to give up bringing meaning to people's lives, give up what I love, give up using my mind, give up my success, give up my huge fan base, and give up being a singular author of unique books, and, instead, write books I don’t enjoy, becoming one of the faceless many who are all doing basically the same thing for a small group of fantasy fans who don't want anything original.
Are you beginning to grasp why this isn't ever going to happen?

Now tell me - Why do so many people say bad things about him?

[Edge]

What an arrogant jerk.

I'll never read anything of his again. And it won't be any great sacrifice, as his writing is mediocre at best, and spoiled by transparent political agendas.

[duchess of malfi]

I can read nearly anything, but the last book of his (Pillars of Creation) that I managed to read was a book that I thought was truly viley bad. I skimmed the one after that in the store (Naked Empire), thought it looked equally bad, haven't even bothered doing that much with his latest.

The thing is -- he wants so much to express his political philosophy that he forgot to tell a story or create compelling characters -- and I just don't care for that sort of book.

Some of the earlier books in the series were better, as he did remember to tell a story along with the political views...

There are other authors, such as C. S. Lewis, who express political and/or religious views in their stories -- but they remember to tell a story, unlike this guy in his later books.

[Ainulindale]

I don't doubt Goodkind actaully has some writing talent, just asj him, he will tell you, apparently he just does't use it. Wizards First Rule was a ver solid first installment to a series. Sure halfway thru the novel we figured out the Zed/Richard/Rahl angle climax at the end already, and sure the bondage segmet was too lengthy but all, in all a solid, and prmomising start. I hate to be negative about an author, but IMHO the rest of the series is a waste of time. Goodkind seemingly makes up elements as he goes along to extend teh series (which he does again in his last installment, recently released Chainfire as well, yup, another lost continent, nevermind he has done this before). Pillars of Creation may be one of the top 10 worst novels in genre history by a Best Selling author, and the worst part is Goodkind knows the criticism, but actually thinks he is laughing the last laugh by thinking he is just weaving such an intricate, and socially important plot, that the common reader just can't see his genius for what it is (this is true, again just ask him, or read ANY of his interviews). All due apologies to Mr. Goodkind, but his series tired, derivative from book to book, and hardly significant at all on a literary level he tried to claim, even in comparison to many genre writers (such as Mieville, Wolfe, Moorcock, Harrison, Vandermeer tons more). Here's a quote by Michael Moorcock I find funny, and apt here (note the bold especially):

"Terry Pratchett once remarked that all his readers were called Kevin. He is lucky in that he appears to be the only Terry in fantasy land who is able to write a decent complex sentence. That such writers also depend upon recycling the plots of their literary superiors and are rewarded for this bland repetition isn't surprising in a world of sensation movies and manufactured pop bands. That they are rewarded with the lavish lifestyles of the most successful whores is also unsurprising. To pretend that this addictive cabbage is anything more than the worst sort of pulp historical romance or western is, however, a depressing sign of our intellectual decline and our free-falling academic standards."

goodkind can talk all he want, if you listen him enough one actually amy start believing he is a actually a great fantasy author, instead of what he is...essentially an author who has written one mildly good fantasy novel period, his first one.

I apolgize to Goodkind fans but I finished reading Chainfire a couple of weeks ago and was simply appaled. My fault however for thinking Goodkind was going ot get on track however, and actually listen to his fans.

You know something ... I have Newcomb's The Fifth Sorceress (and it's follow-up book) in my "To Read Pile" as well!

You know I gave this series a chance and read up to second novel, Gates of Dawn , Fifth Sorceress isn't great (no matter what the banner on the cover claims) but it isn't absolute garbage either so I gave it a chance...mistake..Gates of Dawn is dire, and is on teh same list with Pillars of Creation (They both have nice covers tho) The ending so obviously invented and easily wrapped up conveininetly (anotehr case of magic being used in a way, I call it uncreative), it's simply atrocious, not to mention if you didn't know any better you would swear these were Goodkind novels as the premise in the first novels are very similar.

[Roland of Gilead]

I've never read Goodkind, but I see that his ego is rather off the charts, isn't it?

Does he truly believe he's standing alone, at the top of the heap, as an innovator in the field of fantasy? That his brlliance has transcended the genre's limitations to bring his message to readers of all types of fiction?

This man needs a reality checkup in the very near future. And apparently he has already undergone a charisma bypass sometime in his past.

SHEESH!!!!!!!!!!

[Alynna Lis Eachann]

I would have continued reading the series after Wizard's First Rule... if only Wizard's First Rule had been half as long as it was (mostly minus the bondage). After I got through it, I just didn't give a damn about the characters anymore.

What a contrast this guy is with the quiet, introspective SRD.

[Encryptic]

Yeesh....that interview just killed off any lingering doubts I might have had about Goodkind's utter suckage. What an arrogant bag of hot air....

[duchess of malfi]

Here's a Mystery Science Theater treatment of Goodkind from another Board.

I find it pretty amusing but I also have a sick sense of humor, so be forewarned. Also, the treatments are spaced out to 1-2 a page of the long thread interspersed with lots of comments from other board members. So you might have to hunt a bit for the actual MST3K parts.

p080.ezboard.com/fasoiaffrm7.showMessag ... 2357.topic

[Variol Farseer]

For some time now, I've been describing Goodkind's work as a kind of 'Ayn Rand for Dummies'. Here's my summary of the series so far, complete with all the spoilers you could ever want:

See Atlas.
See Atlas shrug.
Shrug, Atlas, shrug.

Repeat for 10,000 pages, or until obscenely rich.

[Loredoctor]

For some time now, I've been describing Goodkind's work as a kind of 'Ayn Rand for Dummies'. Here's my summary of the series so far, complete with all the spoilers you could ever want:

See Atlas.
See Atlas shrug.
Shrug, Atlas, shrug.

Repeat for 10,000 pages, or until obscenely rich.

LOL spot on.

[Encryptic]

For some time now, I've been describing Goodkind's work as a kind of 'Ayn Rand for Dummies'. Here's my summary of the series so far, complete with all the spoilers you could ever want:

See Atlas.
See Atlas shrug.
Shrug, Atlas, shrug.

Repeat for 10,000 pages, or until obscenely rich.

[duchess of malfi]

Here is another example of Goodkind's writing:
www.scifi.com/sfw/current/letters.html
(scroll down to find his letter)

And even Canada, because of our clear example of the ethical value of liberty upon which America was founded, has come to grant its people the right to speak freely.

Aren't you Canadians glad???

[taraswizard]

www.inchoatus.com/Critical%20Essays/Ess ... 20Rant.htm

Copy of interview and stuff about the author Terry Goodkind.

[Luke The Unbeliever]

Damnit !

I'm reading Song of Ice and Fire series and finished the first book, then went to Barnes and Noble's website and bought the next two books and realized I could get free shipping with another book purchase-
long story short- I bought the two box sets of the Sword of Truth Series books 1-6 because of the rave reviews on the site...and I needed something else to read after I finish the available paperbacks in SOIAF.
I'm addicted to reading...I've read over 25 novels in the last year and a half, so I freak out when I run out of new books...

of course there are some Covenant bashers on there(B&N) too...

Man I hope I like these books, I know everyone has their own tastes and what not, but now I'm wondering just how bad the story apparently falls apart...

*crosses fingers*

[variol son]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Goodkind

Oh, this is too good! Read the "Recent Controversy" section at the bottom. the man is obviously insane.

Thank you Wikipedia.

[Loredoctor]

"I am a novelist; I am not, in the essential sense, a fantasy author. To define me as a fantasy writer is to misunderstand the context of my books by misidentifying their fundamentals," and "My books are novels that deal in important human themes involving the faculty of reason. I tell these stories through heroic characters."

[I'm Murrin]

The thing is, it's obvious he's tried to make that the case - his attempts to remove fantasy elements once you get to around book four or five are obvious. However that doesn't change the fact that the first books in the series are very much the stereotypical fantasy - with talking dragons, even. He seems to think that by changing the way he approaches his writing - by making it almost entirely a podium for his objectivist ideas - it somehow changes what he has already written. As if simply denying the ideas he no longer agrees with will mean he never had them.