TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

ColonelHardisson said:
...

By the way, I meant it as a general comment for anyone reading this thread. It wasn't directed at you. My assumption is you know the movies and books are two different beasts.

Yes indeed, and I must confess that I very much enjoyed the movies... :lol:

Cheerio,
Gary

Imperialus · Apr 14, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
Howdy Colonel,

Short answer:

Frankly, I find very few new fantasy books in the general S&S vein worth reading. I do enjoy the "Diskworld" series, and Glen Cook's "Black Company" novels are appealing to me. Those are about all that spring to mind. The fiction I have been reading these days is mostly murder mystery (I loved the "Judge Dee" series), historical (such as Cornwell's various series), alternate history, and some re-reading of old fantasy & SF books.

Cheers,
Gary

Black Company is a great read, I don't know if you've ever given him a try by George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire is an exceptionally well written fantasy series. It moves quite sharply away from a traditional S&S novel but but the machinations of the various noble families are fascinating to follow.

Also, have you gotten a chance to read the re-released Conan books? Coming of Conan, Conquering Sword of Conan and Bloody Crown of Conan? If so, how do you think Howard’s original work compares to the editing that Du-Camp did?

dcas · Apr 14, 2007

Imperialus said:
George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire is an exceptionally well written fantasy series.

Yes, if one doesn't mind reading 1000-page books.

gideon_thorne · Apr 14, 2007

dcas said:
Yes, if one doesn't mind reading 1000-page books.

Wots wrong with a 1000 page book? Thats 'light' reading. ^_^

On the previous literary topic, there is an entertaining book called The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, that deals with a more 'eastern' europe as a subject. For the 'alternative historian' taste certainly. ^_^

dcas · Apr 14, 2007

gideon_thorne said:
Wots wrong with a 1000 page book? Thats 'light' reading. ^_^

It's fine if it's just one book, but a series of 1000-page books? No thanks.

Geoffrey · Apr 14, 2007

I read the first of George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, and it was more than enough for my tastes. I'm not going to read any more of them.

I read the first 200 pages of Kostova's The Historian before giving it up. The historical background is fascinating, but the rest turned me off.

Those were the last two contemporary fantasy novels I've read. I've pretty much given up on it all. I just stick with the old stuff.

Oh, wait: I do rather enjoy M. A. R. Barker's Tekumel novels, though more for the setting than for the plots or characters.

Imperialus · Apr 14, 2007

dcas said:
It's fine if it's just one book, but a series of 1000-page books? No thanks.

Beats the heck out of anything by Ann Rand. *has a flashback of Atlas Shrugged, begins screaming wildly about selfishness and robs a little old lady*

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

Imperialus said:
Black Company is a great read, I don't know if you've ever given him a try by George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire is an exceptionally well written fantasy series. It moves quite sharply away from a traditional S&S novel but but the machinations of the various noble families are fascinating to follow.

Also, have you gotten a chance to read the re-released Conan books? Coming of Conan, Conquering Sword of Conan and Bloody Crown of Conan? If so, how do you think Howard’s original work compares to the editing that Du-Camp did?

The Martin works do not sound particularly appealing to me, but I am in process of reading the three trade paperback REH Conan books now. I have read some few non-edited Howard yarns way back in the 1950, and IMO de Camp did no justice to the original writing.

I enjoy de Camp's writing, very mych so when teamed with Fletcher Pratt, but he messed up REH's writing, as did the other posthumous collaborators.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

dcas said:
Yes, if one doesn't mind reading 1000-page books.

To me that's a bit too long for a single work of fiction. A series that I enjoy can run much longer than that, as with Cornwell's "Sharpe" novels. I wish that the "Judge Dee" series was as lengthy as that...

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

Geoffrey said:
I read the first of George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, and it was more than enough for my tastes. I'm not going to read any more of them.

I read the first 200 pages of Kostova's The Historian before giving it up. The historical background is fascinating, but the rest turned me off.

Those were the last two contemporary fantasy novels I've read. I've pretty much given up on it all. I just stick with the old stuff.

Oh, wait: I do rather enjoy M. A. R. Barker's Tekumel novels, though more for the setting than for the plots or characters.

As I stated earlier in this thread, I do not find contemporary fantasy writing to my taste, so we are in agreement there.

It seems to me that Phil Barker's character and place names are so difficult to pronounce as to make reading a chore.

Cheers,
Gary

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Imperialus

Explorer

dcas

First Post

gideon_thorne

First Post

dcas

First Post

Geoffrey

First Post

Imperialus

Explorer

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

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