Test Drive Tie-in Fiction

PaulKemp · Jul 10, 2007

I know many readers of this forum have a relatively low opinion of shared world/tie-in fiction. I've tried to make the case (here , here , and here , among others) that a low opinion of shared world/tie in fiction as a general matter is unjustified.

Anyway, in an effort to put my money where my mouth is, I have made available for free download the prologue and first five chapters of Twilight Falling , book one of The Erevis Cale Trilogy, set in the Forgotten Realms. You can find the chapters here .

I'm hoping some of you will at least give them a read. It's no risk. If you hate it, fair enough. But perhaps you'll enjoy it.

Obviously I cannot deny that this is an attempt to create some word of mouth/sales. That's part and parcel of having an online presence for an author. But it's also an attempt to try and change a few minds (though I understand I may actually reinforce some readers' negative views of shared world fiction). I seem unable to leave well enough alone the notion that "all shared world fiction sucks." This represents another charge at the wall.

Mods, if this is out of line, please delete and accept my apologies.

Paul

Tinker Gnome · Jul 10, 2007

I have been wanting to pick up your Erevis Cale trilogy for a long while now. This reminded me that I need to get it.

PaulKemp · Jul 11, 2007

Galeros said:
I have been wanting to pick up your Erevis Cale trilogy for a long while now. This reminded me that I need to get it.

Well, that is nice to hear. Thank you, Galeros. I hope you enjoy them.

Mouseferatu · Jul 11, 2007

PaulKemp said:
I know many readers of this forum have a relatively low opinion of shared world/tie-in fiction.

I think the saddest thing is that I've heard this attitude espoused--multiple times, and with almost religious fervor--not only by a great many fans (many of whom haven't read much recent shared-world fiction), but also by a great many RPG writers.

All I can say is, keep it up, Paul. And thanks, from some of us who have written shared-world fiction but haven't been able to articulate arguments nearly as well as you have.

PaulKemp · Jul 11, 2007

Mouseferatu said:
I think the saddest thing is that I've heard this attitude espoused--multiple times, and with almost religious fervor--not only by a great many fans (many of whom haven't read much recent shared-world fiction), but also by a great many RPG writers.

I've seen it, too, Ari, but I think that attitude is starting to budge a bit. Let's hope, anyway. Time will tell.

Graybeard · Jul 11, 2007

I have read a fair amount of shared world fiction. Star Wars, Star Trek, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, etc. Some of it is good, some fair, and some is poor. I will certainly have a look at your writing. If I like it, I will recommend it to my friends. I think there is a high probability that it will be at least fair as I have found very few books to be that bad. Just my opinion.

PaulKemp · Jul 11, 2007

Graybeard said:
I have read a fair amount of shared world fiction. Star Wars, Star Trek, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, etc. Some of it is good, some fair, and some is poor. I will certainly have a look at your writing. If I like it, I will recommend it to my friends. I think there is a high probability that it will be at least fair as I have found very few books to be that bad. Just my opinion.

Graybeard,

I appreciate your willingness to give it a try. Thanks.

Paul

Mark CMG · Jul 11, 2007

Thieves World seemed to do fairly well, no?

Graybeard · Jul 12, 2007

I read the introduction part and I am intrigued. When I have more time, I will read the chapters.

PaulKemp · Jul 12, 2007

Mark CMG said:
Thieves World seemed to do fairly well, no?

True, Mark. I'm using sloppy terminology. Generally, it's not shared world fiction per se that is frowned upon, but licensed/franchise shared world fiction (e.g., Warhammer, Star Wars, Forgotten Realms, Eberron, and the like).

Also, most licensed fiction does very well, too, if by "well" we mean sales. My particular bugaboo, unrelated to marketplace performance, is the claim, which I've seen a bit less of in recent years, that ALL licensed fiction stinks, that it's a ghetto, etc. My position has always been that some licensed fiction is good, some is bad, and that the proportion of good to bad is similar to the proportion of good to bad in non-licensed genre fiction (and I realize that good and bad in this context have substantial subjective elements that exist only in the eye of the beholder).