D&D General No One Reads Conan Now -- So What Are They Reading?

[Clint_L]

Can totally relate --- I literally hurled my 1100-page hardbound copy of Wise Man's Fear across the room against the wall after finishing the first sex goddess chapter. My wife had to reprimand me for the audible four-letter profanity that accompanied said hurling.

I got 70 pages into Name of the Wind and quit. And I seldom quit novels. Rothfuss is not for me. I think he's a terrible writer - expository, with ridiculously cliched characters. The only popular genre book that has irked me more is Three Body Problem.

 

[tombowings]

I thought (honestly) that Wizard's First Rule was pretty good.

It was every book in the series after that, that made me think "this is really horrible writing and stuff".

I have an unusual relationship with Goodkind. His writing is sloppy, his characters are generic, his imagination is depraved - and yet I've read the series twice. Something about this books just - well - works. At least for what it is.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I got 70 pages into Name of the Wind and quit. And I seldom quit novels. Rothfuss is not for me

I had pretty much the same reaction. Tried it, didn't enjoy it, quit.

I think he's a terrible writer

However, this does not follow. Lots of people enjoy his work, including a good many on this forum. Ergo he cannot be "a terrible writer".

expository, with ridiculously cliched characters

Some people enjoy exposition (and lore dumps generally), and one person's cliché is another person's classic archetype.

 

[Mournblade94]

Oof, that's rough.

I mean with Romantasy and Coffee shop storie like Legends and Lattes inundating the shelves its not surprising that there are less males reading fantasy now. Romance has always been the best selling genre and the readership was not male. same is happening with Romantasy.

 

[Mournblade94]

I like Howard's prose a lot, but I think the best way to experience his stories are their adaptations by Dark Horse Comics from the 00s.

I have Almost all of these in trade. truly good

 

[Mournblade94]

If it were never discussed it would one thing. But it feels like this is all we discuss and it never shifts anything. i am just pointing out we have had lots of discussions about this kind of topic and they usually end up taking over the thread

Oh 100% The discussion of racism in D&D and fantasy is extraordinarily tedious or preachy at this point. People that think there is racism are convinced and people that don't find it a stretch.

 

[Mournblade94]

OK so I've now heard Dungeon Crawler Carl a number of times over the last few years, but your likening of it to Discworld has piqued my interest. Could anyone familiar with the series elaborate on it a little?


I guess that's an easy trap to fall into: "stuff was better back in my day!" I certainly didn't grow up with Conan (I did grow up reading Discworld!), I only went back to read stuff like Conan and Elric when I got interested in TTRPGs as more than a casual hobby, got interested in the history etc., and I wanted to read some of the stuff that originally inspired it.

Personally, I don't think they're better than modern offerings- but I do have an appreciation for the stuff that gave rise to the things we now enjoy. Looking down through the "on the shoulders of giants" line of history.
But again, I guess that's leaning towards more of a historian point of view; should modern audiences HAVE to read the originals? No! Folks' time is limited, let them read what interests them, and we should enjoy the product of advancements in the genre, again "standing on the shoulders of giants."

Honestly it's enough for me that folk are writing/reading/enjoying fantasy fiction... I'm kind of jealous, I grapple with ADHD-media addiction tendencies, smartphones n social media capitalizing my time over reading books. Blah. That's a whole tangent, and I guess exposes my personal gripes with modern issues

I wouldn't say the classics like Howard, and Moorcock are necessarily better but I can't ever imagine reading a book about an orc in a coffee shop. I think the prevalance of cozy and romantasy is really not something male readers are attracted to though. I honestly believe men and women just seek out different kinds of stories. There is not much on any of the shelves that I would be interested in reading. But alot more of it is social commentary now or much more analog to modern commentary. I get my real world commentary from the piles of non fiction i read and New York Times daily.

 

[Mournblade94]

Seriously? Do we have a quote or source or something? FR nowadays seems as far as you can get from S&S... But yeah it has certainly come a looong way.

Yes FR was developed in the 60s and published in 1987 when Jeff Grubb got interested in it. The Forgotten Realms of today is a loooong way away from the Forgotten Realms of Ed Greenwood.

 

[gban007]

Indeed A Wizard's First Rule remains the first book I ever attempted to literally throw out a window (thankfully it failed, because I don't think it's safe for a book to fall 30+ feet potentially on to people).

Not as extreme as reaction, but one of the few books I couldn't complete (most I don't enjoy it do at least try to finish first book or like before writing any more off by that author) due to getting angry with it. Ironically the bit that pushed too far was when the main protagonist, who was already annoying by that point, got to a village, lost control of his temper and punched someone, and suddenly the village loved him as like people showing strength like that.

 

[Mournblade94]

Actually I'm just gonna straight up and say that Isekai is the modern pulp sword-and-sorcery.

John Carter and Poul Anderson were all isekai. Alot of Early Pulp was Isekai as well