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<blockquote data-quote="Aldarc" data-source="post: 9638145" data-attributes="member: 5142">I have a similar policy with fantasy books as a result of my experiences with the WoT and ASoIaF style &quot;epic fantasy&quot; of the '90s and '00s. I came to appreciate an author who knows how to write a well-written story that is memorable and succinct. IMHO, some of the best fantasy prose comes from authors who know how to do more with less using language. FWIW, Lord of the Rings is 481,103 words total. Ursula K. Le Guin's six-book Earthsea series is 480,503 words total. George RR Martin's Storm of Swords alone has 424,000 words, and who knows when he will ever be finished with the series. While I enjoyed reading of the antics of Mat Cauthon in WoT or Tyrion in ASoIaF and ruminating over fan theories and predictions, I don't feel any desire to re-read these books. However, I am forever drawn back to the prose of Ursula K. LeGuin in A Wizard of Earthsea, the prose of JRR Tolkien in Lord of the Rings, the prose of Peter S. Beagle in The Last Unicorn, or the prose of Gene Wolfe in Book of the New Sun. Such artful prose is transformative and enduring. It's writing that makes me feel as if I am scamming the author, who divulges the arcane secrets and richness of the English language to me through their wordcraft.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Aldarc, post: 9638145, member: 5142"] I have a similar policy with fantasy books as a result of my experiences with the WoT and ASoIaF style "epic fantasy" of the '90s and '00s. I came to appreciate an author who knows how to write a well-written story that is memorable and succinct. IMHO, some of the best fantasy prose comes from authors who know how to do [I]more with less[/I] using language. FWIW, Lord of the Rings is 481,103 words total. Ursula K. Le Guin's six-book Earthsea series is 480,503 words total. George RR Martin's Storm of Swords alone has 424,000 words, and who knows when he will ever be finished with the series. While I enjoyed reading of the antics of Mat Cauthon in WoT or Tyrion in ASoIaF and ruminating over fan theories and predictions, I don't feel any desire to re-read these books. However, I am forever drawn back to the prose of Ursula K. LeGuin in [I]A Wizard of Earthsea[/I], the prose of JRR Tolkien in [I]Lord of the Rings[/I], the prose of Peter S. Beagle in [I]The Last Unicorn, [/I]or the prose of Gene Wolfe in [I]Book of the New Sun[/I]. Such artful prose is transformative and enduring. It's writing that makes me feel as if I am scamming the author, who divulges the arcane secrets and richness of the English language to me through their wordcraft. [/QUOTE]

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