Wizard's First Rule

[drnuncheon]

an offensively putrid attempt at BDSM porn lit with a thin, spotty, slightly crusted veneer of fantasy.

Goodkind's Sword of Truth?

Or John Norman's GOR?

You be the judge.

J
...who actually made it all the way to Slave Girl of GOR before giving up...

 

[takyris]

Heh. You know, I'd probably have passed on the series in any event, but I'd have had a lot less venom if it had at least included decent fight scenes. I can turn off my mental editor and "how I would have written that" filter most of the time, but man, a bad fight scene just kills it for me.

If I recall correctly, reading passages from Wizard's First Rule to prisoners during interrogation is considered police brutality in every state except Texas. However, high-volume play of Wizard's First Rule on Tape is considered an acceptible form of psychological warfare during standoffs.

 

[Crothian]

I actually like the series. It wasn't anything that was super great, but the novels were intertesting enough and it seemed to have a good story.

 

[Pants]

Think of it this way Joshua, the first book is the best in the series. After that it becomes a Wheel of Time clone... just without any wheel, quality, or entertainment value, but endless amounts of time.

 

[MerricB]

I love the series.

However, if you're having trouble reading the first book, that probably means that it's not for you!

Cheers!

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I know this probably doesn't help much, but I believe Goodkind is an oversexed hack. Wizard's First Rule was fairly enjoyablem like watching a Soap Opera... you know it's bad, but once you start you can't turn away. I wouldn't recommend reading any more of his books, though. It just gets worse.

However, the only thing I'm finding that motivates me to read is the fact that this confirms my wild hope that any Joe Blow amateur author who has the determination to actually write a full book can get it published and be successful, regardless of talent. I'm finding that reading this is giving me more inspiration to write than anything else.

If you push publishers hard enough you can usually find someone who'll want to print it. Usually you'll get tons of rejections first, but I think the only reason those people don't get published is because they get discouraged. Once you start getting friendly rejection letters, then you know you're on the write track

Printing isn't the biggest problem, though. It's marketing and sales.

 

[Doppleganger]

Joshual Dyal, my sentiments exactly. I knew something fishy was up when the author failed to describe what any of the characters looked like. I made my DC20 Will save to perservere through the first 1/3, painfully dragging my eyes across each line of text, then finally my head exploded and I had to stop. The book was atrocious, worst book I've purchased Against the Giants by Ru Emerson.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I read the first book, but never went any further than that. Nothing in it made me want to read anything else he wrote. Plus, my fiance met and talked with Goodkind several times when she worked for Tor Books. He's not a very nice guy, and doesn't particularly like women (this was her experience first hand), which comes out in his writing. He also is incredibly serious when he says that his books are NOT FANTASY. I've read a few interviews with him where he has stated this over and over, that dispite the trappings of the genre in the books, they are not fantasy. Well, you could have fooled me. Tor used to put dragons on the covers of his books (up until the 3rd book, I think), but he put up such a fuss that they stopped doing that. That's also the reason that the covers have all been changed recetly. One last bit of insider information-he HATES being compared to Robert Jordan. Having to be the second biggest series published by Tor Books makes him very angry. He thinks he should be first, and that Jordan is a hack. I guess it takes one to know one...

 

[KingOfChaos]

Blasphemers!

That is all

Seriously, the Stone of Tears (2nd book) is the best out of the series so far. I am just annoyed that Naked Empire is still in hardback after a year and a half >.<

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I actually think that not describing the protagonist's physical features well is a good thing. If you do it right, the reader can make the protagonist as the reader chooses which can create more sympathy for the protagonist.

Of course in Goodkind's case he doesn't do it because he's a hack.

This series is the Wheel of Time with S&M. The plots are generated by the Plot-o-Matic-3000. Character motivations are assigned by a d20 roll and consulting a chart that Goodkind keeps tacked on to the wall next to the dartbord that he uses to determine the villian's distinguishing features (one of which was "looks just like Richard")

That being said, for awhile they were the only fantasy paperbacks I could find in airports when I was travelling a lot. So if you're ever stuck in an airport and don't feel like reading Crighton you can read Goodkind.

But I agree with takyris. At this point, you've crossed the line. You can't just stop now! If you stop reading Wizard's First Rule it will be like walking out of the theater during Plan 9 From Outer Space. Anyone can put down a bad book. Few can press on and show true grit. And the Terry Goodkind Bondage Hour is a true highlight of modern fantasy.