[Sinisdar Toste]

so this is exactly what it looks like. i want you to think about the most specific little details that make the MBotF stand out from everything else. you know there's tons of them so lets go!

1. hellian. plain and simple i love this woman.
2. names change and are bastardized over the millenia. liossercal=osric, anomandaris purake= anomander rake etc.
3. idigenous tribes. i can imagine jungles in shal-morzinn where there is uncontacted tribes just like in the amazon.
4. not everyone likes 'good guys' not everyone hates 'bad guys'
5. the past is present. you know what i mean
6. people that talk like maniacs, (pust, kruppe, tehol, the sinker lake two)
7. mother nature is alive
8. religion is twisted and shaped by mortals into what they want
9. nobody *really* understands magic

anyways there are a few of mine, what do you think?

[Venerus]

I like that SE follows up on nearly everything. He doesn't add cryptic writing to disguise lack of depth; everything confusing actually gets explained and it's usually totally bomb.

I like that he doesn't create gratuitous fantasy terms -- when he uses a non-english word, it's to describe something that has no word yet (eg, warren, cusser), not just poorly-disguised "spaghetti fiction" as Azimov would call it.

I *love* how natural the curses sound. "Hoods breath!" "Beru fend!" In most series, I really hate the writer's stand-in for true profanity ("Frak" on BSG drives me *crazy*). I actually enjoy saying "Hood's breath" on occasion. But only to other fantasy dorks.

What keeps me reading though is the growing convergence of world mythology/creation myths that each culture and race covets, being able to see how they unfold and what the objective truth is, and what each group's "truth" is. Everything is so... intelligibly perspectival

I guess SE's anthro is what keeps me coming back.

[ShadowOwl]

I love the depth of the storylines, from all different timelines, the history and mystery of these realms. The characters are alive, like I can hear them talking and some I would like to know or meet, while others either scare or repluse me, but there is always a reaction. I like that you have to get involved in the story and the character's lives, that SE can always tug at your emotions, get a reaction. And the magic, it's incredible. It's an intelligent series, you get to think!

[caladanbrood]

Gods depend entirely on their worshippers, and Erikson aint afraid to kill characters.

[Kulp Diet]

SE releases awesome books without making you wait 5 years past when he says the next one will be finished.

[Gabriele]

I've only started Deadhouse Gates (came to the series late); and right now it's just such a FUN ride, a bit wild and with unexpected turns, and some rather weird passengers. I'm looking forward to charting the course when I'll get further into the series.

[L'oric]

I did not realize that I was reading the start of a great series until the Bridgeburners got to Darujhistan in GotM. His convergences remind me of so many epic sci-fi fantasy tales while being interestingly unique. Raest versus five dragons one pure blood + Rake versus demon king + Vorcan versus the Mage Council of Darujhistan + + + all the way down to the superspy getting his leave from the Eel for his service.

Minor characters have huge impacts and Major characters are always vulnerable. Case in point a lot of people think Rake is going to die in TotH. The ability to impart a feeling of there is always someone better if you look around enough is vital in this series.

Sincerely,

[Gabriele]

L said:

Minor characters have huge impacts and Major characters are always vulnerable. Case in point a lot of people think Rake is going to die in TotH.

I hope not, I like him already. But some writers are just mean look what GRRM did with Ned Stark.

Nay seriously, if likeable or interesting characters have to be killed for the sake of a better story, kill them.

Though it would be nice if some of the assholes bit the grass as well (*cough* Cersei *cough* - haven't found one I absolutely want to see dead in MBotF yet, but that will come, I'm sure).

[caladanbrood]

Gabriele;327484 said:

I haven't found one I absolutely want to see dead in MBotF yet, but that will come, I'm sure).

You haven't met Kallor yet;)

[Sinisdar Toste]

caladanbrood+;327487 said:

You haven't met Kallor yet;)

very true, nor have they met the invigilator. hehehe aint i a stinker?

[lorddarkflare]

I like the fact that he makes the indigenous tribes seem so real, he also muses about many philosophical ideas but never tries to convince the reader, sometime he actually goes out of his way to contradict belief with reality and actions.

I also like that he can introduce, create a history for and kill a character in 1-2 pages and i will actually feel for that character, he did this quite often in BH, sometimes i less than a page. Also this guys does tragedy the way it is supposed to be done, you do not leave the reader drowning in it, and you most certainly do not kill a character just because, if you build all this potential with a char, you use it not waste it and our time(unless like in Trull, Lorn and Felesin's cases it is to illustrate a point about the lost/waste of potential)

Lastly i like this guy because Midnight Tides was good enough to be considered literature, not many Authors, and precious few fantasy authors, ever get to this point.

[Lister of Smeg]

I love the world he has created, with so many different cultures and races and a massive history that goes into so much more depth than most other series. He drops little hints about things that happened 100'000 years in the past and you just know that he hasn't only put it there to make it seem like the world has history - he has planned it all out and everything is relevant (certain timeline issues are to be ignored ).

Even though others see it as a weakness, I love his characters. From the Bonehunter marines to Rake and Silchas Ruin, to Udinaas and Gruntle. I also love the fact that he isn't afraid to kill off anyone, though certain resurrections have felt a bit pointless (Eg. Brys).

And no one does big dramatic scenes quite like Erikson. MBotF is one of the few series where I have really been able to lose myself in the action and picture exactly what is going on. The emotive moments are also brilliantly done. DG remains the best book I have ever read.

[Gozer]

I have never read books that can touch the the emotions that SE does. Some scenes have been hilarious - Throatslitter's laughing scene in RG. I was close to wetting myself! Sadness - Duiker on the walls of Aren watching the end of the Chain of Dogs. Hatred - Kallor being a complete C*NT all the time. The list goes on and the scenes in which we, as readers, experience these emotions are limitless.

Also, I have never known a series of books to create a fan base as good as this one. This site, to me, is an integral part to the reading of the series, as the complexity of some of the storylines have so many possibilities that it can be as fun to read the threads on the forum as to re-read the books.

[SonOfDarkness]

caladanbrood+;327487 said:

You haven't met Kallor yet;)

He must have met Kallor. Hes in deadhouse gates.

Kallors in GotM

[VampireGoat]

the reasons?

well character ages. The majority of our characters are older, more mature characters.

I won't even begin to get into how much I HATE wingy teenagers as characters. WoT gave me my full of that, no thank you ever again.

Character names. I cried with joy when I looked down the list and saw names like 'whiskeyjack' 'fiddler' 'hedge'. Easy to remeber, easy to pronounce and to some extent, that bit more fun. The names often bring a smile to my face as apposed some series true tounge breakers.

Pacing. Gotm spent so little time getting going. Within the first few we are knee deep in god/mortal/imperial plots politcs and schemes. We've seen heavy hitting sorcery, vicious demons and malious gods, all at the point that most series have decided somethings not quite right and its time to say good bye to ma' and pa' and leave the humble village.

Action. While supporting a strong story line and good characters the series still manages to delivery page after page of hard hitting action that gets the heart racing and the excitement building.

Comedy. While being dark and nasty and characters dieing left right and center, it still finds time to make you laugh. I LOVED that element, no matter how bad the situation there is always someone nearby to let off some little quip or jape at someone. *note* my biggest gripe against ICE is the pure lack of this for the best part.

Quote

He must have met Kallor. Hes in deadhouse gates.

no he isn't, kallor has spent the all of his time thus far only on genabackis in SE's book. Accept in a prolouge sorry.

Been a while since gotm but im pretty sure he was only mentioned, we don't meet kallor until memories of ice

[SonOfDarkness]

The most specific Reasons!

1. To WITNESS!!!!!

[VampireGoat]

aaah witness jokes

about as funny as a blow to the head with a hammer and older then rake himself

[Bauchelain the Evil]

VampireGoat;328004 said:

no he isn't, kallor has spent the all of his time thus far only on genabackis in SE's book. Accept in a prolouge sorry.

Been a while since gotm but im pretty sure he was only mentioned, we don't meet kallor until memories of ice

Actually there is a brief convo between Kallor and Brood but he isn't deligned much.
Anyway I like the complex plots and the fact that there are no bad and ood.

[Skywalker]

1. Anomander Rake. Really.

2. The sheer complexity, length, breadth, and age of the world. I love to really lose myself in a well built world and SE and ICE have taken the game to a whole other level. I mean a long time ago, I used to think Tolkein and RJ had built complex worlds. *shakes head* Naive times.

3. The characterization - Quick Ben, Fiddler, Kalam, Whiskeyjack, Kruppe, Kallor, Dujek, Laseen, Traveller, K'rul, Trull, Rhulad, Apsalar, Karsa, Felisin, Paran, Tavore, Tool, Kilava, Onrack, Kallor, Korlat, Tehol, Bugg, Iskaral Pust, Cotillion, Shadowthrone, Icarium, Mappo... whew. I haven't even finished with the principle characters yet. Need I say more?

4. The technique of writing SE and ICE best exhibit where everything is connected to everything else and where some stuff happens off-camera and leaves you shaking your head in disbelief or gasping for more. Awesome.

[amphibian]

Lovely doorstops.