Malazan Books - Where do they rank in the genre?
#1
Posted 02 October 2008 - 11:28 AM
I think the first question is very interesting. Which books do you feel are at the very top level of the SF&F genre?
(Sorry for the multiple polls, I got excited by the new feature.)
I'll post my thoughts later on.
(Sorry for the multiple polls, I got excited by the new feature.)
I'll post my thoughts later on.
#2
Posted 02 October 2008 - 01:52 PM
I went with DG, MOI, and MT. Because they are really the best. I mean I love them all. But the story, world building and writing in those three are fantastic.
However my favorite is BH. The last 150 or so pages at the end is fantastic.
One has nothing to do with the other.
Edit : 500th post...
However my favorite is BH. The last 150 or so pages at the end is fantastic.
One has nothing to do with the other.

Edit : 500th post...
This post has been edited by Vengeance: 02 October 2008 - 01:52 PM
How many fucking people do I have to hammer in order to get that across.
Hinter - Vengy - DIE. I trusted you you bastard!!!!!!!
Steven Erikson made drowning in alien cum possible - Obdigore
Hinter - Vengy - DIE. I trusted you you bastard!!!!!!!
Steven Erikson made drowning in alien cum possible - Obdigore
#3
Posted 02 October 2008 - 02:01 PM
I think MOI is the best book so far. The ending was incredible. Gruntle, the tenescowri, Iktovian, Broach all awesome storylines. Brood vs Kruppe was also good. But by far the most powerful scene in the entire series so far is
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#4
Posted 02 October 2008 - 02:13 PM
I liked the Bonehunters best (mainly because of the inclusion of Cotillion and Shadowthrone to a large extent.)
For me DHG, MoI and HoC were all superlative, the rest will attain that status someday but I'm being harsh because I don't want to vote for them all. I found RG and TtH the most disappointing but I still enjoyed them immensely. (obviously NoK is that worst out of the 10).
For me DHG, MoI and HoC were all superlative, the rest will attain that status someday but I'm being harsh because I don't want to vote for them all. I found RG and TtH the most disappointing but I still enjoyed them immensely. (obviously NoK is that worst out of the 10).
#5
Posted 02 October 2008 - 02:35 PM
MoI and DhG are the ones I voted for in the first poll, but my favourite at the moment is Midnight Tides... very closely followed by MoI, of course.
O xein', angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti têde; keimetha tois keinon rhémasi peithomenoi.
#6
Posted 02 October 2008 - 04:29 PM
Depends on your definition of best in the genre, DhG and MOI are two classics in my book and would rank high in the genre, but MT and TTH are much better written, MT especially so and so would rank highly because of that. Favourite still has to be DhG though.
#7
Posted 02 October 2008 - 07:57 PM
DhG for the win, followed closely by MoI then RG.
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#8
Posted 02 October 2008 - 10:25 PM
Just realized fast reply isn't enabled here...
I went for MoI, HoC, BH, and TTH for the stand-outs, and BH for my fav. Although, as with Dancer, I am being extra harsh - I really could just vote for them all...
And interesting, yet sad, that no one has yet voted for either NoK or RotCG.
Sorry ICE.
I went for MoI, HoC, BH, and TTH for the stand-outs, and BH for my fav. Although, as with Dancer, I am being extra harsh - I really could just vote for them all...
And interesting, yet sad, that no one has yet voted for either NoK or RotCG.

Sorry ICE.
***
Shinrei said:
<Vote Silencer> For not garnering any heat or any love for that matter. And I'm being serious here, it's like a mental block that is there, and you just keep forgetting it.
#9
Posted 02 October 2008 - 11:54 PM
What's more interesting to me is that (with the exception that I think TtH is the best or equal best in the series so far in terms of quality of writing), the bars up there is more or less the order in which I would rate each book preferentially too. I don't quite know how that works, statistically, since people were voting for their favourites, but if I were to number them, that second one especially is more or less what it'd look like for me. Funny. (Also man is this valuable feedback for an author. imo.)
#10
Posted 18 October 2008 - 05:00 AM
All the 8 books by SE so far are among the best in fantasy in my opinion. The sad consequence of this turned out to be that I cannot seem to enjoy other authors' work much now. read Robert Jordan's series 6-7 times but haven't touched those books since i started reading SE.
as for which of the eight is my favorite, MT was it till TTH came out.
as for which of the eight is my favorite, MT was it till TTH came out.
#11
Posted 18 October 2008 - 08:53 PM
I voted for DG, MoI, and BH in the first one. All of the books are great, but these really stand out for various reasons. I wanted to add RotCG, but I felt voting for 3 was enough.
Overall, I had to go with MoI.
Overall, I had to go with MoI.
#12
Posted 20 October 2008 - 05:55 AM
voted for DG, MoI, and TtH for stand outs--the fitst two are self-explanatory, TtH, because with it SE showed that he can write in a different style--the "Kruppe narrating the life of the city"- voice was a great move imho.
a favourite, well... MoI. because of Paran and Capustan. but almost every book had a great page turner like that, so it's really hard to choose.
a favourite, well... MoI. because of Paran and Capustan. but almost every book had a great page turner like that, so it's really hard to choose.
#13
Posted 23 October 2008 - 06:26 AM
Deadhouse Gates all the way through. But as expected, MoI comes first in the poll!.....
#14
Posted 26 November 2008 - 07:14 PM
After re-reading the series, again, I think MoI is without a doubt the best book in the genre, especially if someone wanted to pick up a random book from the set.
Actually I was totally blown away by it all over again. Story arc is fantastic and the characters are utterly absorbing - Iktovian, Gruntle, Paran, QB, WJ, etc,
all combining to create a emotionally charged atmosphere. The events in Capustan and Corel really breath and leave the reader with such a vivid account of what is happening, you can almost taste the smoke and rain. It has the strongest and most compelling narrative, without alienating any readers who may not have read any of SE's MBotF before.
Almost my personal favorite, pipped to the post by pure self indulgence - I really enjoyed tBH, as I felt the series really reached a watershed moment for me and I couldn't put it down throughout the 1st, 2nd or 3rd sitting
Actually I was totally blown away by it all over again. Story arc is fantastic and the characters are utterly absorbing - Iktovian, Gruntle, Paran, QB, WJ, etc,
all combining to create a emotionally charged atmosphere. The events in Capustan and Corel really breath and leave the reader with such a vivid account of what is happening, you can almost taste the smoke and rain. It has the strongest and most compelling narrative, without alienating any readers who may not have read any of SE's MBotF before.
Almost my personal favorite, pipped to the post by pure self indulgence - I really enjoyed tBH, as I felt the series really reached a watershed moment for me and I couldn't put it down throughout the 1st, 2nd or 3rd sitting

This post has been edited by Nagrom: 26 November 2008 - 07:15 PM
#15
Posted 30 November 2008 - 03:04 PM
For best in the genre I voted MoI and TBH.
My favourite is of course MoI(lost the count of how many times I've read it)
My favourite is of course MoI(lost the count of how many times I've read it)
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I greet you as guests and so will not crush the life from you and devour your soul with peals of laughter. No, instead, I will make tea-Gothos
I greet you as guests and so will not crush the life from you and devour your soul with peals of laughter. No, instead, I will make tea-Gothos
#16
Posted 06 December 2008 - 10:45 PM
I happened to pick up Reapers Gale at the bookstore the other day because it looked interesting. I haven't read any of Steven Ericksons books yet but I really want to. However after looking at this poll now I have to ask the question...which book of his would it be best for me to read first?
"Ignoring him, she stepped back out of the ellipse and began singing in the Woman's Language, which was, of course, unintelligible to Iskaral's ears. Just as the Man's Language-which Mongora called gibberish-was beyond her ability to understand. The reason for that, Iskaral Pust knew, was that the Man's Language was gibberish, designed specifically to confound women."
-The Bonehunters-
__________________________
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__________________________
"What's wrong with the world? You ask a man and he says, 'Don't ask.' Ask a woman and you'll be dead of old age before she's finished"
-The Bonehunters-
#17
Posted 07 December 2008 - 08:54 AM
EsotericForest, on Dec 6 2008, 10:45 PM, said:
I happened to pick up Reapers Gale at the bookstore the other day because it looked interesting. I haven't read any of Steven Ericksons books yet but I really want to. However after looking at this poll now I have to ask the question...which book of his would it be best for me to read first?
Gardens of the Moon, always start at the beginning, things make more sense that way. And don't get frustrated by the 'whats going on' factor, you have to read atleast half of GotM before you get a grasp of the bigger picture and that picture only expands as u read other books.
Dem bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones.
#18
Posted 07 December 2008 - 12:35 PM
I thought the original post was how does SEs books compare to all other writers fantasy works.
I think SE is the best BY FAR.
Imagine reading Malazan then going back to David Eddings, etc etc.
I think Erikson followed by GRRM.
I try to recommend these series to everyone I meet.
Why do so few like GotM?
I think SE is the best BY FAR.
Imagine reading Malazan then going back to David Eddings, etc etc.
I think Erikson followed by GRRM.
I try to recommend these series to everyone I meet.
Why do so few like GotM?
#19
Posted 07 December 2008 - 01:05 PM
For a second there I though the tittle was "Malazan Boobs - Where do they rank in the genre?"
I am slightly disappointed.
I am slightly disappointed.
#20
Posted 11 December 2008 - 08:00 AM
For Genre I picked GotM and MoI, the first book opens up the series perfectly, and you can't discredit how pumped you were to read the next 10,000 pages Erikson offers. MoI is just solid.
Favourite book, MoI...but im really undecided, maybe when i reread them all..
Favourite book, MoI...but im really undecided, maybe when i reread them all..