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I had forgotten this, but I noticed the other day that my copy of GotM had the price covered in biro, and I remembered, I got given it for Christmas, and it sat on my shelf for at least a year before I picked it up! Woe was me, though at that point it wasn't exactly a well-known series. I picked up Deadhouse Gates soon afterwards and finished it much more quickly, only to discover that it was only a week until Memories of Ice was published,and that was quite simply the best book I had ever read (still is, probably). I was just as bad a malazite back then, I was waiting outside the bookshop whenit opened the day of MoI's release. I should have known it was going to ruin my life stick with me for a long time.
2) What brought you to Malazan Empire forums?
The most piss-easy IT lesson ever. We had to "learn" how to use PowerPoint by making a short presentation on a topic of our choice. I had just started (the first of many times) re-reading GotM, so I chose the malazan series, and did a bit of research online to find images and the like. I only vaguely noticed that there was a forum attatched the site – it had a decent selection of cover images, maps, quotes etc back then, and also a nice juicy countdown to the release of House of Chains, so later on I kept checking backto remind myself of the release date and wandered onto what must have been the second incarnation of the forum. It were much smaller back then.
I'm just glad Wikipedia hardly existed that long ago, let alone had any malazan stuff on it – otherwise I would have just got all the info off there and ignored this place, and then everyone's forumly experience would be much reduced, I am sure!
3) How did you choose your username?
Itkovian had already gone. And after him, Brood was my second-favourite character in the series at that point. There's not much more to it, unfortunately. Also, I found the little Bwoody avatar (which I am currently using once more!) and it's too darn cute to not use.
4) Do you remember your first post? What was it and who responded?
I was confirming a question about the timeline in MoI for someone (oh, if only I knew then what I know now) since I had the book in frontof me at the time. Apparently I was an ass even then though, since it got me into a flame-war with everyone's favourite Pole, Gothos. I got an adminly warning from Caldazar (probably the only moderating he ever did in 5 years) and nearly banned. That kinda put me off (you think we're unwelcoming to n00bs now,ha!) so I didn't come back for 6 months, when the forum moved onto v3.0 in January '03 they sent out an email to everyone telling us to re-register (a few random members survived the database purge, most didn't), so that's when I started getting properly involved.
5) Which members do you feel a special connection with?
Oh boy... really? Well, the list is huge, and includes some people who aren't even here anymore, but I'll try and keep it short, don't be too happy if your name doesn't pop up, I've still got my eye on you. Jonzey, Loki, Anomander, Jeni, Chaos, Brynjar, Coco, Rodeo, Kespoosh, Morgy, DW, Falco,Sombra, musHUME, Lady Athelien (is she even still on the memberlist? How the admins have fallen), even snake, after the 37th time I banned him. Oh, and Tiste (our connection is very special, and never sore). Dag,Toby, Illy, Mezla, Cougar, Hetan, IH. Oh, and of course Gothos, for our many many pointless (and sometimes actually quite flamey) arguments
6) What are your favorite parts of the forum?
At the moment, I tend to hang around Sport, Art, OtherFantasy and the Inn. The Art forum is wonderful to lurk on, but also quitedepressing – I would give away a few limbs for a bit of artistic talent myself.I don't tend to keep up with the latest book threads, only occasionally visitthere to answer nooby questions when I spot them, and normally post one or twothreads when a new book comes out. I like to think I discuss the first half ofthe series and enjoy the second half because some of it gets far toocomplicated to keep track of everything.
Oh, but I do enjoy reading other people's predictions. It'snice to get an idea of what other people think will happen in the future books,especially now we're near the end of the series – I learnt my lesson aboutposting my predictions when I said that (oh, TtH/RotCG spoilers, I guess, sortof.....)
Spoiler
I still owe Mandy a pint from that. Or it might be two pints, I'm sure we had adouble-or-quits thing going on at some point.
Oh, and I used to go almost exclusively on the games board for a few months... for Diplomacy, which has died a bit of a death recently. I have been inspired to start a new game up so I will start visiting again,thanks!
7) Do you blame yourself?
Constantly.
8)What Malazan character best embodies the vital essence of you, your very own bwoody ME-ness?
I've been thinking about this for a few days, and I have no idea... contrary to popular belief, it wouldn't be Nimander I think maybe I'm too lazy to be an interesting character in a book. I'm gonna go for Bottle. Not too much actual responsibility that way. Tough question though, there's none I have read and thought "Oh, that's me."
9) What members would you particularly like to meet in reallife who you haven't already? How many times have you refused the advances of adrunken Mezla?
Falco! I went all the way to Melbourne, and he wasn't there!! Then he came to Europe and we still didn't manage to meet up. It's damn frustrating, one day we shall coincide to be in the same country at the sametime, I am determined.
Mezla is a good girl, and besides, has much better taste in men, I am sure. At least I hope, for her sake. When she's drunk, I've only ever had to avoid projectiles of various sorts – shoes, mostly. Though I'm fairly sure we shared a cab back from last year's manky meet (or possibly the signing)and I have no recollection of it whatsoever, so she might have drugged me.
10) Who has the best moustache you've ever seen?
This guy:
moustache.jpg (55.93K)
Number of downloads: 5
11) If you were stranded on a desert island with only oneMBotF, which one is it?
Memories of Ice, easily. It's probably the longest, and certainly the best.
12) What is the most embarrassing thing you've said to SE?
"Who, me?"
13) Who is you favourite character from the series?
Itkovian. He was just so tragically noble in Memories of Ice, he is Erikson's masterpiece. Although Tehol comes a close second, he only manages what he does because of Bugg, while Itkovian is awesome-on-a-stick all on his own. His final scene made me cry a little bit when I read it the firsttime, I don't mind admitting (though I probably will regret that).
14) Who do you particularly enjoy trolling or raising the blood pressure of on this board?
Mal. We have great fun yelling at each other. I always used to get into some fun arguments with Gothos, but I think we both got bored ofthat after a while, and snake was always hilarious after being banned for thenth time.
15) Who wins?
Snake.
16) If you were forced move to and live with a forum member from any country other than the U.K., Canada, the USA or Australia, who would you go and move in with?
You're excluding a hell of a lot of options there. But I would say Dag – she lives in a great city, and is just incredibly nice – plus I need to stop tormenting her with stories of food and actually cook some instead!
17) Do you do any creative writing yourself?
Ha. I do occasionally start some project or other, but never get far enough to make it worthwhile, unfortunately. Currently I have what I think is a rather good idea for a sci-fi story, but I want to do it right this time – previously I have jumped right in and got about two chapters in before realising it's either a really bad idea in the first place, or just falling apart at the seams. For this new one though, I am going to try and take it more slowly, plan the main storyline much more before I go racing off and ruin itall right from the start.
Another problem I tend to find is that my ideas all seem to come directly from books I have recently read. Often I can see characters I've thought of jumping right out of a recent story I read, and while I know it's never going to be possible to have a completely original idea anymore, I'd settle for at least not directly blatant plagiarism.
I did used to take part in the collaborative stories/RPGs we set up from time to time on the forum – a few Deathmatches and the like. That was all a long time ago, but it was good fun. Hopefully someone might start a new one (maybe I will) at some point, it tends to be a good exercise, and someof the stuff was really impressive (though mine mostly wasn't)!
18) When not reading MBotF, what are you typically reading?
I read a lot more sci-fi than fantasy, normally someone like Neal Asher, Al Reynolds, or Peter Hamilton. I also try to keep up with the book-of-the-moment in fantasyland, though more and more these days they tend to disappoint me a bit – Name of the Wind, Winterborn, Steel Remains, all been raved about, and I didn't like any of 'em. There's no accounting for taste, I suppose.
I also tend to re-read some of my favourites from time to time.Stuff like Jennifer Government, Snow Crash, American Gods, Good Omens, Player of Games and Incompetence. I am currently reading Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls, having just finished The Fade, so he's back in my favourites again now,and I'm gonna reread his Braided Path trilogy, which is really good actually, I would recommend it to anyone.
I also enjoy the occasional Bill Bryson book. I would love to be a travel writer of some sort, and he's about as good as they get!
19) Do you keep a personal library, or do the books just cycle through your possession?
I have a pretty big collection of books, probably about 400 if I have to estimate. I ought to get rid of a few of them though, because I will never re-read most. But when I have a book, I don't like to let it go just in case. I haven't even used a public library for at least 5 years, which is a bit embarrassing.
20) Please bare one random little known fact about yourself for the peanut gallery please. As elaborately as possible.
I was once captain of my school's badminton team. I always used to play rugby, but then dislocated my hip and couldn't play any more contact sports for years and years, so played a bit with some shuttlecocks instead.
