[Osserc - Lord of the Sky]

I've been thinking, the series is called Malazan Book of the Fallen, and the Fallen is referring to those who have died in battle, correct? WELL this just may have a double meaning. The Fallen could be referring to the Fallen One (or the Crippled God) since he is the central antagonist throughout the series.

What does everyone else think?

[A Demon Llama!]

I think that all of the Malazan troops and all of the characters we've grown to like will perish. Hopefully in some amazing way. Gotta love those depressing endings.

[worry]

I had a similar thought a while back, thread here: http://forum.malazan...showtopic=18819
(in DoD forum).

[Puck]

Osric - Lord of the Sky, on 22 November 2010 - 02:05 AM, said:

I've been thinking, the series is called Malazan Book of the Fallen, and the Fallen is referring to those who have died in battle, correct? WELL this just may have a double meaning. The Fallen could be referring to the Fallen One (or the Crippled God) since he is the central antagonist throughout the series.

What does everyone else think?

Yeah, I always thought that was pretty obvious.

[Abyss]

It's also derived from Napoleon's Book of the Fallen.

[CowboyYojimbo]

Abyss, on 22 November 2010 - 04:07 PM, said:

It's also derived from Napoleon's Book of the Fallen.

Yeah, that's what's I always figured too.

The series is built around tragedy, whether each death was worth something or not, it has all had meaning for someone, somewhere, and has echoed through time.

[Blueiron]

Spoiler- lots of people die.
Seriously though, it suggests that the books are almost a chronicle, made after the events have killed off most of the characters involved.

[Trailblazer]

Sometimes I get the feeling that it refers to the Malazan Empire and that the stories are written in an unspecified future by an unspecified people/race in which there is no more Malazan Empire.....

[mcsekar]

I thought it was named so, because during the time of writing, the empire's power and glory has fallen from its hey-day. It depicts/will depict how the empire slowly withdrew and eventually vanished. Kind of a narrative of how the mighty have fallen.

[KingTeholBeddict]

Isn't Duiker (the Historian, that's his name right?) writing a "Book of the Fallen" in Deadhouse Gates...?

[nacht]

As I keep rereading the series, I feel that the "fallen" is us as in our "our civilization" and the Malazan world is a warning example for us.

Malazan: Book of the Fallen

[chaosek]

This is not offensive, but ' duh'. I think the title has three ' meanings': the fallen in battle, The Fallen (the cripple god) and the fall of the old (society). The last theme I think really relates to SE archeological experience since all the tribal and even empire references and descriptions really seem to relate to civilizations of old like the Aztecs, Mongols, the Romans (the decadence of the nobility in the army for instance), etc. Also the Eresal, Imass and Humans are clearly inspired by our past. Walking through the stone age in a museum is like seeing all the Imass weapons and objects (although the swords don't get that big). But that's drifting off topic.

[Harvester]

The answer can be found at the very beginning of Gardens of the Moon.

Quote

Now these ashes have grown cold, we open the old book.
These oil stained pages recount the tales of the Fallen,
a frayed empire, words without warmth. The hearth
has ebbed, its gleam and life's sparks are but memories
against dimming eyes - what cast my mind, what hue my
thoughts as I open The Book of the Fallen
and breathe deep the scent of history?
Listen then, to these words carried on that breath.
These tales are the tales of us all, again yet again.
We are history relived and that is all, without end that is all.

This post has been edited by Harvester: 07 February 2011 - 10:44 PM

[HiddenOne]

Agree with all these but also - Fallen is what will happen to you if you try to carry all the books at one time!


Go! Epically huge novels, Assemble!

[D'iversify]

Fisher is credited, if I recall, with the poem 'The Malazan Book of the Fallen'. I don't think it's all that clear that the Malazan Empire no longer exists, though this is perhaps what the ashes growing cold refers to. It's clear that it survives for some time after the events of the series - Grubb is credited somewhere in a chapter heading as a major figure in the later Malazan Empire. Which implies to me that either the book is written 50-100 years later when the Empire is still around or that it has been written after its fall.

[SuperWho]

Hey guys, sorry to up this old topic but I've been doing research on Napoleon's Book of the Fallen and I can't seem to find any piece of info regarding this idea he supposedly had. Anyone would happen to know where I could find the title in French for example ? I asked the "Fondation Napoléon" in France, but they haven't heard of this.

[Gorefest]

Again, i dont think such a book actually exists. It was said that Napoleon was contemplating to keep or actually kept a list of fallen soldiers, but if it ever even existed at all it wont be an actual book with a title and publication record etc. I think the only reference i have ever seen on this was from an interview with SE where he claimed that this was an inspiration for his series title. For all I know he may have just made it up on the spot to toy with the interviewer.