[CowboyYojimbo]

I, like many of you have no doubt, learned to trust in Erikson and I have no doubt The Crippled God will be completely fantastic, but, from what I've been reading, I'm afraid of all the unresolved things. I don't know if I'd want to read the finale and then a bunch of books filling things in. I'd rather the last page i read be in the Crippled God when it will say "And thus ends The Malazan Book of The Fallen" but there's no way in hell I'm waiting all that time to read the Crippled God.
(The rumor Karsa won't be involved in Book Ten saddens me )

Anyone else kinda feel this way? I know it's bit ridiculous, but still...

This post has been edited by BlackWaltz: 09 February 2011 - 07:06 AM

[MTS]

I think it's a fair bet that everything that ties into the Malazan Book of the Fallen i.e. all those things concerning the Crippled God, the nature of Shadow, the war among the gods etc. will be resolved in TCG. It would have to be, to be a successful story I think. But things that are secondary but nevertheless interesting to said story will be touched on later, like the Tyrant in Darujhistan, happenings in Assail, Apsalar and Crokus et al. Some things I expect not to be covered at all, and will forever remain unknown, because that's how history generally pans out, and the books are definitely a compiled history of the world rather than a traditional narrative.

ETA - let's be honest too, these books would be a lot longer and a lot more convoluted if SE actually spent the time to wrap up every plot and sub-plot in the main series. It's ICE's world too, and it would be unfair for us to expect SE to resolve everything and not let him share his vision of the world with us. I actually prefer it that way. Sure, the wait is longer, but the payoff is just as satisfying in my mind.

This post has been edited by MTS: 09 February 2011 - 07:37 AM

[caladanbrood]

I can pretty much guarantee that there will be lots of unresolved stuff. That's how SE works, but it will hold up as a story on its own, don't worry about that! The series works on its own as a 10-book epic, without the need for reading any of the novellas or ICE's stuff. But they add so much more to the world, they're definitely worth a read!

So Karsa doesn't turn up and kick the CG's ass. Meh. If there's anything we've learned from the series so far, it's that everyone meets their match sometime - personally I can't wait to meet Karsa's But that's worth its own book, surely!

[Iamme]

This is a story of Malazans and Cripple God. The story from very beginning revolved around Fallen One. Those who don't affect the end result are bound to end up being loose ends.

[Ceda Cicero]

Iamme, on 09 February 2011 - 01:37 PM, said:

This is a story of Malazans and Cripple God. The story from very beginning revolved around Fallen One the Malazans. Those who don't affect the end result are bound to end up being loose ends.

Fixed, since the Fallen One is mentioned all of 1.5 times in volumes one and two, and has little to no hand in the main story arc of either novel.

As for the OP's point, I think this is going to be an interesting and possibly contentious point of discussion on these boards and elsewhere after tCG is released. By my thinking, it's going to get particularly hairy when people have a (understandably) difficult time separating themselves from characters they love who may not see full closure or resolution in the 10th volume. Your example of Karsa is perfect. If you're a fan of Karsa, you want to see more of him, and you want him to have some part in the ultimate resolution of the main arc. But it's possible that he's already had his own resolution in the main arc (killing Rhulad and rendezvousing with Dassem and his daughters) and SE is content to pick his thread back up in another trilogy. I don't think this would speak to any deficit in the narrative structure of the main, 10-volume series. I don't think it would constitute a lack of resolution on a crucial plot front the same, say, as if SE decided not to bring closure to someone like Quick Ben, or Tavore. But I can understand how some readers who have particular favorites might be jilted.

As I finish writing that, I realize I'm really making no point at all, and that I'm setting up a ridiculously slippery slope regarding questions like what constitutes effective resolution and which characters have already seen it/should see it. All we can do (as the OP said) is have faith, wait and hope. I am mentally preparing myself for being - on some level - unsatisfied. By that I don't mean displeased or disappointed. Rather, I think that the old adage of SE not leading his readers around by the hand will prove especially true in the final estimation - in the same way he hasn't spoon fed us all along, he's not going to end with a neatly arranged and perfectly packaged installment.

If nothing else, it's cool to me that even before it's release, a book like this can generate so much discussion and thought around, say, what constitutes good resolution. That's saying something about SE in and of itself right there.

This post has been edited by Ciceronian: 09 February 2011 - 02:03 PM

[CowboyYojimbo]

I guess that is true about the ten books needing to stand on their own. As one of the hardcore fans I never saw the ICE Novels as just filler points but it makes sense it would wrap up all of those big ends.

I should say I do not want Steven Erikson to switch to spoon feeding mode. I expect to not get some things until another re-read or in depth discussion. In relation to the Karsa example and Ciceronians point, I think the thing that might throw some people off is not knowing what is important to the endgame. With such a deep world and so many characters, it's easy for people to think someone is more important than they are and build them up in their mind. Even though to Erikson the character's plot was a perhaps just a stepping stone (as proven by the many shocking deaths)

It's not so much I'm worried about certain people not appearing or some things not being fleshed out in full it's more, I'd rather have the whole story before reading the big finale.