[Hetan]

Steve has asked me to post this on the site - enjoy!

I thought that on the eve of the release of The Crippled God, I might spend a little time here for some words to you, my readers. In a short while I will be touring across the UK, visiting numerous cities to either read or sign books: I hope to see you at those events, and be sure to introduce yourselves and tell me your online name if you frequent this site. After all, I have read your words, just as you have read mine.
I must thank, once again, all the people behind the Malazan Empire site – your dedication is humbling and awe-inspiring. If, upon the release of The Crippled God, and following the many threads that will come discussing this novel, you eventually sit back, feeling slightly stunned, possibly feeling vaguely empty inside, where the future yawns blank, grey and formless whenever your thoughts travel away from all that has been … well, all I can say is that I got there first, friend, and it passes. And, in practical terms, Esslemont is still ripping ahead with his own works, and I of course have the Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas, not to mention two trilogies closely linked to the Malazan world, so I for one still see an active future for this site.
With a little luck, maybe a few new readers will discover these novels and this site, adding their voices to the crazed chorus.
To all you participants on the threads, thank you for your comments, your wild theories, your sharp insights and your misguided rants – I needed them all, even when at times I rolled my eyes or even got ticked off. No dialogue is all smooth sailing and if I made a point of sticking to my guns through novel after novel, well, should I be surprised to find you doing the same with your opinions?
And with The Crippled God, why, let those opinions fly. I sit here, at Café Nero, late in the day, and as the sunlight fades beyond the window, dulling the high street, I find that I am … pleased with what I have accomplished. My hide has toughened over the years and besides, I think I know what I have done. It now falls to you to venture your own judgement on the matter. Go to it.
For all those lurkers on the site, well, I suppose we all sense your presence (and I’ve done my share of the same so I know where you’re coming from), and it must be clear from my novels that I have a fondness (if you can call it that) for ghosts. That said, there’s no need to be shy. This is one of the most welcoming fan-sites I have ever seen. They’re a great crew, filled with wit and irreverence, and I am privileged to kinda know them all.
Go well, everyone. I now share something with the Malazan Book of the Fallen: a ghostly presence in the wake of our lives. It haunts me, but in a good way. May it do the same, with a most benign touch, to you all.

Yours
Steven Erikson
… and now I set off once more, seeking the best in us…

[Ceda Cicero]

Chills. He is truly a class act. Thanks for posting, Hetan.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Just wanted to say thank you to SE for taking some time to write this for us and for reminding us that TCG it's not THE end.

[caladanbrood]

Hopefully there will be some awesome threads covering the entire series once it's finished

[Hetan]

I will be very very surprised if there isn't.... ^^

[dantherabbit]

This will be my first post on this wonderful forum, although I have been flying around for some time - but SE finally forced me in a good way to put aside my ghost cloak (thanks for that) :-)

A week ago I just finished Toll the hounds and I think I won't be able to wait for the translation of DoD, so even it's sometimes quite hard to read SE books in my own language, I will try it in original. This is the only way how to find out the end of the whole story (and destiny of all my favorite characters of course) before this year ends. Hmm. I am taking a long way round I suppose :-)


Anyway, I hope SE will keep his promise and will travel to Czech Republic when The Crippled God reveals his face in our country - I didn't manage to reach book signing last year and that was a big mistake :-(

P.S. SE has unknowingly created on this forum another world apart from the Malazan, don't you think? //conspiracy mode on// Or was it his intension to do so? //conspiracy mode off//

This post has been edited by dantherabbit: 09 February 2011 - 07:36 PM

[Aptorian]

I reckon that now that the series is complete a lot more people will be willing to invest their time and money in it, simply because they've been burned by other big projects before, like ASOIAF and WOT. So, the attention and activity on this forum will probably not die down the coming years. Quite the contrary.

[Blend]

A big thanks to SE for this. I think it's absolutely amazing that he has such a close relationship with his fans, even while keeping himself at arm's length!

[champ]

The moment I saw this was a message from SE it had to be read... Even to the point where I have carried the laptop through to the toilet

A big thank you to SE for... everything, his books, his words and his time, these posts are special moments for us addicts!

On to tCG - god damn you... only 12 more days to go...

P.S. Wild theories are what we do best!

[Puck]

Yesterday, I printed out the ten pages long preview chapter from Tor and I planned to read it on my way to work today. Well, I didn't get past the two poems at the beginning, because I just kept rereading them for the duration of my train ride. At the same time I had tears in my eyes AND was grinning like crazy and this feeling stayed with me for the better part of the day. I could go on endlessly about this and that, but what I really want to say is that even when each and everyone of us readers will turn the last page of tCG, these books will always remain a part of us.

I'm bad at this touchy-feely stuff, so I just want to say: thank you, SE, for talking to us through your books, for having patience with us and - and I hope I'm not the only one feeling this way - for giving us hope. A sense of hope is what I take away from reading the MBotF, no matter how the story might end.
Oh, and thank you for being just awesome. Your words have power.

And this site has gained a life of its own, I doubt it'll be quiet here any time soon.

And while I'm at it: thanks to Hetan and Mal for running this freaksh- best place on the net

[Slow Ben]

Thats just awesome.

Is SE the friggin best, or what.

[rhulad]

Can't wait for my copy to come in the mail! Thanks for all the words SE!

[amphibian]

Slow Ben, on 09 February 2011 - 08:23 PM, said:

Thats just awesome.

Is SE the friggin best, or what.

I've seldom met a person at any point in my life who has a better attitude towards things than that which SE expresses in his note here.

Well done, Mr. Erikson and I wish you well for future projects and cafe lounging.

[kcf]

awesome

Thanks to SE for the kind words. Now, I've got to start reading.

[Benidas Sengar]

I'm sad it's going to be over but exited to read the last book. Hey Mr. Erikson feel free to pick back up on the series any time you want. We won't judge.

[Lister of Smeg]

Does SE have a list of the UK cities he'll be visiting on his tour? Hope there's some in the good old west country!

[DurhangAddict]

As excited as I am to read the conclusion to this amazing fantasy series, this made me happy:

Hetan, on 09 February 2011 - 07:05 PM, said:

I of course have the Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas

I'm very much looking forward to more B & KB adventures as they "adjust the vicissitudes of civilization as befits its more reasonable members".

Any word yet on when we can expect the next one?

[Ulrik]

dantherabbit, on 09 February 2011 - 07:33 PM, said:

This will be my first post on this wonderful forum, although I have been flying around for some time - but SE finally forced me in a good way to put aside my ghost cloak (thanks for that) :-)

A week ago I just finished Toll the hounds and I think I won't be able to wait for the translation of DoD, so even it's sometimes quite hard to read SE books in my own language, I will try it in original. This is the only way how to find out the end of the whole story (and destiny of all my favorite characters of course) before this year ends. Hmm. I am taking a long way round I suppose :-)


Anyway, I hope SE will keep his promise and will travel to Czech Republic when The Crippled God reveals his face in our country - I didn't manage to reach book signing last year and that was a big mistake :-(

P.S. SE has unknowingly created on this forum another world apart from the Malazan, don't you think? //conspiracy mode on// Or was it his intension to do so? //conspiracy mode off//

Hello, fellow Czech!


Nazdar, nyx, hofyland?

And to topic...well, these words are...warming. Thank you Mr. Erikson, Lundin, Kruppe...

This post has been edited by Ulrik: 09 February 2011 - 10:43 PM

[nacht]

You have subtly and overtly changed our thinking, Mr. Erikson.
Together we all effect the world either for the good or for the bad and you have been a force multiplier for the "good".

May you live long and prosper.

[MWKarsa]

I've come very late to this party of enjoying this site but I'm immensely glad I found it when I did as in just the past couple of months. I haven't contributed to the many threads on SE's works but I have learned a great deal and gained better insight into the books reading through the threads here. I can't wait for TCG to come out and I am also looking forward to my first series re-read shortly following that so I can hopefully contribute more on this site.

Just from my POV I really can't express how glad I was when I stumbled upon this series as I was a huge Sci-fi/Fantasy reader growing up and a few years ago drifted away from the genre as I hadn't been inspired by a series in a long while. I got back into things with WoT and while I have greatly enjoyed that series it has come with many disappointments as well but this series has blown me away since the very beginning. I would actually force myself to read at least one book in between each Malazan book(Well, after I blasted through the first 4) so that I could prolong the enjoyment of having these books to read as a first time.

Thank you SE for the books and the amazing world you and ICE have created- it is a masterpiece.