[Mythodikal]

So I am super thankful to this forum for being here when I needed some new sustenance. The direction I was pointed was Glen Cook's Black Company novels. I have to admit that I am not in the best of states right now to start drawing comparisons, but I can with some more re-reading. With that said it is Steven Erikson that has the supportive quote on the three book compilation release. The quote lends a sentiment of admiration. When I started reading Cook, I didn't realize that his Black Company series came before MBotF... I guess what I'm getting at is for those that have read GC, do you not feel that his series was a huge influence on Erikson? Or do you just find all of the similarities coincidental? Or in some way do you see no similarities?

Anyway... fire away!

[Traveller]

I think there are obvious 'roots' in the Black Company books. I mean, not just the soldier's perspective, and the group/squad dynamic of elite soldiers and mages, but many of the story elements too.

Like the elder, powerful being imprisoned in the ground.. isn't there also a tree-like god/being in a desert? I haven't read BC for a while but when I did I was almost mentally ticking off the similarities or origins of things like the Azath, finnest etc.

Also the whole 'Annals' vs 'Book of the Fallen' presentation.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 30 November 2014 - 11:31 AM

[Puck]

Yeah, same for me. While reading the BC I basically kept ticking off the instantec where I thought I saw inspiration for the MBotF. But personally, I liked that, and SE was never shy in saying that the BC and Glen Cook in general was a huge influence on him and whatever elements he took from the BC, he made them his own. It's a bit like the Bridgeburners are a love letter to the Black Company and an awesome one at that

[End of Disc One]

BC is the closest thing I've read to Malazan

[Salt-Man Z]

Traveller, on 30 November 2014 - 11:28 AM, said:

isn't there also a tree-like god/being in a desert?

Yeah, if I recall, that tree was basically Cook's version of the Crippled God: a god from another world/dimension pulled into theirs and stuck in the form of a tree.

I actually thought the Glittering Stone books had a heft to them (with the protracted plot and Kina mythology) that reminded me a lot of the MBotF.

[Grondo]

Does anyone know if the more of the Black Company books have been or will be released for the kindle?

[T77]

SE was also influenced by Cook's Instrumentalities series IMO. Case in point, there's no doubt in my mind that Kruppe was inspired by Mocker. Any SE fan should not only read BC, they should also read Instrumentalities, which was excellent.

[Maark Abbott]

Where can these be found in the UK? I've looked for them but can't find any of 'em.

[Obdigore]

T77, on 01 December 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:

SE was also influenced by Cook's Instrumentalities series IMO. Case in point, there's no doubt in my mind that Kruppe was inspired by Mocker. Any SE fan should not only read BC, they should also read Instrumentalities, which was excellent.

I think you mean the Dread Empire stuff by Cook?

Instrumentalities series didn't start to get published until 2005, and GOTM predates that publishing by 6 years, and I don't remember a character from IotN named Mocker.

[Garak]

Salt-Man Z, on 01 December 2014 - 04:13 AM, said:

Traveller, on 30 November 2014 - 11:28 AM, said:

isn't there also a tree-like god/being in a desert?

Yeah, if I recall, that tree was basically Cook's version of the Crippled God: a god from another world/dimension pulled into theirs and stuck in the form of a tree.

I actually thought the Glittering Stone books had a heft to them (with the protracted plot and Kina mythology) that reminded me a lot of the MBotF.

If I recall it was even more hilarious with the tree. The tree was standing guard over a god fallen from another realm. And that bit of info was in a random line, nobody thinks on it ever again or mentions it in any way whatsoever.

[amphibian]

The tree is important in the Silver Spike and in dealing with the Dominator. It's not just discussed as a throwaway. The god underneath the big tree is never encountered again though.

Some big nasties are just too big and nasty to tackle - especially when the jailer seems to be on the job in the right way.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

The god 'neath the tree was never encountered again for a reason — he was abducted to Wu and then chained.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 01 December 2014 - 10:00 PM

[Traveller]

Garak, on 01 December 2014 - 08:16 PM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on 01 December 2014 - 04:13 AM, said:

Traveller, on 30 November 2014 - 11:28 AM, said:

isn't there also a tree-like god/being in a desert?

Yeah, if I recall, that tree was basically Cook's version of the Crippled God: a god from another world/dimension pulled into theirs and stuck in the form of a tree.

I actually thought the Glittering Stone books had a heft to them (with the protracted plot and Kina mythology) that reminded me a lot of the MBotF.

If I recall it was even more hilarious with the tree. The tree was standing guard over a god fallen from another realm. And that bit of info was in a random line, nobody thinks on it ever again or mentions it in any way whatsoever.

This is what I meant - there are just throwaway lines in BC that only make you do a double-take if you've read Malazan.

[T77]

Obdigore, on 01 December 2014 - 07:14 PM, said:

T77, on 01 December 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:

SE was also influenced by Cook's Instrumentalities series IMO. Case in point, there's no doubt in my mind that Kruppe was inspired by Mocker. Any SE fan should not only read BC, they should also read Instrumentalities, which was excellent.

I think you mean the Dread Empire stuff by Cook?

Instrumentalities series didn't start to get published until 2005, and GOTM predates that publishing by 6 years, and I don't remember a character from IotN named Mocker.

You're right, I meant the Dread Empire. Instrumentalities is also excellent, but written mostly after MBotF.

This post has been edited by T77: 02 December 2014 - 04:28 PM

[Traveller]

Does anyone own the large paperback version of Chronicles of the Black Company by Tor? Or know if it even exists?

My copy is published by Orion - my only problem is that the following four books I own are all from Tor, and the odd one out makes my bookshelf look weird.

The only copy of the first book from Tor that I can find so far is a small paperback, not the larger version that would match the rest of the series.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Yeah, all of mine are the large ones from Tor.

[Puck]

Mine as well, so it's definitely out there. However, I bought mine way back when the Tor omnibus editions were published, so it might not be readily available anymore?

[worry]

Bookshelves should look uneven and piecemeal, like a crooked smile.

[Mythodikal]

As usual, thanks for the response everyone. I hadn't realized that SE had said before that Cooke had influenced him (or maybe I read such comment before reading Cooke so didn't care, haha). I like how when I posted this it was more of a "there is a lot that is making me think this is very "Malazan", but I can't put my finger on it". Then low and behold, you guys point out exactly what I was thinking. The BC itself being so much like the Bridgeburners, even the tree think holding down the God like an Azath. The old Captain in the first few books reminds me so much of Whiskeyjack in some descriptions, at others reminds me more of One Arm. The way the BC evolves with all new recruits is so comparable to the Bonehunters becoming the new big thing, but still sprinkled with Bridgeburner influences (like Fiddler becoming so much more w/ the Bonehunters). Anyway, glad I wasn't crazy!

[Traveller]

I found a Tor copy of CotBC.

All is right with the world.