[QuickTidal]

I never know where to put news about authors that doesn't really fit anywhere else, so I figured we may as well have thread for news about anyone who might be of interest to us.

This was prompted by a moderately sad post by Terry Brooks coming out of ECCM (Emerald City Comic Con). In short he's stepping back from his writing as at the age of 81 he's come to realize that his stamina, endurance, and faculties are starting to fail him and he's realized that he would not be able to keep up his pace (and I would hope that he'd just want to spend his time with his wife, kids, and grandkids at such an age). So he's stepping back, and has handed the reins of Shannara to another author who will handle the writing, and he will step back to an advisory capacity. That writer is Delilah S. Dawson (I've only read her Star Wars work, but I enjoyed it).

It's sad because I don't want to see an author I've enjoyed since my teen years age out of his job, but at the same time him realizing that he can't produce the same quality and speed of output anymore, and handing his series over to another author he trusts is incredibly thoughtful and forward thinking....this isn't a Robert Jordan "I'm dying, Brando please finish my series", it's just more of a realization that he wants his world to go on and he's happy to guide someone else doing it.

So tomorrow's release of GALAPHILE (a Shannara prequel, first in a new trilogy) will be the final Terry Brooks novel and everything going forward including the 2nd and 3rd GALAPHILE novels will be penned by Delilah.

So I'm sad he's stopping, but I'm happy he's chosen someone take over...and since the last few Shannar novels even Terry acknowledged weren't his best work, perhaps the fresh voice will reinvigorate the series.

Anyways, I had GALAPHILE on pre-order, so I'll be starting it tomorrow.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: Yesterday, 01:38 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

He should offer to let tech companies create AI Super-Terry-Brooks... books, audiobooks, RPG's with endless AI branchings, prompt your own TB novel or game or etc. The distillations may live on far past him, and keep fermenting, branching, expanding...

[Abyss]

Azath Vitr (D, on 10 March 2025 - 03:19 PM, said:

He should offer to let tech companies create AI Super-Terry-Brooks... books, audiobooks, RPG's with endless AI branchings, prompt your own TB novel or game or etc. The distillations may live on far past him, and keep fermenting, branching, expanding...

Are you trying to make me vomiting inside my mouth a little, Azath? ....because this is how you make me vomit inside my mouth a little....

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Abyss, on 10 March 2025 - 03:46 PM, said:

Are you trying to make me vomiting inside my mouth a little, Azath? ....because this is how you make me vomit inside my mouth a little....

The bookstore can have a whole section of AI Terry Brooks novels, right at the entrance (with no exit... and no end).

[Abyss]

this is how skynet wins, just so we're clear.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Abyss, on 10 March 2025 - 05:45 PM, said:

this is how skynet wins, just so we're clear.

The Terryminator T-8r00X (the horror, the hah roar...).

[QuickTidal]

I wish the thread wasn't immediately derailed.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 10 March 2025 - 06:24 PM, said:

I wish the thread wasn't immediately derailed.

Wish granted, the last three posts are now about train travel oh wait sorry wrong thread.


...I know little about Delilah Dawson other than that she's written some comics that were well received and online commentary about her books written under a dif name are generally positive . I do know Terry's work has been less than A-game for a while now. It would be fascinating to see a renewed interest in Shannara based on her taking up the Sword as it were. The series as it now stands is MASSIVE, which can work for and against bringing in new readers.

I take no issue w Brookes deciding to retire, the man has had an enviable career as an author.

[worry]

Sounds like it's probably time. I stopped the series after The High Druid trilogy was kinda wack (imo). He's certainly continued cranking them out since then, I wonder if he has any further high points. I liked pretty much everything up through Voyage, and would definitely continue to recommend all that to burgeoning/teen fantasy readers. Maybe when you're that age you don't mind all the later stuff anyway cuz you're just devouring it all.

[worry]

In other SFF fantasy news, these guys are real weirdos huh? It's like, how do they come up with this stuff? Guess that's what happens to your brain when you don't got a date for Saturday night. So crazy!

[Abyss]

worry, on 10 March 2025 - 07:53 PM, said:

Sounds like it's probably time. I stopped the series after The High Druid trilogy was kinda wack (imo). He's certainly continued cranking them out since then, I wonder if he has any further high points. I liked pretty much everything up through Voyage, and would definitely continue to recommend all that to burgeoning/teen fantasy readers. Maybe when you're that age you don't mind all the later stuff anyway cuz you're just devouring it all.

I had a similar exit... VOYAGE was just ok and the repetition of characters and storylines annoyed me... i sort of semi started HIGH DRUID and bailed fairly quickly mid bk 1 and never went back.

[amphibian]

CJ Cherryh brought her partner in for an author credit on the most recent Foreigner book and the Alliance books. That's been nice to see.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 10 March 2025 - 07:57 PM, said:

worry, on 10 March 2025 - 07:53 PM, said:

Sounds like it's probably time. I stopped the series after The High Druid trilogy was kinda wack (imo). He's certainly continued cranking them out since then, I wonder if he has any further high points. I liked pretty much everything up through Voyage, and would definitely continue to recommend all that to burgeoning/teen fantasy readers. Maybe when you're that age you don't mind all the later stuff anyway cuz you're just devouring it all.

I had a similar exit... VOYAGE was just ok and the repetition of characters and storylines annoyed me... i sort of semi started HIGH DRUID and bailed fairly quickly mid bk 1 and never went back.

I'm a weirdo as I liked High Druid more than Voyage, but I will admit that Grianne was a fascinating character (

Spoiler

choosing to take the main family that exists in universe and making one of them the villain

) as I felt it flowed better, and the novelty of them visiting

Spoiler

what is essentially post-apocalyptic Korean Peninsula wears off quickly

...

The books since then have been a mixed bag really, some highs and some lows, but nothing outright terrible either. I DID like the FALL OF SHANNARA series....yes it was rehashing a lot of plot points from previous novels...but bringing in what is essentially

Spoiler

an invasion from the European continent (who have not been in contact with North America (Shannara) since the fall of our world in Armageddons Children

really felt like an invigorating concept. Were they are good as his early books? No. But still worthy I feel.

And I'm excited about GALAPHILE since it's basically about someone OUTSIDE Hawk's Valley of protection from the Genesis trilogy, getting in and starting the Druids...and I LOVE the Word & Void and Genesis books, so I have hope it's solid, and I'm happy that Delilah will be finishing that series.

amphibian, on 10 March 2025 - 11:29 PM, said:

CJ Cherryh brought her partner in for an author credit on the most recent Foreigner book and the Alliance books. That's been nice to see.

I only JUST stumbled across this series, but I have the first couple of books in cheapie eBooks, so I'm glad to see it mentioned. I've never read and Cherryh.