[Rictus]

amphibian, on 16 March 2015 - 07:30 PM, said:

Rictus, on 16 March 2015 - 06:52 PM, said:

Shadow of the Torturer is making me feel stupid. Actually, every book of his of his I've tried just confounds me. The story grinds on and on, and I'm left empty handed and lost. Frustrating stuff.

The best entry point to Gene Wolfe is The Knight, followed by The Wizard.

What he does in most of his books is to use the "writing in a diary" approach by the hero of the story - but most times, there's sub-text and possible evasions/cover-ups of something sneaky going on as well.

In the New Sun books, Wolfe particularly plays around with Severian's need to romanticize Thecla, embiggen himself as an honest person and throws in a bit of Shakespeare in an actual play being thrown that has all kinds of allusions to stuff in our real world and Severian's world.

In The Knight and The Wizard, the hero, Sir Able of the High Heart, is much more straightforwards and easy to glom onto as a reader. It's also a more straightforwards reinvention of Arthurian/Northern European legends and mythology.

Yes, I suspected his love affairs were something major, seeing how the man falls in love at the drop of a hat. I'm not giving up, of course, I'm merely frustrated because of my general cluelessness. Severian and the rest of the actors reached some giant wall -- that's where I'm at, so maybe I have yet to reach some critical juncture where some things become clear, though I'm not holding my breath.

[Rictus]

Yeah, and Latro is very good as well. I'll have to finish the first book finally. So many good stories to read before one dies, so little time.

[Salt-Man Z]

Rictus, on 16 March 2015 - 10:18 PM, said:

Severian and the rest of the actors reached some giant wall -- that's where I'm at, so maybe I have yet to reach some critical juncture where some things become clear, though I'm not holding my breath.

Heh. Shadow is probably the most straightforward of the books, plotwise. Things should very gradually become more clear as you go, though, with most of the big insights coming in the latter half of book four. Of course, it's the second reading that's probably the most eye-opening. And even after my five readings, there's plenty of stuff that remains inscrutable.

[Baco Xtath]

Read Leaves on the Wind graphic novel (Serenity's sequel - or the continuation of Firefly.....whatever) and was really disappointed. Also reading the Glass God and starting the Folding Knife (again).

[Maark Abbott]

TDTCB is starting to get weird. What the dick is this talking bird with a person's face? I also seem to recall a warning about bendy demon phalli. It's not gotten that weird yet.

[Andorion]

Maark, on 18 March 2015 - 08:30 AM, said:

TDTCB is starting to get weird. What the dick is this talking bird with a person's face? I also seem to recall a warning about bendy demon phalli. It's not gotten that weird yet.

TDTCB? Sorry, missed that acronym

[McLovin]

The Darkness that Comes Before. Though "bendy demon phalli" should have clued you in.

[Andorion]

McLovin, on 18 March 2015 - 04:46 PM, said:

The Darkness that Comes Before. Though "bendy demon phalli" should have clued you in.

Oh, Bakker. I haven't read him yet. Waiting for book 6 this year.

[D'iversify]

Maark, on 18 March 2015 - 08:30 AM, said:

TDTCB is starting to get weird. What the dick is this talking bird with a person's face? I also seem to recall a warning about bendy demon phalli. It's not gotten that weird yet.

Trust me, not the weirdest face even in book one.

[Abyss]

Andorion, on 18 March 2015 - 05:06 PM, said:

McLovin, on 18 March 2015 - 04:46 PM, said:

The Darkness that Comes Before. Though "bendy demon phalli" should have clued you in.

Oh, Bakker. I haven't read him yet. Waiting for book 6 this year.

I suspect you'll be waiting next year too.
Sadly.

I'd suggest picking up the first three. They read well together and the ending is closed.


And then i would recommend waiting for bk6 before starting the second trilo.

D, on 18 March 2015 - 06:40 PM, said:

Maark, on 18 March 2015 - 08:30 AM, said:

TDTCB is starting to get weird. What the dick is this talking bird with a person's face? I also seem to recall a warning about bendy demon phalli. It's not gotten that weird yet.

Trust me, not the weirdest face even in book one.

Hee hee hee.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 18 March 2015 - 07:24 PM, said:

Andorion, on 18 March 2015 - 05:06 PM, said:

McLovin, on 18 March 2015 - 04:46 PM, said:

The Darkness that Comes Before. Though "bendy demon phalli" should have clued you in.

Oh, Bakker. I haven't read him yet. Waiting for book 6 this year.

I suspect you'll be waiting next year too.
Sadly.

I'd suggest picking up the first three. They read well together and the ending is closed.


And then i would recommend waiting for bk6 before starting the second trilo.

D, on 18 March 2015 - 06:40 PM, said:

Maark, on 18 March 2015 - 08:30 AM, said:

TDTCB is starting to get weird. What the dick is this talking bird with a person's face? I also seem to recall a warning about bendy demon phalli. It's not gotten that weird yet.

Trust me, not the weirdest face even in book one.

Hee hee hee.

Which is a better fantasy trilogy to start: Mark Lawrence's Thorns, or Bakker's first three?

[amphibian]

That depends on what you're in the mood for. Bakker's is much more of a trip into a truly dark version of Lord of the Rings + the grimmest Viking/Greek/Hindu tragedies you can imagine. The Thorns trilogy is kind of like a fantasy version of Liam Neeson in Taken, but with a child.

I enjoy them both considerably. Both get undeserved crap flung at them that obscures their genuinely good writing skills.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 19 March 2015 - 02:53 AM

[Andorion]

Thorns is on my list for this year. Bakker is a maybe. But both are for later in the year. After Sanderson its time for some smaller books and slightly different genres

[Mentalist]

finished Asher's second "owner" novel, Zero Point today. it's arguably even better than the first. I don't what it is about cyberpunk, but it always gives you the worst villains.

IN this case, Asher got to me. There were points where I wanted to put the book down with the "did that character really just do that? and they're trying to say THAT to justify it?" type of reaction. very few books have gotten me like that.

Add to it the well-written action, solid pacing, and teh cool sciency bits, and you've got a great book. Need to think what I'll read next for my commute. thinking I want to get away from sci-fi a bit, may go for "Republic of thieves", although I wanted to do a re-read of the other "gentlemen Bastards books first.
Hmm, actually no. Think I'll get back to the first Bobby dollar book by Tad Williams, The dirty Streets of Heaven . I need something light-ish for my commute.

[D'iversify]

Andorion, on 19 March 2015 - 02:08 AM, said:

Which is a better fantasy trilogy to start: Mark Lawrence's Thorns, or Bakker's first three?

Not read Lawrence, but I rate Bakker very highly (he is probably my favourite fantasy author at the moment; a heresy, I know, on an Erikson site).

[Tiste Simeon]

Let me save you a lot of boredom: Don't read Bakker. Seriously. I can give you a 5 minute synopsis of everything that happens in the original trilogy (didn't read books 4 & 5) if you wanted.

Thorns is pretty darn entertaining.

[End of Disc One]

I've read the Broken Empire (Thorns) trilogy and the first 2 Bakker books. I think Broken Empire is good, not great. But Bakker is fantastic. Both are very different.

[amphibian]

Tiste Simeon, on 19 March 2015 - 12:23 PM, said:

Let me save you a lot of boredom: Don't read Bakker. Seriously. I can give you a 5 minute synopsis of everything that happens in the original trilogy (didn't read books 4 & 5) if you wanted.

No, you cannot do so.

[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 19 March 2015 - 01:03 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 19 March 2015 - 12:23 PM, said:

Let me save you a lot of boredom: Don't read Bakker. Seriously. I can give you a 5 minute synopsis of everything that happens in the original trilogy (didn't read books 4 & 5) if you wanted.

No, you cannot do so.

He kind of can. LOL. But then both Tiste and I were completely unimpressed with Bakker...so we might be biased.

Also Andorion: I'll throw in my lot for Lawrence. Loved the entire trilogy...and the first book of the second trilogy as well. All great stuff.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 19 March 2015 - 01:15 PM

[QuickTidal]

I'm almost halfway through TO GREEN ANGEL TOWER PART II, the final book in Tad Williams MS&T...and it's been really solid so far. Best storyline in this book so far:

Spoiler

Maegwin, Eolair, Jiriki and the Sithi siege at Naglimund against the Norns is just stellar writing. I'm also fond of the Nabban/Camaris/Benigaris storyline. Simon and Miri on their own was a LITTLE boring...but then they got captured, Binabik showed up, and Bright-Nail isn't in King John's grave...and now it's interesting too! Is it wrong to look fwd to Simon reuniting with Rachel the Dragon in the Hayholt, considering she thought him dead? Should be a good reunion.