So, it appears...

[farseer_lolotea]

...that another installment of that series is up.  The hunter segment, specifically (she's going alphabetical).

This time, it looks like people almost immediately started telling her exactly how Suetiful her example characters are.  I'm not sure whether or not she got the point.

And then, there's this discussion, where someone is actually

Comments

[dodgy_mermaid]

Awwww. I like the first six Drizzt novels, or so, and I enjoy some of Dragonlance -- mostly the stories focusing on the Majere twins or Tasselhoff Burrfoot; I didn't find much else particularly memorable. I also like George Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, though, which has saved my ass among scorners of Salvatore, Weis, and Hickman....

Once, though, I tried to read some of the Warcraft novels, and could not stand whatever it was I picked up.

[farseer_lolotea]

I think most of the Warcraft tie-in novels are Knaak.  He sucks.  Keith DeCandido (Cycle of Hatred) is even worse.  Aaron Rosenberg (Tides of Darkness, co-author of Beyond the Dark Portal) is okay; Christie Golden is actually good.

See above for my opinions on the Drizzt books and Dragonlance.  ASoIAF is pretty good (although I've lost some respect for Martin for jumping on the anti-fanfic bandwagon).

[dodgy_mermaid]

I lost some respect for Martin after following his LiveJournal for a few months! I had no idea about his stance on fanfiction, though...but I haven't really been interested in that stuff since about 1998.

Y'know, I am glad of your warning about Knaak; now I will be cautious in my approach of his DL novel, Kaz the Minotaur. Knew I had seen his name somewhere before; I vaguely remember enjoying The Legend of Huma....

I will check out Christie Golden and Aaron Rosenberg, though; thank you.

I was not very impressed with the writing in most of Dragonlance; a lot of it (and, come to think of it, parts of the Drizzt novels) made me wince. I have encountered such hate for those authors, recently...and I just don't think Salvatore or Weis/Hickman are that bad! I find their work quite enjoyable, if not always amazing. There are better authors to despise, like...Terry Goodkind or Elaine Cunningham.... *grumbles*

[farseer_lolotea]

What's the issue with Cunningham?  I read one of her books, way back when, and had no real opinion on it.  (The main character, IIRC, was somewhat Suetiful, but less so, IMO, than...quite a few that I could name.)

[aedaron]

I'm not a fan of the Dragonlance series, or anything based on a video game or roleplaying game. I'm not saying they aren't fun to read, kind of like those action movies you go see and then don't talk about in film class. They're just...not that good. A lot is outright terrible.

I'll try not to hijack this thread with my rampant book snobbery, so I'll segue into something roleplaying related.

I love GRRM!

Sure, he's a curmudgeon and loves football way too much, he should be writing, but I like him.

I actually don't fault him for opposing fanfiction. Most fanfic sucks. What he doesn't oppose, and this I love, is roleplaying in his fantasy world. He's actually sanctioned one MUD that I know of and is just a super cool guy about.

[farseer_lolotea]

I've got GURPS Wild Cards.  And GURPS Aces Abroad.

I actually don't fault him for opposing fanfiction. Most fanfic sucks.
Now, see...I agree that most fanfic sucks.  But:
1) That's not a particularly good reason to oppose fanfic in the first place.
2) That's not the reason he gives.
3) The fact that he is in favor of people RPing in his settings makes his stance against fan fiction, IMO, a bit hypocritical.

[dodgy_mermaid]

My partner had quite a challenge in getting me to read Dragonlance; I kept complaining about the amateur writing. Same with Salvatore's work, actually. I think I came to love both series because, frankly, the characters are so darn lovable. I can ignore silly writing, to a reasonable extent, if the characters appeal to me.

Regarding GRRM: that is precisely my problem with the man: he has spent more time bitching about football, and working on other projects, than taking care of A Dance with Dragons. I don't want him to write that story if he doesn't feel up to it, because that could be disastrous for the book.... But, damn, how many times has Dance's release been pushed back? After all this waiting, I have to read the entire series again! His books make me cry a lot. XD

I am glad he is so supportive of roleplay in the setting he's created, though. That is fabulous.

[dodgy_mermaid]

Cunningham's trilogy, Starlight and Shadows, follows the story of a drow named Liriel Baenre (whom I readily admit is, yes, rather sueish; another goodly Menzoberranzan drow, and did she have to be another Baenre daughter?). The first and second books in this trilogy are okay. I found them quite enjoyable, at least, and avidly followed Liriel's adventures. I do not remember the quality of the writing, which means it mustn't be very impressive, but I have always cared more about characterization, anyway. That aspect of Cunningham's story, at least, is good

[farseer_lolotea]

I read the first book (and, now that I think of it, the second) in that trilogy.  I never got to the third.  Sounds like I didn't miss anything.

AFAIK, Liriel actually pre-dates those other Baenre daughters.

[dodgy_mermaid]

You really didn't miss anything, no.

I don't think Liriel predates the likes of Triel and Quenthel; Salvatore's books which featured the latter characters were published in the early nineties, but Cunningham's Starlight and Shadows was published in '95. Liriel is a very young daughter of Gromph Baenre and Sosdrielle of House Vandree.

...And I am very sorry for filling your post with this nonsense. XD;

[farseer_lolotea]

Hmm.  Looks like Daugher of the Drow was indeed published a few years after the Legacy series.  But considering how much brainstorming I've heard goes on between tie-in authors, it's hard to make any real judgments.

[starbiter]

I also tried to read the very first Warcraft novels that were out shortly after the game's release. I couldn't stand them. They were so badly written... it was like eating food with sand in it. I just couldn't do it. It was frustrating, because I really did want to learn the stories and the lore.

Some really adept fan should totally rewrite them. >..>

[dodgy_mermaid]

Excellent description; that is exactly what it feels like, to me, to read badly-written stories. It is frustrating, indeed; I enjoy the Warcraft setting, and would love to read the lore if it were presented well!

[starbiter]

For years I've been wishing that someone somewhere would just put together a compendium/timeline of Warcraft lore from inception to the present. Something linear. Something someone could sit down and read from start to finish. The Wikis are kind of too.. branchy-outy for me. I get too distracted too easily.

Blizz seemed to begin this with their Encyclopedia, but I don't think that was ever updated past its initial release.

[farseer_lolotea]

Which novels were these?

[starbiter]

Oh man... This was a while ago... there were three paperbacks.... I think one of them had the cover that kind of looked like the cover of the WoW box back then... just an orc's face in a metal circle thingy. *thinks*

I just tried to look it up on Amazon but could not find it. I know the one book was about the story of Thrall. Someone kidnapped him and he was friends with Jaina, etc.