Melodrama ahoy.

[wyrdmuse]

I don't know what it is with people, but as soon as they learn that I'm a fan of sci-fi/fantasy, they recommend Eragon. Not in a "OH HAI Have you read this?" way, but in an "If you like JKR, then you must love Eragon!" way. And it's just not one or two people. I get this damn rec almost monthly. You can just tell that they think they're the

Comments

[ferromancer]

Are you kidding? Eragon is WONDERFUL! I mean, it was, like, entirely brilliantly done! If I could have one book to read on a desert island, it would be Eragon. I'd like to wallpaper my room with Eragon's pages so I could read them all day long. It's just so...

*SLAP*

....OK, I feel better now.

Eragon was a good story. Good writing, and I thought it had an interesting premise. I can see why alot of people that liked (insert random book from genre here) would like Eragon.

But while I am indeed looking to see how the storyline progresses, I'm not calling it the epiphany of literary cuisine that others are.

....that being said, you HAVE to read the Dresden Files books. :) I was reading them long before they went to TV (which was moderately OK), and I've enjoyed every single book that he's come out with. Check it out. Jim Butcher. The Dresden File books (starts with Storm Front). Brilliant work.

*SLAP*......nope, I still like the Dresden Files

[wyrdmuse]

I've read a bunch of the Dresden Files. I like the premise and I think it's one of the finer examples of urban fantasy, but there's something about them I just don't like. It's really hard to explain, but there's just something about Harry that rubs me the wrong way.

And as far as Pern goes, I think I've only read one or two and that was ages ago when I was first discovering fantasy.

But I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on Eragon. :)

[ferromancer]

there's just something about Harry that rubs me the wrong way

Hah! Yeah, I think I understand. :) He appeals to my style, and I REALLY like Butcher's writing. I've heard that Butcher's other books, the Codex Alexa (I think) series is really good - maybe you'd want to check that out if you like Butcher's style.

As far as Eragon - I wouldn't say that we entirely disagree. Yeah, alot of it is mirrored from other series. But consider the genre - dwarves, elves, dragons....most of it is copied from something else anyway. I think I just like his take on it, the character building, the little things. It's no sweeping epic, but it's not bad.

[wyrdmuse]

Oh, I like Butcher's writing style well enough. I like the setting and the plots and the way he takes familiar lore and puts his own spin on it. None of that bothers me; Harry Dresden does.

But there's really no character buiding in Eragon. Every character who is important (they're the ones with the fantasy-sounding names, BTW), has a dark past that allows them to brood often. Most of the characters are basically caricatures.

I'll agree that stories are told over and over and retold and repackaged, etc. Paolini, however, takes the worst cliches you can find in fantasy and crams them into a single volume. I'm told it gets worse in the sequel, but I don't plan on reading that unless every other book on Earth is destroyed.

[thaursir]

Here fucking here to every single word you've written. Eragon is a piece of drivel written by a kid who's seen Star Wars too many times. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and sure he can get published through nepotism, but it seriously makes me sick to my stomach that a kid like that gets lauded and hundreds of other authors get snubbed.

[wyrdmuse]

Tell me about it! People will ask me for fantasy recs and so I tell them some of the masters and I get blank stares. But mention crap like Eragon and they're suddenly, "OMG! That sounds so awesome!"

[wyrdmuse]

You're lucky you don't work in a library (or at least my library). I hear it compared to LOTR all the damn time. They both have elves and dwarves, so Eragon is just as good, right?

[wyrdmuse]

Also, I love that icon.

[ferromancer]

Now, now; be nice. Think of them like the kids in the Tonka Big Wheels that scoot up to you, run over your foot, look up and grin, and say, "I can drive!" :)

[outchanter]

Too much Pern will do that to a recipe. Ever noticed what happens when you change the vowel in Pern?

[wyrdmuse]

*snerk* I never could get through the Pern books. I made an awful lot of D: faces through the first one before I gave up.