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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Strap in. Really, this is advice to give to someone who is at *any* point in the original trilogy besides "finished".
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Apr 17, 2013 04:26
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subx posted:The only reader I've really had trouble with is Ralph Lister, the narrator for Malazan Book 1. For some reason I just have trouble following the book/narrator. On a 6 hour trip where I vowed to try and listen to it, I couldn't get past the first hour or two without my mind wandering and losing track of the reading. I'm not sure if a different reader would help or not, but it's the only book where I've just not been able to listen to it. Have you tried reading the actual book? The problem might not be with the reader, but with Erikson's approach to writing: he assumes you've read all ten books at the start of the series. So there are references tossed around that you'll have no clue about until much later.
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Apr 25, 2013 17:13
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404GoonNotFound posted:That wasn't Super Saiyan, that was a White/Green player gaining 40 life and giving his main beast +8/+8 and Trample. What card is this a reference to? I stopped playing Magic about 12-13 years ago, and my friends and I would have dismissed such a card as baseless fantasy (while secretly hoping to own the only legit copy ever printed). What the hell kind of ridiculous power creep has been happening in my absence?
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Jul 28, 2013 07:21
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At least, that's how it works until he starts writing the (multiple?) series where the Cosmere is a major factor. Can't look right now, but there was definitely at least one series that would bridge the multiple worlds and really lay bare some of the underlying cosmology.
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Aug 26, 2013 15:07
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Bluedust posted:Gettin a little close to Malazan, turn left. (I love Malazan) Not just Malazan. American Gods (Neil Gaimann) and the Dresden Files (Jim Butcher) have used this system, so it's hardly an Erickson exclusive. Heck, I'd bet (without having looked at any of the books in years) that Terry Pratchett did this in at least one Discworld novel. If I'm translating correctly, kleiomancy is a great system to use in any environment where you've got multiple generations of magic users.
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Sep 5, 2013 04:26
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There is probably a lot of overlap between this thread and the Dresden thread, so some of you have already heard of what I'm about to plug. But if you want more superhero action after Steelheart, written with roughly the same amount of talent and work ethic as Brandon Sanderson, try Worm: http://parahumans.wordpress.com/category/stories-arcs-1-10/arc-1-gestation/1-01/ The first chapter or so is kind of slow (and the first entry is almost criminally unlike what is to come), but after that it really picks up. The superpowers are all fascinating, and a lot of care goes into making sure there is no such thing as complete invincibility -- everyone has an exploitable weakness, and eventually they'll run into another "cape" who can exploit it. Also, all of the characters are more than a power and an alignment; we take occasional breaks from the main story for "interludes", which give the author the opportunity to advance the story from a different character's perspective and really flesh out the characters presented that way. The author has published a new entry at least twice a week, every week, since June of 2011. Including one week of wonders when he/she put out roughly 50,000 words over eight consecutive days. Finally, the author says we are on the next-to-last chapter, so you won't have to wait very long for the amazingly exciting conclusion (lucky you!). We are discussing it in the web serial thread, but we only spoiler-tag the last couple of chapters, so new readers beware!
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Sep 24, 2013 15:33
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Finally got around to reading Steelheart, and I'm disappointed with the way weaknesses were handled. It's just so vanilla and unimaginative, even though the weaknesses themselves are diverse. "Oh, I'm totally impervious to pain unless I can see the number two", or "I shoot lasers out of my nostrils until confronted with spinach". Worm does a much better job with weaknesses because they're all limitations to the powers rather than an extra condition tacked on at the end. You control bugs and can sic a swarm of stinging insects on anything? Hope your target can't use fire to burn them out of the sky. I figured Steelheart's weakness was the superhero on David's Dad's shirt, especially once it was mentioned that weaknesses could be symbols. How deliciously ironic for the image of Superman to be Steelheart's kryptonite. Especially since the pendants the Faithful wear seem inspired by the Superman S. I was quite wrong about it, but I do see all the hints dropped along the way; I just focused on different hints.
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Oct 19, 2013 15:23
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Eric the Mauve posted:I'd just make everyone interested pay the $750 up front, randomly select 24 lucky winners, and then return everyone else's $750 the next day. Try sending an email and suggesting it. It's entirely possible that your idea (which seems much fairer!) never occurred to the people organizing the workshop. Worst that happens is nothing.
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Dec 19, 2013 02:47
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Kruller posted:if you decide "just one more chapter" do NOT make that chapter "The Last Battle". It's 200 pages long. ...which I really enjoyed. I thought it was hilarious that the never-ending final battle should be just as physically/emotionally draining to the readers as it's supposed to be for the characters
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Jun 13, 2014 06:21
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Eric the Mauve posted:I need to re-read but I thought somewhere in WoR it was made explicit that Taravangian's variable intelligence is his curse. Need to be careful about that. Characters don't necessarily have perfect information. Taravangian might simply be mistaken.
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Jul 14, 2014 18:41
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Tunicate posted:It's pretty obvious humans immigrated from elsewhere. What am I forgetting that makes this obvious?
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Jul 23, 2014 00:20
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Damo posted:I do get a kick of how Alethi men get all flustered, horny, and feel naughty at the sight or mere thought of an uncovered Safehand. So funny. Yeah, and it's pretty weird how excited American men get at the thought of seeing uncovered mammary glands. I mean, what's up with that? Some women even inject or implant inorganic material into theirs to make them more "attractive", however that is supposed to work. I think it is just a funny fantasy thing. We think it's weird because nobody has ever tried sexualizing a part of the body we find normal. As for the flustered nature of Alethi men, I think it's just Sanderson's squeamishness about sex making itself known.
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Aug 6, 2014 09:04
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I agree with most everything you typed. I honestly spent a lot longer on that one sentence you quoted than the entire rest of my post, because I wanted to convey an idea with the minimum amount of wrong or extra information. Do sailors in Stormlight -- or anyone, really -- have a reputation for swearing or being foul-mouthed? It has been a while since I read either book, but I can't remember anything like that.
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Aug 6, 2014 11:54
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Who said the books need more sex? What I said was I think Alethi men's nervousness about the safe hand thing might mirror the author's discomfort around the topic of sex. Edit: never mind, found the post that may have prompted yours. Grundulum fucked around with this message at 17:42 on Aug 11, 2014 |
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Aug 11, 2014 17:39
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For the most part, though, you don't need to know that backstory to enjoy the work you're reading. If you dig behind the curtain and really get into Cosmere stuff, you'll see all kinds of connections, but they're almost never necessary to read that particular book. Example: the character Hoid pops up a few times over Sanderson's first few books, but it in no way diminishes the works if you don't know/look up that it really is the same person (rather than a common name), with X backstory.
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Aug 22, 2014 20:53
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Fezz posted:Maybe, but it seems unnecessarily cruel. Why force someone to snap to use their powers? Especially since people without powers are being beaten just to check if they have them. This came up in the web serial Worm also. There's one darkly amusing scene where some adults are attempting to figure out which torture would best cause a teenager to snap and gain access to his powers. While said teenager is in the room with them. Having broken people will tend to increase conflict, which is certainly good from a narrative standpoint (no author wants to write about boring people). It also may still serve a story purpose -- maybe the shards of Adonalsium want the conflict because they gain something out of the interaction?
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Oct 2, 2014 08:23
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JackKnight posted:Corespawn it all to hell! :-) That's not even a verb!  This discussion has just made me reaffirm my distaste for superhero weaknesses that are tacked on. It's much better when powers themselves have limitations. You can control insects with your mind? Hope you never fight anyone who can burn them out of the sky with fire. Super strong and invulnerable to bullets? Let's see if that forcefield prevents radiation poisoning.
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Oct 27, 2014 19:38
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Sanderson has said that the second half of the series would follow different characters. You may get your wish.
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Oct 28, 2014 02:24
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Umbra Dubium posted:Clearly none of Sanderson's proof readers did. It took me out of the story, but I freely admit that I'm a massive dork when it comes to lexicography. What is the word for a scent that men wear? Women wear "perfume", so Sanderson can't call it that. And he can't use "scent", because that usually doesn't carry a positive connotation.
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Nov 2, 2014 07:17
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Tunicate posted:Someone finally got around to putting in shardhunt code 500, so part two of the Alloy of Law Annotations will be out as soon as Peter Ahlstrom finishes editing them. Remind me what this is all about, please? Brandon just leaves codes lying around places, and when the world finds enough of them he puts stuff on his website?
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Jan 18, 2015 08:38
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I'll take a possibly unpopular opinion and say that I read books for escapism. I don't want to read about depressing material because (a) I associate it with what I was forced to read as a student, and (b) I can go to D&D, read virtually any geographical or politics-related thread and get my fill of depression. I read door stopper epic fantasy because I want to read about larger-than-life characters being more than I could be. Sadly, getting stuck in a depressive loop is altogether too mundane.
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Mar 6, 2015 21:41
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Captain Monkey posted:Rock and Lopen. This (wo?)man gets it.
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Mar 12, 2015 00:05
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Torrannor posted:What if Kaladin falls for Adolin? Now that would be an unexpected development contributing toward conflict in relationships!
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Mar 31, 2015 16:36
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Tunicate posted:He clammed up afterwards because he found the continued speculation to be hilarious. His notes actually included a printout of this fanfic with handwritten 'this is correct'. That is awesome. Glad I clicked the link.
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Jun 10, 2015 17:48
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M_Gargantua posted:I guess use it to open bills and spam I don’t think it would work as well as you’d hope. My electricity company has forgotten how to send me bills. They still know how to send forgotten payment notices, though.
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Apr 1, 2022 02:46
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Louisgod posted:I'm roughly 220 pages into reading book 1 to my 8 year old and while she loves it, it's even more fun convincing her not everything is at it seems. How’s that working for you? I have a ten year old that is reading the Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Dealing with Dragons, etc.) on her own. There’s surely no way she would handle Mistborn independently, but I would also have guessed that ten—let alone eight—is too young for the series even if someone is reading it to you.
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May 6, 2022 16:19
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Louisgod posted:Wax and Wayne though? Definitely more racey and colorful with its language, so if we get to that point I'm not sure how I'll be able to censor basically every Wayne interaction. I say leave it in, don’t explain it, and see how much they actually pick up on. But definitely try to imitate the Wayne voice from the audio books as you read.
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May 6, 2022 17:01
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I felt like Rhythm of War was far more “move pieces into place for later payoff” than Oathbringer was. The ending to Oathbringer, IIRC, was top-loving-notch.
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May 7, 2022 18:37
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Louisgod posted:Basically any book you wish you could wipe your memory of to experience it anew again. Patricia C Wrede’s Dealing with Dragons comes to mind. It’s young adult, and would be perfect to share with any kids between the ages of 7 and 11 in your life. (Depending on their reading skills they might even read it to you.) Also, Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination. And if you’re looking for a long term commitment, the Wheel of Time. Edit: that last one probably doesn’t count as a break from Sanderson. Grundulum fucked around with this message at 00:17 on May 10, 2022 |
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May 9, 2022 23:58
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Mikojan posted:Is it me or does Sanderson really like to write about mental illness? In stormlight at least 6 major characters have diagnosable mental illnesses. This is explicitly discussed in the text of the series. If you don’t remember that conversation, just wait. Or read this spoiler: Radiant spren appear to be drawn to “broken” individuals, drawing parallels to the kintsugi technique of Japanese pottery. There are lots of well-adjusted individuals on Roshar, we just don’t interact with them much because almost all our viewpoint characters are Knights Radiant, and therefore not neurotypical.
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Jun 23, 2022 09:34
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CapnAndy posted:The list of dudes [snip] has exactly one name on it. On-camera, right? Or is there text suggesting that it hasn’t even happened historically? I agree with the identity of that one dude, but that is the kind of fake-out I could see Sanderson going for: giving you text you think refers to one character but is actually serving as a plot hook for later revelations.
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Jul 27, 2022 18:35
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Mordiceius posted:The narrator.... was so bad. And a lot of his accents were quite cringe. How bad are we talking? 70’s blaxploitation-era jive for the scene in question?
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Sep 25, 2022 22:05
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Infinite Karma posted:It's still weird to me that Odium is the original, official name of a personality shard of deific power compared to the others. Like, there's a bunch of impulses and domains, and then one is just "rear end in a top hat"? All of the others have puts and takes in terms of being helpful or harmful, but one is pure dickery? I mean, nominative determinism is a thing. Not a real thing backed up by science, but nonetheless a concept with a long tradition. (See also the original name for Scar in The Lion King: Taka, which can translate to “waste/garbage”. With a name like that, what were his parents expecting him to be?)
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Oct 4, 2022 15:31
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Can people periodically note outside their spoilers what books/content is the source of the information contained within? I thought this current run of spoiler posts was due to a new book preview (too lazy to go back and check), but the post right above mine is okay for anyone who has read the first Mistborn trilogy (right?).
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Oct 6, 2022 20:59
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I was under the impression that (full Cosmere, since I don’t remember the source) Wit/Hoid is predated by some sort of white dragon thing, meaning he can’t be Adonalsium—what could predate the literal creator? Edit: I appear to be right. https://coppermind.net/wiki/Frost <— This link will obviously contain spoilers for darn near the entire Cosmere released to date. You’ve been warned. Grundulum fucked around with this message at 01:56 on Oct 7, 2022 |
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Oct 7, 2022 01:54
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Potato Salad posted:between a mistborn and a releaser, I'm going with the one whose power is so absurdly great that God canonically had to write a nuclear testing ban into his magic system What is this a reference to?
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Oct 18, 2022 03:25
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Not very far into The Lost Metal yet, and I haven’t read any of the spoilered text, but I want to throw a prediction out there for people to laugh at: Wayne winds up on Roshar and bonds a spren. Maybe meets the Lopen, but I forget how the timelines overlap. There. I guess I will check back in when I finish.
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Nov 19, 2022 20:09
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It would be kind of funny if, somewhere in Sanderson’s internal wiki he maintains for personal use, there was written “Lamarck was right, not Darwin”.
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Nov 28, 2022 18:41
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Evil Fluffy posted:Only if you think "I'm going to destroy everyone else" is rational. If Stormlight is an anime in word form, does that mean “I must destroy this corrupt world so that I can rebuild it” is the rational position for the antagonist to have?
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Nov 30, 2022 05:33
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New thread title?
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Dec 6, 2022 15:19
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