Forum > Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion
The Importance Of Diversity And Representation In The Hobby
Steven Mitchell:
Better to read the initial Salvatore, Eddings, Feist, Brust, etc. of the suggestions above, then decide. They all have one thing in common--the early books are mostly better than the later books. Brust has the least fall-off and writes in two completely different styles in different series. Feist has a very slow fall-off, and the "Nakor" character almost makes up for it. Eddings wrote the same series 5 times, with each one worse than the last (with a few key exception in the initial Sparhawk trilogy). I read Salvatore way past the point where I should have quit, and can confirm that it never turns around.
Eddings you pretty much read for the characters. The story is pablum. If you like the characters, it's worth the ride. Brust is the only talented writer in the bunch. Feist is workman-like and knows how to put together a plot--a skill not to be despised compared to most current fantasy writers.
Pratchett is better than all of them, but also not the same kind of stories. Certainly should read him.
Chris24601:
--- Quote from: Steven Mitchell on October 12, 2021, 11:02:57 AM ---Pratchett is better than all of them, but also not the same kind of stories. Certainly should read him.
--- End quote ---
Maybe not at the surface, there’s much more humor at the surface, but at their core Pratchett’s work touches on the timeless things in ways few modern authors can.
I highly recommend Reaper Man, Small Gods, any of the Watch books, all things Rincewind and The Last Hero (the art is as fantastic as the story). All of it is great, but those particularly stand out.
Steven Mitchell:
--- Quote from: Chris24601 on October 12, 2021, 11:33:13 AM ---
--- Quote from: Steven Mitchell on October 12, 2021, 11:02:57 AM ---Pratchett is better than all of them, but also not the same kind of stories. Certainly should read him.
--- End quote ---
Maybe not at the surface, there’s much more humor at the surface, but at their core Pratchett’s work touches on the timeless things in ways few modern authors can.
I highly recommend Reaper Man, Small Gods, any of the Watch books, all things Rincewind and The Last Hero (the art is as fantastic as the story). All of it is great, but those particularly stand out.
--- End quote ---
Oh, I agree. I was being deliberately vague with "not the same kind of stories" because I think the reasons why I say that are a discussion all by themselves. You've touched on some of it already. I'm partial any scenes with Death and Susan and the Ludwig von Moist stories myself, but there is something worth talking about in all of them.
Brust has an element of that, but 1.) he got uneven in the middle, kind of lost his way on the story, and 2.) he hasn't finished the Taltos cycle yet, and may not. Kind of disappointing to start it and not know where it goes. The last one was the best one he's done in awhile. So I hold out hope that he'll wind it up with a bang.
tenbones:
--- Quote from: Steven Mitchell on October 12, 2021, 11:02:57 AM ---Better to read the initial Salvatore, Eddings, Feist, Brust, etc. of the suggestions above, then decide. They all have one thing in common--the early books are mostly better than the later books. Brust has the least fall-off and writes in two completely different styles in different series. Feist has a very slow fall-off, and the "Nakor" character almost makes up for it. Eddings wrote the same series 5 times, with each one worse than the last (with a few key exception in the initial Sparhawk trilogy). I read Salvatore way past the point where I should have quit, and can confirm that it never turns around.
Eddings you pretty much read for the characters. The story is pablum. If you like the characters, it's worth the ride. Brust is the only talented writer in the bunch. Feist is workman-like and knows how to put together a plot--a skill not to be despised compared to most current fantasy writers.
Pratchett is better than all of them, but also not the same kind of stories. Certainly should read him.
--- End quote ---
I agree with all of this.
SHARK:
--- Quote from: Steven Mitchell on October 12, 2021, 11:02:57 AM ---Better to read the initial Salvatore, Eddings, Feist, Brust, etc. of the suggestions above, then decide. They all have one thing in common--the early books are mostly better than the later books. Brust has the least fall-off and writes in two completely different styles in different series. Feist has a very slow fall-off, and the "Nakor" character almost makes up for it. Eddings wrote the same series 5 times, with each one worse than the last (with a few key exception in the initial Sparhawk trilogy). I read Salvatore way past the point where I should have quit, and can confirm that it never turns around.
Eddings you pretty much read for the characters. The story is pablum. If you like the characters, it's worth the ride. Brust is the only talented writer in the bunch. Feist is workman-like and knows how to put together a plot--a skill not to be despised compared to most current fantasy writers.
Pratchett is better than all of them, but also not the same kind of stories. Certainly should read him.
--- End quote ---
Greetings!
Excellent observations, Steve. I agree. I always thought that Feist, Edddings, Salvatore, Brust--were all pretty decent authors. I never quite understood the ocean of hate and derision for them as writers.
However, I must have read the first three or four books from each of them. ;D
I can't really explain why I didn't keep up with reading further books written by them--I somehow just got involved in reading other stuff. I probably got even more into reading Non-Fiction History books, and kind of left off from reading Fantasy Fiction.
I always enjoyed David Gemmel, Harry Turtledove, Bernard Cornwell, and Jack Whyte, as well. As you may know from such authors, they definitely have a more historical style than the earlier group--more history, war, religion, politics, and drama, and less fantasy and magic for sure. ;D
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
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