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The Importance Of Diversity And Representation In The Hobby

Started by CD, September 17, 2021, 08:23:28 AM

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Pat

#240
October 09, 2021, 09:01:20 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 08:46:22 PM
Quote from: ChrisFox on October 09, 2021, 11:29:03 AM
Reading about Drizzt ...
What's the best book for the Drizzt saga? There is a large selection, and I don't want to pick a mediocre book.
I haven't read a lot of the later books, but I have read a bunch of the early books, and my recommended starting point would be the original Dark Elf trilogy: Homeland/Exile/Sojourn. These are the books that defined who Drizzt is. Exile is probably the best, but it's a real trilogy not a loosely connected set of books, so read them in order.

Aglondir

#241
October 09, 2021, 11:00:14 PM
Quote from: Pat on October 09, 2021, 09:01:20 PM
I haven't read a lot of the later books, but I have read a bunch of the early books, and my recommended starting point would be the original Dark Elf trilogy: Homeland/Exile/Sojourn. These are the books that defined who Drizzt is. Exile is probably the best, but it's a real trilogy not a loosely connected set of books, so read them in order.
I see it on Amazon. Books 1, 2, 3 of a 23 book series. I'm guessing he wrote a trilogy, and then kept writing?

Pat

#242
October 09, 2021, 11:32:00 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 11:00:14 PM
Quote from: Pat on October 09, 2021, 09:01:20 PM
I haven't read a lot of the later books, but I have read a bunch of the early books, and my recommended starting point would be the original Dark Elf trilogy: Homeland/Exile/Sojourn. These are the books that defined who Drizzt is. Exile is probably the best, but it's a real trilogy not a loosely connected set of books, so read them in order.
I see it on Amazon. Books 1, 2, 3 of a 23 book series. I'm guessing he wrote a trilogy, and then kept writing?
It's a little more complicated than that. Salvatore first wrote the Icewind Dale trilogy. Drizzt featured in the stories, but he was not the main character. But he was breakout popular. So he got his own series, which was the original Dark Elf trilogy. Which were pretty good, as gaming fiction goes. A little angsty and aimed at alienated 14 year old boys, but an interesting setting, and some pathos. They were very successful, and that turned into a career for the author.

I wouldn't recommend starting with the Icewind Dale trilogy, because it's a little rough in comparison, Drizzt is only a supporting character, and it's set after the events of Sojourn. The Dark Trilogy is basically Drizzt's launch as a major driver of book sales, as well as being his origin story.

S'mon

#243
October 10, 2021, 05:43:23 AM Last Edit: October 10, 2021, 05:46:03 AM by S'mon
Quote from: Pat on October 09, 2021, 11:32:00 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 11:00:14 PM
Quote from: Pat on October 09, 2021, 09:01:20 PM
I haven't read a lot of the later books, but I have read a bunch of the early books, and my recommended starting point would be the original Dark Elf trilogy: Homeland/Exile/Sojourn. These are the books that defined who Drizzt is. Exile is probably the best, but it's a real trilogy not a loosely connected set of books, so read them in order.
I see it on Amazon. Books 1, 2, 3 of a 23 book series. I'm guessing he wrote a trilogy, and then kept writing?
It's a little more complicated than that. Salvatore first wrote the Icewind Dale trilogy. Drizzt featured in the stories, but he was not the main character. But he was breakout popular. So he got his own series, which was the original Dark Elf trilogy. Which were pretty good, as gaming fiction goes. A little angsty and aimed at alienated 14 year old boys, but an interesting setting, and some pathos. They were very successful, and that turned into a career for the author.

I wouldn't recommend starting with the Icewind Dale trilogy, because it's a little rough in comparison, Drizzt is only a supporting character, and it's set after the events of Sojourn. The Dark Trilogy is basically Drizzt's launch as a major driver of book sales, as well as being his origin story.

The Dark Elf trilogy is ok. After that IMO the books get more & more repetitive & formulaic, until I stopped reading some time in the early-mid '90s.

When I got rid of my FR books, the only one I kept was The Crystal Shard. It is the only one that is pre TSR Ethics Code, it's the only one with some (very mild) adult content, actual nasty bad guys (the activities of the Drow Matrons in later books are elided over, to put it mildly - about the worst thing they ever do onscreen is shag a Type III Demon). The Crystal Shard reads like decent ish swords & sorcery in a D&D setting. Akar Kessell is an actual nasty bad guy. And it has some pretty good world building. It's not a 'Driz'zt book', though - and all the better for that. If anything, I'd say Bruenor is the main character. Wulfgar was supposed to be, but he's just too bland - Salvatore has no feel at all for the Alpha Male Conan types, whereas he can write the angsty Goth teen Driz'zt quite well. He's especially good with Artemis Entreri, the human Assassin who is kind of a dark shadow of Driz'zt.

Salvatore's real talent is in writing the fight scenes, particularly the duels. Some of these are brilliant, up there with Milius' Battle of the Mounds in the original Conan film. The big problem though is that Salvatore turned the series into serial fiction, where important characters (even villains) can't die because they need to be around for the next book.

Ghostmaker

#244
October 10, 2021, 03:10:26 PM
I have to concur. Stick to the Dark Elf trilogy and the Icewind Dale trilogy and don't bother with the rest.

Slambo

#245
October 10, 2021, 05:30:11 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 08:46:22 PM
Quote from: ChrisFox on October 09, 2021, 11:29:03 AM
Reading about Drizzt ...
What's the best book for the Drizzt saga? There is a large selection, and I don't want to pick a mediocre book.
Just read Elric instead

dkabq

#246
October 10, 2021, 05:37:31 PM
Quote from: Slambo on October 10, 2021, 05:30:11 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 08:46:22 PM
Quote from: ChrisFox on October 09, 2021, 11:29:03 AM
Reading about Drizzt ...
What's the best book for the Drizzt saga? There is a large selection, and I don't want to pick a mediocre book.
Just read Elric instead

Or Corum.

Shasarak

#247
October 10, 2021, 09:22:50 PM
Quote from: dkabq on October 10, 2021, 05:37:31 PM
Quote from: Slambo on October 10, 2021, 05:30:11 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 08:46:22 PM
Quote from: ChrisFox on October 09, 2021, 11:29:03 AM
Reading about Drizzt ...
What's the best book for the Drizzt saga? There is a large selection, and I don't want to pick a mediocre book.
Just read Elric instead

Or Corum.

Or Harry Potter
Who da Drow?  U da drow! - hedgehobbit

There will be poor always,
pathetically struggling,
look at the good things you've got! -  Jesus

Ghostmaker

#248
October 10, 2021, 10:03:01 PM
Quote from: Shasarak on October 10, 2021, 09:22:50 PM
Quote from: dkabq on October 10, 2021, 05:37:31 PM
Quote from: Slambo on October 10, 2021, 05:30:11 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 08:46:22 PM
Quote from: ChrisFox on October 09, 2021, 11:29:03 AM
Reading about Drizzt ...
What's the best book for the Drizzt saga? There is a large selection, and I don't want to pick a mediocre book.
Just read Elric instead

Or Corum.

Or Harry Potter
Please no. Every retard leftist hipster's been slinging Harry Potter analogies to current politics for the last. five. fucking. years.

Pick something else. Read fuckin' Dragonlance. Hell, read that godawful FR novel Spellfire. I won't judge.

(well, maybe a little, but I won't say anything.)

Aglondir

#249
October 11, 2021, 02:33:05 AM
Quote from: S'mon on October 10, 2021, 05:43:23 AM
When I got rid of my FR books, the only one I kept was The Crystal Shard...
Thanks, I will check that out. The library only had volume 3 of the trilogy.

DefNotAnInsiderNopeNoWay

#250
October 11, 2021, 09:28:28 AM
Quote from: Shasarak on October 10, 2021, 09:22:50 PM
Quote from: dkabq on October 10, 2021, 05:37:31 PM
Quote from: Slambo on October 10, 2021, 05:30:11 PM
Quote from: Aglondir on October 09, 2021, 08:46:22 PM
Quote from: ChrisFox on October 09, 2021, 11:29:03 AM
Reading about Drizzt ...
What's the best book for the Drizzt saga? There is a large selection, and I don't want to pick a mediocre book.
Just read Elric instead

Or Corum.

Or Harry Potter

Y'all need Terry Pratchett and it shows.

DM_Curt

#251
October 11, 2021, 09:38:29 AM
Or Steven Brust, starting with "Jhereg".

Ghostmaker

#252
October 11, 2021, 10:21:57 AM
How about Eddings? He wasn't that bad.

Pat

#253
October 11, 2021, 11:11:23 AM
Quote from: Ghostmaker on October 11, 2021, 10:21:57 AM
How about Eddings? He wasn't that bad.
Garion isn't really a good stand-in for Drizzt.

tenbones

#254
October 11, 2021, 11:56:19 AM
Or some Raymond Feist...

No "Drizzt" analogs - but pretty much all the main-line characters are well drawn D&D figures archetypes.

Arutha - Noble "light-weapon" fighter.
Martin Longbow - quintessential ranger.
Baru Serpentslayer - barbarian with a mastiff the size of a small horse.
Amos Trask - Pirate/corsair extraordinaire
Pug/Milamber - Wizard.
Tomas - God-mode Fighter
Kasumi - Oriental Adventures Samurai/Bushi
Jimmy the Hand - Thief
Laurie - Bard

And many others...
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