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poisnedcoke The Only Thing Michael Jackson and the Catholic Church Can Agree On
Joined: Feb 05, 2005 Posts: 1655 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:54 am Post subject:
Quote:
I think more Salvatore's problem is that his characters inhabit the D&D FR setting. Raise Dead is only a 5th level spell and level nine clerics are common.
Hey victoria, spoilers below, okay? SPOILERS
So I got no idea about D&D but about 100% of the time the characters who die (Except not really dead!) are never because they get ressurected by a priest. They always end up some stupid shit happens. "Oh we thought he was dead but instead of being crushed by rocks he got teleported!" "Oh he was wasting away but instead he just stopped and reversed it, happens all the time." "We thought he may die but his people need him too much so he rose up out of his death bed while his ribs were shattered to go fight goblins!" "So what he was trapped under a collapsing mountain? Turns out he held it up the whole time, completely normal." Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the books because the story is good. However all the fights/problems seem really transparent, you never wonder who'll survive or what's going to happen (They always win!) you wonder how they manage to win. And evil is always vanquished. And the world is black and white.
Now not all books are like this, the Entreri series is one of my favorites, because for once the bad guys start to win and you're supposed to be rooting against them but they're too bad ass to let you do that. The Spine of the World is another book I absolutely love, mainly because it shows a dark side to his characters. They feel more real when they're not these shining heroes who's only worry is if the girl he loves will die before him. Salvatore did a great job of handling the kind of subject matter that was taking place in that book in a way that his younger readers can comprehend, without being too mature. That's another difference: Salvatore writes for a pretty broad audience, where as Martin is focused exclusivly on adults. I think the focuses are different as well. Salvatore is looking to set a cool world where everyone is neat and you can kind of escape there from the fact that life is a bitch. Martin is trying to write a story where life is a bitch, and people die. I prefer the second one, probably because I've read the first style for so long it's become stale.
"By comparison Martin seems to like killing off every character that makes his books worth reading and resurecting only the most incredibly annoying ones. At five books the Song of Ice and Fire has gone on too long to the point that it seems he's taking the piss. At sixteen main books and seven more spinoffs the Drizzt saga, while not spectacularly great, is still enjoyable"
I disagree, he makes new main characters every book and you fall in love with them by the end. He does a wonderful job of character development and styling them to make every person different. However, the killing of your favorite people will probably be annoying if you're expecting a perfect fantasy world. It certainly makes the books more heart wrenching and emotional then anything I've read of Salvatores.
Both great writers, accomplishing different things. I'm just tierd of reading 300 pages of Drizzt escaping and killing everything he has to while defeating evil.
Arquinsiel Eyeliner-Wearing Mythological Being of Androgynous Love
Joined: Apr 06, 2006 Posts: 616 Location: Nowhere and Everywhere. I am a myth.
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject:
Honestly Salvatore does a good job of making a sensible plot out of D&D mechanical interactions. If you know the numbers then you know *why* people get up off their deathbeds, *why* the wasting stops and *why* the guy under the mountain "survives" ('coz he didn't. He was good and dead for a decade......) It's D&D, it's going to be pretty black and white and yes, the heroe's will win as they're supposed to inspire you to make your own hero who'll take on the world. Elaine Cunningham's stuff is far more "realistic" in terms of character motivations and abilities. As for Ice and Fire: Catelyn Stark. CATELYN STARK! The absolute cruelty of that was just.... well, too much. The story lacks focus enough for there to be a "main" character but there's very few of the origional players still in the Game at this point. Offhand I can think of only one. I fear it will become the next Wheel of Time. _________________
poisnedcoke The Only Thing Michael Jackson and the Catholic Church Can Agree On
Joined: Feb 05, 2005 Posts: 1655 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:13 am Post subject:
I hated reading the Stark wedding part, it was pretty damn crushing. But if you think of it: It makes complete sense! You don't snub someone like that, and in "those times" (As in the era it's supposed to mimmick) if you snubbed someone's family or honor there was a lot to pay.
Arquinsiel Eyeliner-Wearing Mythological Being of Androgynous Love
Joined: Apr 06, 2006 Posts: 616 Location: Nowhere and Everywhere. I am a myth.
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject:
Actually I found it to be one of the happier moments, she'd been harping on about motherhood for far too much potential dragon space. _________________
I_Am_Legend Balloon Twisting Scaler Of Barbed Wire
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 43 Location: I really wish I knew
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject:
I liked the Red Wedding. Sucks for Rob and all, but it did shut Catelyn up, for which I am infinitely grateful. _________________ NVNC ID VIDES, NVNC NE VIDES
I_Am_Legend Balloon Twisting Scaler Of Barbed Wire
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 43 Location: I really wish I knew
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:09 pm Post subject:
Sure it did. She can't talk anymore, and we didn't have to put up with her for a while. It's just too bad that she had to come back. _________________ NVNC ID VIDES, NVNC NE VIDES
maggot_hex Too much of a postwhore for my own good
Joined: Feb 11, 2006 Posts: 6409 Location: Federal Way, WA
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:20 am Post subject:
Anne McCaffery has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. _________________ This post brought to you by Petty Revenge: When not being a jerk just won't do.
I_Am_Legend Balloon Twisting Scaler Of Barbed Wire
Joined: Aug 17, 2007 Posts: 43 Location: I really wish I knew
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject:
Oh, hell, I never actually answered the question that the topic is about. Um, the last book I read was Dune. _________________ NVNC ID VIDES, NVNC NE VIDES
Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 782 Location: The Edge of Reality
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:43 pm Post subject:
The Icewind Dale Trilogy. I'm halfway through Legacy of the Drow now.
Is it drow as in show, or drow as in now? _________________ There will come a time when you believe everything is finished, but that will be the beginning. - Louis L'Amour
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