Just can't find anymore decent fantasy fiction. But i should say, low tech setting with mysticism instead of "fantasy fiction" perhaps. So sick of reading bad fantasy fiction that I'm going back to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit was very much a story for children. LOTR though is also still very child oriented actually. Love the level of detail and just showing normal life in the Shire before the quest starts. Reminds me of Mel Gibson's Apoptaliptica (sp). Made one care about the slaugther a bit by spending some real time showing the tribe happy in the beginning. Who cares otherwise? And usually not enough time is put into this.
Then of course there's Rothfuss giving LOTR as an example of too much detail about the setting. (sigh). I wonder if LOTR would even get published today?
Anyway, there's also just a nostalgia attached to LOTR such that reading it is enjoyable. And i wonder, why virtually no one has written more stories that have hobbits? Dwarves and elves are OK but not hobbits?
Little silly but I ordered a map of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Eh. GRR Martin's Westoros too. What the hell. The HBO show is done surprisingly well.
Showing posts with label Martin (George RR). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin (George RR). Show all posts
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Fevre Dreams by George Martin
I thought the captain just a bit far on the stupid side and combining vampires with steamboats seemed a bit ... I don't know, childish?? But it was ultimately a story that pulled you in. Although some have called it as much a historical novel as a horror novel I didn't think the setting was quite detailed enough. But extreme injustice comes in at about 50% and one just doesn't want to stop reading until the injustice ends, which happens finally at the very end. Doesn't end as well as I would have liked, but I definitely seen worse. Definitely more of a page turner than I've read in quite a while.
I want an ideal of a very detailed setting that is still a page turner. Mervyn Peake for example had great detail and a story that's stuck with me very strongly, but it really wasn't a page turner. This became a page turner because of the level of injustice that occurs to adequately developed characters but I think there was more potential for bringing mid 19th century New Orleans to life.
One turns the pages in the beginning waiting for the Abner Marsh (the steamboat captain) to figure out the mystery of his "cocaptain", who's name I no longer remember. Not too long after he learns all, (that he's a vampire-like creature who's invented a drink whereby his fellows never need kill anyone again), the injustice begins which keeps us turning the pages.
It's a good formula. Maybe don't start the injustice too soon, wait till they care enough about the characters. Use mystery instead in the beginning.
I thought the captain just a bit far on the stupid side and combining vampires with steamboats seemed a bit ... I don't know, childish?? But it was ultimately a story that pulled you in. Although some have called it as much a historical novel as a horror novel I didn't think the setting was quite detailed enough. But extreme injustice comes in at about 50% and one just doesn't want to stop reading until the injustice ends, which happens finally at the very end. Doesn't end as well as I would have liked, but I definitely seen worse. Definitely more of a page turner than I've read in quite a while.
I want an ideal of a very detailed setting that is still a page turner. Mervyn Peake for example had great detail and a story that's stuck with me very strongly, but it really wasn't a page turner. This became a page turner because of the level of injustice that occurs to adequately developed characters but I think there was more potential for bringing mid 19th century New Orleans to life.
One turns the pages in the beginning waiting for the Abner Marsh (the steamboat captain) to figure out the mystery of his "cocaptain", who's name I no longer remember. Not too long after he learns all, (that he's a vampire-like creature who's invented a drink whereby his fellows never need kill anyone again), the injustice begins which keeps us turning the pages.
It's a good formula. Maybe don't start the injustice too soon, wait till they care enough about the characters. Use mystery instead in the beginning.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Book 5 of George Martin's very well known series.
Such a sprawling thing. Still think there's no way he finishes it well (if he finishes it at all). Otherwise nothing interesting to say. I read it. It was good. Perhaps it eventually gets a formulaic feel, eventually. The way the characters are described. Was wondering if Martin sits down and says, "OK, must have two descriptive lines, 4 of dialogue, etc." If perhaps he has some kind of formula he refers to. If so, it's a pretty good formula.
..Daenerys and her dragons... It's a bit predictable that Martin won't let it happen easily. But you figure eventually the dragons are going to work under Daenerys control and we'll mostly live happily ever after.
The situation with Briene is a little ridiculous. About to be hanged in book 3 I think. Never mentioned in book 4. And then comes running up for a single page on book 5, apparently somehow escaping in a way still not explained.
Did he really kill off Jon Snow? I don't see how that would work.
Will I remember any of this in 5 years when book six comes out?
Will I even be alive then?
Will I still read these sorts of books then?
I have my doubts. Even more so, I doubt that Martin will be alive in 5 years. An old, obese man. Sedentary all his life. I really doubt it. So the story will just fade away with no real ending, like life. That's OK I guess.
Such a sprawling thing. Still think there's no way he finishes it well (if he finishes it at all). Otherwise nothing interesting to say. I read it. It was good. Perhaps it eventually gets a formulaic feel, eventually. The way the characters are described. Was wondering if Martin sits down and says, "OK, must have two descriptive lines, 4 of dialogue, etc." If perhaps he has some kind of formula he refers to. If so, it's a pretty good formula.
..Daenerys and her dragons... It's a bit predictable that Martin won't let it happen easily. But you figure eventually the dragons are going to work under Daenerys control and we'll mostly live happily ever after.
The situation with Briene is a little ridiculous. About to be hanged in book 3 I think. Never mentioned in book 4. And then comes running up for a single page on book 5, apparently somehow escaping in a way still not explained.
Did he really kill off Jon Snow? I don't see how that would work.
Will I remember any of this in 5 years when book six comes out?
Will I even be alive then?
Will I still read these sorts of books then?
I have my doubts. Even more so, I doubt that Martin will be alive in 5 years. An old, obese man. Sedentary all his life. I really doubt it. So the story will just fade away with no real ending, like life. That's OK I guess.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Martin (George RR)
His big fantasy series. Very similar to Robin Hobb. Impressively large medieval world that's ultimately just a bunch of people running here and there, killing one another, betraying one another. Annoyingly jumps from scene to scene, usually at the good part. The pages keep turning because there's so much injustice you want to see amended. Also again with the dragons brought back into the world.
The characters are simplified from the real such that they're an escape. The actual setting is nothing special. The plot is just about random and I suspect he's didn't do an outline all the way to the end. Which may explain why Martin only wrote three books and took way too long to go further. And he's in his 60's now and quite fat. Extremely unlikely he'll finish. And with all the cliffhangers he's left, I really wouldn't recommend reading him at all.
His big fantasy series. Very similar to Robin Hobb. Impressively large medieval world that's ultimately just a bunch of people running here and there, killing one another, betraying one another. Annoyingly jumps from scene to scene, usually at the good part. The pages keep turning because there's so much injustice you want to see amended. Also again with the dragons brought back into the world.
The characters are simplified from the real such that they're an escape. The actual setting is nothing special. The plot is just about random and I suspect he's didn't do an outline all the way to the end. Which may explain why Martin only wrote three books and took way too long to go further. And he's in his 60's now and quite fat. Extremely unlikely he'll finish. And with all the cliffhangers he's left, I really wouldn't recommend reading him at all.
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