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Robin Hobb
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At a book signing in Brisbane, Australia a few years ago. Robin was gracious enough to sign a few of my books (after I snuck back in line wearing some fake glasses and a different shirt) and she said each time "I really like that name 'Ash'" to which I teared up and wandered around in silent nerd joy.When I told my friend in England about this, she informed me that Robin had said the same thing about her name 'Casey'.
My questions to Robin is: Do you really like the name 'Ash'?
I was wondering if you will go back to my Beloved characters in Farseer and Tawny Man and write another book about them? My second question is will we ever get more information about the Fools origin? Is he man/women or both?
You don't have to answer the last question if you feel it gives to much away.
By the way your one of my favorite author's. I have read all the books you have written as Robin Hobb and no other book's have moved me so much emotionally.
Thank you
Mod
Someone made a post about a month ago saying she was.
Mach wrote: "I was wondering if you will go back to my Beloved characters in Farseer and Tawny Man and write another book about them? My second question is will we ever get more information about the Fools or..."
Yes, I think she has already said that she is woring on a books about the Fool and Fritz as the book appears on Amazon uk as Fitz Fool 1 Hb.
Mod
I'm curious what caused her to shelve Fitz and The Fool for 3 books (as well as the Wit & the Skill from what I've read so far), and do a trilogy about Magical ships and Pirates?
Was it simply the desire to do something different/non-traditional?
I was introduced to her work via The Farseer trilogy a few years ago, thanks to Veronica mentioning her a lot. I never went on to read either of the other trilogies, though I've heard it said (here!) that they can be read in any order. Does she have a definitive order she envisions people reading the books in?Also, I remember from the video show that Robin Hobb is a pseudonym. What other genres does she write?
My favorite character in Farseer is the Fool. Does she have a favorite character that she's written?
She has written many books (mostly fantasy) under another pseudonym Megan Lindholm one of them being a science fiction book called Alien Earth.
How does you be so awesome?Also, any chance of more from the Liveship Traders? Preferably very soon?
I have so much love for the Beloved Fool very excited to hear I'll get to read more wirh him. My question would be :What caused the change from trilogy in the most recent series? Did you feel that the story just didn't work for 3 books or did it become more then you were expecting after having written the first two?
The question I have for Robin is two parts:A) Has she heard the audiobook versions of the Farseer trilogy and b) if so, what does she think of the narration? I ask because I don't think the narrator conveyed the mood of the story very well. There are many tense scenes in the book, but I wasn't drawn into that tension by the narrator. By the way, I love the first book, despite my issues with the narration and look forward to reading the rest of them.
I was wondering what was her inspiration for the Soldier and Son trilogy? And how does she feel that they are not as popular as all her other works?
Dear RobinWhy are you so mean to your characters?
They go through all sorts of calumny, treachery and injustice! Do you not like them?
I regularly have to stop reading due to righteous indignation or trepidation about what is about to happen to the poor things.
It is like reading Tess of the Dubervilles wearing nipple clamps.
Yours
Paul Chickenheart.
ps that is me wearing nipple clamps, not Tess.
Tess with nipple clamps is another book entirely!
Yeah I agree with paul, ask her what makes her put her characters through so much struggle and pain, is it because she enjoys writing conflict and friction and seeing how her characters get out of and deal with those situations.
And just maybe mention my name in passing to her, it would be the most nerdtastic thing that has ever happened to me.
Tell her that she is awesome and we love her and I have only just got through half her books lol.
And just maybe mention my name in passing to her, it would be the most nerdtastic thing that has ever happened to me.
Tell her that she is awesome and we love her and I have only just got through half her books lol.
Dear Robin,There are literally thousands upon thousands of us raving about how good the Assassin, Liveship and Fool Trilogies are. I wonder, does the reassurance cure any writing insecurities, or will they always be there? As a follow up, do you ever feel trapped by the popularity of a series that, I hope, you deeply care about?
I actually cried when I read that post in a chat room somewhere, when she admitted she was working a new Fitz and Fool book. Then I read it over. My question is now, if it were up to her, would she be writing another one? I know it's not really a fair question for an author so I'm asking it a little hesitantly. But I also wanted to thank her so much for doing it, whatever the reason. And if she hasn't heard the GRRM song, Write Like the Wind...she should :).
There is a scene in the books where I believe Fitz or Dutiful are trapped in the skill attracted to some creature and then they are put back in their body by the benign creature. Was this Tantaglia or something else? It doesn't really seem to fit her personality.2nd Question: Can you explain more about the beach with the artifacts please! Will it make future appearances?
I love your books robin! how do you write animals so well? What books inspired you to write about animals? Is writing from the perspective of the opposite sex difficult? If so how?
Rob wrote: "I haven't finished Liveship Traders yet (I'm currently reading The Mad Ship), but I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm curious what caused her to shelve Fitz and The Fool for 3 books (as well as th..."
I'm on the Tawny man trilogy (the next set after Liveship Traders). I wouldn't really say she shelves Fitz and The Fool. The Liveship books cover a period of very important time that shapes what happens in at least the next set of books, though I cannot say if it does after that.
Mod
I would like to ask " in your Farseer series, the protagonist Fitz by the end of each novel is left in (compared to the start) even worse situations.My question is are you a pessimist? And is that view reflected in your writing deliberately?"
Rob wrote: "My meaning was that she set them aside for 3 books, to tell stories about other people in the world she built."Meghan is right, nothing was really going on in the Six Duchies, and the next part of her story is in Bingtown. Fool's Errand picks up chronologically after the Liveship books are done, and much is made clear in the Fool trilogy that was brought up in the Assassin books and the Liveship Traders.
Mod
That's the point of my question.
I would like to ask Margaret how it was like writting a character like Malta. There were so many instances, particularly in the fist half of the series, where I wanted to throw the book I was so mad at her, and I wondered if it was just as frustrating to write her, or was it easier because you had a plan for her?
Meghan wrote: "Rob wrote: "I haven't finished Liveship Traders yet (I'm currently reading The Mad Ship), but I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm curious what caused her to shelve Fitz and The Fool for 3 books (a..."
The events in Liveship are a very big part of the Rain Wild Chronicles books.
Dear Robin,I am a huge fan of your work as Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm.
Do you think you will write other books as Megan Lindholm or will you remain Robin Hobb?
When you started writing in the world of the Six Duchies were you planning on doing that many books in this world?
Is Blood of Dragons the last book of the Rain Wild Chronicle?
Thank you for your wonderfull books
Kevin wrote: "I was wondering what was her inspiration for the Soldier and Son trilogy? And how does she feel that they are not as popular as all her other works?"It isn't the nicest of questions, but this is mine as well...
Mod
I guess I should win some kind of award for a badly written question since so many people are jumping all over it with completely irrelevant points.
1. Ms. Hobb wrote 3 books about Fitz & the Fool (Farseer trilogy)
2. Ms. Hobb then wrote 3 books (Liveship Trilogy), while in the same realm (and important to later books) were completely void of these characters.
3. Ms. Hobb then wrote 3 additional books (Tawny Man) returning to Fitz and the Fool.
4. She much more recently wrote the Rain Wild Chronicles that comes back to things introduced in Liveship.
Bullet 3 tells me she obviously had more she had more to write about Fitz and the Fool, while Bullet 2 indicates she set them aside ("shelved") them to write about the Liveship Traders trilogy first.
I'm in no way stating that Liveship is unimportant.
I'm simply curious why she did that, rather than jumping right to Tawny Man.
Many people in this group have stated that Liveship can be completely skipped and the Tawny Man trilogy can be read directly after Farseer with little to no confusion.
Others have stated Liveship should be read second as Tawny Man spoils some things revealed in that series.
I'm curious for Ms. Hobb's reasoning. Was it because she felt Liveship had to be told first? Or was she inspired to write a different type of book?
Hopefully that clear's up what to me seems like confusion over what I was asking.
Rob wrote: "KevinB wrote: "The events in Liveship are a very big part of the Rain Wild Chronicles books. "I guess I should win some kind of award for a badly written question since so many people are jumping..."
You forgot as basically everyone else in the group other than me and Michael that between bullet 3 and 4 she wrote The Soldier Son Trilogy even though it is not in the larger world of The Realms of the Elderings. They are still great books to be read, even though I'm in the minority.
Michael wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I was wondering what was her inspiration for the Soldier and Son trilogy? And how does she feel that they are not as popular as all her other works?"It isn't the nicest of questions..."
Well, my answer to my question not being nice is, most people are not nice to the trilogy. They try to trashing them in order to forget they even existed or she ever wrote them.
Rob wrote: "KevinB wrote: "The events in Liveship are a very big part of the Rain Wild Chronicles books. "I guess I should win some kind of award for a badly written question since so many people are jumping..."
I was just responding to the last part of Meghan's post. Your question was perfectly clear to me. :p
I should've edited the quote to make that more clear, like I usually do, but I was being quick.
Goodreads really should get some better forum software because quoting, among other things, is really annoying here.
Toscos wrote: "Dear Robin,I am a huge fan of your work as Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm.
Do you think you will write other books as Megan Lindholm or will you remain Robin Hobb?
When you started writing in the..."
Yes, I'm wondering the same if she is going back to being Megan Lindholm. Also I'm wondering if she is going to write something new as Robin Hobb? If so will she continue with the Solider and Son Trilogy, but most likely I already know she probably will not do anything else in that world because of the fan's reaction.
Mod
I didn't forget it. I omitted it because I was talking specifically about The Realm of the Elderlings books. I have no opinions on those books one way or the other at this point, since I've never read them.
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KevinB wrote: "I was just responding to the last part of Meghan's post. Your question was perfectly clear to me. :p
I should've edited the quote to make that more clear, like I usually do, but I was being quick.
Goodreads really should get some better forum software because quoting, among other things, is really annoying here."
Ah, OK. Yea I agree. I think most of their focus for both the website and on the mobile app is book management, because I find both very lacking in terms of the actual forums.
I always manually edit my quotes, and I'll wait till I can sit at an actual computer to do it because trying to do it from my phone is just too much of a hassle.
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Kevin wrote: "Also I'm wondering if she is going to write something new as Robin Hobb? "
For what it's worth, it was mentioned earlier in this thread (and elsewhere on S&L) that she is going to be doing a new Fitz & Fool book with no timeline as to when it would be finished/released.
She also has the 4th book in Rain Wild Traders Blood of Dragons coming out in March of 2013, but I vaguely recall someone saying it was already out in parts of Europe already.
She also has The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince, which I believe is a novella detailing a legend mentioned in the Farseer Trilogy slated for sometime next year as well, though I'm not sure if there is a real release date for that.
Rob wrote: "Many people in this group have stated that Liveship can be completely skipped and the Tawny Man trilogy can be read directly after Farseer with little to no confusion.Others have stated Liveship should be read second as Tawny Man spoils some things revealed in that series.
"
This is something I've heard many times. Perhaps a good question for Robin would also be weather or not she thinks it is important to read Liveship Traders before Tawney man. While I agree that you can read Tawny Man without Liveship Traders, to me, it would be like watching something in black and white when it was produced in color. It's a matter of weather you want a wider perspective or not.
Rob wrote: "Kevin wrote: "You forgot as basically everyone else in the group other than me and Michael that between bullet 3 and 4 she wrote The Soldier Son Trilogy even though it is not in the larger world of..."I mean new as if she is going to write something others than in the Realms of the Elderings like she did with the Soldier and Son Trilogy.
The Farseer trilogy is my favorite fantasy trilogy of all-time. Curious how she made me believe, so deeply, she was actually young Fitz--because I was convinced. She drew me into the character so well, I got lost in his thoughts/actions and when I put the book down it was liking waking up from a vivid dream--and I was briefly unsure it was only fiction.
Is Robin secretly a teenage assassin?
I've been introduced to Robin Hobb through S&L, and I've been devouring the Farseer trilogy--I'm a big fan!I've found Fitz's relationship with animals--especially Nighteyes--to be fascinating. What was your inspiration for the Wit, and do you have pets?
Kinda off topic but is there a audio book version of the Tawny Man series?
Clayton wrote: "Kinda off topic but is there a audio book version of the Tawny Man series?"No. Which is why it is taking me AGES to finish it. I've asked Audible about it (twice), but they've never responded to me.
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The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Blood of Dragons (other topics)The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince (other topics)
Alien Earth (other topics)
The Mad Ship (other topics)
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