Fantasy Aficionados discussion
Authors
>
Which Fantasy Author Did You Find Most Disappointing?
Sorry to have totally turned this thread from it's true purpose, but I'll keep doing it. Unfortunately, some people do not have churches to take care of them and as Mrs. Joseph pointed out, families can be the problem, not the cure. A lot of the people I know on long term assistance have mental illnesses or health problems that make being a "contributing" member of society difficult.Yes. I agree the system needs an overhaul. Yes. I agree some people work the system, but in my prison city home town, I never met one. They are a small minority.
The question is do you really want to cut off help for people who really, honest to god need it because you get torqued over the few who work the system? You would have to shut down the world.
I actually don't refuse to read/look at et cetera art done by artists I don't agree with as long as their work doesn't delve into the opinions I don't agree with. Then I refuse mainly because I don't feel like spending my spare time being offended. Unless it is something I feel I should know about to argue about.
You should re-evaluate if you think those who work the system are the few. With that said I still wouldnt eliminate the program that aids the genuine few over my disgust at the unworthy many.
Well this was certainly not the conversation I expected when I clicked on the link. /flees before overloading brain
Where do you get your info, grant? I agree about the genuine worth it no matter what, though.
Personal experience, Cicada. I manage an insurance firm. We handle everything from million dollar policies down to the smallest of burial policies and in doing so I see folks from all walks of life. One of the products we offer caters to folks who are very low income or who have had extreme medical problems and have been turned down by other insurance carriers. I couldn't begin to list the amount of times I've had an insured tell me that their "disability" was fake....or the households I've been in where multiple folks were pooling their unemployment payments and cheating the system. Or folks who sold their food stamps so they could go gambling or the times I've seen arguments between divorced parents over who would be able to claim a child not out of love but out of desire for their benefits. People living on unemployment and food stamps who drive Navigators and Lexus'. I walk into houses that I'm footing the bill for and see PS3's and 55 inch LCD tvs or $100 tennis shoes. I manage an area that covers 7 states and without exagerration I've witnessed Hundreds of examples of people manipulating the system simply because they were too lazy or worthless to be productive members of society. If I actually took into account the examples witnessed by employees or co-workers I've not doubt it would number in the tens of thousands but sadly we're not able to report them due to confidentiality stipulations. It makes me nauseous and leaves me wishing for a certain type of vigilante justice both for those that take advantage and the legislators that cater to them.
The flip side is I could drive to many a house of a hardworking individual that does their very best to find work after being laid off from plants that employed them for 20 or 30 years. I have 50 people come in and interview for a single position I have open. I see people in the line at Walmart who furtively pay with their food stamp card, shame in their countenance and disposition...and my heart goes out to them. They deserve all the aid I can give them and I wouldn't mind giving more to see them back on their feet. Nonetheless, I would love to see some ridiculously strict punishments for those that manipulate. Hard forced labor camps for a start. Eh...I better quit before I go off on a tangent.
The flip side is I could drive to many a house of a hardworking individual that does their very best to find work after being laid off from plants that employed them for 20 or 30 years. I have 50 people come in and interview for a single position I have open. I see people in the line at Walmart who furtively pay with their food stamp card, shame in their countenance and disposition...and my heart goes out to them. They deserve all the aid I can give them and I wouldn't mind giving more to see them back on their feet. Nonetheless, I would love to see some ridiculously strict punishments for those that manipulate. Hard forced labor camps for a start. Eh...I better quit before I go off on a tangent.
Grant wrote: "Personal experience, Cicada. I manage an insurance firm. We handle everything from million dollar policies down to the smallest of burial policies and in doing so I see folks from all walks of life..."Speaking of laziness, over the summer, a guy introduced himself to me while I was at the library. Then about two weeks later, I see him across the street from while I live, he hands me his business card. I was shocked at what it said. I could not believe my eye. It said that he was working for a firm that was trying to cure laziness as a disease. I was speechless, just said thanks. Then I walked away. I never saw the guy again. What a crazy world we live in.
Now that's funny!
Grant, as I have said, I totally accept that system is faulty. That said, I agree with you. There are people out there who need the leg up, and honestly work towards regaining an independent life style. I can't conceive of cutting the programs until we figure out how to meet these people's needs the best way possible. I grew up with a lot of these people. It crushed them to be on assistance, even as children. One of my friends illegally bussed tables every night when he was thirteen so that he could help get his family off assistance. ]I feel like we are coming at this from different angles, but in the end totally agree. I would like to see the system overhauled so that those that need help get help, and those who don't, don't. From what you are saying, I feel like we basically agree on all the big points. It is the angle that is different. I just really think we need to tear down the structure of the systems and rebuild from the bottom up. I could be wrong, but I don't think you are saying otherwise.
To us then. I enjoyed your mail.
No I agree completely. I think most people would. I just don't understand why brighter minds than ours haven't been able to come up with a feasible plan to overhaul the whole flawed system. I think the problem with my previous statement is that I assume that some politician's are bright rather than simply cunning. There are all kinds of insects and reptiles that are cunning after all.
yes twilight. That was a major let down. I like the occasional YA novel. I read the first one and had zero interest in reading the rest of the series.
Yes, I agree; Twilight. So many friends recommended it that I had some hope.
What a waste of time, I read it for a book club read.
Definitely no interest in ever reading anything by that author again.
I know others have mentioned Robert Jordan already, but I think he was my most disappointing author. Not so much for dying before he finished, but mostly for getting his story to that point in the first place. Lots of needless repetition, huge books that could have been simply lengthy books, and characters that had a lot of promise, but really just ended up being parodies of themselves.Terry Goodkind would be a moderately close second for many of the same reasons.
Yes Robert Jordan started off as interesting, but became boring to me— too many books in the series, too little happening in each book. The other disappointing author is the one who wrote The Golden Compass. I think it was too much a kids-book for when I read it.
Yes Rob, Jordan burned a lot of us... The first five or possibly six books in that series were great, maybe even masterpieces. Then something happened. We have hashed out over and over what. Whatever it was the result was what you mentioned. Books of 800+ pages that covered 2 or 3 days and told each event over and over from a dozen points of view..Ad nauseam.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Yes Rob, Jordan burned a lot of us... The first five or possibly six books in that series were great, maybe even masterpieces. Then something happened. We have hashed out over and over what. Whatev..."That is exactly I heard from people who dislike him, they all said that all the books up to 4 or 5 were great, but afterwards, it all went down hill.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Yes Rob, Jordan burned a lot of us... The first five or possibly six books in that series were great, maybe even masterpieces. Then something happened. We have hashed out over and over what. Whatev..."But in all fairness, whatever the glitch was did get worked out, and books 10-13 were good again...IMHO anyway
I'm sorry. I know many people love the later books and even the detail I and some others consider excessive. I'd say while Sanderson's books show some slight improvement I can't agree the later books are any better... That's a personal opinion. I don't see the improvement. A huge portion of book #10 Crossroads of Twilight takes place simultaneously with book #9! I still think that had everything from volume 6 or 7 on been given to a good editor they might have made one or two good novels.
Well, that might qualify as another What Not TO do as an Author: Have your wife be the editor!
Hummm???? Possibly, but who'd have the courage to say no? LOL
lol! Jordan kept me away when I was in the middle of book 2 and realized he was on book 8 (or something) and was nowhere NEAR finished. Ummm, no thanks.
I picked it up when there were 6 published and the series was going to run 7 volumes. I read 1 through 6 back to back, loved most of it (except for the annoying character bits and that 6 started to slow up). Then suddenly it was going to be 10 volumes and then 12 and, as you said then Jordan died.I too came the conclusion "someone somewhere" must have said...hey each of these books goes to the top of the best seller lists, why stop at 7 or 10 or 12? I don't know that's what happened but I couldn't help think it when I saw how slow and repetitive they got.
Tracey wrote: "I read EotW not long after it came out, and thought it was a standalone. I know: what a maroon. The story was it was going to be, I think, 5 books. Then the fifth book came and went - and the ma..."I'd stopped reading them but I was still buying them...only in hardback and only on sale. I finally threw in the towel and gave them all to my mom. She can figure it out (if she ever reads them).
Well, the next is supposed to be the last (right?). Unless as said above, we get another announcement.Sadly the opening of this series was so good, I think it could have been a fantasy classic. If it had been completed in the 7 volume form, or possibly even 10 (though that would be stretching it) I think it would have been. No more. I still live in hope that in years to come (though possibly/probably not in my life time) someone will come into ownership of the rights to the completed series and turn it over to a good editor.
I'm pretty sure that it will be the last. But I also wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. lolBrandon Sanderson's blog as to why it was stretched to 14 volumes made a lot of sense, though.
The short of it is this: He didn't get paid any extra for writing three books instead of one. He was commissioned to write the final book for one price. He asked to split it into three books because there was way too much content from Jordan's notes to fit in only one book. Harriet, Jordan's wife and editor, thought about it and, of course, agreed.
It is to me one of the hugely sad stories of lit. No further comment....
Tracey wrote: "He might not have gotten paid more ... But is it Tor? I think it's Tor - they have to rake in a bit more. No, it did make sense that the whole tangled mass of yarn (played in by many kittens) w..."
Of course, Tor's going to rake in the cash. lol
I don't know which Tor racks in more, Ender's Game, which has a bigger audience, or Wheel of Time just because it is so big in size.
oh in my opinion, the Sanderson books are on track. A lot of the story lines have resolved and there is only one book left to come out, with that last battle against dark.
I'm of the opinion that Jordan was never going to finish this series. I feel that it would continue as long as he was alive.
MrsJoseph wrote: "I'm of the opinion that Jordan was never going to finish this series. I feel that it would continue as long as he was alive."I felt the same way. The last book could have felt a wheelbarrow by the time he died. He loved details that he had files within files on his computer for every little detail. For example, Brandon said that he was trying to find out who was all in Perrin's Army, when he found the files, he found more people within his army that has not even been in the book, named with their backgrounds.
technically, that is the way a good author is supposed to write. S/he needs to have a full background on every person/group that makes up the tale so that they don't get confused or have a character/group act out of character. The problem comes in when the author won't allow themselves (or anyone else!) to edit out the background info that isn't necessary for the story to take place.
Tracey wrote: "Right. It can be the difference between having a flat, cardboard character and one with life to him, one that feels like he has a life apart from the scenes he's actually written into. And while ..."Exactly! I have noticed that I've caught some authors in those types of mistakes. One of my favorite authors completely changed the background of one character when he went from being a secondary to a primary character. Over and over again I thought to myself "huh?" (but the book was good so I got over it :-)
When something doesn't match up in a series I'm guilty of being like Kathy Bates in Misery. lol. I'm reading the SoIaF series for the first time, have Feast of Crows to go, and I'm trying to overlook the thing with Sansa's faulty memory regarding The Hound. Such a small thing I know...but that's not what happened.
I still want to know (view spoiler). I mean, I know he swears we know and it's obvious, but damnit, last I checked no one agreed. Been a while since I visited the WOT-FAQ though. Anyway...Figured I'd throw in the spoiler tag on the off chance we have any series virgins in here.
It's actually been revealed now. It was in the appendix at the end of Towers of Midnight. Some people were really mad at how it was revealed, but Brandon Sanderson said that was all that Jordan had left in his notes, so he didn't elaborate any more on it.(view spoiler)
yeah-that exposition was really lame.
Amelia wrote: "It's actually been revealed now. It was in the appendix at the end of Towers of Midnight. Some people were really mad at how it was revealed, but Brandon Sanderson said that was all that Jordan h..."Was that supposed to have the actual spoiler or are you just teasing me?!
*psst* Click the second "view spoiler" inside the first "view spoiler".
Well, I wanted to make sure you really wanted to know. That's been one of the biggest mysteries of the series. It's not to be taken lightly.
I was surprised too...Didn't think it was that person
When I was reading Eye of the World (around 2003), some random guy came up to me and basically said what every one just did. It starts great for the first 5 or 6, then drags and is now unfinished. I didn't believe him at the time, but I soon learned, lol. I stopped after 7, telling myself I'd pick it up again when the series was closer to finished, but still haven't. I do want to know what happened to Moiraine though...
Ah, having a day where I'm missing the details. That actually doesn't surprise me, although I still don't know how we were supposed to find it obvious. Oh well. :)
I only started it last year, so I read through all them and only had to wait for this last one and now the last one. They figured out the Moraine puzzle in Towers of Midnight
Good to know Maggie. But it's so many books to get through before that!
oh, I do know it. It seemed like Perrin was runnign around looking for his wife for three whole books :|
For the most part I like the wheel of time books, but that part with Perrin going after Faile was really aggravating. That and book ten - having almost nothing happening in that book and then having to wait for book 11.
You guys make more and more glad that I never finished this series.
Honestly, the books flow better now that you don't have the 2-5 year wait inbetween books. Even book ten, which I consider the worst one, flows better now that you can jump right into book 11. With the last book coming out next year sometime, it's a good time to try them out. The first book really can stand on its own if you didn't want to try the whole series.
"Which time" with Perrin going after Faile? That's almost like one of the continuing "subplots" that gets used over and over.
Fantasy Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
Tantalize (other topics)Tantalize (other topics)
Sword and Sorceress (other topics)
Temple of the Winds (other topics)
Memories of Ice (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Mercedes Lackey (other topics)Terry Goodkind (other topics)
Steven Erikson (other topics)
David Eddings (other topics)
Robert Jordan (other topics)
More...
It's really hard to relate to them because I've got a really good relationship with my parents. I think it was due to the fact that all of my cousins have or used to have dysfunctional families and their life is a misery. Some of them don't even have jobs and they are older than me. With that in mind, I think my parents brought me up that way and I'm very grateful for it as I have a job, I'm getting straight B's in year 12 and I'm able to pay for my own things (car, petrol etc.)
All of these stories are really sad to read :(