flick@ttidca.UUCP (Kevin Flick) (01/17/85)
I've caught up with the last 70 or so articles, and I've seen nothing
about the Unbeliever. Since I can't believe that this series has not
appeared in this newsgroup I am assuming that it has been discussed
previously. (shame I missed it!).
The rumor I have heard is that the author has planned the books out
so that there will be a total of fifteen. Is this true? Does anyone
know any better? Could you bear it if there *were* this many?
Kev.
"Don't touch me!"
The opinions expressed herein are the opinions expressed herein.
Kevin Flick @ TTI
Santa Monica
...!{randvax | trwrb | philabs | vortex}!ttidca!flickalb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum) (01/20/85)
I saw Steven Donaldson when he came to talk at Princeton in May,
1983. This was just after WGW came out. He is a marvelous speaker,
after he gets relaxed (he starts out very nervous). I wish I had
taken notes so I could relate some of the things he said, but he
explained the TC books and the logic behind them very well (and
answered questions about them). One thing he said that I do remember
quite well was that he was taking a rest from the TC books to
finish his book of short stories (''Daughter of Regals'' -- I
have it -- VERY good) and that he MIGHT do another trilogy ''in
the future.'' At the time, I didn't get the feeling that he would.
I don't blame him. He wants to put his energies and talents into
something else (some other writing; maybe not even SF/Fan). He
said he hadn't even planned to do the second trilogy, but that
the first sold so well and he got so much mail in support of them
that Del Rey pursuaded him.avolio@grendel.UUCP (Frederick M. Avolio) (01/20/85)
> The rumor I have heard is that the author has planned the books out > so that there will be a total of fifteen. Is this true? Does anyone > know any better? Could you bear it if there *were* this many? I certainly would like to read more of Donaldson. But more THomas Covenant? Hmmm. I am not sure where he (Donaldson) can go from here. I greatly enjoyed the series even though for the first few books, TC was just a real pain to be around -- for the reader as much as anyone *in* the story. And, no, I could not take 9 more books on the same story line (I don't think I could). I feel obligated when I start a series to finish it... And I don't want to read that much abouTC. (I stopped reading about Pern because I got all dragon-ed out after 4 or so books...) But Donaldson's writing -- of *that* I would like to see more. -- Fred Avolio 301/731-4100 x4227 UUCP: {seismo,decvax}!grendel!avolio ARPA: grendel!avolio@seismo.ARPA
red@ukma.UUCP (Red Varth) (01/25/85)
Yikes! Not fifteen! I couldn't make it through any more than the first three. As to what I think of the books: GARBAGE! GARBAGE! GARBAGE! Covenant doesn't seem real to me. His actions don't make sense. The reason I read as much of it as I did was to pick out more of the background (which makes a good setup for a DND campaign). Gah! Red
darrow@iuvax.UUCP (01/27/85)
Not Fifteen??? I made it through the first five, and had to quit. I've never hated hating a hero like that before. I will most likely keep reading the stories if only for the other characters, but TC...ughh! dave at IU
cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis) (01/28/85)
I suppose we could always have "The Chronicles of Linden Avery, The Chosen."
and then the "Second Chronicles ... " Given this technique, and a final
"The Chronicles of every other wimp I could think up" we could come up with
15 books, I even heard rumors from the local SF "guru" that Donaldson had
finished the first Linden Avery book. (Lord Foul is like dandruff, he just
won't go away! :-)) My question, after reading the first book why did the
publisher even look at a second? They certainly got better as the series
progressed but I still reccomend to friends who pick up the series to skip
the first one and start with the second.
--Chuck
--
- - - D I S C L A I M E R - - -
{ihnp4,fortune}!dual\ All opinions expressed herein are my
{qantel,idi}-> !intelca!cem own and not those of my employer, my
{ucbvax,hao}!hplabs/ friends, or my avocado plant. :-}schultz@bgsuvax.UUCP (Steven Schultz) (01/31/85)
>From cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis) Sun Feb 6 01:28:16 206 >My question, after reading the first book why did the >publisher even look at a second? They certainly got better as the series >progressed but I still reccomend to friends who pick up the series to skip >the first one and start with the second. Sorry, Chuck, but I feel you have made an error in judgement. The first book is not as exciting as the second, but, it lays the ground work and explains what TC is discovering about the land. For instance, what hurtloam is, who Lena is, Artarian (sp?) and Trell's feelings toward TC . . . these are quite important as are the detailed descriptions of the Land itself. I would have missed so much in the following books if I had skipped the first volume. Steve Schultz bgsuvax!schultz
gregbo@houxm.UUCP (Greg Skinner) (02/03/85)
> From: red@ukma.UUCP (Red Varth) > Yikes! Not fifteen! I couldn't make it through any more than the first > three. I rather liked the first three. The second three were a little longish. Much of TC and Linden's wanderings around the Stonedowns could have been omitted, as well as their sea voyage and all that nonsense with the Bhrathair. As I look at Donaldson's six books (volumes placed side by side) the second set is thicker than the first. Nevertheless, I'd like to see more, for example: * The origins of the Creator, the Despiser, etc. and how the Earth was created (a la Silmarillion). * The origins of men, their foes (the ur-viles), and Giants, and any other earthly beings that I have forgotten. * Berek's life, his creation of the Wards, etc. * Berek's descendants, particularly Kevin, and the story of his fall. * Particularly stories about Giants. > Covenant doesn't seem real to me. His actions don't make sense. > The reason I read as much of it as I did was to pick out more of the > background (which makes a good setup for a DND campaign). They should, after all, it is US that Covenant is supposed to represent -- our struggles, the contest of good vs. evil, self-doubt and self-loathing, etc. A lot of people seem to hate Covenant because he is so despicable (including himself) but that quality of the books I enjoyed the most because his struggle is the struggle of all men. Am I to understand that there are some TC books coming out soon? I waited until White Gold Wielder came out so I could get the second set and read them all at once ... I don't know if I can wait 3 more years for 3 more paperbacks. -- If you wanna ride, don't ride the white horse. Greg Skinner (gregbo) {allegra,cbosgd,ihnp4}!houxm!gregbo
bsa@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery) (02/07/85)
> Article <542@ukma.UUCP>, from red@ukma.UUCP +---------------- | | Yikes! Not fifteen! I couldn't make it through any more than the first | three. | | As to what I think of the books: GARBAGE! GARBAGE! GARBAGE! | | Covenant doesn't seem real to me. His actions don't make sense. | The reason I read as much of it as I did was to pick out more of the | background (which makes a good setup for a DND campaign). Such is your opinion. I guess it's only to be expected; people can only judge from experience. Most people who've never experienced being an outcast wouldn't be able to understand, much less judge clearly. Suffice it to say that I can relate to enough of Thomas Covenant's actions and feelings that I can easily conjecture that what I can't understand is a result of his being just about the ultimate outcast. It would fit with my experience. I find Linden Avery (second Chronicles) hard to understand and harder to accept. But I have never had *her* experiences, so I cannot judge. Anyone out there willing to step forward? --bsa -- Brandon Allbery @ decvax!cwruecmp!ncoast!bsa (..ncoast!tdi1!bsa business) 6504 Chestnut Road, Independence, Ohio 44131 +1 216 524 1416 (or what have you)
schmidt@reed.UUCP (Alan Schmidt) (02/12/85)
:-o | Yikes! Not fifteen! I couldn't make it through any more than the first :-o | three. :-o | :-o | Covenant doesn't seem real to me. His actions don't make sense. :-o | The reason I read as much of it as I did was to pick out more of the :-o | background (which makes a good setup for a DND campaign). :-o :-o Such is your opinion. I guess it's only to be expected; people can only :-o judge from experience. Most people who've never experienced being an :-o outcast wouldn't be able to understand, much less judge clearly. :-o :-o I find Linden Avery (second Chronicles) hard to understand and harder :-o to accept. But I have never had *her* experiences, so I cannot judge. :-o Anyone out there willing to step forward? Oh, all right, if you INSIST. Linden, like Covenant, was selfISH, but thought she was selfLESS. Her entire system of ethics was pulled out from beneath her when she realized it was based on a faulty premise. Everyone's been an outcast at one time or another. You cope. You learn to live with it. Covenant coped relatively well. Covenant's fault wasn't that he was an outcast, but that he couldn't relate well to people. I liked the first three. The second chronicles were a little tedious, though I liked Linden Avery. Donaldson forgot that part of the appeal of the first chronicles was that each book was complete unto itself. Also, as has been said before, though I'm not sure any more whether it was this news group, Donaldson really didn't have enough story material for three books the second time around. I think he wrote three because it's vogue to write in trilogies. If he writes three more, I hope he follows more closely to the first trilogy than the last. Alan Schmidt ..tektronix!reed!schmidt