tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post1929437412238922911..comments2024-03-22T19:07:21.790+00:00Comments on The Wertzone: A History of Epic Fantasy - Part 8Adam Whiteheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-23455166226080613242023-01-18T03:51:33.280+00:002023-01-18T03:51:33.280+00:00This almost exactly parallels my reading world gro...This almost exactly parallels my reading world growing up in the 1980s. After LotR I read Earthsea, and then the first Shannara trilogy and Thomas Covenant, and meanwhile the original Star Wars trilogy was a firm part of our childhoods. Both Shannara (mainly Elfstones of Shannara) and Thomas Covenant were so immersive for me at the time, I found as I got older I could never really get into later mainstream fantasy like Robert Jordan or Tad Williams. Instead I had to look in more unorthodox authors like Peake and Wolfe. I think it was Moorcock - who is pretty scathing about mainstream fantasy - who noted that Thomas Covenant was significant because at least it was trying to deal in adult themes. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03283788685536290815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-16939707712695990492021-11-18T06:53:22.597+00:002021-11-18T06:53:22.597+00:00Star Wars was reminiscent of The Lensman series by...Star Wars was reminiscent of The Lensman series by E.E "Doc" Smith.<br />As for the rape by Thomas Covenant. This was a book about redemption. No redemption without original sin. I see the mental corruption of the rape reflecting the physical corruption of the leprosy likatygahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13043600149288702664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-68012440884258674662015-12-30T02:10:39.829+00:002015-12-30T02:10:39.829+00:00Why would you suggest Lester Del Rey preferred sf ...Why would you suggest Lester Del Rey preferred sf to fantasy?Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-12814664295298231222015-10-10T17:27:53.181+00:002015-10-10T17:27:53.181+00:00Why even mention Terry Brooks as if he were a writ...Why even mention Terry Brooks as if he were a writer? He's nothing more than a plagiarist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-82449466144445850802015-09-10T09:41:41.229+00:002015-09-10T09:41:41.229+00:00While its a sci-fi book first and foremost, isnt D...While its a sci-fi book first and foremost, isnt Dune just as much a huge influence on the fantasy genre? It was certainely a huge influence for Robert JordanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-50028820867592256552015-09-08T20:39:21.111+00:002015-09-08T20:39:21.111+00:00STAR WARS definitely popularised SF. Sales of DUNE...STAR WARS definitely popularised SF. Sales of DUNE jumped up after the film came out, for example, and military SF went from being an occasional genre to a full-on subgenre of its own. However, there were definitely less direct copy-cats in literature of it than of LotR. Fantasy definitely jumped a bit in popularity as well thanks to STAR WARS, but more in terms of films than novels (and the title of the essay series doesn't just mean the genre in books, but across all mediums).<br /><br />And yes, I also grew up reading the original STAR WARS and ALIEN novelizations and the SPELLSINGER series. * salutes *Adam Whiteheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11383677312079611311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-34680098158288064402015-09-08T14:30:04.022+00:002015-09-08T14:30:04.022+00:00I really enjoyed 'Splinter of the Mind's E...I really enjoyed 'Splinter of the Mind's Eye' & the SPELLSINGER series, they set me off on nearly forty years of SF & Fantasy reading!<br />Thank you sir!<br /><br />Martin Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04336633133115499310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-51134172132896623882015-09-08T14:29:59.543+00:002015-09-08T14:29:59.543+00:00I don't think Star Wars has any effect on fant...I don't think Star Wars has any effect on fantasy literature. It's a movie and a great one, but effect on fantasy books? Sorry but I don't think it even had any effect on sci-fi books. Ghosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05160118520611754510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-4691562631226043232015-09-07T04:27:25.834+00:002015-09-07T04:27:25.834+00:00How do you know all this history of fantasy?How do you know all this history of fantasy?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-46812882321005871612015-09-07T01:25:38.674+00:002015-09-07T01:25:38.674+00:00I'm currently reading my first Terry Brooks no...I'm currently reading my first Terry Brooks novel...Sword of Shannara. There is definitely similarities to Lord of the Ring, but to be honest it's a fun read in it's own right. I don't know if I will read all of his novels, but I will at least read the 2nd novel that the TV series is based on. Silenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07993032553304002056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-34353639565586048892015-09-06T17:40:47.023+00:002015-09-06T17:40:47.023+00:00Nice piece.
Both Lester and Judy-Lynn had their...Nice piece. <br /><br />Both Lester and Judy-Lynn had their own personal tastes and affectations. Presented with my fantasy novel SPELLSINGER, Lester immediately rejected it. It was not, as he told me, his kind of fantasy. Warner immediately picked it up (and went on to published the 7 sequel books).<br /><br />I fondly remember sitting in on a meeting at Paramount between Judy-Lynn and a senior lawyer for the studio during which the lawyer attempted to explain to Judy why Del Rey could not publish book version of the animated Star Trek show, and Judy-Lynn demolishing his arguments one by one. If I ever had to negotiate a deal with Donald Trump, she'd be the one I'd want on my side.<br /><br />Small body, big brain, tough as nails.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11932518191233081083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7703856341303488608.post-76397501664311426592015-09-06T16:46:58.330+00:002015-09-06T16:46:58.330+00:00His rape of Lena just a few chapters into the nove... His rape of Lena just a few chapters into the novel was hugely shocking and turned off a large number of readers (fewer fantasy novels have been bought in such numbers and then abandoned after a few chapters due to this).<br /><br />I finished the book...but yeah, I was done with Covenant. Now, I think I might be more nuased (c.f. Mark Lawrence or Joe Abercrombie or Kate Elliott) but at the time, it was "What the ----?" Heroes and protagonists didn't DO that. I didn't want to spend any more time with him<br /><br />Paul Weimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02444942522624902562noreply@blogger.com