Topic: Wheel of Time.

[Pugnate]

Started on Robert Jordan's WoT first book, and am half way through. He was a damn good writer, and constructed a wonderfully detailed and somewhat original world. I like how he conveyed character emotions so naturally.

[Xessive]

It's too bad the game based on it was craptasticron. It would have made a great NWN mod though.

[Pugnate]

The game was pretty horrible. I don't think the NWN engine can do WoT justice.

[Quemaqua]

I haven't read any of his stuff, but the general consensus was that the guy was a total hack and couldn't write for shit.  I think he probably started off strong and then just didn't have it in him to keep going.  When he died, some fans were sad and upset he wasn't able to finish his work, but there seemed to mostly be a resounding "meh" from the world at large.

[Antares]

This is the first I've really heard of it.  What are the books about and how many are there?

[Pugnate]

I haven't read any of his stuff, but the general consensus was that the guy was a total hack and couldn't write for shit.  I think he probably started off strong and then just didn't have it in him to keep going.  When he died, some fans were sad and upset he wasn't able to finish his work, but there seemed to mostly be a resounding "meh" from the world at large.

From what I've read in the first book so far, I am highly impressed. So far the writing has been superb. I think the backlash came from his inability to finish the story despite writing ten books.

Like you stated, he started well. I think the first four or five books are highly rated critically, but then thats about when he peaked. It got to the point where the last couple of books received horrible reviews.

In fact now I am apprehensive, but I'll keep going since my sister has all the books.

This is the first I've really heard of it.  What are the books about and how many are there?

Basically it dominated Fantasy fans in its hey day, which was about 15 years ago. The books were very Tolkienesque, until fans realized the series had no end in sight, and the books just kept getting longer.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-6950407-4440009?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Wheel+of+Time&x=0&y=0

[Antares]

Interesting.  Aside from The Dark Tower series, I haven't read a good fantasy book in a long long time.  I'll keep it in mind for when I read down the backlog of 6 books I have sitting on my nightstand right now.

[Pugnate]

Want some good fantasy? Try Raymond Feist's Magician. Its a two parter; Apprentice and Master. I read them first in high school, and fell in love instantly. Over the years I've probably gifted ten copies to friends who ended up loving them. While Feist's other work fell short of Magician, he did inspire one of the greatest RPGs ever made, Betrayal at Krondor. I was about 15 when I played that in the early 90s, and found it absolutely incredible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betrayal_at_krondor

Anyway here is more on the two Magician books.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magician_%28novel%29

A lot more traditional fantasy than Dark Tower (then again, what isn't?), but quite awesome regardless. Don't expect to read them and be intellectually challenged or caught in some dark imagery. But rather, go in expecting a fist pumping character driven epic, with lots of romance and some great imagination, minus some of the cheese that comes with the territory. Two of my most treasured books.

You also might notice something interesting about the main character's name.

Can order from here:

Magician Apprentice:

http://www.amazon.com/Magician-Apprentice-Riftwar-Raymond-Feist/dp/0553564943/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204828471&sr=8-1

Magician Master:

http://www.amazon.com/Magician-Master-Riftwar-Raymond-Feist/dp/0553564935/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204828471&sr=8-2

[Ghandi]

Interesting.  Aside from The Dark Tower series, I haven't read a good fantasy book in a long long time.  I'll keep it in mind for when I read down the backlog of 6 books I have sitting on my nightstand right now.

I was really disappointed with The Dark Tower series. It started off well and ended (at the very end) well but the last 2 or 3 books were not as good as I would have expected.

[Antares]

I felt the same way to some degree.  I really only kept reading the last book to find out how it ended.... and then, well.  Anyone who has read it knows how that turned out.  The 4th one is by far my favorite in the series, it made the other 6 worthwhile.

I'll add those to my list pug, although knowing you first my image of the main character will probably be forever tainted. 

[Pugnate]

hhaha well the Magician books are great fantasy. I recommend them to everyone on these forums.

Anyway I am kinda relieved to read what you guys said about The Dark Tower series. I feel the same way.

[gpw11]

The Dark Tower really started to go downhill really quickly there.  There were still some good moments there (The book set in the small town in the past and the one with the Charlie the Choo Choo stand out), but overall I'm of the opinion that it kind of sucked.  You could tell he didn't know what to do with it right about the same time he decided to write himself into the story.

[wizall]

I read the first eight (!) books in the series, but I just can't bring myself to read the rest.  I hate to say this, Pug, but he really loses steam at about book six (as Que may have mentioned). 

I concur with the Feist recommendation.

Two others I whole-heartedly suggested are:

"The Song of Fire and Ice" by George R.R. Martin.  I'm re-reading it now and it's as good as I remember.  The series isn't complete yet, but the fifth out to be out the end of this year.

The second is a three book (or four, depending how you count the last) book series called "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" by Tad Williams. Excellent stuff and this one is finished.

I don't read a lot of fantasy, to be honest, but those are solid. 

[Quemaqua]

I'm reading Dune right now after having avoided reading it for years.  It's fantastic.  I can see what all the buzz has been about, and I find myself constantly thinking that this is where Warhammer 40K got some of its inspiration back in the day.

As for The Dark Tower... man, I lost steam with that one.  I read either 4 or 5 of the books, I can't remember, and 4 (that was the one in the past with the small town, right?) was just amazingly good.  It was a shame that it was more or less bookended by complete bullshit.  I can't remember if it was the end of 4 or 5 (I think 4) that sucked so badly, but it just completely and utterly killed any desire I had to continue.  The whole "Wizard of Oz" thing.  So utterly fucking stupid.  Any lesser author would have had that shit rubbed in their faces to howls of laughter and been shown the door.  I suspect that things improved from there and that it was just a particularly jarring turn of events that might have eventually made a little more sense or given way to something better, but I just couldn't make myself want to read anymore after that.  Most idiotic way to end a book ever.

Still, I greatly enjoyed 90% of what I read before that, with a few caveats.  It was a good yarn, and I hope someday to see it through to the end just to see what happens.

[TheOtherBelmont]

I couldn't get into Wheel of Time even after friends were telling me I would probably like it.  Right now I'm reading some Arthur C. Clarke I've been meaning to read, Rendezvous with Rama and after that I'll probably read the other books in that series if I like it enough, which so far I do.  I also recently picked up Red Mars, the first in the Mars trilogy.  Also I hope you enjoy Dune Que, its good stuff.  I really need to read the rest of those books and probably read through the first one again since I haven't read it since I was 14 or 15.

[Quemaqua]

Apparently all after this first are garbage, at least according to my father in law and his brother.  We had a discussion about sci-fi literature one night over cigars after dinner, and they were both huge fans of Dune when it was brand-new.  They hated the movie and they hated all the subsequent books, or at least said that they just weren't nearly as good and dude should have quit while he was ahead.

In any case, yeah, I think the first is fantastic.  Lots of background, lots of intrigue, very immersive story.