So, where are the writers?

[PeanutGod]

Hey Everyone,

As with the Adom Brinkster forums, I assume that a lot of people here enjoy writing to varying degrees. What is everyone into genre wise? (some fantasy in amongst you all I hope). Any aspiring novelists out there? What are you favourite books etc? And for those people who know about the storyboard on the other forums, is anyone out there interested in getting another tale underway?

For myself, my favourite authors (in no particular order) are David Gemmell, Stephen King, Sara Douglass, L.E.Modesitt Jr, and JV Jones. And yes, you might as well throw Tolkien in there - he was pretty cool as well. Favourite books include LotR (obviously), Legend, the Stand, It, Face of Battle (War thing), Serpentwar Saga (Raymond Feist).

And yep, I'm one of those aspiring writers who one day hopes to have a whole series of books with my name on them!

[Grey]

I'm a very very big Tolkien fan - absolutely love the Silmarillion and the whole "History of Middle-Earth" compiled by his son. Also very into Terry Pratchett, and Frank Herbert's Dune series. I love writers that are able to create whole universes for their characters to play around in, with all its own legends and politics and rival groups.

Though I do hope to get some stuff published some day I really don't hold high hopes for it. Currently working on a kid's book about a dragon that attacks a little English town, and an odd assortment of characters have to try and defeat him... Have a few chapters written and have a full story plan laid out, but I rarely find the time to write (or get distracted too easily).

I might be interested in a group story thing again some time, though I have no time right now. Also need to finish off the background story for Andor Drakon I started writing...

[PeanutGod]

Aye, I've got most of Tolkiens works on my shelf, including some encylopedias of various bits of his. Terry Pratchett is awesome, although I can't help feeling that the entire thing is now becoming a bit too drawn out and too 'samey'.

I've got an entire world on the go in preparation for my novel. Going with a modern day - fantasy world time/warp, different dimension thing. It's pretty detailed, and I've got various histories of the different lands and a huge timeline that goes round my bed room wall with all little bits of info.

As for the story, what ever happened to that one we started with Ramirez, Tarandil, that troll wizard and the such?

[Grey]

Whilst the jokes in Pratchett's books do get quite repetitive at times, I do like some of the more mature character development he's used in some recent books, especially all the Vimes stories.

You have story plans pinned up round your bedroom wall? Heh, that sounds quite cool - must keep you very inspired. I find that rereading older stuff or plans always gets my imagination fired up for much more stuff - might copy your idea some time.

The Ramirez/Tarindil/etc story just kinda died after saving Khelly or so. Everyone either disappeared or lost interest. I was considering writing an ending for it, but couldn't be arsed in the end. Starting new stuff is so much easier than picking up old stuff

[Timpak]

I do write but not particulary long things and only political and economical things. I send alot of chronicals and letters to the editor and got a few published. Generally do not enjoy novels, does not tingle my brain enough, I enjoy some novels though, my favorite authors are Ayn Rand, Friedrich Nietzsche, Friedrich von Hayek, Johan Norberg, Franz Kafka, Hunter S. Thompson, Robert Nozick and Ludwig Von Mises.

I do own and have read the LotR trilogy, Bilbo and Silmarillion in english, I do believe all books should be read in the original language, assuming you can read it. But I do not enjoy them that much since I think there should be more to a story than just the story. The best fantasy books I've read are Robert Jordans Wheel of Time, but it sucks that he died and someone else writes the last book in that series.

[FantomFang]

I've enjoyed a lot of books over my few years of life...Foremost among them being some of the aforementioned (Wheel of Time/Tolkien) and some not yet mentioned (Tom Clancy - mainly the first 2/3rds of his work - and R.A. Salvatore). I've been looking to read other stuff with summer right here, something not out of the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre that I have already read to death, something that would not only be a good read, but gives "food for thought", if you know what i mean.

Other books/series I've read include Dune (earlier = better there), Dragonlance, Heinlein, Asimov, and that seems to be the main chunk of it...

[PeanutGod]

I found the wheel of time series very difficult to get into. Probaly the way the whole series was started


The wheel of time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become Legend. Legend fades to myth and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the third Age by some, an age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the Mountains of Mist. The wind was not the beginning. Thwere are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But is was a beginning.



This has to be the most long winded, boring introduction ever, plus an annoying way of saying 'This series is going to go on forever and ever.......'

Thats just me though.

[Timpak]

When I think about it, when I read novels almost 90% of them are from swedish authors.

[gut]

The books that I can read over and over again:

Robert Asprin's 'Another fine Myth' series. I love the first book in this series, and I think
the third. The rest are good too, but the first is great.

Weis and Hickman's 'Death gate cycle' series. The whole series is good, straight to the
end. Really likable and interesting characters.

Terry Pratchet's 'Discworld' series. I seem to like the first half of all these books, better
than I like the their endings, for some reason. I think Pratchet makes better characters
than stories.

Books I could re-read sometime:

Terry Goodkind's 'Sword of Truth' series. Was a bit politically preachy, but a pretty good
story. I can re-read the first few, but I haven't yet, and won't soon. The last book in the
series was a real grind to finish, I was glad to see the end of it.

Salvatore's 'Cleric Quintet' series. I have re-read this once, and probably won't again.
It's a good story, but there are better ones.

Terry Brooks' 'Landover' series. I have not re-read this one yet, but I will. It has good
characters,


Probably there are more, and I'm just not remembering them. Currently I am in the middle
of Zelazny's 'Amber' series. I like it a lot, and will probably re-read it as soon as I'm finished.

[reich]

Currently I am in the middle
of Zelazny's 'Amber' series. I like it a lot, and will probably re-read it as soon as I'm finished.

Amber is very original and crazy! but it also has a pulp-fiction feeling to it. Anyone tired of tolkienesque fantasy should check it out!

For people into heroic fantasy, I can recommend the author Karl E. Wagner and his Kane series! That's hardcore bloody epic fantasy, reminescent of Howard and Lovecraft, about an evil immortal warrior who travels throught the ages plotting and planning to take over the world. Check out the stylish short stories collections "Night Winds" and "Death angel' shadow" and the novels "Darkness weaves with many shades" and "Bloodstone".