Best Dwarf Origin Myth Ever

[Bartholomew]

The story of Kheldon Ki in Bambur's civilopedia entry, and how he carved dwarves from stone to keep him company during his imprisonment, is the greatest origin story I've ever heard. Brilliant myth-making.

I'm sure you have all this planned in future releases, but it is precisely this sort of backstory that sets FFH apart, and needs to be emphasized beyond an entry appearing in a too-small window in the civilopedia. You guys are great.

 

[Sureshot]

similar to tolkiens dwarf origins except tolkiens involved gods and a neat abraham type test of humility

 

[coko]

I think it is a little more than similar, but it is still good

 

[Kael]

Anyone have a link to tolkiens dwarf origin story? My google-fu is weak and Im curious to see how similiar they are.

 

[AlazkanAssassin]

The Google-force has proven weak with me as well. Luckily I found my copy of the Silmarillion.

 

[Kael]

Thanks AA.

 

[Bartholomew]

Neat, AA! Never read Tolkien's origin myth before. Still like Kael's better, though.

 

[Go Boks]

The Silmarillion is required reading for fantasy authors IMHO.

 

[Kael]

The Silmarillion is required reading for fantasy authors IMHO.

The Silmarillion is required reading for those having problems falling asleep.

 

[Go Boks]

Lol, I must admit it isn't the easiest book to get through, but neither is the LotR, and that is properly edited!

 

[Lord Buck]

Lol, I must admit it isn't these easiest book to get through, but neither is the LotR, and that is properly edited!

Its easier the secound time through.

 

[TheJopa]

Can anyone recommend any good fantasy book (that is not LotR )? 80% of my gaming last year and half was FfH, so fantasy became more appealing to me Possibly something that is not too obscure, so that it is translated to Croatian.

 

[3141592]

Best books I have ever read (bar none) are Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series. The series is huge (10,000 pages) so each of its major characters (about 10) are each fully fleshed out and become individual people. It also has a great backstory that keeps expanding without ever contradicting itself. If you love FfH's backstory you'll love this series. It's also a very popular series so it should be translated to Croatian.

 

[Shadius]

WoT gets really boring halfway trough for most people, though. Myself included.

I reccomend George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire trilogy or anything by Robin Hobb. Hobb takes a very personal, character-based approach to storytelling, though - not all the epic scope world-changing plot of stories like FFH, LoTR, WoT or SoiF.

 

[BlazeRedSXT]

Martin is very good.. not much doing with mythical races in either of those series. If you want Epic ala WoT, but want an even better read, Goodkind's Sword of Truth series is about the same length, and I enjoy rereading it far more than WoT.
Tolkien is kind of the base of modern fantasy, and the first fantasy I ever read myself.. good way to break in I think.

Cheers!

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Jordan might release the last book (the next one will be the last, right?) by the time you're done reading the dozen or so that have already been released, and there is more of a fantasy element there. Still, I just got done reading the four released books of A Song of Fire and Ice, and they're a really awesome read as well. Goodkind is also pretty good, but I haven't been keeping up with the Sword of Truth series lately.

 

[merciary]

I'd recommend Michael Stackpole's DragonCrown series and the Age of Discovery series.

 

[Go Boks]

My opinion on the Sword of Truth is it degrades in quality rapidly. The first book is really very good. The second book is pretty decent too. The third book is kind of a through away, and the fourth book isn't very good. The reason for this is Goodkind uses the same plot devices over and over again, with the same twists in the same places, and it gets very boring, very quickly. Once you have read the first book, you have read them all.

One of my favourite books ever is a pretty simple, pretty easy read called Master of Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy. The sequel isn't very good though (suffers from the same ails as the Sword of Truth series, among other things).

If you like a little comedy, Terry Pratchett is an absolute must, but I suppose whether it is worth reading for you would depend on how good the Croatian translator is.

As mentioned, you have to read Tolkien at some point. If LotR seems too daunting, try The Hobbit. The Hobbit is arguably the best fantasy book ever written and certainly better crafted, from a literary standpoint, than LotR. I think the accusation that it is merely a children's book is unfair and oversimplified.

Try Bakker's The Darkness that Comes Before. I have not gotten to it yet myself, but I have heard good things about it. It may not be available in Croatian yet though.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

As mentioned, you have to read Tolkien at some point. If LotR seems too daunting, try The Hobbit. The Hobbit is arguably the best fantasy book ever written and certainly better crafted, from a literary standpoint, than LotR. I think the accusation that it is merely a children's book is unfair and oversimplified.

You can't really compare the two... they are so different. the hobbit is light and a much more easy read. LOTR is longer, more indepth, more philosophical, while the Silmarrion is interesting, but hard to read...



Know what else is hard to read? Les Miserable. not the musical, the actual french novel(s)...

 

[Go Boks]

Know what else is hard to read? Les Miserable. not the musical, the actual french novel(s)...

Maybe it is hard to read because you only have one of them?

BTW, you can compare anything, especially two books, of the same genre, by the same author, set in the same universe.

I'm not saying LotR is bad by any means. In fact, I think it is the best book ever written if you want to know the truth (hell, my usual handle is "Cuivienen," but it was already taken when I signed up here). All I'm saying is the Hobbit is more cohesive and better written, hence your "light" comment. LotR is much more complex, and I prefer complex, but the writing itself suffers a little because of that.

Also, the Silmarillion isn't a true novel. It is really a collection of notes and short stories detailing the history behind LotR (it is really not about the Silmarils). You don't read it per se, so much as read passages within it.