David Eddings

[Kool Keith]

The Robert Jordan thread got me thinking about Eddings and the fantasy genre in general.

I read a few of Eddings' series when I was a teenager. The Elenium and I can't think of the other. I really enjoyed them.

This year I have been on a bit of a fantasy kick. I read Harry Potter and re-read LotR and enjoyed them both immensely.

Recently I picked up book one of The Dreamers and couldn't believe how stupid it was.

Now, has DE's skill diminished, or are his books still good but my taste in literature has evolved?

Discuss.

 

[armathas]

Your taste has improved.
Besides, if you have read one of Eddings series you pretty much know how the rest of them are going to go.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

Reading Edding's is like eating at Mcdonalds; you almost certainly know what you will get, and it can be quite nice and entertaining every now and then.. but it's definetly not worth of any Michelin stars.

 

[Steph]

Eddings's books are enjoyable and easy to read, but it's always the same story...

 

[Evie]

The Belgariad-Malloreon was a somewhat fun read. The Elenium was an improved Belgariad, and probably Edding's best - mostly because the villains actually made for good reading. Martel actually managed to be a respectable foil to Sparhawk, and Annias had more depth than any non-Elenium/Tamuli vilain ; and Krager actually managed to be semi-likable by the end of Tamuli. The fact, too, is that the E-T characters were generally somewhat more flawed and rounded than their B-M counterparts. (Belgarath not withstanding).

Althalus was vaguely readable. The same cannot be said of the Dreamers, which is just unmitigated crap.

 

[Kool Keith]

Eddings's books are enjoyable and easy to read, but it's always the same story...

Yeah, it seems like there was always a precocious child who was really some kind of demigod, and always the same smarmy dialogue.

Sparhawk WAS a badass though.

 

[Azash]

Behold, the username.

Also, over here it's a running gag how often Eddings describes the alien invaders, taller than a tall human with their tight-fitting armor and whatnot. Can't remember the name, it's the second Sparhawk saga.

 

[Masquerouge]

I will second everybody here and tell you that indeed, you need to read only one series by Eddings

 

[kuukkeli]

I will second everybody here and tell you that indeed, you need to read only one series by Eddings

I've read two series and The Redemption of Althalus and see no reason to stray from the above.

 

[Evie]

I would add the following caveat : "But whichever series you read, don't read The Dreamers"

 

[brennan]

I love the way all those medieval women are positively bursting with 1960's women's lib values. It's like they're all Germaine Greer or something.

 

[Steph]

That's not the case in Song of Ice and fire. And not so much in Feist's book.

But it's true that in alot of fantasy books, women are often quite similar to men.

How many Role Playing Game can you name, where female character are really different from men? Like having different skills or characteristic?

 

[brennan]

None whatsoever.

 

[Steph]

Let me prove you wrong

You can see here that the female and male characters don't have the same bonus

http://parleferetparleverbe.free.fr/Monde/Race/Humain/race_bonus.htm

Or that the change to desuce a character of opposite sex are not based on the same attributes, depending if the character is male or female

http://parleferetparleverbe.free.fr/cadre/Cadre_PFPV.htm

 

[brennan]

Your English may well be a million times better than my French, but my answer was 100% accurate. I could not name a single role-playing game where Female and Male characters are really different.

So there.

 

[Steph]

Well, you were technically right, you can't name one. However, it doesn't mean there's none.

 

[brennan]

Show me where I said otherwise...

 

[Steph]

Nowhere. In fact, in the last 4 posts with have been arguing our agreement