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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 10:08AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Oct 11, 2011
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I'm going to be running a Neverwinter campaign, so I thought it might be good to read some of the Forgotten Realms fiction to get some background on what's going on in that world. Now, I wasn't expecting James Joyce; as much as I love fantasy RPGs, I haven't really been too interested in any non-LOTR fantasy fiction since I was a teenager, because the writing quality is typically not that high. But reading R.A. Salvatore was more painful than I could have ever imagined. How is this guy getting writing deals? It's like reading something I wrote in fourth grade! If you were to compile a list of every "fantasy is lame" writing stereotype, he would get an A+ in each one. I was expecting the next page to include a character called Fee-fi-fo Foofypants, a halfling taking the Ring of Bippitybooboo to Gloopydoop Gultch so that he can throw it in the Cracks of Doom. And the dialogue... "Argh, ye can't grab me boots, Dibbledoo, if ye grab me boots it will be the death of ye!"
I made it through ten pages and put it down. I'm considering burning it so that its plague doesn't spread.
Can anyone recommend any Forgotten Realms books that aren't written by him? I don't expect Shakespeare, but it would be nice to read something that gives the impression the writer took more than a community college class in creative writing.
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 10:14AM
#2
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Still better than Twilight.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 10:19AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Dec 16, 2007
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While I'd much rather read Stephen Brust, George R. R. Martin or Elizabeth Boyer (again), I've read far far worse than Salvatore. He does have some spectacularly crappy names though. Almost as bad as Dumbledore or quidditch.
I don't make the rules, I just think them up and write them down. - Eric Cartman
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 10:22AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Oct 24, 2011
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Which book did you (begin to) read? If it was the Crystal Shard then I totally get your revulsion. That book is like watching the first season of a Star Trek series, where none of the actors know what the heck their character is or is supposed to be and none of the writers have a clue, either. It's just painful. His books get progressively better from there, though really, he never reaches the sky. More like a low-hanging tree branch. But they are at least readable.
Really, when it comes to Forgotten Realms feel, history, and lore, just stick to Ed Greenwood's books. He focuses on the world as much as the characters. Everyone else just focuses on characters, hoping to recreate the rampant fanboy-ism that Salvatore's Drizzt gets so they can score a multi-book deal.
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 10:30AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Oct 11, 2011
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Which book did you (begin to) read? If it was the Crystal Shard then I totally get your revulsion. That book is like watching the first season of a Star Trek series, where none of the actors know what the heck their character is or is supposed to be and none of the writers have a clue, either. It's just painful. His books get progressively better from there, though really, he never reaches the sky. More like a low-hanging tree branch. But they are at least readable.
Really, when it comes to Forgotten Realms feel, history, and lore, just stick to Ed Greenwood's books. He focuses on the world as much as the characters. Everyone else just focuses on characters, hoping to recreate the rampant fanboy-ism that Salvatore's Drizzt gets so they can score a multi-book deal.
I started to read "Gauntlegrym".
Are any of Ed Greenwood's books based on post-Spellplague Forgotten Realms? Do any take place in Neverwinter?
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 10:40AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Oct 12, 2005
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I've been saying this same thing about Salvatore ever since he came onto the scene! Someone else finally echoed my sentiments!! Everyone I talk to says what a great writer he is. Bull hockey! He's a hack who got lucky because he started writing on a topic that hadn't yet been covered -- the Underdark.
Kudos to RA for getting lucky. I'll not deny him that. I will not read any more of his writings, though.
YMMV
Come join Team Apathy! or not whatever  Yo! tm 
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 11:24AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Oct 21, 2011
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Yeah - his books start off horrifically slow and sometime don't go anywhere - I find his stuff kind of bland.
EXCEPTION: I really did like the Dark Elf Trilogy though - it was interesting and had energy throughout the books - read that if you want to give him a fair shake.
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 11:29AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Dec 31, 2008
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Can anyone recommend any Forgotten Realms books that aren't written by him? I don't expect Shakespeare, but it would be nice to read something that gives the impression the writer took more than a community college class in creative writing.
Elaine Cunningham. Do it. Start with Elfshadow, then branch out. I love basically all of her books, but the ones dealing with the Elves and Evermeet are some of my favorite books, period.
As to Mr.Salvatore, I liked his books at a time. I was a huge fan of the first six-ish Drizzt books and thought they were one of the best cases of world-building I've ever seen, and had some radical and original concepts at the time. Sometimes I wonder if authors like R.A. suffer with new readers, because the concepts have been copied, parodied, and swiped on gaming tables so much in the years since the original book launch that new readers just can't get past the 'cliche'd idea' of the book.
Anyways, the funny things about books is that one person can think it's one of the best ever, another person can think it belongs in a garbage pail, and neither are wrong. To each their own, I hope you like Elfshadow 
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 11:31AM
#9
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Ja. The Dark Elf trilogy was interesting because of the world he discribed and was his crowing achievement. Which really isn't saying much.
Resident Socialist and Undying Troublemaker
Martyr of Section 1, 2 and 4
Original Troll of the House of Trolls
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1 year ago ::
Dec 21, 2011 - 11:31AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Oct 12, 2005
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Still better than Twilight.
+1
Welcome to ZomboniLand - My D&D Blog http://zomboniland.blogspot.com/
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