/lit/ - Literature

King of /sffg/.

Simple as.

anyone else kinda find that the Litany Against Fear from Dune actually does help them conquer their anxiety about stuff?

A Betrayal in Winter, Long Price Quartet #2: Daniel Abraham (2007)

And so, almost fourteen years go by and the story resumes yet again. I wonder if each book will have a timeskip. I wonder if each book will do so. The primary characters from the first book are now in their thirties. They've changed in many ways and stayed the same in other ways, same as most anyone. There's an argument to be made that character development should only occur within the text, but as long as I'm enjoying myself it's irrelevant to me. I find series that cover the entirety of a character's life, or are intergenerational sagas, to be fascinating and I really ought to read more of them.

I continue to appreciate how this series plays with fantasy conventions. I don't think it does so quite as much as in the first book, though it does have a dialogue with what was established in the first book in its subtext. If the first book was "Adventure isn't what you think it is", then this one is "I'm reluctant to be involved in Adventure". The focus this time is primarily centered on power plays, court intrigue, and what is owed to those whom one cares about. Character interactions remain the most important part of the story, though this time there's somewhat more of a plot. Romance and messy relationships are still present and meaningful.

There are several questions that are presented to the reader without being discussed and thus consideration outside of the act of reading is required. Of course, doing so may not interest various readers, though I think an entirely surface level reading here may limit enjoyment. Philosophical discussions too often become boring infodumps for readers so it's understandable why they were avoided, but that also runs the risk of being misunderstood. The question I've thought about the most is that people tend to internalize the behaviors of their oppressors and think that equality is becoming them rather than any sort of reformation.

I'm very interested in how the third book will address the situation at the end of this one and what it will mean for the lifelong thematic arc of the protagonist. Overall, I may have enjoyed the first book a bit more, though at this level of personal enjoyment for me it doesn't making any difference with the rating. I think that the books that readers love and hate the most are also those that have the least predictive value for others, especially when their personal experience is an outlier from the aggregate average.
Rating: 5/5

>>19909325
>placebo effect exists
WOW!

>>19909325
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-affirmation

>>19909325
I overcome my anxiety by imagining my enemies under the boot (or tail?) of my God Emperorship

BAKKERFAGGOT AND BAKKERTRANNY GENERAL
>>19906403
>>19906403
>>19906403

>>19909344
That defeats the entire point of it Anon.

>>19909344
Nah. I will post my memes here. Tyvm.

>>19909355
Just go to your containment thread pls

>>19909369
Already in it, buddy. ;)

Thoughts?

>>19909383
Tried reading it. Made it about 10% in before I didn't care.

>>19909314
>>19909318
Not for long. I've just spent 3 weeks on /x/ noting down every single shizo-worldbuilding trick they had. My magnum opus will shatter his puny kingdom and usher in a new era of fantasy.

I'm telling you bros, /x/ is an unironic goldmine of worldbuilding potential.

>>19909407
Well, you certainly are sufficiently mentally ill to compete.

I finally did it, I had an idea for a fantasy novel to surpass bakker. I just need to learn how to write.

>>19909423
>I just need to learn how to write.
>implying Bakker does

>>19909405
What put you off?

>>I just need to learn how to write.
>>implying Bakker does

are we getting raided by amerikkans again?

Today I will remind them

>>19909459
We need our own Constantinople before it's too late

>>19909325
Yeah
I was suffering from really bad paranoia and constant intrusive thoughts for months but then I read Dune and after about a month they went away
Now I can sleep on my bed again

>>19909104
>>19909126
ohh that's really interesting. I think this was her first hit too, right? I'll take a look at the link, ty anon

>>19909314
How does epic fantasy differ from high fantasy?

>>19909459
Oh look it's Cpt. Fucking Obvious with his daily report of shit we've known for a long ass time already.
>again
>AGAIN
Where the fuck have you been?

>>19909459
>>19909474
>>19909493
Samefag

>>19909501
You're a gigantic faggot and a retard

>>19909510
>baby’s first IP hop
Not everyone is as dumb as you

>>19909515
Lmfao, you have learned well young padawan and I congratulate you on repeating the lessons I detailed last week.
Go forth and continue to shit the thread in my name!

>>19909491
Epic Fantasy is Heroic Fantasy on an 'epic' scale. High Fantasy is simply stories with 'high' fantasy elements. For example: a story about a talking unicorn playing a game of chess with a wizard while sitting on a rainbow.

>>19909522
You need serious psychiatric treatment

>>19909526
First psychiatry needs to get hard.

>>19909485
yup, the review is pretty on pair with how I feel about the book. I'm enjoying it quite a bunch. if her other titles are about as good then I can see myself reading them one after the other

>>19909528
I accept your defeat.

>>19909525
So epic fantasy is just sword and sorcery but the protagonist is saving the entire world?

Daily reminder that real women read Bakker.

>>19909539
Oh you're that faggot, the one pump chump constantly jumping the gun.

>>19909528
>>19909539
Samefagging again

>>19909549
I accept your surrender.

so why did Snape kill Dumbledore? Not a shitpost, but what was the point of him being a double agent in the end of things?

>>19909546
You will never be a real woman.

>>19909553
Nice projection, sweetie.

Cope.

>>19909551
Nice edited image

>>19909539
Your acceptance of my position nullifies your previous argument. If psychiatry is soft and not hard then there is no basis upon which to judge me sane or not; it is all opinions and conjecture.

>>19909560

Go to >>19906403

>>19909565
>Editing an image in 30 seconds
You have been absolutely ass-blasted.

>>19909314
Michael A. Stackpole, based or cringe?

>Your acceptance of my position nullifies your previous argument. If psychiatry is soft and not hard then there is no basis upon which to judge me sane or not; it is all opinions and conjecture.

>>19909577
Now /that/ is what a white flag looks like.

>>19909560
>>19909546
You are incredibly hot and a real woman to me. I will now read Bakker.

>>19909568
Not my problem.

next thread is going to be gfg

>>19909601
And what is that?

>>19909535
I linked it because I wrote it. I wrote about a lot of her other novels as well. There are certainly other enjoyable ones.

>>19909610
you're a good reviewer mate. where can I find more of those?

>>19909601
>changing the name will stop them from clicking the link!

Thoughts?

I am looking for a dark fantasy series with intense battles, pitch black lore, highly intellectual themes that dovetail into real world philosophy, poignant character psychology, and just a hint of Lovecraftian horror. Is there anything out there like this?

>>19909703
A song of ice and fire

>>19909708
thanks

>>19909725
No problem

>>19909703
sounds like Cradle to me

>>19909546
>>19909560
Prove those are the same person.

I’m considering creating a fantasy world with Napoleonic-level technology combined with alchemy, does this already exist?

>>19909751
Ge man, I don't know. Open your eyes maybe.

>>19909755
Full Metal Alchemist

>>19909764
I accept your surrender.

>>19909777
Not my problem.

>>19909778
Is it now, chud

>>19909786
I wasn't asking.

>>19909778
It is. There's nothing you can do about it.

>>19909790
Block me then

>>19909804
this isn't reddit

>>19909318
Based.

>>19909812
Precisely, so suck it up faggot

>>19909815
>bakkers “fantasy world” is just a copy of Europe
Bakkerxirs…

>>19909826
As it should.

Can someone give me an answer >>19909643

>>19909837
No one here reads. Try Reddit.

>>19909837
>>19909845
These samefaggers are getting more brazen by the day

>>19909848
I accept your surrender.

>this is how bakker wants us to feel when reading his books

>>19909751
it’s me
and to the end of my days i will regret ever posting those pics here in the depths of covid isolation boredom. what sin, what degradation they have brought into this place…

>>19909625
Either by joining the GR group in the OP or by searching "sffg" in the tripcode field on that archive.

>>19909883
Fuck off, larper.

>>19909883
I don't believe you. Post tits.

Are there any good novels that thoughtfully explore what war in the future might look like, rather than just being about sci-fi action heroes? Dune and maybe pic related is the closest I could find so far

>>19909344
No... this ground is conditioned. A topos.

need... super hero lit...
not affiliated with marvel or dc....
with a self insert mc....

>>19909917
Three-Body trilogy.

>Why yes I do read Bakker, how could you tell?

Relationship Status: Absolute
Sexual Preference: I FUCK SRANC

>>19909952
This is a bit how I envisioned Saubon. He isn’t ethereal or kingly enough to be a Kellhus.

>>19909959
Was he blonde? I don't remember that.

>>19909314
Is Bakker the Kevin Nash of /sffg/?

>>19909952
>why yes I am a raped bitch, how could you tell?

>>19909996
That's not Proyas

>>19909996
>96
Close enough, KWAB

>mfw Bakker will never be part of the club

What are some books with cute boys?
Catboys, sociopathic prettyboys, lonely teenage boys, any kinds. Bonus points for being a genuine romantic interest of the self-insert protagonist

>>19910081
they are definitely all eskimo brothers. probably many times over

>>19910103
You want gay shit?

>>19910108
Yes, but not the "well adjusted" stuff where they pretend its a normal relationship. More like the sickly stuff that Clive Barker does.

Kellhus is such a fucking mary sue.

>>19910117
Bakker.

>>19910120
I can enjoy a gary stu but if I'm not mixing up my edgy YA dark fantasy novels, I thought it was jarring how he started simping for the roastie.
>>19910122
Whoa hold your horses not quite THAT gay.

>>19910103
the darkness that comes before by r. scott bakker

>>19910129
>Whoa hold your horses not quite THAT gay.
Made me kek.

This was pretty good, for what it was. Ploughed through it in a day. I hope these are as quick for Cook to write as they are to read, but they probably are. Fun junk food books.

I love how bakker rules supreme

Recommend me fantasy that evokes an icy cold feeling

>>19910120
sounds like it was written by an autistic teenager

>>19910544
Prince of Nothing by King Bakker

>>19909965
wasn't his nickname the blond beast? intentionally or perhaps unintentionally the same as the nazi heydrich

>>19910120
>being powerful makes a character a mary sue

Is Dune a book that insults the reader? I saw the movie and loved it, so I wanted to read the book. I have no idea about the plot besides what was foreshadowed in the movie. I am worried that Herbert will show contempt for the reader, like Oyasumi punpun, and make Paul into absolute piece of shit, when we've been rooting for him. Is that what this is? Or does that only happen in the later books? Maybe I can just get away reading the first one? (Help—I'm going crazy overthinking this)

>>19909479
Actually better than Bakker's cuck fantasy.

>>19910856
you have crippling anxiety

>>19910871
Yes. But will you assuage it? You can help me, anon.

>>19909314
I'm 1/3 in, when does this get good?
It's pretty bland, and his annoying stick to use a new term for a couple of paragraphs before dropping a hint to what it is just irritates me.

>>19910891
I read the first two books and I don't feel like the writer hate me or anything, I think the second one is good and it feels like it concluded the story of the first book in a nice way, but I'm taking a break after the second one to read other stuff, I also think I will never get back since the ending of the second one was satisfactory to me, in contrast to the ending of the first book which made me want to read more.

I just finished Ender's Game. It was an enjoyable read. I loved all of the tactics and battle theory stuff. The very end was butt.

>>19910856
I read all six original books and didn't feel insulted. However, it wasn't enough Dune for me, so like a crazy person I then read all of the prequels, because I love that universe so much, so take my opinion with a grain of...spice.

>>19910928
>use a new term for a couple of paragraphs before dropping a hint to what it is

A lot of sci fi authors do this. Peter F Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds. Annoys me too.

Sorry I've never read any William Gibson tho.

>>19911040
>>19911051
Thanks for your responses. If you can't tell me without spoilers, then please refrain. Will I be made to feel like a fool for liking Paul? Will Herbert slap me and say "Ha! You liked him? What are you, a fascist? You didn't realize I will force him to become an unrecognizable evil, did you?". I'd just rather avoid being slapped in the face if I can.

>>19911140
paul gets blacked and turned into a sissy in book 3

>>19911140
Honestly Herbert slaps you and say "thas right, suck on dat black cock you cracka white boy, you think you can come to da hood and talk smack? you a bitch now, a good sissy bitch"

if you don't like that avoid Dune.

>>19911176
>>19911167
Really? Jesus... I knew he was trying to subvert the White Savior trope (eww), but I didn't realize he went that far! Thanks, maybe I will check it out on second thought.

Do you think BOTNS would make for a good Souls-like game universe?

>>19911187
Yeah check it but stop at book 2 before he subverts the white savior trope into a black cock sleeve trope.

>>19911225
would I care if I'm not white?
is it just white shaming or is it character shaming

>>19911248
It's not shaming, it's humiliation at this point, I'm not going to spoiler anything but there is some blacked action going on.

>>19911194
play kenshi instead

>>19911255
In that case, I'm happy they got Chalamet to play the part. Thanks anon!

>>19911261
No problem my fren, Chalamet would be gaping on full display in the next movie, mark my words.

>>19911257
Bakker loves Kenshi, he rules the slaves supreme and beats everyone who challenges him, he got so addicted to the game he forgot about writing.

>>19911271
>>19911225
>>19911176
>>19911167
can I just read the first book, or does he get blacked by the end of that one?

>>19911346
First book is safe, second book is safe but there is some foreshadowing by the end but is still good. If you liked the first book and want a conclusion to the story read the second one too.

>>19911366
Alright. I'll read the first and report back. thanks anon, hopefully my pulse will stop racing from worrying about this

>>19911373
Relax and don't panic, I assure you there is nothing to worry about in the first book, or the second. its all going to be ok and you will have a good time, the moment you open the first page you will relax and your breathing pace will slow down, so will your pulse, as you read the words Herbert painted on the white page with black ink you will realize it was a trap! and it was all a brainwashing operation making you read a white page that got violated by black ink, and you will realize you are a cuck for sitting down just to watch hot ink dried on that white page.

>>19910928
It never gets good. Quality-wise the book ends as it starts, with very little fluctuation. If soaking in the atmosphere is not enough for you, then you are like me, and it'll never rise above stylish crap.

>>19910928
it doesn't, snow crash doesn't either.
Sorry!

>>19909326
>The focus this time is primarily centered on power plays, court intrigue
I am so sick of this shit.

>>19910928
Page 1.

>>19911492
That's understandable.

>>19911796

>>19911140
Paul is likable in Dune in the first book but Frank puts in hints that he is the chosen one for big black cock. In book two, he conquerors the universe with one goal: round up as much black cock as he can stick in his mouth at one time. The problem is, there is not much black cock left in the universe. Book 3 is about his wife's children (their actual father is black).

Do you guys like the symphony of ages books?

Hellfire!

>>19909755
It does but it's rare. The tv show Carnival Row comes to mind and then Powder Mage kinda fits but it doesn't have a big focus on alchemy (more voodoo instead). I'm always on the hunt for more stuff in that sort of setting so please shill your shit here when you make it.

Found Metro 2033 in a thift store for 4 bucks. So far its pretty interesting. The setting is neat but the author loves long monologues about different schools of thought.

>>19912443
the story of how it came to be is also quite interesting

The Gentleman Bastards map is awful in my opinion. I'm 3/4ths of the way through book 2 so I'm only familiar with some of it. I don't see how Pirates are much of a problem because it looks to me most of the shipping and trade lanes would be easy to patrol. The entire world is one retarded land mass other than a couple of small islands. The book said that Tel Verrar was the most western point of civilization so I was picturing like a Spanish peninsula and the piracy taking place between like an Africa or some place with colonies and resources. I honestly was imagining everything to be much similar to the Mediterranean or perhaps Atlantic Ocean.

>>19909643
Someone reply to this, I have had this on my shelf for a decade and still haven't read it

>>19912649
Read and find out? I dunno just a thought

>>19910928
Gibson's writing style is masterful for capturing the ambience of cyberpunk but his plots always suck balls

Are there any fantasy stories or authors who handle absurdly high power levels well? Like Xianxia endgames, or stories about Gods/cosmic entities as major characters who do widespread insane shit that's actually written about and explained or at least shown in the text?

I know about Chronicles of Amber but that's about it.

>>19912653
My backlog is big enough, not even the original guy who asked

>>19912682
Wanting overpowered characters to be controlled is an oxymoron.

>>19912682
B*kk*r unironically has the most complex and powerful character I've ever read in a novel.

>>19912682
sounds like a sanderson book

>>19912682

>>19912682
They're called comic books.

>>19909314
>Must read 21st Century Books Chart (Revised Ed.)
>Contains 3 Orson Scott Card Books

Jesus Christ.

Recommend me fantasy books where the main character is a blonde haired, blue eyed, gary stu named Kellhus.

>>19912890
Kys

>>19912908
seethe.

I'm a virgin, what's the book series for me?

>>19912929

>>19912939
Why do animefags have such low standards for worldbuilding?

>>19912945
Because most anime is just advertisment for manga and manga magazines and merchandise. plot, story, world building doesn't matter as long as they shit out couple of episodes with fan service, show their sponsors in credits and promote some shitty new song in op.

>>19910380
>mfw you see just how insanely powerful the Taken are when they're not pitted against each their with high tier magical bullshit flying around
Fact you could essentially make an entire book about taking out a SINGLE Taken tells you everything.

>>19909932
https://parahumans.wordpress.com/

>>19912939
>>19912945
>>19913036
Don't succumb to the /lit/ circle jerk. Instead consider Vinland Saga, Vagabond, Berserk, HxH, SNK, and many others.

What's a story that recreates the feeling of playing Morrowind for the first time?

>>19913070
Even the most cookie cutter fantasy novel unironically has better world building than those.

>>19913059
that's for women.

>>19913056
to be far company wizards are perfectly aware of the power disparity and just what tiny fish they are in comparison

>>19913122
Ah, you're a brainlet, carry on then.

>>19912617
I only read book one and was so repulsed by the retarded magic man plot I don’t think I'll continue. Is it worth it?

>>19913134
I'm sorry I didn't like your fanfic garbage.

>>19913138
Yea they made the wizard so overpowered for no reason.

Are books 4-6 worth reading in this Thomas covenant series ?

>>19913144
On the basis that not even book one is worth reading...

>>19913139
>give me a trashy self insert popcorn story
>noooo not one with a female mc, losers on 4chan will call me a tranny if I read that

>>19913104
I have already recommended this to someone in the previous thread, but this. Kirkbride was in no small part inspired by Barker's setting when he created Morrowind's lore. He even did some illustrations for the tabletop game before his Bethesda days.

>>19913158
>>noooo not one with a female mc, losers on 4chan will call me a tranny if I read that
Yes I will.

>>19913171
>Yes I will.

>>19911194
Pretty sure most souls-like games are already in a Dying Earth setting.

>>19909703
the iron dragons daughter

>>19910928
Just finished it myself.

I liked the story up until the Tessier-Ashpools become so central to the plot in the last third despite not being introduced earlier, so bent on rich incest-clone's motivation in creating communitarian AI vs rich clone-father or whatever opposed to earlier, with the Sense/Net heist unfolding and Panther Moderns being more compelling. I thought freeside was interesting, but wish it stuck to the more grungy globetrotting settings in the beginning.

After 3 threads worth of working on the Bakker filter I'd say it's almost complete. A few false positives but they were low quality posts anyway so I'm not bothered. I strongly encourage other anons to make their own as I won't be posting mine.

>>19913241
Basado.

I finally read Bakker like you fruits wanted me to. Idk why people talk about gay sex, I didn't read anything like that. Maybe it was in a different edition?

>>19913138
I like the bonds magi. I like the idea of the magic users being complete overpowered dicks that abuse their power. Too many stories have a Gandolf type character wise and benevolent. I'm 3/4ths through the second book and I'm worried those fuckers will show up, they are working behind the scenes so far.

>>19912939
>era 3 (80's cyberpunk)
>era 4 (Space Opera Finale)
good lord

>>19912318
I’ve never written a book before so I’ll just stick to developing the lore and world building for now

I'm looking for wizards and mage-like protagonist, either low or high power ones so long as they aren't kids. Got a little tire of roguish protagonist in fantasy.

>>19912939
>>19912945
>>19913036
One Piece is a cherry picked example, it’s literally just an episodic children’s show. There’s far better anime world building out there but you’re right in that it will never reach the complexity of western fantasy novels because it’s marketed to a vastly larger audience

>>19909314
Listen up faggots, DO NOT take this image for your personal use. You will be punished to the fullest extent of the law
https://mistborn.fandom.com/wiki/Allomantic_Table_of_Metals

>>19913611
Uh.... anon? Did you get Branderson's approval before posting this?

>>19913626

>>19913611
What’s the point of burning gold? It’s literally no use seeing what things could have been. It reminds me of Captain Hindsight from south park

>>19913654
well depending on the difference it could as useful as seeing a different timeline or world where you did discover the password to this safe, or the solution to this puzzle, maybe even the cure of cancer or something like that.

>>19913689
>useful
except it's "could have" past tense. You must already be beyond the moment of choice. It's useless except to compound regrets. or to waste time obsessing over that thing tht might have killed you but didn't.

>>19909314
that looks like a cyberpunk videogame concept

>>19913701
what could've been doesn't mean it's like 20 years in the past
it could be like 5 minutes ago
like if you decided to burn a letter without reading it and regretted it instantly
burning gold would allow you to see into another life where you decided against burning the letter and read it there

>>19913720
So it's "useful" for busying moody dramatic teenage girls.

>>19913720
I’ve never read Sanderson, can you specifically choose which point of divergence you want to look into? And does gold have any monetary value in that universe?

>>19913730
>>19913731
I'm talking out of my ass by the way
I'll never read sanderson

So many interesting and creative authors to discuss and some people focus on this bakker guy. This is seriously disapointing and infuriating.

>>19913735
name one (1)

>>19913735
Like you, you fucking clown.

>>19913735
>discussion about Sanderson
>BAKKER BAKKER BAKKER BAKKER
Obsessed

>>19913735
>So many interesting and creative authors
Yes, but not science fiction or fantasy ones.

>>19913752
psst... gfg...

>>19913752
This desu.

Give me fantasy with a pseudo-asexual protagonist. Not an incel, not a volcel, and not some alphabet escapist fantasy lecture course, all I want is fantasy that ignores the very existence of sexual attraction and just tells a fantasy story.

>>19913752
NOOOOOO, NOT LIKE THIS!!!!

>>19913735
This is a Bakkerfag false flagging, the discussion was starting to focus on Sanderson so he had to bring up his favorite fagfiction writer and shut it down

>>19913762
Unironically The Darkness that Comes Before

Just finished the great ordeal, now what? Pray that Bakker isn't dead? Or is that as conclusive an ending we are going to get? Sffg got me to read it and it was based. On to book of the new sun I guess. Truth shines.

>>19913830
The Great Ordeal is not the last book.

>>19913844
Wait what? Is the next one in the series out?

>>19913849
The Unholy Consult, you brainlet.

Fuck I meant the Unholy consult. My bad.

>>19913855
>>19913830

>>19913860
Oh well, at least the ending of the unholy consult was not as much of an ass pull as malazan's final book was. At least we don't have to hold our breath for an eternity as is the case with asoiaf.

>>19913881
>Series is called The Second Apocalypse
>Series abruptly ends when Second Apocalypse begins
I'm sorry anon, but it's clearly not over for a multitude of reasons.

I want to thank that one anon for telling me that Kelhus dies[/spolier] so that I will never have to read Bakker

>>19913906
Joke's on you, because he's Not Dead
Or is he?
Joke's still on you (unironically) for never being able to speculate on what actually happened.

>>19913906
Wtf what did I do wrong?
niggers tongue my anus test

>>19913886
I get that, just hoping Bakker doesn't cuck us for eternity like some writers do.

>>19913860
>the one to do the bakkers in was bakker himself
pottery...

>>19913773
>all I want is fantasy that ignores the very existence of sexual attraction and just tells a fantasy story.
Bakkerites do not read, confirmed.

>>19913762
LOTR

>>19913611
the powers are stupid, the whole idea of burning some metal to gain power temporarily is just dumb and very unfantasy like

>>19913993
I don't read Sanderson, or care about his series, but what do you mean unfantasy like? Fantasy encompasses anything you can imagine. Just because Tolkien or Howard didn't write about it doesn't mean it's not fantasy.

>>19913946
LOTR is a good example, yeah. Alas I've already read it.

>>19914011
Because it is not really magic, fantasy without magic is not fantasy, magic comes in many forms but burning metal to gain powers is dumb idea

>>19914038
>Because it is not really magic
Elaborate, cause this sounds like no true scotsman bullshit.

>>19914038
>Because it is not really magic
It is, burning metal irl would either do nothing or poison you but in that fictional world it gives you magic powers. Try to cast a fireball right now and see if it works

>>19914038
Also
> fantasy without magic is not fantasy
is just plain wrong. Unless you by magic you mean any kind of supernatural elements in which case burning metal to gain superpowers certainly counts as magic.

>>19914054
Exactly, using common well known materials to perform magic is just not fantasy.

>>19914164
Bullshit, many historical accounts of magic rituals involved using random bits of herbs, twigs, animal parts, small personal effects, etc. Metal is not too far of a stretch even by your weird definition of magic.

>>19914164
Says who? Are you the fucking czar of magic? What kind of complaint is this?

>sandersneed defence force defending autistic "hard" magic systems based on fucking metallurgy and physics and shit that totally takes the "fantasy" out of fantasy and makes it trite video game bullshit that can be easily adapted so he can add an extra wing to his ugly mcmansion
I know bakkerposting completely buck broke the anons here but can "we" at least pretend that /sffg/ is still /sffg/?

>>19914231
>begging me to post /sffg/ memes.
Ok?!

>>19914212
I am a King of magic.

>>19914231
If you think it's a stupid idea you can say that, I don't even really disagree. But bitching about this sort of "real fantasy" genre autism does nothing but hold back the medium and encourage authors to rehash the same kind of stories over and over because you're terrified of anything new or different.
Also watching you get btfo then run away crying about Bakker and Sanderson because you have no real argument is hilarious.

Reminder, Bakker hates trump.

>>19914268
k

I knew it
fucking /lit/ is infested with american election tourists

>>19914257
Trying to come up with a "logical" magic system with rules and so on that get explained to the reader doesn't open up the medium or any shit like that. It's just another conduit for worldbuilding autism that stops prospective authors from ever actually writing anything except minutia about their world. I'm not terrified of anything new or different, I'm pissed off that sanderson is so falgrantly obvious about using fantasy novels as a stepping stone to get adaptations. As if that wasn't already obviously a huge problem with the current state of the scene.
>also watching you get gtfo then run away crying about bakker and sanderson because you have no real argument is hilarious
I have no idea what thread you're reading, schizo.

Recommend me a fantasy book with a character like Stannis the Mannis.

JESUS CHRIST LE FANU
THE ROOM IN THE DRAGON VOLANT IS A FUCKING NOTHINGBURGER
JUST LET IT END
WHY IS IT SO FUCKING LONG DUDE

>>19914278
There was no discussion about hard magic systems anon. The conversation I was having was about whether or not eating metals to get superpowers was "unfantasy like," whatever that means. Just the general concept, nothing about Sandersons final fantasy sphere grid or whatever. You're the one bringing in this Bakker/Sanderson console war nonsense into the discussion.

Jesus, no wonder no one reads books anymore, is it all just sjw shit or baker-crap?

>>19914368
I fail to see how any of those correlate, but Ok.

>>19914268
Not my problem.

>>19914385
99% of books in this thread fall under the two categories.

>>19914398
Yes, and? Why is that in any way related to people's reading habits?

>>19909314
>Scifi City
What kind of visual genre do you think this cifi city is? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi7KGA_i2r8&t=127s

>>19914407
Half Life is a pastiche of Vietnam era sci-fi. The best era of sci-fi.

>>19913654
It says in mistborn it's pretty worthless but also it's unknown how useful it is. Also combined with other things it might be worthwhile.

Phillip K Dick sucks I'm never listening to you guys EVER AGAIN

>>19914463
>I'm never listening to you guys EVER AGAIN
Smart, but you should've not to do that after simply browsing the thread.
>Phillip K. Dick sucks
Hard disagree. What did you start with?

I think we finally found the kryptonite for bakkerniggers

>>19914475
ubik

>>19914497
Aww, I loved Ubik. It was my first PKD novel too, what didn't you like about it?

>>19914484
disgusted half-asian turtle man

>>19914407
its steam punk and cyberpunk trust me

>>19914501
ngl it's amusing and i definitely loled a couple times, and it's certainly imaginative, I just felt like I was reading a pulp comic my grandpappy got for a nickel. I might need to stick to stuff written after vietnam

>>19914508
What's he disgusted by?

>>19914545
Yeah, I'm a big of fan of the pulpy stuff. I like my sff weird and colorful, instead of more serious and gritty like you see these days.

>>19914555
he's disgusted by mistborn not getting made into a hollywood heist movie

>>19914568
Finding out he refuses to consider animation as an option for adaptation because "it's for kids" was so hilarious, as if he doesn't exclusively write YA fiction. What a goober.

>>19909314
Is there a Lovecraft audiobook archive?

Thoughts?

>>19914591
>he refuses to consider animation as an option for adaptation because "it's for kids"
What a fucking brainlet take, animation frees you up to tell your story how you want with no limitations due to practical effects, locations to shoot, or dumb nigger bitch woke sjw poltiics rewriting your story.

>>19914613
>dumb nigger bitch woke sjw poltiics rewriting your story
If you want it to air in America then that’s required

>>19909383
The first three or so books are really good. Then the 'poweverlevels' of the setting jump up and I just couldn't make myself give a shit.

Book one has a tough start, but the latter part and book 2 are really good reads.

>>19914622
I could not give a fuck where something airs.
I haven't had cable or satellite, not even netflix for about 20 years now?

>>19913301
Best Bakker

>>19914606
>this shit again

Just finished this.

Am I alone in thinking it was really bad?

>>19914756
>female
you only have yourself to blame if you ignored that giant redflag

>>19914606
This book was a severe disappointment to me. What I got was cliche after cliche as characters and situations were complete rehashes of other books with little in the way of originality. I did like the presentation of one minor character, Taim, and was frustrated to find that it was one of the authors favorite characters (according to a short interview in the back of the book). That being the case, it would have been nice to read about him rather than the protagonist with whom I was so bored I was actively rooting for the villains of the book to kill so that I would not have to endure his presence any further.

>>19914756
You aren't. This was the last Sanderson Book I'll ever read.

I also DNF considering how predictable and stupid this series has become.

>>19914756
Still better than Bakker.

>>19914756
SLA became shit after Words of Radiance. The flashbacks are really annoying too.

>>19914634
>deflecting this hard

>>19914777
You wish, chud.

>>19914777
Trips of truth.

Holy shit.

Why is this general so bad?

Is this better than the Lord of The Rings?

Just finished this.

Is this accurate?

>>19914799
americans

>>19914799
Sanderson vs. Bakker consolewar faggotry. Just like /v/ doesn't play games /sffg/ doesn't read books.

>>19914818
How so?

>>19914821
election tourists

>>19914819
/tv/ doesn't watch movies either.
>>19914824
Huh?

>>19914756
Even Sandersonfags generally agreed that this was kind of bad.

>>19914824
man, Americans really fucked 4chan up, huh

>>19914827
He's a local shitposter, he's been trying to force the americans meme for months, ignore him.

case in point

I still remember the one april fools day where /v/ and /int/ merged boards and it was revealed that all the worst shitposters on /v/ where from Canada and Australia.

>>19914805
"""No"""

make new bread moogy shitter

>>19914861
nah, unless the mods deal with the bakker spam bot that literally always replies the instant a thread is made

Just finished reading and quickly re-reading pic related after hearing so much praise online that I had enormous expectations, and really thought it was only kinda okay. Online, people act like you can't understand or appreciate it at all until at least the second re-read, and after that it becomes a masterpiece, but I didn't understand even a single thing differently on second reading compared to first? I went online and scoured reddit, the tor.com 'rereading gene wolfe' series, and even spent hours trawling through urth.net and didn't find a single significant plot point that I missed, or any 'hidden meaning' at all that somehow transforms or deepens the story, like everyone claims exists. People act like there is something deeper here, but when prompted, they never elaborate at all, and just say "read it again".

I think maybe that some of the things you aren't meant to pick up until second reading are things like:
Dorcas being the old paddler's wife reborn - This was treated like some sort of revelation in book 4 but it was so obvious from book 1 I didn't even realise it was meant to be a mystery
Severian was doing the healing, not the claw - but this is heavily implied as an option throughout the whole series, and never actually confirmed, only heavily implied one last time by Severian toward the end of book 4
Baldanders was a young undine... obviously? The undine were the only other giants in the narrative, this was so obvious that I also didn't realise it was meant to be a mystery. Also, that baldanders and dr talos owned the castle on the lake was foreshadowed so heavily.

The only things I missed were the painting of the moon landing, and that dr talos was working for baldanders, which was a charming twist, but doesn't really change anything in any significant way?.

Can anyone tell me what I am meant to realise or understand after reading the series again, that I didn't pick up on the first time? Either I missed something absolutely fundamental, or this is the biggest case of emperors-new-pants I have ever seen. It really seems like there is nothing deeper here at all, just some cool stories and a unique setting, plus plenty of details deliberately left ambigious and unexplained which psueds have latched on to trying to find some substance that was never there.

The dying-earth-masquerading-as-medieval-fantasy setting is really interesting and there are several individual sections that are really great (botanical gardens, the avern, the librarian, baldanders, the 'last house', the alzabo, typhon, jonas and hethor, plus all the re-interpreted myths), but I spent the whole time reading this series expecting some masterful 'frame-shift' that never came.

>>19914864
I will create a Bakker Themed one then.

>>19914941
k
I'll just stop posting in /sffg/
not like people aren't already making threads to talk about sff books on /lit/ outside of the general since americans ruined it

>try to read Jack Vance since it's a classic and Appendix N kino
>Get filtered in the first story by the language used

>>19914765
>posting a Goodreads review
KWAB

>>19914738
I’ll keep asking until I get an answer

>>19914976
>>19914976
>>19914976
NEW

>>19914965
>KWAB
What the fuck is this shit meme now?

>k
>I'll just stop posting in /sffg/
>not like people aren't already making threads to talk about sff books on /lit/ outside of the general since americans ruined it

>>19914912
>Baldanders was a young undine
Incorrect, Undines are exclusively female servants of Abia. Baldanders was becoming another sea Titan like Erebus or Abia, not an Undine.
There's lots of other neat little reveals (honestly too many to list) but some of my favorites are:

Dorcas being Severians grandmother.
Severian raising Triskele from the dead before he had the claw.
Severian murdering the gate guard in chapter 1.
All of the animal life currently on earth was brought from offworld or cloned from fossils.
Bringing the new sun means the death of most of the world. (this is spelled out in book 5 but you can gather it from subtext in the original quadrilogy)

Also the whole cosmic battle for spiritual and actual the future of humanity between the Autarchy and various other factions of Urth is kinda a neat reveal.

For me story is mainly a character study, seeing Severian grow and change is really what the story is about.

>>19914756
Couldn't get past the first few chapters. What's the qrd? Is kaladin still depressed, is Shallan still an annoying quipping schizo?

>>19914846
canadians are garbage always, aussies can be funny

>>19915535
>Is kaladin still depressed
Kaladin resets every book because Sanderson doesn't know how to write a character arc to save his life. He made Kaladin really cool on accident and has no idea what to do with him so just replays book 1 on loop apparently unaware that it doesn't actually get better with repetition.