The Malazan Books of the Fallen - Doorstop Fantasy at its finest?

Me too: I was encouraged by others of the 'well-read' genre :D
Glad to have been prodded through those cattle gates...

Im still taking my time with Midnight Tides. Figure this (that aught to be added to the 'strange happenings' thread): Reading about Udinaas and Feather Witch having gone to bed. Fell asleep mid sentence so when I soon reawoke, put the book aside and turned off the lamp...... And just couldnt sleep! I know it definitely doesnt mean the book is boring me. Ah... yeah, didnt think to finish what I was reading... Wasnt that. I'll have 5 mugs of Horlicks instead tonight!
 
GOLLUM said:
**Apologies if you've already seen this post in the Just Started thread of this section.**

Hi all,

I’m new to this forum and am from Melbourne, Australia. Please check out my introduction on this forum!!

I’ve been reading in the fantasy genre for the last 25 years and am able to answer most queries regarding fantasy authors/series, release dates etc... Basically I'm a Steven Erikson fan (No 1. of all time) with George RR Martin at No 2. on my all time hit parade. Other authors I like include Kate Elliott, JV Jones current series, Janny Wurts, Stephen Donaldson, Paul Kearney, Robert Silverberg (Majipoor series), Tad Williams, Greg Keyes, Glen Cook and the list goes on.

Please refer to my fairly comprehensive list of recommended fantasy books over the past 25 years in the thread Your Favorite Fantasy Books under the Books and Literature forum.

Anyway, Steven Erikson’s Malazan Empire series is the best fantasy series I’ve ever read in my 25 years spent reading in this genre!!!! He’s a Canadian writer and UK based. Compared to Homer by some critics for sheer scope and complexity of storyline. Great storytelling especially for his first venture into this genre!!!!

The “Malazan Book Of The Fallen” is the series title. Malazan is the empire in charge of things like the Romans in ancient history. Steven writes 1/year, as it is part of his contract with the publisher.

It takes places currently on around 3 different continents but each novel will focus on a particular continent with characters and continents interlinked so say book 1,3 are on continent x, book 2,4 continent y etc.. Each novel is also in a sense standalone with most threads pulled together by story’s end, which is a good feature for me, so I’m not waiting for the next instalment to see if character x is about to fall of the proverbial precipice. This is not to say that the books don’t follow each other or not interlinked as they are.

As he deals with Military fantasy on the grand scale he's fairly hard edged as well as being brilliantly conceived and written. The point is Erikson drops you into his world in the middle of what is obviously an EPIC series but whilst it is not easy to follow early on he does tie most threads by books end. The last 200 pages of Book 1 is action packed, what one critic very aptly put as a 'machine gun finish" I've never read a book that was so packed in those last few hundred pages. WOW!!!! Book 2 Deadhouse Gates and the future books reach a high water mark in fantasy writing that never goes down. Anyone I know who has read Erikson immediately places him at or near to the top of the list ahead of Martin and others as great as they are. He obviously thought the entire series through extremely well from the beginning. He has a background as an anthropologist and archaeologist and it sure shows in his world building. Epic, gritty, grey characters along the lines of The Black Company, amazing complexity and magic systems!!

As I’ve stated on other forums and as other users are obviously saying here, PLEASE don’t be put off if you’re finding it hard to follow things in the first few hundred pages of book 1, lots of concepts that get fleshed out in later books appear here. By end of book 3 I had a fair handle on things.

For UK/Aus readers, Books 1 –4 are in smaller paperback, ranging from 700-1000+ pages. Book 5 is in trade paperback and 500+ pages, so plenty of reading there. Book 5 in smaller paperback, approx 700, pages comes out in March 2005. Bantam is the UK/Aus publisher. Books 1 and 2 have now come out in the US.

Malazan Book Of The Fallen

PUBLISHED UP TO 2005/Early 2006.
1. Gardens Of The Moon.
2. Deadhouse Gates
3.Memories Of Ice
4.House Of Chains
5.Midnight Tides
6.The Bonehunters (due Feb 2006).

TO BE PUBLISHED 2006 and beyond.
*NB Roughly the first five books came out around April of each year, book 6 may still be by April so basically the books come out in the first half of each year.

7.Reapers Gate (2006?)
8.Toll The Hounds (2007)
9.Dust Of Dreams (2008)
10.The Crippled God (2009)

Hope this info proves useful!!!:D :D :D :D
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Wow! 10 books that means seeing as I have read 5 I have 5 to go! This proves very useful and I for one don't mind waiting for Erikson's books. I mean its not like GRRM who maybe writes a few words a day, and I might die of old age before his song is complete!

Well maybe thats not fair either GRRM is cool I saw an interview with him on Space channel the other day ...the man is very cool indeed.

Rahl
 
Rahl Windsong said:
Wow! 10 books that means seeing as I have read 5 I have 5 to go! This proves very useful and I for one don't mind waiting for Erikson's books. I mean its not like GRRM who maybe writes a few words a day, and I might die of old age before his song is complete!

Well maybe thats not fair either GRRM is cool I saw an interview with him on Space channel the other day ...the man is very cool indeed.

Rahl
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Glad you found that slighlty antiquated post of help although some of my fav authors at that time have been superceded by others not that anyone I mentioned way back then aren't good or would have problems recommending.....:D

What you saw a live interview with Erikson? I'm feeling green with Envy now LOL!...:rolleyes:
 
Yeah... on the 'Space Channel'? Who sent him into space? Can they write faster in zero G?

Hehe: "...GRRM... before his song is complete!" :)
 
HieroGlyph said:
Yeah... on the 'Space Channel'? Who sent him into space? Can they write faster in zero G?

Hehe: "...GRRM... before his song is complete!" :)
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Well it seems like, at least the Canadian version of the Space channel, has breaks in between shows I think they call it "space news" or something like that. The interview was with George RR Martin and to me he looked and sounded like a character from his story.(Not sure who just would fit into Westeros nicely!) The interview was very short like the person asking the questions had possibly read a synopsis of the story but the man was, in my humble opinion, very cool. I would LOVE to sit and talk to him, he seemed a very warm and matter of fact person who could tell you a story that would have you on the edge of your seat yearning for more. And at the same time he could be a good friend too....he aura impressed me needless to say! :cool:

Rahl

PS: Gollum you must be a very popular person because when I try to send you a PM it says you have exceeded your personal message storage and you must clear some to be able to receive more. Also please check my post in Tad Williams forum with a question about his book The War of Flowers.
 
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GOLLUM said:
TO BE PUBLISHED 2006 and beyond.
*NB Roughly the first five books came out around April of each year, book 6 may still be by April so basically the books come out in the first half of each year.

7.Reapers Gate (2006?)
8.Toll The Hounds (2007)
9.Dust Of Dreams (2008)
10.The Crippled God (2009)
Click to expand...

Any idea if these years have been confirmed (or hinted at), or are you taking a stab in the dark? I'm just curious...

I know Erikson is well into Reaper's Gale already, but I would have thought that now he is more popular than when he started, the publishers would hold back the books until they are ready/willing to release them, rather than ASAP. I'd have guessed every two years for a new book. Just because they can sit on them for as long as they like, if it increases demand/anticipation/promotional time. But I guess it depends on how long they would want to sit on something that had been finished for a couple of years or more.

But meh, that's just a guess of mine. I'd sincerely love it if you have a reliable source for your release dates :)
 
Green said:
Any idea if these years have been confirmed (or hinted at), or are you taking a stab in the dark? I'm just curious...

I know Erikson is well into Reaper's Gale already, but I would have thought that now he is more popular than when he started, the publishers would hold back the books until they are ready/willing to release them, rather than ASAP. I'd have guessed every two years for a new book. Just because they can sit on them for as long as they like, if it increases demand/anticipation/promotional time. But I guess it depends on how long they would want to sit on something that had been finished for a couple of years or more.

But meh, that's just a guess of mine. I'd sincerely love it if you have a reliable source for your release dates :)
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Well Yes that's a reasonable question to ask. Going on previous Interviews and information I have from the publishers and Steven himself he's basically required contractually to produce 10 books in 10 years. Of course as you say the cynic in me too has wondered that the publishers may sit on the books longer due to their ever increasing popularity but I'm yet to see the direct evidence of this.

The dates I quoted over a year ago now are more or less acccurate except it may be that the remaining relase dates are now shifted to 2007-2010. Up to Book 5 certainly Mr. Erikson relasesd a book/year consistently and it should be remembered that he's also written several novellas during this time so he's certainly being extremely productive.

Untill we're informed otherwise I therefore can't see any reason to not stick with the stated release dates based on the 1 book/year contractual agreement.

Hope this answers the query.
 
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Aye. Guess we'll just have to wait and see :)

Please god don't let it be 2014 when book ten is released...
 
Green said:
Aye. Guess we'll just have to wait and see :)

Please god don't let it be 2014 when book ten is released...
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*GOLLUM begins jerking uncontrollably in a parody of pain*
 
I just read the new Erikson Q&A on fantasyblogspot.com and he gave a hint as to when the last book would be out. I don't know if he was being definite, or just giving a vague idea, but he said that the US versions are coming out every 8 months, and by book ten they will be synced with the UK versions.

So, going off MoI being released in the US in November 2005 and adding 8 months for each book, I work out that the last book will be out July 2010. Which isn't so bad, and does suggest one book per year for the UK versions like you say.
 
as always i pretty much behind with things but I've just finished gardens of the moon brilliant stuff the ending was just fantastic and the magic system brilliant if not slightly confusing at first, i didn't find the start too difficult I just can't wait for monday when i can go to the shop on my lunch and get deadhouse gates I think the strength in GOTM was the fact he kept you guessing and you didn't know when the next twist is coming a lot of books you can predict the twists n turns with GOTM they really caught you out Quick Ben history being my favourite of many twists. I also enjoyed the squads interactions with each other and Fidlers never ending card games I am struggling now to read because most books pale in comparison as GOTM is fresh in my mind hurry up monday
 
Jason_Taverner said:
I am struggling now to read because most books pale in comparison as GOTM is fresh in my mind hurry up monday
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A common curse for those who have seen the light....

I'm glad you enjoyed GOTM Jason but wait untill you read DHG and MOI and I gurantee you'll be blown away.
 
WELL deadhouse gates blew me away, phew my girlfriend had to console me for about an hour and a half after the fate of the chain of dogs. I tell you it was amazing I don't think I've ever been moved like from a book. It's taken me awhile to recover but I a good 400 pages into memories of ice now loving the little bits of back story about the bridgeburners and as for the dead seed children what a messed up story brilliant how can this book top deadhouse gates how can anything top it, I don't know but its going be good finding out if it does. If you haven't read these books get started you missing a great story. :)
 
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