Favorite Fantasy Series (High or Low)?

[Soapy Sam]

Have you ever read the Thomas Covenant books?

Yes. Vastly superior to WFR.

Jesus. Can any book be THAT bad?

 

[Brainster]

3000, give or take.


Worst book I've ever read.


Yes. Vastly superior to WFR.

Ah, okay. Talk to me when you've read a few thousand more books, then.

No kidding, I'm reaching the point where there are some annoying things with WFR--I doubt if I will continue with the series based on the way it's going. And yet, I have to laugh at the notion that this is somehow the worst book ever.

Something's missing. Worst book you were told was great? Worst fantasy? Worst fantasy that espoused a Randian worldview?

I suspect the latter.

 

[Skepticemea]

New thread?

 

[catsmate]

Lord of the Cock Rings is an entirely different film.

Indeed it is.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0355701/

 

[PixyMisa]

Ah, okay. Talk to me when you've read a few thousand more books, then.

The number's probably higher; I own about 3000 books, so I put that out there.

No kidding, I'm reaching the point where there are some annoying things with WFR

Page one?

--I doubt if I will continue with the series based on the way it's going. And yet, I have to laugh at the notion that this is somehow the worst book ever.

Worst. Book. I've. Ever. READ.

Something's missing.

Reading comprehension on your part, apparently.

 

[PixyMisa]

Have you ever read the Thomas Covenant books?

Yes. Vastly superior to WFR.

Jesus. Can any book be THAT bad?

Heh.

Actually, the Thomas Covenant books aren't bad; the world-building is original and the characters believable, if not necessarily likeable. I can certainly understand if they're not to everyone's tastes - the same as with A Song of Ice and Fire. Wizard's First Rule, by contrast, is utter dreck by any objective measure. (See the quotes upthread concerning the not-chicken; that's from a sequel, but it's representative.)

 

[Chaos]

Heh.

Actually, the Thomas Covenant books aren't bad; the world-building is original and the characters believable, if not necessarily likeable.

I didn´t enjoy the Thomas Covenant books, but I´ll readily admit that "the world-building is original" is true - actually, I think the world-building is the best part of the books.

 

[TragicMonkey]

I didn´t enjoy the Thomas Covenant books, but I´ll readily admit that "the world-building is original" is true - actually, I think the world-building is the best part of the books.

He named his land "the Land". Not everybody can have Tolkien's language abilities but cmon, that was phoning it in.

 

[Morrigan]

Have you ever read the Thomas Covenant books?

Yes. Vastly superior to WFR.

Jesus. Can any book be THAT bad?

Believe it. (I admit, I haven't read those Covenant books and don't care to... but I find it hard to believe it's worse than Goodkind. I think only Robert Stanek might achieve that.

Read this hilarious review (which barely exaggerates):
http://www.amazon.com/review/RTDACH...e=UTF8&ASIN=0765362643&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=
A more "serious" review that still highlights why the book is bad (though I wish it'd mention the fire speech, that's just gold) while saving me the energy to repeat myself:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3R3SU...e=UTF8&ASIN=0812548051&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

 

[luchog]

Worst book I've ever read.

If you read more of the series, it won't be.

They actually get worse.

 

[luchog]

He named his land "the Land". Not everybody can have Tolkien's language abilities but cmon, that was phoning it in.

He admits to that with the first book, since he never expected it to get published. On the other hand, some of the word games he played with other characters, particularly the Ravers, are quite original and clever.

 

[PixyMisa]

If you read more of the series, it won't be.

They actually get worse.

I have the second volume - they were giving it away for free, which was something of a hint. Don't intend to open it.

 

[TragicMonkey]

I will say one nice thing about the Covenant books: finally there was a magical object that fulfilled a wish expressed by a David Eddings character who thought how boring it was that magical objects were always falling from the sky, and how nice a change it would be if one rose up from the earth, just for variety.

 

[Chaos]

He named his land "the Land". Not everybody can have Tolkien's language abilities but cmon, that was phoning it in.

On the other hand, not giving it a name that is some vaguely fantasy-sounding phoneme salad like "Alagaesia" is a good idea.


I like what the Dragon Age developers did - they named their world "Thedas" - from "The Dragon Age setting".

 

[Wudang]

He named his land "the Land". Not everybody can have Tolkien's language abilities but cmon, that was phoning it in.

Almost as bad as calling it "the Earth". How pedestrian is that?

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

The number's probably higher; I own about 3000 books, so I put that out there.


Page one?


Worst. Book. I've. Ever. READ.


Reading comprehension on your part, apparently.

I'm about 75% of the way through Wizards First Rule. I started reading it based on your recommendation in this thread (I have a weakness for bad writing). I'm not sure if it's the worst book I've ever read, but it's certainly up there. I think only Dan Brown and the authors of the Left Behind series offer any serious competition.

One thing I'm not sure about, was it intended as a children's/young teen book originally? That might explain some of the badness. (But far from all of it)

 

[Bikewer]

I haven't chimed in on Thomas Covenant yet... Haven't read any of those for a very long time.
However, I did read the first three (and maybe the second set but I can't remember...)
and thought that the rather dark flavor and the anti-hero nature of the protagonist were a refreshing change from a lot of the fantasy stuff that was out at the time.
I recall rather liking them.... But I have not re-read, which may say something.

 

[Wudang]

I haven't chimed in on Thomas Covenant yet... Haven't read any of those for a very long time.
However, I did read the first three (and maybe the second set but I can't remember...)
and thought that the rather dark flavor and the anti-hero nature of the protagonist were a refreshing change from a lot of the fantasy stuff that was out at the time.
I recall rather liking them.... But I have not re-read, which may say something.

Snap. I was glad I finished the trilogy but it was hard work towards the end. I think I'd describe as a worthwhile but not terribly enjoyable read. And now I'll start to vanish a loop of explaining that it was a leper as protagonist so maybe not meant to enjoyable but still......... I lack both the will and energy.

 

[gumboot]

Almost as bad as calling it "the Earth". How pedestrian is that?

Could be worse. It could just be called something lame like Sol 3.

 

[Major Major]

I think I posted this before https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups=#!topic/alt.humor.best-of-usenet/NhXIgaPM-2A

"Some coffee, Mr. Covenant?"

"No!" he panted, glaring. The gelid liquid was anthraciously black,
atramentous, nigrescent as his carious and macerated soul. "No," he
groaned. "Do you hear? I will not!" Shaking, he fumbled for his empty
mug, clawing at it with numb hands like blocks of rotted wood. Finally,
gasping, he closed his fingers on the malefic vessel, upending it, then
ramming it downward to the table again... violently stopping the
irrefragable, ineluctable maw with intransigent formica. The sudden
whipcrack sound threw a refulgent oriflamme of pain across his sight,
and he closed his eyes with a febrile shudder. "No," he whispered. No
more. No more.

"All righty then, I'll be right back with your check!"


...or something like that. (I didn't manage to get "suppurating" and
"chancreous" in there, or, more's the pity, "roynish".)

What about:

The waitress returned with his check. She flung it like a bayamo-sped jerid into his argute, compulsory visage, from which it fell to the lambent and cliquant formica. He looked at the figures; they were horribly like children.