Comments on: Epic Fatigue: Has modern Epic Fantasy become just too…epic?

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:58:29 +0000

Hah, similarities indeed! I haven't thought about Prydain in so many years! I loved that series when I was a kid (and was not very pleased with what Disney did to it). Really, my only complaints with Marten have been with the last two books. Much like the middle few books of the WoT...but as the last few Wheel books have made up for the slog in the middle, I'm hopeful GRRM will bring it all back 'round in the next two concluding volumes. And I can barely contain myself at the upcoming AMoL release (Jan 8th)!

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:50:54 +0000

I'm starting to get the same feeling. The hardest thing for me is that I've read books that were 1000+ pages and did merit the length. Good reads that kept me turning pages deep into the night. More recently, though, I'm starting to get the feeling some books are that long just because the author feels compelled to write long books. And that's a completely different thing altogether!

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:45:40 +0000

The fact that you read “The Hobbit” in the third grade is flat-out impressive! My first attempt at LotR was in grade school, probably 4th or 5th grade, and I just wasn’t yet ready for it. Bravo!

Have you read the Wheel of Time? I’m curious what your spreadsheet for that would look like!

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 04:13:54 +0000

It’s funny how similar our reading tasted are. I read everything I could find by Weiss and Hickman (Dragonlance, Conan, etc.) once I read the Chronicles, but it didn’t stop there. I know more about the history of the D&D world than most people who played it simply because they were fun, easy reads. It is also good timing that you mention the old epics as I am (this week) re-reading the series that got me started: the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. Quick, entertaining reads that don’t require a dedication on par with completing a college education. I will say though that I could not put down Marten’s books. Oh, and A Memory of Light, the last in WOT is in final edits (November release I think) if it makes you feel any better. I’m ready for that one to end too. Happy reading.

By: Michal

Michal — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 05:38:17 +0000

Frankly, if a book is over 1000 pages long and the author’s name isn’t Tolstoy, I’m likely to just pass it by. There are very few stories that merit that length in the telling.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 02:33:09 +0000

The first time I ever read an epic I was in the third grade, it was “The Hobbit”, and my teacher thought I was mental. Since then, I’ve chosen to take the long novel/epic roads, but sometimes they get a little bit overbearing. For instance, when I was half way through “Storm of Swords” I finally figured out that I needed to map out who everyone was and where they fit in, because it was hard to keep track with everything else going on in real life. Aside from that I have this problem with the author’s complete details because those epic stories lead to a dissatisfaction whenever I read less detailed books. [=

By: Big Al

Big Al — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 12:17:53 +0000

My epics are highly limited…There are after all choices to be made. Harry Potter is the last whole series I’ve read. Any book that goes to 1,000 pages needs to be a reference volume not part of a story. I have read tons of mystery “epic series” but they total little more than comic books in terms of effort or time. Reading is essential but so is choice. How many new author entry novels could I read instead of a 14 book, 1,000 page each, series? So many books; so little time. BTW, I’m still looking for that attachment…LOL