tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post3685869097609545871..comments2024-03-19T07:16:47.924-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Pulp Fantasy Library: Another Fine MythJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-78548052441573018062010-02-28T01:14:03.621-05:002010-02-28T01:14:03.621-05:00I will always have a soft spot for Asprin due to h...I will always have a soft spot for Asprin due to his Thieve's World creation.jfruserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01002178940479903025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-43829914881740345512009-10-06T21:45:38.373-04:002009-10-06T21:45:38.373-04:00Your thoughts on the Myth books (and humorous fant...Your thoughts on the Myth books (and humorous fantasy in general) is akin to my own.<br /><br />What's interesting to me is that this is one of the few books I can think of off-hand that could be considered the story of a "1st level magic-user" and how one might get on as such in a D&D campaign (without simply running away at every turn).JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08532311924539491087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-51741766788417503072009-10-06T11:22:13.082-04:002009-10-06T11:22:13.082-04:00I like Discworld better than Lord of the Rings, fo...I like Discworld better than Lord of the Rings, for its excellent satire. From how you describe them, the Myth books sound less like Tery Pratchett and more like Piers Anthony. I guess I like Anthony's childlike aproach to fantasy more than I like the droll heroics of Tolkien.Brooser Bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08487438364129415650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-52535834651679265032009-10-06T08:44:15.179-04:002009-10-06T08:44:15.179-04:00What about Order of the Stick? I read it regularly...What about Order of the Stick? I read it regularly, but I find it not so much funny as cute.anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-63764836885843760922009-10-06T01:21:08.908-04:002009-10-06T01:21:08.908-04:00Yes, the first two (or maybe three) "Myth&quo...Yes, the first two (or maybe three) "Myth" books are good, but none thereafter. I also give Asprin props for his work on the THIEVES' WORLD books, editorially and in terms of his stories. Under-appreciated indeed.Carter Soleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01286436801953647693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-17533560052707124222009-10-05T19:20:18.944-04:002009-10-05T19:20:18.944-04:00Myeh. I wouldn't say Discworld was 'humour...Myeh. I wouldn't say Discworld was 'humourous fantasy'. Maybe some of the early books, which aren't great in my opinion. The later books could be described as witty, yes. Satirical, possibly, but I wouldn't say 'humourous'.Urscahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15123616050267824343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-86354884834852392282009-10-05T18:47:34.041-04:002009-10-05T18:47:34.041-04:00I share you reservations for both supposedly "...I share you reservations for both supposedly "funny" fantasy series as well as for multi-volume series.<br /><br />I have no problem with books that share a common setting (such as Mieville's Bas-Lag series or the Culture novels by Iain M. Banks), but these days it seems like many fantasy books are plotted as a series rather than as a story, which is usually better served as a single book.<br /><br />As far as Discworld goes: I've tried, and they just don't strike me as funny. And the constant gags just kick me out of the story.<br /><br />Don't misunderstand, I think that humor has an important place in story, and can enhance dark stories especially by providing a counterpoint and punctuation to horrible situations. My games end up being filled with laughter, even when PCs are having their asses handed to them.<br /><br />It's just that Humorous Fantasy usually isn't very funny.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00862556389958594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9876254416552064462009-10-05T15:51:30.090-04:002009-10-05T15:51:30.090-04:00I concur with Matthew above -- read the comic book...I concur with Matthew above -- read the comic book, not the novel!<br /><br />(Word verification: mingrigh -- some new species of wee folk?)Rodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13049576082482175075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-39691176902340742842009-10-05T14:52:40.503-04:002009-10-05T14:52:40.503-04:00It's worth noting that the Discworld novels ar...It's worth noting that the Discworld novels aren't really humorous fantasy novels. If that's all they were, they wouldn't be so enduringly popular. They're humorous novels that happen to be set in a fantasy world. Like Jonathan Swift, Pratchett is using a fantasy world to reflect our own. (I'll not try to judge if Pratchett is a effective as Swift, just that they're using the same techique.) There are few exceptions, notably the first two (<i>The Color of Magic</i> and <i>The Light Fantastic</i>), but the core of the Discworld books are fundamentally about our world, just reflected of a funhouse mirror of seemingly stereotypical fantasy.Alan De Smethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09091994420717419182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83734050624706205592009-10-05T14:47:45.741-04:002009-10-05T14:47:45.741-04:00The Foglio-adapted comic of AFM is quite good, and...The Foglio-adapted comic of AFM is quite good, and recently reprinted. Funnier than the book (and the ending makes more sense, too.)Matthew Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04905727799828366356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-61503494749819659192009-10-05T12:51:40.255-04:002009-10-05T12:51:40.255-04:00I had a similar experience with the Xanth novels i...I had a similar experience with the Xanth novels in the early-mid '80s.. Read the first few, then realized I was wasting my time. They were cute, but got old quickly. I think I made it to <i>Ogre, Ogre</i> before throwing in the towel.<br /><br />I'm with you on the <i>Discworld</i> books. They don't appeal to me in the slightest.<br /><br />Just out of curiosity, do you feel similarly about Adams' <i>Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> books? I like those okay.metamorphosissigmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18163514061779555557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-32369602199649435912009-10-05T11:26:37.018-04:002009-10-05T11:26:37.018-04:00May be cause they're not funny. Covers by Phi...May be cause they're not funny. Covers by Phil Foglio - funny. Fake quotes by important historical and fictional people at beginning of chapters - funny. Dumb names of dimensional travelers in other languages - funny once. Stories - not so much, they're pretty straight. I gave one of the later novels to my father to read cause I thought he'd appreciate it and his reaction was, "coming of age story, not very good." The wacky covers mislead you, but the stories are very ordinary.eldersprighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03794777421402082044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83924685928813772432009-10-05T11:06:47.794-04:002009-10-05T11:06:47.794-04:00I had the same experience with the Myth books--enj...I had the same experience with the Myth books--enjoyed the first few but then I lost steam.Rustyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01786312855250456688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-2761589671132830202009-10-05T11:06:28.992-04:002009-10-05T11:06:28.992-04:00Arthur,
As I said, I simply have no taste for hum...Arthur,<br /><br />As I said, I simply have no taste for humorous fantasy novels anymore, no matter how well-written. I don't <i>dislike</i> the <i>Discworld</i> books, as I've never read them, but I have no interest in them whatsoever, in much the same way as I have no interest in multi-volume epic fantasy.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-48117201293358732222009-10-05T10:28:35.120-04:002009-10-05T10:28:35.120-04:00Out of interest, James, why do you refuse to read ...Out of interest, James, <i>why</i> do you refuse to read any of the <i>Discworld</i> books?<br /><br />I'm not saying that you are wrong for not doing so, I'm just curious as to what was sufficiently egregious about them as to make you dislike them sight unseen.Arthurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02082868759668427041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46804070194007734102009-10-05T10:24:46.832-04:002009-10-05T10:24:46.832-04:00I can't tell you how many ideas I stole form t...I can't tell you how many ideas I stole form the Myth books for use in my AD&D1e games. But, yeah, they get pretty tiresome.<br /><br />Oh, and getting the editions illustrated by Phil Foglio is key!buzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06243298798049780695noreply@blogger.com