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Glen Cook is radically overrated. Werthead Send a noteboard - 05/12/2009 04:09:07 PM
Not in terms of quality, I'll be clear, but in terms of influence. Whilst he was reasonably well-known in the States, he was not a huge seller (I believe even now he needs to keep up a day-job) and was totally unknown in Britain and Europe. Cook's marginally higher profile now, and his various new European deals, are down to some of the authors he influenced (most notably Erikson) bigging him up. But before a few years ago, he was a virtual unknown outside the States.

Luckily, Europe had David Gemmell coming along and doing some similar things at the same time Cook was in the USA, and both authors now seem to be crossing over to the other audience and gaining new fans, which is gratifying.
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Six best fantasy novels? Larry - 04/12/2009 05:54:54 AM 2094 Views
Best fantasy authors Tavi - 04/12/2009 07:01:48 AM 1807 Views
Have you read Robin Hobb? *NM* Deadsy - 04/12/2009 04:01:23 PM 911 Views
I have, and wasn't really impressed Tavi - 04/12/2009 10:08:25 PM 1618 Views
You definitely read the wrong stuff first Deadsy - 05/12/2009 12:12:07 AM 1731 Views
Agreed. unr3stricted - 09/12/2009 09:55:12 PM 1611 Views
Only read two. Book of the New Sun definitely deserves that spot. Mieville, not so much. Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 08:06:45 AM 1768 Views
Interesting. Werthead - 04/12/2009 05:21:04 PM 1645 Views
Why Mieville, if I may ask? *NM* Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 08:33:43 PM 921 Views
I didn't mean that to be a reply to you, but still Werthead - 05/12/2009 03:15:36 AM 1772 Views
No worries. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 03:52:11 AM 1654 Views
But the list was for favorite books, not favorite or most important authors A Deathwatch Guard - 05/12/2009 10:25:13 AM 1582 Views
It was for "best" books. I realize that has a lot of meanings, though. *NM* Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 08:37:01 PM 750 Views
Hm... good point A Deathwatch Guard - 06/12/2009 02:19:13 AM 1371 Views
Glen Cook is radically overrated. Werthead - 05/12/2009 04:09:07 PM 1718 Views
Well, he's at least part of the wave that humanized fantasy. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 08:36:29 PM 1507 Views
In the US, yes. Elsewhere, no, because they didn't know about him. Werthead - 06/12/2009 04:36:31 PM 1601 Views
Interesting. Ghavrel - 07/12/2009 02:15:37 AM 1540 Views
Two years? It was published in 2000... *NM* Legolas - 05/12/2009 09:03:33 PM 666 Views
Nine years is like two. *NM* Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 12:25:49 AM 829 Views
I've yet to read a Gene Wolfe. rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:26:54 AM 1547 Views
Yes, yes, yes. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 02:35:45 AM 1484 Views
You know I directly added almost all of those Wolfe quotes there, right? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:26:40 AM 1622 Views
I just find Mieville's prose exceptionally standard. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 07:25:05 AM 1661 Views
Isn't that almost a contradiction of terms there? Larry - 06/12/2009 07:45:47 AM 1542 Views
It's remarkable for its normalcy because so many people praise it? Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 09:11:18 AM 1462 Views
Who the heck are these people? *NM* ironclad - 04/12/2009 12:46:48 PM 886 Views
I've never heard of any of them either.... *NM* Fantasy - 05/12/2009 02:58:11 AM 1214 Views
Literati Larry - 06/12/2009 05:27:28 AM 1513 Views
Yeah you're so much better than us *NM* ironclad - 06/12/2009 12:00:27 PM 837 Views
Well, you can hardly expect a group to go around calling themselves "elitist snobs." *NM* Ghavrel - 07/12/2009 02:16:16 AM 794 Views
Is he trying to be cool by listing stuff that 90% of fantasy readers have never heard of? Deadsy - 04/12/2009 04:05:46 PM 1554 Views
Actually, several of those books have been bestsellers and/or won several genre awards Larry - 06/12/2009 05:28:18 AM 1532 Views
I'm very ambivalent about A Wizard of Earthsea AgentOrange - 04/12/2009 05:18:00 PM 1535 Views
Possibly has to do with the times in which it was written/read Larry - 06/12/2009 05:29:27 AM 1491 Views
My Best Six best fantasy novels Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:44:12 PM 1283 Views
Re: My Best Six best fantasy novels *NM* Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:45:25 PM 725 Views
oops! *NM* Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:46:34 PM 753 Views
Re: Six best fantasy novels? Aeryn - 04/12/2009 09:06:18 PM 1638 Views
I really need to get around to reading Mists of Avalon. Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 09:50:54 PM 1443 Views
Calenture Aeryn - 05/12/2009 12:44:14 AM 1402 Views
That... sounds so cool. I'm going to check it out as soon as I get home. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 03:53:55 AM 1486 Views
Ooh, I need to get my hands on Calenture. *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:27:34 AM 812 Views
And ha! I thought it might be you. *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:29:13 AM 805 Views
I'll eventually get to those in the near future Larry - 06/12/2009 05:31:29 AM 1524 Views
I don't read or buy books anymore. Aeryn - 06/12/2009 11:45:33 PM 1525 Views
I understand that Larry - 07/12/2009 12:55:46 AM 1591 Views
Okay, I'll give it a shot Tom - 04/12/2009 10:12:47 PM 1638 Views
You might more mythopoeic material in your fantasies, don't you? *NM* Larry - 04/12/2009 11:22:33 PM 831 Views
Mythopoeic? Who...me? Tom - 05/12/2009 02:19:03 AM 1390 Views
Yes, you Larry - 05/12/2009 03:51:25 AM 1563 Views
The Blogger Seems to Agree With You. The Name With No Man - 05/12/2009 10:10:07 PM 1565 Views
Book of the New Sun is very early 80's and is almost inarguably a classic of the genre. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 12:26:55 AM 1591 Views
Never Read It, But All Accounts Support That View. The Name With No Man - 06/12/2009 02:44:17 PM 1679 Views
Bending the terms a bit... Larry - 04/12/2009 11:21:33 PM 1655 Views
n/a *NM* Aeryn - 05/12/2009 12:46:45 AM 770 Views
I like Grossman's list a lot more than Henry's. *NM* Legolas - 04/12/2009 11:41:36 PM 794 Views
Here are mine, but I probably haven't really read enough fantasy to have a top 5 Deadsy - 05/12/2009 12:16:13 AM 1420 Views
Have you tried any standalones recently? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:33:41 AM 1550 Views
I always end up wanting more Deadsy - 06/12/2009 05:53:11 AM 1500 Views
What if there were 50 more standalones that you could read that likely would be quite good? Larry - 06/12/2009 06:12:53 AM 1612 Views
The only one on his list I would think about agreeing with is Meiville. MightyYT - 05/12/2009 03:11:25 AM 1572 Views
Have you tried Mark Danielewski's House of Leaves yet? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:34:48 AM 1422 Views
No list is complete without Goodkind *NM* Choss Hauler - 05/12/2009 07:59:22 AM 843 Views
Sorry, I can't help it- no *porn* list is complete without Goodkind... *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:21:22 AM 677 Views
For me....: A Deathwatch Guard - 05/12/2009 10:36:42 AM 1623 Views
He certainly has a specific kind of taste. rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:20:30 AM 1446 Views
Pfft! Larry - 06/12/2009 06:54:24 AM 1360 Views
Who are you asking?? rebelaessedai - 07/12/2009 08:09:25 PM 1476 Views
Might give this a go myself... rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:24:52 AM 1500 Views
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