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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 2045 Views
Best fantasy authors Tavi - 04/12/2009 07:01:48 AM 1744 Views
Have you read Robin Hobb? *NM* Deadsy - 04/12/2009 04:01:23 PM 876 Views
I have, and wasn't really impressed Tavi - 04/12/2009 10:08:25 PM 1560 Views
You definitely read the wrong stuff first Deadsy - 05/12/2009 12:12:07 AM 1681 Views
Agreed. unr3stricted - 09/12/2009 09:55:12 PM 1537 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 1713 Views
Interesting. Werthead - 04/12/2009 05:21:04 PM 1589 Views
Why Mieville, if I may ask? *NM* Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 08:33:43 PM 885 Views
I didn't mean that to be a reply to you, but still Werthead - 05/12/2009 03:15:36 AM 1716 Views
No worries. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 03:52:11 AM 1592 Views
But the list was for favorite books, not favorite or most important authors A Deathwatch Guard - 05/12/2009 10:25:13 AM 1521 Views
It was for "best" books. I realize that has a lot of meanings, though. *NM* Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 08:37:01 PM 715 Views
Hm... good point A Deathwatch Guard - 06/12/2009 02:19:13 AM 1316 Views
Glen Cook is radically overrated. Werthead - 05/12/2009 04:09:07 PM 1661 Views
Well, he's at least part of the wave that humanized fantasy. Ghavrel - 05/12/2009 08:36:29 PM 1447 Views
In the US, yes. Elsewhere, no, because they didn't know about him. Werthead - 06/12/2009 04:36:31 PM 1540 Views
Interesting. Ghavrel - 07/12/2009 02:15:37 AM 1489 Views
Two years? It was published in 2000... *NM* Legolas - 05/12/2009 09:03:33 PM 630 Views
Nine years is like two. *NM* Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 12:25:49 AM 792 Views
I've yet to read a Gene Wolfe. rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:26:54 AM 1483 Views
Yes, yes, yes. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 02:35:45 AM 1430 Views
You know I directly added almost all of those Wolfe quotes there, right? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:26:40 AM 1566 Views
I just find Mieville's prose exceptionally standard. Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 07:25:05 AM 1606 Views
Isn't that almost a contradiction of terms there? Larry - 06/12/2009 07:45:47 AM 1477 Views
It's remarkable for its normalcy because so many people praise it? Ghavrel - 06/12/2009 09:11:18 AM 1402 Views
Who the heck are these people? *NM* ironclad - 04/12/2009 12:46:48 PM 851 Views
I've never heard of any of them either.... *NM* Fantasy - 05/12/2009 02:58:11 AM 1168 Views
Literati Larry - 06/12/2009 05:27:28 AM 1451 Views
Yeah you're so much better than us *NM* ironclad - 06/12/2009 12:00:27 PM 798 Views
Well, you can hardly expect a group to go around calling themselves "elitist snobs." *NM* Ghavrel - 07/12/2009 02:16:16 AM 756 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 1484 Views
Actually, several of those books have been bestsellers and/or won several genre awards Larry - 06/12/2009 05:28:18 AM 1477 Views
I'm very ambivalent about A Wizard of Earthsea AgentOrange - 04/12/2009 05:18:00 PM 1475 Views
Possibly has to do with the times in which it was written/read Larry - 06/12/2009 05:29:27 AM 1432 Views
My Best Six best fantasy novels Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:44:12 PM 1227 Views
Re: My Best Six best fantasy novels *NM* Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:45:25 PM 681 Views
oops! *NM* Nolan - 04/12/2009 07:46:34 PM 717 Views
Re: Six best fantasy novels? Aeryn - 04/12/2009 09:06:18 PM 1583 Views
I really need to get around to reading Mists of Avalon. Ghavrel - 04/12/2009 09:50:54 PM 1389 Views
Calenture Aeryn - 05/12/2009 12:44:14 AM 1345 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 1429 Views
Ooh, I need to get my hands on Calenture. *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:27:34 AM 771 Views
And ha! I thought it might be you. *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:29:13 AM 768 Views
I'll eventually get to those in the near future Larry - 06/12/2009 05:31:29 AM 1478 Views
I don't read or buy books anymore. Aeryn - 06/12/2009 11:45:33 PM 1464 Views
I understand that Larry - 07/12/2009 12:55:46 AM 1537 Views
Okay, I'll give it a shot Tom - 04/12/2009 10:12:47 PM 1568 Views
You might more mythopoeic material in your fantasies, don't you? *NM* Larry - 04/12/2009 11:22:33 PM 799 Views
Mythopoeic? Who...me? Tom - 05/12/2009 02:19:03 AM 1341 Views
Yes, you Larry - 05/12/2009 03:51:25 AM 1507 Views
The Blogger Seems to Agree With You. The Name With No Man - 05/12/2009 10:10:07 PM 1512 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 1535 Views
Never Read It, But All Accounts Support That View. The Name With No Man - 06/12/2009 02:44:17 PM 1623 Views
Bending the terms a bit... Larry - 04/12/2009 11:21:33 PM 1601 Views
n/a *NM* Aeryn - 05/12/2009 12:46:45 AM 733 Views
I like Grossman's list a lot more than Henry's. *NM* Legolas - 04/12/2009 11:41:36 PM 754 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 1365 Views
Have you tried any standalones recently? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:33:41 AM 1489 Views
I always end up wanting more Deadsy - 06/12/2009 05:53:11 AM 1443 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 1551 Views
The only one on his list I would think about agreeing with is Meiville. MightyYT - 05/12/2009 03:11:25 AM 1514 Views
Have you tried Mark Danielewski's House of Leaves yet? Larry - 06/12/2009 05:34:48 AM 1375 Views
No list is complete without Goodkind *NM* Choss Hauler - 05/12/2009 07:59:22 AM 810 Views
Sorry, I can't help it- no *porn* list is complete without Goodkind... *NM* rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:21:22 AM 641 Views
For me....: A Deathwatch Guard - 05/12/2009 10:36:42 AM 1571 Views
He certainly has a specific kind of taste. rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:20:30 AM 1385 Views
Pfft! Larry - 06/12/2009 06:54:24 AM 1302 Views
Who are you asking?? rebelaessedai - 07/12/2009 08:09:25 PM 1413 Views
Might give this a go myself... rebelaessedai - 06/12/2009 02:24:52 AM 1447 Views
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