Active Users:318 Time:10/06/2024 02:55:36 PM
You'd need to be crazy or weak to write Fain easily newyorkersedai Send a noteboard - 02/04/2010 05:33:32 AM
Because he's totally crazy and totally vile. He's the kinda guy who would pick through refuse for food. And that's what he''s like with people, sex, relationships, vengeance, and anything else. Who would have an easy time writing such an unstable character?

That's sort of the point, because our named villains - all but the shadowspawn and such - are people who are smart about their evilness. Many, like Demandred and Semirhage have methods beyond murder, and they haven't reached a point where they logically need to rip a whole bunch of people apart.

I always assumed that a lot of evil occurs off-screen (as it were) because RJ didn't have a lot of interest in those parts. I also assumed that his need to include information and progress his massive plot required him to cut to the heart of the matter. For a lot of writers, that sort of forced focus can be a blessing.

Still, this story has multiple instances of sexual assault - thinking about Moghedien's is chilling to me, and she's terrible. RJ goes beyond mere "nastiness" and gives us Forsaken who acted like mythological versions of Milosevich, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, and more. Asmo sent his mom off to be eaten by Trollocs. This was after he had offensive artists crippled in cruelly-appropriate ways.

I think RJ just didn't find a good time and reason to give the readers a full scene of the kind of thing you're talking about. I find that the series, in general, gives us tantalizing glimpses of great moments and then cuts off (before we hear the Forsaken plan, before Semi asks Cabriana her questions, etc.).

For my part, though, I'm happy that we didn't get to see what happened with Fain and that woman. Would you want to read what occurred after he'd mentally injured her son? That moment where his thoughts were flipping between a desire to "kill 'Al Thor" and a desire to force a booty call? That would have been quite nasty. For other moments, the reader's mind gets to fill in the blanks - that often produces the best scares, IMO.

I think his villains are more neutral evil than any other alignment. While I understand that he may be making a point that only the Dark One is truly evil and that humans can't even come close, the sad fact is that there are evil men and women in the real world, and his inability to show or bring that level of inhumane depravity to his villains keeps them in the "stock villain" category, which unfortunately relegates the entire series to a lower status.


He said he struggled to write Padan Fain because he was so evil. Some of his evil chapters are pretty chilling - especially his Semirhage chapter in LoC. I pretty much agree that he can't write evil, or maybe he lost his touch. Brandon did quite a good job with Semi in the latest book though.
Reply to message
little things that irk you - 30/03/2010 06:16:19 PM 1674 Views
All the GOOD GUYS smoke - 30/03/2010 08:24:42 PM 1046 Views
It's probably just one of his homages to LotR or something. *NM* - 02/04/2010 07:45:14 AM 418 Views
He's from South Carolina. Tobacco is important there. - 23/04/2010 11:57:31 PM 647 Views
Men vs. Women - 30/03/2010 09:00:50 PM 958 Views
I get tired of that too. - 31/03/2010 12:10:08 AM 675 Views
Re: I get tired of that too. - 31/03/2010 01:35:08 AM 685 Views
Sword Forms - 30/03/2010 09:37:02 PM 744 Views
I love Sword forms. - 30/03/2010 10:06:03 PM 752 Views
Re: I love Sword forms. - 30/03/2010 10:13:06 PM 790 Views
I think that is the point. - 31/03/2010 12:15:56 AM 713 Views
Re: I think that is the point. - 31/03/2010 01:33:04 AM 711 Views
That's true. - 31/03/2010 01:02:48 AM 791 Views
Re: That's true. - 31/03/2010 01:37:09 AM 613 Views
He leaves that to your imagination. - 01/04/2010 05:49:52 PM 645 Views
I'm of the opinion that blademasters are not the match of a powerful warrior - 31/03/2010 03:34:49 PM 738 Views
Re: Sword Forms - Agreed, YAWN!!! *NM* - 01/04/2010 02:00:35 PM 340 Views
RJ's spelling and pronunciation of names. - 31/03/2010 12:31:44 AM 2317 Views
Rand's stupid need to try to be hard - 31/03/2010 01:12:41 AM 644 Views
Re: little things that irk you - 31/03/2010 01:16:51 AM 800 Views
Re: little things that irk you - 31/03/2010 02:51:12 AM 657 Views
RJ should show more evil things... - 31/03/2010 12:41:25 PM 810 Views
I think he doesn't know how to write what an evil character would look or sound like - 31/03/2010 03:27:36 PM 726 Views
Yip - he pretty much confirms that - 01/04/2010 03:35:32 PM 638 Views
You'd need to be crazy or weak to write Fain easily - 02/04/2010 05:33:32 AM 655 Views
Re: You'd need to be crazy or weak to write Fain easily - 02/04/2010 03:02:56 PM 680 Views
Re: You'd need to be crazy or weak to write Fain easily - 27/05/2010 10:59:53 PM 791 Views
I don't know - 08/04/2010 11:45:59 AM 645 Views
Re: little things that irk you *NM* - 31/03/2010 02:25:38 PM 459 Views
Well Said. *NM* - 31/03/2010 03:13:35 PM 398 Views
i'd like to add to this point... *NM* - 31/03/2010 03:44:05 PM 359 Views
is your ultimate pet peeve the term pet peeve as well? *NM* - 31/03/2010 04:47:18 PM 379 Views
It irks me that you are irked *NM* - 31/03/2010 05:15:49 PM 341 Views
Yes - 01/04/2010 03:25:48 PM 732 Views
I've always wondered why RJ didn't try to develop this theme ... - 01/04/2010 06:10:23 PM 715 Views
It's less of a theme and more like a case of mental derangement - 01/04/2010 09:04:58 PM 646 Views
it's even more frustrating that it started to be used for a while - 08/04/2010 11:51:42 AM 672 Views
Agree on all points, especially #2 - 01/04/2010 10:40:16 PM 864 Views
Re: Agree on all points, especially #2 - 02/04/2010 01:52:08 AM 590 Views
You've figured it out! - 02/04/2010 02:45:26 PM 680 Views
tell me about it - 02/04/2010 11:34:47 AM 622 Views
Dealing with being irked--an exercise in fighting fire with fire... - 06/05/2010 01:58:04 AM 553 Views
An animated WoT movie drawn by Sweet? - 06/05/2010 02:59:23 AM 646 Views
Re: An animated WoT movie drawn by Sweet? - 06/05/2010 03:31:13 AM 674 Views

Reply to Message