The author has made it clear he doesn't like the series. Should we subject our board to twelve highly negative reviews? The more I read his reviews, the more it's apparent that he's decided from the onset to tear the series to piece. There's no positive to the negative, and some of his criticisms are completely absurd.
I'm kind of hoping that lots of people complain about this thread so that I can lock it.
First, I've kept this all in this one post.
Second, there are some valid points contained within here. Do you want to shut down any discussion of his points just because you disagree with them?
Third, what are the "absurd" points? I think that might make for an interesting counterpoint discussion here.
Fourth, why would you "hope" that, Mark? Do you want me to stop posting about a different viewpoint to this series that another author is presenting elsewhere? Because I suppose I could blog about it and get a wider range of opinions from fans and non-fans alike than if there is a desire from the leadership here for there to be nothing but condemnation here.
Essentially we're supposed to be a collection of fans of RJ's work. There's really no point putting up reviews about why other authors don't like the work we voluntarily choose to spend time admiring. It's exactly as inane as posting about why you hate stamps on a stamp collector's site, and while it may be factual to read and logical to bring other views about the hobby, it starts to get on everybody's nerves after the tenth time, or twelfth as it will soon be.
Other posters have responded in detail to his increasingly silly reviews, most notably DomA who gave the professor the academic condemnation he deserves, so there's really no need for me to voice my opinion. While I agree with some of his earlier points, it should be obvious even to an amateur reader that he's becoming increasingly nasty and even less factually correct with each review. There are many aspects of the series he completely doesn't understand, and even though he's a renowned writer, he himself admits he skims the books. An expert on cars who jumps in and then out and writes a review on it. Nothing to be admired really. He's clearly on a roll, and he's fueled by the malignancy of other disdainful posters who cheer him on. His only real goal is to make the next review a one-up in sarcasm and one-liners compared to the previous one. A troll, albeit a gilded one.
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
Author Adam Roberts tackled the WoT.
- 19/03/2010 09:30:25 PM
13392 Views
Heh, While I agree with him about it being derivative, I still encourage people to read it.
- 20/03/2010 02:36:47 AM
2710 Views
My problem with the reviews:
- 20/03/2010 06:29:08 AM
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Hear Hear !!!
.......................
=
........................ *NM*
- 20/03/2010 06:37:11 AM
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.......................
=
........................ *NM*
- 20/03/2010 06:37:11 AM
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well I agree and disagree
- 20/03/2010 06:51:29 AM
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Re: well I agree and disagree
- 20/03/2010 02:12:43 PM
2598 Views
I'm amused by some of the responses
- 20/03/2010 07:20:03 PM
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Are you suggesting that we are unqualified to disagree with him ?
- 20/03/2010 11:21:44 PM
2714 Views
No, I said rather that it's ridiculous to make such disparaging comments about his takes
- 20/03/2010 11:37:56 PM
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I will reply to myself: What's the problem McFly , chicken ?
- 21/03/2010 12:29:36 AM
2549 Views
My sister called me chicken once
- 10/04/2010 01:18:31 AM
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Re: I'm amused by some of the responses
- 23/03/2010 04:50:42 PM
2647 Views
And I'm even more amused by this response
- 24/03/2010 01:11:50 AM
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- 24/03/2010 01:11:50 AM
2581 Views
On a completely unrelated note...
- 24/03/2010 06:15:25 AM
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Ha!
- 24/03/2010 06:34:48 AM
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- 24/03/2010 06:34:48 AM
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My congratulations then
. *NM*
- 24/03/2010 06:36:11 AM
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. *NM*
- 24/03/2010 06:36:11 AM
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Wow, you guys have completely missed the point of the Wheel of Time series
- 22/03/2010 05:28:07 PM
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- 22/03/2010 05:28:07 PM
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There's a point to it?
- 22/03/2010 06:47:12 PM
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- 22/03/2010 06:47:12 PM
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Yes, RJ has explained it at least a few times and the main sequence of each book invokes his message *NM*
- 24/03/2010 02:09:01 AM
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You're not taking me seriously now, are you?
- 24/03/2010 02:54:37 AM
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- 24/03/2010 02:54:37 AM
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I meant the reason why RJ wrote WoT in the first place
- 24/03/2010 06:39:47 AM
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And which, arguably, could be viewed as being done in a hackneyed way
- 24/03/2010 07:15:55 AM
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I thought the point was to write about a bunch of stuff happening?
- 09/04/2010 03:42:49 PM
2577 Views
pfft wth-ever
- 26/03/2010 12:35:53 AM
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Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was
- 26/03/2010 12:28:19 PM
2655 Views
bla bla bla
- 29/03/2010 06:17:07 AM
2557 Views
Wow. That post was more entertaining than Mr. Roberts' review. Thank you
*NM*
- 29/03/2010 08:23:41 AM
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*NM*
- 29/03/2010 08:23:41 AM
1720 Views
You must have low standards for entertainment
- 29/03/2010 08:54:03 AM
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Re: You must have low standards for entertainment
- 29/03/2010 09:13:44 AM
2599 Views
I know you were, thus the
at the least of my comment
- 29/03/2010 09:19:30 AM
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at the least of my comment
- 29/03/2010 09:19:30 AM
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Unimpressed
- 29/03/2010 10:50:07 PM
2898 Views
Isn't that a bit uncharitable, Dom, considering how much you approved of what I did with CoT?
- 30/03/2010 12:03:48 AM
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Re: Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was
- 29/03/2010 04:32:23 PM
2626 Views
Might want to re-read their Wikis again.
- 29/03/2010 07:07:11 PM
2447 Views
Awards
- 29/03/2010 07:42:03 PM
2401 Views
That link is out of date
- 29/03/2010 07:54:56 PM
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Re: That link is out of date
- 29/03/2010 08:22:03 PM
2554 Views
This is a battle of win/lose?
- 29/03/2010 08:47:54 PM
2422 Views
Re: This is a battle of win/lose?
- 29/03/2010 09:03:07 PM
2474 Views
*considers employing the Chewbacca defense*
- 29/03/2010 09:28:06 PM
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Re: *considers employing the Chewbacca defense*
- 29/03/2010 09:44:58 PM
2644 Views
The final point explains the "defense"
- 30/03/2010 12:24:56 AM
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Re: The final point explains the "defense"
- 30/03/2010 01:33:04 PM
2323 Views
No, no, no
- 30/03/2010 06:38:41 PM
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Re: No, no, no
- 30/03/2010 07:51:34 PM
2501 Views
Still continuing, huh?
- 31/03/2010 02:10:13 AM
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Re: Still continuing, huh?
- 31/03/2010 03:56:57 PM
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He's now reviewed the third book
- 26/03/2010 12:27:16 PM
2648 Views
Well, this time I must disagree with him
.
- 29/03/2010 07:31:40 AM
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.
- 29/03/2010 07:31:40 AM
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I don't think he was claiming that RJ was alone in doing that
- 29/03/2010 07:44:07 AM
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Hah!
- 29/03/2010 06:07:28 PM
2376 Views
Well...
- 29/03/2010 06:52:10 PM
2301 Views
Differing perspectives, I guess.
- 29/03/2010 07:58:13 PM
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I suppose
- 29/03/2010 08:50:43 PM
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Re: I suppose
- 30/03/2010 12:18:30 AM
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Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue?
- 30/03/2010 12:52:01 AM
2373 Views
Re: Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue?
- 30/03/2010 07:45:08 AM
2550 Views
But why only them?
- 30/03/2010 08:07:00 AM
2452 Views
The Shadow Rising review
- 02/04/2010 09:42:53 AM
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I wonder if this borders on trolling
- 02/04/2010 02:29:58 PM
11191 Views
That would be a mistake
- 02/04/2010 09:16:25 PM
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Re: That would be a mistake
- 02/04/2010 10:28:56 PM
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I agree, Roberts is more and more coming across to me as just bitter
- 10/04/2010 01:24:52 AM
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Little late to this one as well
- 10/04/2010 11:12:04 AM
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Perhaps you should have led with this bit
- 10/04/2010 02:52:23 PM
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I guess I just presumed that people would read the header to his blog
- 12/04/2010 03:54:10 AM
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- 12/04/2010 03:54:10 AM
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What review? I couldn't find one...
- 02/04/2010 08:00:45 PM
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Re: What review? I couldn't find one...
- 02/04/2010 09:22:13 PM
2614 Views
See my comment below
- 02/04/2010 09:32:54 PM
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Re: See my comment below
- 03/04/2010 09:31:22 AM
3018 Views
Sorry I'm late in responding, but I've been quite busy this week
- 07/04/2010 09:45:48 PM
2872 Views
Speaking of irritation
- 02/04/2010 10:50:04 PM
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To be fair, even among the RaFOers there have been tons of posts that missed certain events
- 09/04/2010 03:47:30 PM
2486 Views
Commentary, then?
- 02/04/2010 09:27:18 PM
2454 Views
- 02/04/2010 09:27:18 PM
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Here's the thing...
- 02/04/2010 10:11:18 PM
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Re: Here's the thing...
- 02/04/2010 10:31:56 PM
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Re: Commentary, then?
- 05/04/2010 03:44:07 PM
2364 Views
- 05/04/2010 03:44:07 PM
2364 Views
for a man that bitterly complains about an author who is padding his work
- 08/04/2010 09:41:07 PM
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1400 words is long-winded?
- 09/04/2010 10:07:41 AM
2631 Views
- 09/04/2010 10:07:41 AM
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since you can sum up those 1400 words in about 25 yes that's longwinded
- 09/04/2010 01:36:16 PM
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Except I didn't really sum it up, as I left out quite a bit
- 10/04/2010 11:15:42 AM
2528 Views
You are very defensive over this
- 10/04/2010 01:54:15 PM
2329 Views
Nah, more of a devil's advocate than anything else
- 12/04/2010 03:57:12 AM
2382 Views
Well Larry I have started reading Gradsil by Adam Roberts
- 07/04/2010 08:59:28 PM
2556 Views
I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes!
- 07/04/2010 09:50:39 PM
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Re: I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes!
- 08/04/2010 01:06:20 PM
2306 Views
Which Invisible Man?
- 09/04/2010 09:58:44 AM
2513 Views
He brings up some interesting points, if in an unnecessarily rude manner
- 08/04/2010 12:42:25 PM
2435 Views
To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 09/04/2010 10:05:49 AM
2467 Views
- 09/04/2010 10:05:49 AM
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Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 09/04/2010 01:28:17 PM
2995 Views
- 09/04/2010 01:28:17 PM
2995 Views
Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 10/04/2010 11:40:22 AM
2472 Views
- 10/04/2010 11:40:22 AM
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why are you so bothered by people being unimpressed with Roberts?
- 10/04/2010 02:19:08 PM
2463 Views
Not bothered as much as I am bemused by the ad hominems, to be honest
- 12/04/2010 04:11:12 AM
2767 Views
And in vol. 5, Roberts discovers the horrors of the circus
- 09/04/2010 09:57:03 AM
2436 Views
Basically he just states the "nothing happens"-argument...
- 09/04/2010 03:26:02 PM
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Well, what was really resolved here?
- 10/04/2010 11:25:25 AM
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Well...
- 12/04/2010 05:05:20 PM
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So very little was resolved and much was set into motion, then?
- 12/04/2010 06:55:45 PM
2510 Views
Yes...
- 12/04/2010 10:51:08 PM
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Ever read Umberto Eco's How To Travel with a Salmon?
- 12/04/2010 11:07:19 PM
2588 Views
I guess...
- 13/04/2010 10:03:03 AM
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Sounds like you value prolixity for the sake of prolixity, to be honest
- 13/04/2010 04:41:07 PM
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Nah...
- 13/04/2010 05:29:34 PM
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He's read and enjoyed Proust, among others
- 13/04/2010 07:37:39 PM
2375 Views
Ah, well...
- 13/04/2010 09:45:45 PM
2290 Views
Dismissive, much?
- 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM
2494 Views
- 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM
2494 Views
About that bifurcation...
- 14/04/2010 02:02:15 AM
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Sorry that I was busy yesterday and didn't have a chance to reply until now
- 15/04/2010 01:46:54 PM
2584 Views
I'm sorry, but he's totally right. "The Circus" made me put down this series for 5 YEARS.
- 09/04/2010 03:38:16 PM
2452 Views
Lord of Chaos commentary
- 16/04/2010 03:39:39 PM
2428 Views
No no. It was Lord of Heaven!
- 16/04/2010 05:51:11 PM
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Yeah, I noticed that
- 16/04/2010 11:16:26 PM
2246 Views
- 16/04/2010 11:16:26 PM
2246 Views
I would love the see him review Goodkind...
- 16/04/2010 11:51:07 PM
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I don't wish that on anyone who doesn't have copious amounts of alcohol
- 16/04/2010 11:57:41 PM
2377 Views
A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn?
- 23/04/2010 08:36:17 AM
2492 Views
Re: A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn?
- 29/04/2010 06:02:28 PM
2438 Views
I disagree
- 29/04/2010 09:34:49 PM
2262 Views
The Path of Daggers commentary
- 07/05/2010 10:39:03 AM
2583 Views
Winter's Heart
- 21/05/2010 12:46:14 PM
2564 Views
I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read
- 21/05/2010 04:49:31 PM
2418 Views
Re: I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read
- 25/05/2010 05:05:09 PM
2564 Views
WH was my least favorite novel in the series, and that is saying a lot.
- 28/05/2010 03:15:13 PM
2397 Views
I completely agree with his KoD post. Here is my favorite quote:
- 28/05/2010 03:08:31 PM
2739 Views
Roberts reflects back on WoT 1-11, with answers to questions asked of him
- 25/06/2010 12:51:29 PM
2547 Views
This guy should be burned at the stake
- 25/06/2010 03:22:34 PM
10032 Views
Are you done making a fool out of yourself, Mark?
- 26/06/2010 06:53:37 PM
2468 Views
Oh come on...
- 26/06/2010 09:06:01 PM
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Well, the burning at the stake was a bit much...
- 26/06/2010 10:19:40 PM
2535 Views
Well, really! You brought the comment to his notice...
- 26/06/2010 11:34:08 PM
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And your point is...?
- 27/06/2010 12:37:00 AM
2564 Views
Well...
- 27/06/2010 05:38:12 AM
2493 Views
Indeed... I think it's rather clear that Larry's goal has been to cause trouble
- 27/06/2010 10:57:36 AM
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It's not about honour being beschmirched. It's about poor quality arguments. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 04:09:23 PM
1406 Views
One year later...
- 27/03/2011 03:40:29 AM
2370 Views
Re: One year later...
- 28/03/2011 05:03:32 PM
2614 Views
I see you subconsciously support critical takes.
- 28/03/2011 11:41:48 PM
2593 Views
No I conciously support telling you and him that you are pathetic, arrogent, & jelous. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 01:40:36 PM
1442 Views
Jealous?
- 30/03/2011 05:20:32 PM
2385 Views
You both are jelous of Jordan's tremendous succes.
- 30/03/2011 10:27:36 PM
2387 Views
Please learn how to spell the word "jealous" before tossing it about in the cavalier fashion you do
- 30/03/2011 10:54:36 PM
2414 Views
The fact that you teach is supposed to be a surprise?
- 31/03/2011 01:23:45 PM
2329 Views
After reading the standard-issue checklist of generic, tossabout pejoratives...
- 01/04/2011 03:06:18 PM
2486 Views
I agree, I didn't even notice it was an old post, definitely did not deserve to be revived. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 02:41:12 PM
1360 Views
Now I notice as well that this is a year old. You're very silly, Larry, very silly. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 04:13:38 PM
1479 Views
Yep!
- 30/03/2011 05:16:38 PM
2312 Views
- 30/03/2011 05:16:38 PM
2312 Views
He's not an "author", he's just a stupid troll, do not feed him *NM*
- 30/03/2011 02:39:19 PM
1372 Views

