MobileRead Forums
Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > General Discussions
Reload this Page Why the rash of "Epic Stories"?

Notices

Reply
Page 1 of 2 1 2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 10-06-2012, 01:28 PM   #1
corroonb
Groupie
corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
corroonb's Avatar
 
Posts: 155
Karma: 1012609
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Ireland
Device: Sony Reader PRS-505, Kobo eReader Touch
Why the rash of "Epic Stories"?
Has anyone noticed that it is now obligatory for a history book to have a title that includes "the Epic Story"? Usually this is a subtitle. For example this is from a search on Amazon uk:


America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation
Coral Sea Story: An epic tale of adventure on the Queensland frontier
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon
The Fourth Part of the World: The Epic Story of History's Greatest Map
The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth
Chasing the Sun: The Epic Story of the Star That Gives Us Life
Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy and the Birth of Democracy
Epic: The Epic Story of Epic Stories

and so on. That last one is a joke.

Is this just a fad or are writers/publishers so bereft of imagination that epic is the only word they have to describe how awesome their "story" is?

Of course this is not a majority of history books but it's something that's irritated me more and more lately. Are these really all epic?
Last edited by corroonb; 10-06-2012 at 01:32 PM.
corroonb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2012, 05:44 PM   #2
Jozawun
Evangelist
Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jozawun ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Jozawun's Avatar
 
Posts: 471
Karma: 1578374
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Device: Cybook Gen 3, Pocketbook 902, Sony 650
They use "epic" because it takes less space than "magnificent, sweeping, grandeur".
__________________
Then he waited, marshaling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next.
But he would think of something.
Jozawun is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Enthusiast
Old 10-06-2012, 06:23 PM   #3
theducks
Staff to 4 Cats
theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.theducks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
theducks's Avatar
 
Posts: 10,690
Karma: 2485828
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The (original) Silicon Valley, USA
Device: Galaxy Tab 2,Black Astak PEz, K4NT(now Wifes)
Just a cycle

in the 1950's they had all those Epic Movies
Cleopatra, Spartacus, Jason and the Argonauts, How the West was Won ...
__________________
Using: Ubuntu(32 bit):Oneric,Precise and XPpro SP3, W7HP(64)- - Libre Office w/Writer2EPUB
theducks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2012, 09:05 PM   #4
Freeshadow
temp. out of service
Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Freeshadow ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 1,980
Karma: 10577116
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Duisburg (DE)
Device: BeBook mini
Marketing strategy.
Just because "Epic Story of Crapball" sounds better than "How doggy-like 'get the ball' with humans keep the masses happy, or 'panem et circenses' in a nutshell"
__________________
  • The reason for having edited one of my posts is a typo unless explicitly stated otherwise.
  • As I am not a native (english) speaker feel free to correct my usage of idioms and expressions, as improvement in eloquence is taken as a gift.
Freeshadow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-07-2012, 08:25 AM   #5
teh603
Snarky Snark
teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.teh603 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
teh603's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,033
Karma: 5484885
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Coastal Texas
Device: Asus TF300
"Epic" is a flavor of the month word, just like "fever" around 1980. It'll be gone in a few years, just like Bjork and Leonardo di Caprio.
__________________
My writings:
teh603 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-07-2012, 08:37 AM   #6
spindlegirl
Grand Scheme of Things
spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
spindlegirl's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,214
Karma: 9838441
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Near a Tim Hortons, most likely.
Device: Sony PRS-T2 (Black)
Title colon subtitle seems to be a way books are marketed.

Buying Purses: Why handbags, purses, and knapsacks are a Fashion Statement in Today's World and What we can Do about it. (I made that title up, obviously)

Here is a funny blog post about it.
spindlegirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-07-2012, 08:43 AM   #7
corroonb
Groupie
corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.corroonb ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
corroonb's Avatar
 
Posts: 155
Karma: 1012609
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Ireland
Device: Sony Reader PRS-505, Kobo eReader Touch
Quote:
Originally Posted by spindlegirl View Post
Title colon subtitle seems to be a way books are marketed.

Buying Purses: Why handbags, purses, and knapsacks are a Fashion Statement in Today's World and What we can Do about it. (I made that title up, obviously)

Here is a funny blog post about it.
That is a funny blog post and pretty much reflects my feeling about this. Thanks.
corroonb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 04:20 PM   #8
morriss003
Addict
morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.morriss003 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
morriss003's Avatar
 
Posts: 394
Karma: 3042018
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Maui
Device: kindle
Now here is an excellent reason for a MR poll. What should be the next "epic" word? Suggestions, anyone?
(BTW, I was crushed to read that "Epic: The Epic Story of Epic Stories" was a joke)
__________________
"Kids do not appreciate subtlety in adults when they are trying to understand something." Stan Morris
Books: Surviving the Fog, Surviving the Fog-Kathy's Recollections, Sam's Winnings, Kate's Movie Star, Amy's Hero, Sarah's Spaceship Adventure, and The Colors of Passion and Love.
morriss003 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-09-2012, 04:29 PM   #9
Andrew H.
Grand Master of Flowers
Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 2,047
Karma: 5807648
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Naptown
Device: Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)
It's not a *real* epic unless it begins in medias res and has a trip to the underworld.
__________________
Oceania: We Have Always Required Books From the Eurasian E-Bookstore to Be Sold Through Our In-App Purchasing System - John Gruber
Andrew H. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2012, 11:34 PM   #10
Lemurion
eReader
Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Lemurion ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Lemurion's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,171
Karma: 2352354
Join Date: Aug 2007
Device: Sony PRS-505 (Blue), Droid 1, Nook Color (CM7), iPhone 3GS, Acer A700
It's not a real epic unless Leonardo di Crappio dies.
__________________
A thief, a warrior, a wizard, two warring prophecies; they all come together in Amadar. Available now on Amazon; coming soon to Smashwords and others.
Lemurion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2012, 01:08 PM   #11
BenG
Wizard
BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BenG ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
BenG's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,185
Karma: 39680909
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: The Triad
Device: Paperwhite
I came across this one today. Two colons!

Game Six: Cincinnati, Boston, and the 1975 World Series: The Triumph of America's Pastime by Mark Frost

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-me...m_aya_bb_lists
__________________
Ben

Mockingbird by Walter Tevis
BenG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2012, 02:18 PM   #12
spindlegirl
Grand Scheme of Things
spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.spindlegirl ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
spindlegirl's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,214
Karma: 9838441
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Near a Tim Hortons, most likely.
Device: Sony PRS-T2 (Black)
Quote:
Originally Posted by BenG View Post
I came across this one today. Two colons!

Game Six: Cincinnati, Boston, and the 1975 World Series: The Triumph of America's Pastime by Mark Frost

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-me...m_aya_bb_lists
haha!
spindlegirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2012, 02:26 PM   #13
RainingLemur
Spork Connoisseur
RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RainingLemur ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
RainingLemur's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,360
Karma: 16780603
Join Date: Mar 2011
Device: Nook Color
It's just one of those fads that has leaked into a lot of things these days. Everything is epic, it seems. Or, at least has the potential to be. It'll pass. Hopefully.
__________________
"Can't judge a book by another man's treasure."
RainingLemur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2012, 02:43 PM   #14
Apache
Readaholic
Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Apache ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Apache's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,596
Karma: 25782130
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: South Georgia
Device: Nook Color / Nook HD+
I need to use the restroom for an epic.........................
Apache
Apache is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2012, 05:22 PM   #15
Andrew H.
Grand Master of Flowers
Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Andrew H. ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 2,047
Karma: 5807648
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Naptown
Device: Kindle 3 (aka Keyboard), iPhone, iPad 3 (not for reading)
Quote:
Originally Posted by RainingLemur View Post
It's just one of those fads that has leaked into a lot of things these days. Everything is epic, it seems. Or, at least has the potential to be. It'll pass. Hopefully.
Didn't everything use to be awesome?
__________________
Oceania: We Have Always Required Books From the Eurasian E-Bookstore to Be Sold Through Our In-App Purchasing System - John Gruber
Andrew H. is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 1 of 2 1 2

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Deal: "The Curse of Chalion" $0.99 Epic Fantasy (Kindle/Nook/Kobo/Sony) Andreiuta Deals, Freebies, and Resources (No Self-Promotion) 8 03-16-2012 07:45 AM
New Epic Fantasy, "A Tide of Shadows" by Tom Bielawski tombielawski Author Self-Promotions 2 12-02-2011 10:02 AM
"The Sword and the Dragon" by M.R. Mathias a 700+pg epic fantasy w/100k word preview M. R. Mathias Author Self-Promotions 32 09-21-2010 07:29 AM
New Short Story Release: "4 Stories Down, 4 Stories Up" by Sara Elizabeth UntreedReads Author Self-Promotions 0 07-07-2010 11:47 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:44 AM.

Contact Us - FAQ - Guidelines - Privacy - Archive - Top

MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.