Quote:
Originally Posted by ProfCrash
I get the feeling that Butcher has done the same thing with Dresden. I stopped reading them a few books ago because they had become so formulaic, Dresden learns for post mistakes, big bad guy shows up, Dreden worries about being strong enough, Dresden's friends come in and help booster his confidence/make him push himself to save them/goad him into doing something new, Dresden finds new way to tap into new powers/use old powers in a new way, Dresdne beats new dude and becomes more powerful. This scares the crap out of the council of Wizards. It has gotten old and I really think it is building in a really dangerous way
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So essentially, it's the same book over and over again.
I see that problem with a lot of fantasy. It's a difference if short, quite similar (in formula) books are written by many different authors, all focussing on a specific part of a much world (such as with Forgotten Realms), or if there are a lot of VERY LONG similar books written by the same author all taking place in the same world and to some extend, the same places.
That is one reason why I never started The Wheel of Time or The Sword of Truth series. What I've read about them is that they just seem to go on... and on.... and on... and you seem to suggest that this is the case with George R.R. Martin as well.
I like the trilogy concept much more, like Terry Brooks did with The Heritage of Shannara.
First book: Introduction, give 3 quests, and have Par find the Sword of Shannara.
Second book: Tell how Walker Boh becomes a Druid.
Third book: Tell how Wren finds the elves.
Fourth book: Tie it all together.
Of course, plot threats from the first book carry over to the second, and so on, and basically it's one story, just like Lord of the Rings; however, there is a beginning, and an end. (Obviously it does refer back to The Sword of Shannara, and to some distant past that wasn't written yet; to be revealed later in First King.)
Brooks carries on the same way with later trilogies; ultimately referring making references that made Word & Void look like "a world before Shannara", and even later, tying those two worlds together, creating a gigantic series.
Still, you can just pick any trilogy, and read it as a single big story without feeling lost. (At least, as far as I know.) I like that. It's the same in the Forgotten Realms: you can just pick any trilogy and read it, and thereby read a fantasy story. There will be references that are not explained (such as Drizzt saying "My time in Menzoberranzan..."), but that does not really matter.
So, I should scrap three big (Goodkind, Martin, and Jordan) fantasy authors from my to read list forever because of "Neverending Series" syndrome?