[saintjon]

I was reading through an old Martin thread and everyone's talking about how great it is to be surprised (Cadfael made a particularly strong statement IIRC).

So anyways I recently read God Emperor of Dune and can't help but feel like we're all becoming like Leto: weary of everything but surprises, which are to be cherished above all else.

Seems like a bit of an eye-opener, since it took Leto countless memories and a few thousand years of life to become bored with everything. Of course, fantasy reading is a bit narrower of a context than humanity's descent through the ages...


...


:confused:

[Cygnus]

I thought that my skin was starting to look rather leathery, and that I seem to be helplessly drawn to rythmic thumping (unfortunately, I hate techno music!).

I don't care about surprises so much as having a novel reading experience. I like an author to take me somewhere that I couldn't imagine on my own. When I get down, I do like to go to the kind of story that is more about comfort than plot twists. So I'd have to say that I'm less of a sandworm than you think! :)

[Bardos]

Bardos takes his sandworm form and dives into the dunes

Aaahhh, how refreshing!

:)


I wish I could make all these people STOP MOVING in my head. I try to write them down, to dispose of their wreched souls, but, every time I do, more appear. Aaaaarrrrghhh!!...

(:D)

[Kingslayer]

Well I'm just getting into fantasy so the 'sandworm' effect hasn't taken hold of me yet.To my young, inexperienced mind every other book is a surprise :)

[asimovian]

Bardos,

Bardos takes his sandworm form and dives into the dunes
Aaahhh, how refreshing!

Asimovian strolling by with his fishing rod in his hand, needing some bait : "Hey, that's a nice one !"

[Cadfael]

I still feel the same...

It was so totally unexpected the ending to 'A Game Of Thrones'... that I really expected Martin to put it right in book two!!! :D However... this is now the norm with Martin... so maybe the sandworm effect is taking over here too. :( But I still feel it is one of the best works of fantasy.

Not wanting to sound like an old git (<= I wait with baited breath for responses), I am now 44 and have been reading fantasy since I was about 14.. so not a lot does surprise me... but some of the more recent works have... and thank god for that!

[saintjon]

Wow, so you've been reading for thirty years and you're only just lately being surprised? That's quite a long haul.

I try to protect myself from the "Leto effect" by not trying to guess what's going to happen next, just take it as it comes. Some people (IIRC) thought Wheel of Time was predictable but I was surprised a few times.

Also Donaldson really blindsided me with that whole Lena thing. Gaiman's good for a surprise too (or at least a different spin on things!!)

On the other hand, even approaching a book in this mindset, sometimes things are so obvious you can't help but know what's going to happen. Those are the authors who usually get a rating of: GROAN.

(P.S. when I first read it I was quite surprised at some of the events in the latter parts of Lord of the Rings)

[Killer Chicken]

When I read a novel I tend to have a tablet of paper and at the end of every chapter I write down my thoughts about what is going to happen and what has happened. Usually my predictions for the future are very close to being correct. But when I find those books where I have nothing written on my tablet like what really happens, I cherish them. It is how I judge creativity.

[kegasaurus]

When you live your life without hope and expectation, then you find yourself surprised every day and with every book you read. If you want more surprises then give up on everything. Life becoems more pleasent this way.

[Cadfael]

Wow, so you've been reading for thirty years and you're only just lately being surprised? That's quite a long haul.


As I have said before... 30 years ago, the genre was so predicatable, but not all of the books, I have to say... Donaldson was a notible exception... but nearly all of the books followed the classic fantasy formula. It is only in the last 5 or so years that the old rules are being broken... or re-written. Hobb, Martin, Barclay and even Jordan to a certain extent, are trying new things... and it is refreshing.