Writer most similar to Joe Abercrombie?

**hawkeyye** · September 8th, 2010, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by MattNY

Agreed, that was my hope when I checked it the first time as well.

I agree as well, though I have only read a sample of Erikson. I got through about the first hundred pages of Gardens of the Moon and decided that while I didn't hate it, I was not in the mood for it currently. I plan on going back, but the writing style that I noticed of Erikson's is completely different than Abercrombie's.

I think the difference is that Joe's style is much more personal. I felt like I knew Logen and Glokta and Dogman, etc. I never felt like I knew Quick Ben and cast. Makes the books much more emotional for me.

**Ornery Wyvern** · September 8th, 2010, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by MattNY

I agree as well, though I have only read a sample of Erikson. I got through about the first hundred pages of Gardens of the Moon and decided that while I didn't hate it, I was not in the mood for it currently. I plan on going back, but the writing style that I noticed of Erikson's is completely different than Abercrombie's.

Personally - to go a little off topic - I found that Gardens of the Moon rallied astonishingly in the second half for me, I felt like I was floundering in the first half of the book, but the second half was highly entertaining. I've only read the first 2 books, but will read the rest, not a favorite but definitely a writer I enjoy, and I can understand the ardor of many here.

**mickyg** · September 8th, 2010, 06:33 PM

Cooks Garrett series is good too - less epic than the Black Company and more character focused (if possible).

**jamieem** · September 9th, 2010, 04:04 AM

Originally Posted by Stromkern

And it is extremely annoying, especially to people like me with understanding of slavic languages.

Jesus...

.

**Seegee** · September 9th, 2010, 05:09 AM

Originally Posted by mickyg

Cooks Garrett series is good too - less epic than the Black Company and more character focused (if possible).

I tried the Garrett's years ago, but couldn't get into them. I think they were kind of Raymond Chandler set in a fantasy world.

**hh2k3** · September 9th, 2010, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Seegee

I tried the Garrett's years ago, but couldn't get into them. I think they were kind of Raymond Chandler set in a fantasy world.

Yeah, those are the ones... those are great... the next one, Gilded Latten Bones, is due out Nov 2, 2010, according to Amazon...

(Latten is brass or tin in thin sheets, apparently... I almost never have to look stuff up, but that one I didn't know...)

HH

**bproven** · September 9th, 2010, 07:08 PM

You might like this (underappreciated IMO) book and series:

Heroes Die (Matthew Woodring Stover)

Yes, cheesy cover art but great story that has elements simliar to the The First Law series... Give it a shot.

**jamieem** · October 1st, 2010, 08:18 AM

Heh... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...M/joejesus.jpg

**farseer2** · October 1st, 2010, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Joe Abercrombie

My father, Nicholas Abercrombie, is quite similar to me. Same eyes. He's a sociologist, not a fantasy author, though, so his work is in a slightly different vein. You might enjoy Class Structure and Knowledge, though, or perhaps his Dominant Ideology Thesis.

Dominant Ideology Thesis? That sounds like one of R. Scott Bakker's books. Or was it The Thousandfold Thought?

Disclaimer: Bakker is also a very interesting writer, but not really similar to Joe Abercrombie.

Disclaimer 2: I know Bakker is not similar to Abercrombie because I just looked for their pictures using Google, and I was surprised to see that Abercrombie is a young man. Bakker is young too, but in Joe Abercrombie's case I was surprised because, for some reason, while reading his books I had imagined that he was a grumpy and sarcastic old fellow (kind of like Inquisitor Glotka). I don't know if he is grumpy and sarcastic, but he is not old...

**Stromkern** · October 1st, 2010, 04:28 PM

Actually, Glokta is about the same age as Joe in The First Law - middle thirties.

**Zach H.** · October 1st, 2010, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by bproven

You might like this (underappreciated IMO) book and series:

Heroes Die (Matthew Woodring Stover)

Definitely seconded. To me the First Law reads like Forgotten Realms compared to Caine. I rank Blade of Tyshalle as one of the best post-2000 releases. Stover is severely underrated.

**GleepWurp** · March 24th, 2011, 06:54 PM

Joe Abercrombie is definitely not overrated. The Heroes is a fabulous book.

If you like the dark cynicism, you should read some Stephen Donaldson.
If you like the Fantasy that is a little light on the magic, instead of being filled with wizards and such like, try Patrick Rothfuss.
If you like the realistic action.... that's harder.
For a mix of all three ... well that's what makes Joe Abercrombie such a revelation to some of us fans.

Joe. Please write more.

**Kruppe** · March 24th, 2011, 10:32 PM

He reminds me alot of David Gemmel...ie extremely violent with deep characterizations and the plot is simply a vehicle for even greater violence.

**Tragedy** · March 25th, 2011, 05:44 AM

Wasn't there some random guy on the interwebs posting about how "bad" nihilistic fantasy was? Abercrombie was mentioned and if I recall correctly, Erikson and Bakker too.

It was actually this that made me order all Abercrombies books ASAP:

"Think of a Lord of the Rings where, after stringing you along for thousands of pages, all of the hobbits end up dying of cancer contracted by their proximity to the Ring, Aragorn is revealed to be a buffoonish puppet-king of no honor and false might, and Gandalf no sooner celebrates the defeat of Sauron than he executes a long-held plot to become the new Dark Lord of Middle-earth, and you have some idea of what to expect should you descend into Abercrombie’s jaded literary sewer."

Here is the link to the article: http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lg...en-fantasists/

**thirstyVan** · March 25th, 2011, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by Tragedy

Wasn't there some random guy on the interwebs posting about how "bad" nihilistic fantasy was? Abercrombie was mentioned and if I recall correctly, Erikson and Bakker too.

It was actually this that made me order all Abercrombies books ASAP:

Here is the link to the article: http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lg...en-fantasists/

heh. that's a great description of Abercrombie's work, actually. When you look at it in that light, like an anti-LotR... It actually makes the ending of First Law seem a little better.

EDIT:

From the article,

"a conservative friend of mine once accurately derided “fat fantasy” cycles such as Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time as “Lord of the Rings 90210”"

That is HILARIOUS! Also, kind of true

EDIT 2:

the rest of that article is painful. Conservative bemoans deconstructionism, yearns for the "good old days", blames libs. I'm tempted to rant about Breibart, but that's not why we're here.