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Topic:
A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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droideka27
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
May '02
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Date Posted:
2/15/06 12:47pm
Subject:
A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
- Date Edited:
2/15/06 12:47pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
droideka27
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I first was introduced to Tad Williams through his Otherland series. I'm pretty sure I picked it up because I saw it on some list of popular Sci-Fi books or something. I have to say, the first book was really confusing for the first half, and I almost didn't get through it, but I sure am glad I did. The following three books of the series sucked me in and I raced through them. The Otherland series is set in the near future, and has a lot to do with the internet, that has now advanced to a world of incredible virtual reality. Otherland itself is a Virtual Reality world that has been created by the richest in society that can best be compared to quilt, or a checkerboard. The virtual reality world is made of of squares that are separated by rivers, and when you cross a river, suddenly you slip into the next virtual world. There are amazing worlds in here, from popular works of fiction, moments in history, or even things like a world where all humans are ant sized. While I think it is science fiction, so much of it takes place in the virtual reality worlds that it feels like fantasy. There are a lot of pages to get through, but it's well worth it.
I picked up the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn "trilogy" shortly after. And i really enjoyed it. It's a fantasy series, with a hero on a long treking journy and things like dragons and trolls, but the characters are great and I zipped right though them. I hope there are others here that have read these so we can get a discussion going! 
I just last week read War of the Flowers. I have to say, it was entertaining, but not something I'll ever reread. It was a fantasy with pixies and faries and goblins and such... a mortal loser guy transported into this world. Some really good characters, but overall parts were a bit predicatable, and that took away from the story for me.
But checking his website today i noticed he's got a new series coming out, called Shadowmarch. It looks pretty good, I'll probably get it when it is out. Like I need yet another series to get into
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Excellence
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
2/15/06 4:18pm
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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The Happiest Dead Boy in the World was one of the more interesting Legends 2 stories. Mystery until the end, even if you couldn't guess the cause of the disappearing woman, and it developed the idea of comuputerised birth, whether it eventuates into anything or not. I heard Otherworld was longer than it needed to be, though, with new advenutres doing the same escape-from-this-world throughout the books.
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CodeName_Targeter
Registered:
Nov '03
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Date Posted:
2/16/06 6:48am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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I've read Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. They're a pretty good read even if it did take me a little bit to get into them. The size of those books is a tad daunting. I rather enjoyed even if I did shout "I so knew that was going to happen!" after a few "events."
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JEDI-SOLO
Title: Former FanForce CR
Lafayette LA US
Registered:
Feb '02
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Date Posted:
2/16/06 10:46am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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I have everyone of these books including Shadowmarch but have never read them.
As a matter of fact I was just going to read the Dragonbone books but I decided to read The Second Chroncils of Thomas Covenant instead.
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Master of Ringthane
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Excellence
Registered:
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Date Posted:
2/16/06 8:17pm
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
- Date Edited:
2/16/06 8:22pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Excellence
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What's the verdict on Shadowmarch, which has a startling number of "similarities" to Game of Thrones?
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My utilisation of complex locution to ask what's more pathetic, fans who worship their
movie actors, or the actors who couldn't give a damn, is more a reflection of my own
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droideka27
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
May '02
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Date Posted:
3/27/06 12:12pm
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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So I picked up Tailchaser's song from the library this last weekend... it is about cats
Looks kind of weird but I thought I'd give it a try.
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JEDI-SOLO
Title: Former FanForce CR
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Date Posted:
4/25/06 12:38pm
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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Started reading Otherland yesterday.
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Master of Ringthane
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JEDI-SOLO
Title: Former FanForce CR
Lafayette LA US
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Feb '02
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Date Posted:
5/22/06 11:28am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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Well I finished the first book and now am on book two.
Book one was very good although at times I just couldn't get myself to read it. Sometimes the the chapters are just too damn long for certain characters(like Renie and Xabbu). Most of the time I could just really care less about the whole Bushman life style or Renies dealings. I just wanted to get back to Paul's chapters or Dreads.
I must say the last hundred pages was written great. I did not have a hard time reading the book then!
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droideka27
Title: Manager Emeritus
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May '02
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Date Posted:
5/22/06 10:42pm
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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Yeha otherland is pretty confusing and that makes it drag at times. I zipped through the last books though.
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JEDI-SOLO
Title: Former FanForce CR
Lafayette LA US
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Date Posted:
5/23/06 11:50am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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Out of the 4 which is your favorite?
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Master of Ringthane
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droideka27
Title: Manager Emeritus
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May '02
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Date Posted:
5/23/06 9:50pm
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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I think I enjoyed the last one the most, as everyone was pretty much together and the places they were and the thigns that were happening were pretty crazy. Plus everything is finally really explained!
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JEDI-SOLO
Title: Former FanForce CR
Lafayette LA US
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Date Posted:
6/28/06 11:23am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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Man I am having a tough time reading these books! I really like the story and characters alot but at times the book just seems to go on and on. I am still on book 2 and have been reading it for over a month now. That is not cool as I would usually be at least on book 3 by now if not book 4.
The thing is with these books I just sometimes do not want to read them. Like I said I like the story VERY much but for ex: When Orlando and Fredricks are stuck in the kitchen for over half the book it just drags and drags. I just want them to get out and go to a new place. As is sometimes how I feel about Renie and !Xabbu I like them but I hate the place they are in. It is just boring!
Actually Tad Willaims is reminding me more and more of Terry Brooks. Once again I love the story and all with his books but at times I just can't bear to read a chapter or even a page for days at a time. I have to wait for months and sometimes a year before I can bring myself around to reading one of his books.
I am fearing that is what is happening here. So far this series has WAY to many boring sections and it is really bringing it down for me. But I love the story. I am weird I guess.
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Master of Ringthane
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Jairen
Title: Manager Emeritus
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Sep '00
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Date Posted:
6/29/06 7:38pm
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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I love Tailchaser's Song, it is a superb read and really enojable throughout.
I read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, and was lucky enough to go to a singing 2 days after the third book was released. I had to have a chat with him separate to the others there because they hadn't finished it yet. He signed it "For Phill, who reads too fast" lol! But I loved that series as well.
I haven't been able to get into Otherland at all, so I've missed it for now. I have War Of The Flowers in my collection, but I'm just not feeling that either. I think that's more to do with my choice of setting, since Otherland and War of the Flowers have links to this world, wheras Memory, Sorrow and Thorn don't.
I also read Shadowmarch and really enjoyed it. Whilst there are some similarities between it and Game Of Thrones, it's only because there are similarities between most fantast fiction. Shadowmarch felt familiar, but original, to me when I read it, and I'm looking forward to Shadowplay, the second in the series. At least it doesn't appear to be a direct port of the War of the Roses (which Game of Thrones pretty much is - though I like that series too!)
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droideka27
Title: Manager Emeritus
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May '02
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Date Posted:
6/30/06 10:49am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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Honestly, with War Of The Flowers, you just need to skim along (if you are having difficulty) until he goes to their world. the story prior to that interested me very little, but i enjoyed it a lot once he got in there.
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khallandra
Registered:
Nov '04
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Date Posted:
7/12/06 1:32am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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I live War of the Flowers and adored Otherland series. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn sometimes was a little boggy but the entire story was good.
Shadowmarch was terrible though, it had all the boggy elements of MST and none of the light heartedness and fun of WotF & Otherland - it was a big dissapointment - glad I only borrowed it from the library rather than buy it.
Will I read its sequel though? Most definately - it might just pick up.
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JEDI-SOLO
Title: Former FanForce CR
Lafayette LA US
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Date Posted:
7/25/06 7:05am
Subject:
RE: A Tad Williams Discussion: "Otherland", "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", "War of the Flowers", etc
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I couldn't take it anymore I was on Book 3 and I had to put it down Way to boring for me. I will still try reading MS&T but it will be a long time down the road before I can stomach readind Williams again.
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Master of Ringthane
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