Which novel series do you think has the most readers?

I'm not sure.. I get all my informnation from Salvatore himself.

 

While I'm a major Star Wars Fan and I'd like to think Star Wars has the most readers, I'm afraid I just can't go with what I'd like to think. My gut tells me that more folks read Tolkien's books than any of the Star Wars books.

 

Ludicrous: Do you exchange emails with him or something?

 

From R.A. Salvatore's website:

LOS ANGELES, March 20 -- Fireworks Television, a division of Fireworks Entertainment, has reached an agreement with R.A. Salvatore whereby The New York Times best-selling author of more than thirty books will write the format for the new television series FORGOTTEN REALMS. Through a recent licensing agreement with Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), the live action series being developed by Fireworks Television is based on the popular Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game setting and novels (several of which have been authored by Mr. Salvatore) from Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro.

Mr. Salvatore has become one of the most important figures in modern epic fantasy.

In fact, his novels have sold in excess of six million copies in the United States alone. The Halfling's Gem, a FORGOTTEN REALMS novel and his third book, was the first to make The New York Times bestseller list. Mr. Salvatore, who is currently working on the film novelization of STAR WARS: Episode II, is also the author of The New York Times bestseller STAR WARS: New Jedi Order: Vector Prime.

"It will be an honor to work with R.A. Salvatore on a project embracing the hugely popular FORGOTTEN REALMS properties. Mr. Salvatore's fertile imagination coupled with his intimate knowledge and passion for the plots and characters of this fantasy world will allow Fireworks Television to create a series that will have great appeal with its fans from around the world," said Daniel Tibbets, Vice President of Fireworks Television.

Remarked Mr. Salvatore, "I am very excited about the opportunity to join with the team at Fireworks Television to bring the stories from FORGOTTEN REALMS to life for what we anticipate will be a global viewing audience. As a writer, it will be very rewarding for me to find new ways to tell these tales about the FORGOTTEN REALMS."

The FORGOTTEN REALMS property is based on the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS role-playing game by Hasbro's WIZARDS OF THE COAST subsidiary. WIZARDS OF THE COAST and the Hasbro Properties Group, the Company's intellectual property development arm, will work with Fireworks Television to develop story lines for the television series.

Already a worldwide success with over 150 novels, many of which are featured on the The New York Times bestseller's list, and 100 game books available, FORGOTTEN REALMS is a magical, medieval world in which wizards, sorcerers, druids and heroes wield their various magic skills on adventures that take them to deserts, forests, mountains, bustling cities and new continents.

Fireworks Entertainment is a subsidiary of CanWest Entertainment, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp., and is one of Canada's largest and fastest growing entertainment companies. Headquartered in Toronto and operating internationally with offices in Los Angeles, London and Dublin, Fireworks develops, produces, acquires and distributes an extensive slate of feature films and television programs throughout the world.

The Fireworks library includes the action/adventure series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda and Mutant X, both produced in association with Tribune Entertainment, Relic Hunter, starring Tia Carrere, the children's programs 100 Deed for Eddie McDowd and Caitlin's Way, both for Nickelodeon and the upcoming mini-series produced with Miramax, A Wrinkle in Time.

Fireworks feature films include Rat Race, starring an ensemble cast of John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson and Cuba Gooding Jr., Who is Cletis Tout?, starring Tim Allen and Christian Slater, Hardball starring Keanu Reeves, and the award winning films The Believer, and An American Rhapsody. For more information on Fireworks Entertainment, please visit the company's web site at www.watchfireworks.com.

CanWest Global Communications Corp. (NYSE: CWG; TSE: CGS.S and CGS.A; www.canwestglobal.com), is an international media company. CanWest, now Canada's largest publisher of daily newspapers, owns, operates and/or holds substantial interests in newspapers, conventional television, out

 

indeed I do, Valyn, and I believe I am not alone on these boards to do so.

 

Probably not. Though you do have to thank you for getting various authors to join us. Doesn't surprise me that you may talk to any of them via e-mail.

 

I'm wary of the Forgotten Realms TV show. It's being made by the same people who brought us "Andromeda" and "Beastmaster."
Heaven help us.

 

IATDS: Thanks for the info.

So, is there a lot of hype surrounding this TV series?
I think it might be cool if it were done with computer animation as opposed to live action.

Ludicrous: Is it possible for me to attain his email address, as well? I'm going to guess that he doesn't give it out the public--only to a privileged few?

I went to rasalvatore.com and wandered about for a while, but I was unable to locate his email addy.

 

BitterPower I don't agree with you. To me both Andromeda and Beastmaster are very well done shows. I don't watch a lot of Beastmaster but Andromeda is one of my favorites. I just wish they changed the current opening back to the first one. Still I hope they are able to pull of the special effects for this show. That will really make or break this type of TV series. The acting doesn't have to oscar quality but at least decent but if the scenary looks like crap then is all downhill.

 

I just think that those shows are inferior to other Sci-Fi shows like B5 or Star Trek (Yes, I'm a Star Trek fan too. Not so much anymore though. Can't we all just get along?)
I may be a bit biased though. I was living in Germany at the time Andromeda came on the air, and as good as AFN and AFRTS are, they aren't as up to date as I would like (I'm 2 seasons behind in the X-Files {Mulder left?}).
Speaking of scenery, do all shows have to be filmed in the same part of New Zealand? I mean, LotR went places.

 

True they aren't as good or on the same level as B5 or Star Trek but they are still good. If they had bigger budgets or near the size of what Star Trek I sure they could have done better. Oh well. I do agree I wish shows would go to different places to film but that all comes down to budget. If you can get different scenes in on area and still have money for other things to then go for it. Its better then going some place else and then running out of money, getting the wrong shot and having days of fotage worth nothing, needing more money to go back and refilm, etc.. You would never get a TV show(if done on a week by week basis) done if you traveled around like that. A mini-series could get away with it though becuase of a larger budget. It all comes down to money in the end. Doesn't it always.

I agree that "bestselling book" doesn't mean that the book is of great or even good quality. I thought that was included but that was before I read some of the books that were labeled as "bestseller".

 

Let's hope Forgotten Realms TV does not =

[image=http://www.yesterdayland.com/images/popopedia/shows/primetime/pt1391.jpg]

 

What's wrong with [image=http://www.yesterdayland.com/images/popopedia/shows/primetime/pt1391.jpg] ?

 

Xanth

 

Gandolf,
Do you mean aside from being horribly cheesy and not at all funny? Granted, I haven't really seen the show in two decades, but I knew it sucked when I was like 11.

To its credit, I do remember two things from it...
1. There was some "bottomless pit," which someone fell down. He was like "Aaaaaaaahhhh..." *smack* He hit something. Then "Aaaaaaahhhh..." *smack* He hits something else. Then Aaaaaahhhhh..." *smack* He hits something else. It went on like that for a while.
2. In an unbelieveable display of special-effects wizardry ( ), they fight an "invisible" dragon. State of the art of special effects in the early 80's - there actually wasn't anything there.

So, I guess the fact that I remember anything about a show from the early 80's that I don't think lasted a whole season shows that it must have had something going for it.

But, then again, I'm also a believer that there should be a "Nightengales" channel. Or at least someone needs to make a show which ressurects scenes with hot nurses in their underwear opening each show. I look for Fox to make a remake of it any moment now.

 

1. There was some "bottomless pit," which someone fell down. He was like "Aaaaaaaahhhh..." *smack* He hit something. Then "Aaaaaaahhhh..." *smack* He hits something else. Then Aaaaaahhhhh..." *smack* He hits something else. It went on like that for a while.

Sweet! Are they're video clips of this available anywhere to download?

 

Has anyone ever read David Gemmell's Drenai novels?

 

I've read most of 'em, and he's just contracted for three more.

 

IATDS: I've only read Winter Warriors, I'm afraid. I really liked it, but all the main characters died. So, I was left wondering if the books in the series even relate to one another...?

Is it possible for you give me a chronological list of them?

 

Off the top of my head, they were published in this order:

Legend
The King Beyond the Gate
Quest for Lost Heroes
Waylander
In the REalm of the Wolf
The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
The Legend of Deathwalker
Winter Warriors

However, they go in this order chronologically:

Waylander
In the Realm of the Wolf
The First Chronicles...
Legend of Deathwalker
Legend
The King Beyond the Gate
Quest for Lost Heroes
I'm not sure when Winter Warriors is set.

I seriously recommend reading them in pulblishing order, not chronological order.

Also, IMO in many ways his Rigante Epic is better than the Drenai Saga:
The Sword in the Storm
Midnight Falcon
Ravenheart
Stormrider

 

IATDS: I'll need to pick up one of these books when I'm done with Attack of the Clones!

Do you know if the Drenai novels relate to one another, though? Are the same characters used from book to book?

 

Waylander and In the Realm of the Wolf are about the same characters.

The First Chronicles..., Legend of Deathwalker, and Legend chronicle the life of Druss, and are way after the Waylander books.

The King Beyond the Gate is several generations after Legend

Still, I can't stress strongly enough, read Legend first and continue in publication order. The books are much better that way.

 

Gor

Have you ever seen all the Gorean chat rooms?? This is a phenomenom

 

Sure 'Nox, you like Legolas "because he's a good archer." Right....
So his pretty elf features have absolutely nothing to do with it?


One thing guys, why do you insist on finishing books if you don't like them? It's just a waste of your time. When I don't like a book, I don't convince myself it gets better. IMO, if it has a crappy first quarter, it's going to be crappy the whole way through. There's too much good stuff to read to waste time reading something you hate.

 

Tenel Ka: I usually finish crappy books because I paid for them! I really should visit the library more often, huh?

Splinter of the Mind's Eye is one of the few novels that I haven't finished. I just couldn't go through with it. And, if I can't go through with it, that's saying something!