Comments on: The ties that bind http://www.pensandswords.com/2008/06/24/the-ties-that-bind/ Talking shop with fantasy fiction author Kameron M. Franklin Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:15:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Wan http://www.pensandswords.com/2008/06/24/the-ties-that-bind/comment-page-1/#comment-18104 Wan Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:02:54 +0000 http://www.pensandswords.com/?p=454#comment-18104 There is a lot of truth to what you say. I still wish I could find more stories about Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. Those were my favorite books in my teen years. I fell in love with David Eddings books for the same reason. I love the characters and the setting. The true test of that sentiment was when he rewrote the exact same story from the viewpoint of Belgarath and Polgara. Yes, there were some additional elements to the story, but the real meat in those books was the insight into the depths of these characters. That's when you know you have a success. MY favorite stories have always been those written in such a way that I really get to know the characters. That said, I think your take on the Chronicles of Jord shows promise. A land can have a character all its own regardless of the individual characters that flow through it. Perhaps George R.R. Martin is the best example of this approach. He regularly kills off his main characters, but the story setting is so compelling that the reader can grieve their loss and not lose connection with the story. There is a lot of truth to what you say. I still wish I could find more stories about Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. Those were my favorite books in my teen years. I fell in love with David Eddings books for the same reason. I love the characters and the setting. The true test of that sentiment was when he rewrote the exact same story from the viewpoint of Belgarath and Polgara. Yes, there were some additional elements to the story, but the real meat in those books was the insight into the depths of these characters. That’s when you know you have a success.

MY favorite stories have always been those written in such a way that I really get to know the characters.

That said, I think your take on the Chronicles of Jord shows promise. A land can have a character all its own regardless of the individual characters that flow through it. Perhaps George R.R. Martin is the best example of this approach. He regularly kills off his main characters, but the story setting is so compelling that the reader can grieve their loss and not lose connection with the story.

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