The Old Bleak

[mindstalk]

Who's more depressing, GRRM or Robin Hobb?

Comments

[phoenix-hawk.livejournal.com]

Having read both: Martin. Definitely Martin. (don't get me wrong, Hobb makes me a weepy lad, but my favorite series finished off a wee bit happier than expected).

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

I don't know (haven't read that much Hobb, but Lindholm was very depressing-- see especially Cloven Hooves), but the question made me laugh.

[pandawife-a.livejournal.com]

Martin, by roughly infinite miles. Though I must say, I am pleased that Martin doesn't shy away from the atrocities perpetrated, in wars or by evil people. Makes it wholesomely realistic, in an extremely depressing way.

Hobb can be sad-making, but there always seems to be something forgiving, or redeeming, the sad situation.

[tempter.livejournal.com]

I haven't read Hobb, but Joe Abercrombie's stuff (The Blade Itself books) is also pretty grim.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Actually read the first one of those, lent to me by lj:akashiver. I don't remember exactly what happened but yeah, I vaguely remember grim plot. Also a setting that needed to be cleansed with fire.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

It doesn't help that I accidentally started reading book 3 after book 1, so I went from "things are sad but looking up" to "flashback to how things went horribly wrong". Bit confusing and really dark. I've switched to book 2, to see how things will go horribly wrong.

Though there's one bright spot: it now seems as if a canine might survive for an entire book!

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

The description of Martin made me think of someone else, though I forget whom. Not Glen Cook, who does mention it in having his narrator acknowledge that he mostly doesn't mention what his mercenary brethren get up to. Though there's a rescue from what the other side -- sort of -- is doing.

Oh! 1632. West Virginia town catapulted into the Thirty Years War. Beginning is fairly graphic in what the locals are doing, or willing to do. So far the Americans are taking the high road.

heh.

[phoenix-hawk.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about the accidental spoilers in book 3. Watching book two come crashing down was one of the really big "Oh shit!" moments for me in reading.

Without intending to spoil anything more, I suggest you take a look at a future series she wrote after you finish these three books.

Fitzschivalry is by far one of the most compelling characters I've read. Unfortunately, a fuller discussion of this will have to wait until after book 3...

Re: heh.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

I've heard of a couple later series. But I still have to finish this one.

He is fairly good, though not better IMO than Bujold, Pratchett, or Hodgell characters.