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So, you're right because you're right? fionwe1987 Send a noteboard - 28/12/2009 03:25:33 AM
Erikson has claimed Martin as an influence in some of his approach, but more in opening the door to certain types of characterization in the treatment of one's characters. In the same way, Bakker has claimed both Martin and Erikson as influences/ground breakers for they direction of fantasy in terms of style, approach, and tone.

Dunno about Bakker, but what kind of influence can Erikson claim about characterization? They're D&D cutouts, best depicted by their one line descriptions in his Dramatis Personae.
As the aim of these authors was to make a point about Martin's characterization and the impact it has had on the genre, they might have chosen a better example than Erikson to make their point.
As for Jordan, he developed one of the more entertaining fantasy series of the last 40 years. However, his characterizations are most often 'wafer thin' and extremely stereotypical of the genre.

And the example they used proved that? How is braid tugging even related to characterization? That's like saying a beautiful smile is "characterization".
And Nynaeve is not wafer thin. Are many of the tertiary characters, especially the Aes Sedai, thinly veiled variations of a prototype? Yes. Is that the attribute of the major characters and hence the series, not at all.
The setting is typical fantasy scape. I can quote dozens of fantasy worlds that have near identical set up, history, political situations. Sure, the details differ, but the underpinning themes and style is the same.

But they are not! Martin's pseudo-feudal society is far more common that RJ's regressing Renaissance era world. Not to mention the female dominated world and the far ranging consequences this has on Jordan's world. Hardly typical.
I don't understand why people try to make Jordan into a Master writer of some supreme Literature. He wrote a dang fine entertaining blockbuster... it's equivalent to a great popcorn flick. Enjoy it for what it is. Don't try to stretch it into what it isn't.

And I don't understand why self styled literary critics will insist that novels that are primarily entertaining cannot contains deeper themes and elements that deserve praise. No one is claiming Jordan is the second coming of Doestoevsky!
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Farah Mendlesohn and Edward James on RJ, Goodkind, and Martin - 07/12/2009 02:48:45 AM 1511 Views
Wow! I was completely wrong about Goodkind. - 07/12/2009 04:36:28 AM 631 Views
Re: Farah Mendlesohn and Edward James on RJ, Goodkind, and Martin - 07/12/2009 04:38:07 AM 636 Views
I suppose it all depends on what the purpose of their book is. - 07/12/2009 10:04:48 AM 567 Views
Overall, a valid assessment. - 07/12/2009 02:07:47 PM 599 Views
Nynaeve doesn't have red hair! She has brown hair! - 07/12/2009 09:29:07 PM 606 Views
She's not a priestess, either. Other than "red-haired priestess" the rest was 100% valid. - 08/12/2009 12:39:07 AM 597 Views
I mentioned her not being a priestess in my earlier post. - 09/12/2009 03:23:12 AM 574 Views
Don't you think that, if that were corrected, the entries would be pretty much valid? - 09/12/2009 09:12:55 PM 557 Views
Of course I do. *NM* - 08/01/2010 07:25:31 PM 259 Views
She's a priestess archetype, though. *NM* - 09/12/2009 09:43:50 PM 243 Views
Why wasn't I informed about the chipmunks? - 07/12/2009 11:56:51 PM 601 Views
But... it's the sweetest scene ever. - 08/12/2009 07:40:51 PM 599 Views
Agree for the most part. When does the book officially come out? - 08/12/2009 07:51:39 PM 696 Views
Book's been out since the summer, in the UK anyways - 09/12/2009 02:33:05 AM 567 Views
So their tone *is* out of place, then? - 09/12/2009 10:52:12 AM 559 Views
Erikson is like Martin? That's ridiculous! - 09/12/2009 01:43:18 AM 783 Views
Influenced isn't the same as 'like'. - 21/12/2009 06:04:53 PM 589 Views
So, you're right because you're right? - 28/12/2009 03:25:33 AM 608 Views
Only because I'm willing to be honest even about things that I enjoy. *NM* - 07/01/2010 06:00:02 PM 226 Views
What rot... - 07/01/2010 09:54:13 PM 615 Views
Actually, aSoIaF has one of the more accurate depictions of feudalism in modern fantasy. *NM* - 08/01/2010 07:33:22 PM 242 Views
I agree, but that wasn't the point... - 09/01/2010 03:11:16 AM 556 Views
Nah... - 12/12/2009 08:05:49 AM 626 Views

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