The Shannara Chronicles

[MetalDog]

Don't know if any of you fellas are/have been fans of Terry Brooks's "Shannara" books.  I won't bore you with my intense dislike for the books, but, knowing that I am most likely in the minority, I offer this for your inspection.

Coming in August 2016, after the MTV VMA's, the premier of "The Shannara Chronicles."

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/watch-mtv-shares-shannara-chronicles-trailer-nycc-175239986.html

[bob48]

I've read a lot of them. The earlier ones I quite liked, but then I thought they started going a bit 'off'.

[MetalDog]

A behind the scenes that introduces an important plot point and its construction along with some of the actors who will be in the show.  Jon Favreau is an Executive Producer and John Rhys-Davies plays King Eventine.


https://www.yahoo.com/tv/watch-the-ellcrys-come-to-life-in-a-shannara-173332464.html

[bob48]

Interesting. Thanks for the link, MD. Its obviously a topic of great interest, judging by the number of posts to this thread :-))

[MetalDog]

I noticed that, too.  I figured with the popularity of the books, there would at least be a few more responses.  And the funny thing is, I wouldn't read those books again for less than the national debt!  It's what I get for trying to provide a service for the greater weal.

[bob48]

I appreciate what you're doing, bro.

[Ubercat]

I think I read about half of the first one before giving up in disgust. That was probably better than 20 years ago. I'd never seen a more blatant rip off of Tolkien in my life, and I'm generally far from a harsh critic.

[MetalDog]

I think I read about half of the first one before giving up in disgust. That was probably better than 20 years ago.  I'd never seen a more blatant rip off of Tolkien in my life, and I'm generally far from a harsh critic.

Let me introduce you to Dennis L. McKiernan:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Iron_Tower

But Brooks is heinous, too.  I read the first Shannara books.  I was around 12 years old.  I liked The Elfstones Of Shannara, but only in a, "This sucks the least," kind of way.

[mirth]

Well, I didn't think George RR Martin was all that readable and Game of Thrones seems to be doing okay on TV.

[MetalDog]

The only thing that redeems Martin's writing for me is he throws enough stuff at the wall that sticks, that the slow/boring/unnecessary parts are survivable.

[mirth]

The only thing that redeems Martin's writing for me is he throws enough stuff at the wall that sticks, that the slow/boring/unnecessary parts are survivable.

I never made it far enough in to get to that point. I don't think I made it a hundred pages into the first novel before I'd had enough.

[MetalDog]

The thing that threw me the most about Martin was the different p.o.v. chapters.  At first, it was disorienting to me.  It seemed like a crappy way to give information and convey a whole narrative.  It got easier as I went along and turned out to be something I looked forward to.  The next chapter always promised something 'new.'

[mirth]

The thing that threw me the most about Martin was the different p.o.v. chapters.  At first, it was disorienting to me.  It seemed like a crappy way to give information and convey a whole narrative.  It got easier as I went along and turned out to be something I looked forward to.  The next chapter always promised something 'new.'

I just didn't think his story telling or dialogue was all that interesting and it all seemed very derivative. To be fair, I had people really overselling it to me. Like he was better than Tolkien. So I went in expecting to be blown away and that's not what happened, for me anyway.

[MetalDog]

The t.v. show is pretty good though :)

[mirth]

The t.v. show is pretty good though :)

Televised bewbays don't hurt the narrative.