GreyPilgrim he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 All the hype that has been going on around the WoR release has had me thinking: will it be like this for the rest of the Stormlight books? Step back for a moment and think. Way back in late July Tor released the initial cover, which garnered a lot of excitement. Soon after, they released the (albeit short) excerpt from the Taravangian interlude. When Tor received the manuscript for WoR, they put out the picture of it with the now-(in?)famous dinosaur for scale. The Lift interlude was released to the public. Then the Shallan endpaper. Then they started releasing chapters, in four separate bouts that, when counted with Lift, total to 14 chapters. Then came the pictures of the book all printed and bound when they received it, once again with the dinosaur. Finally, the Glimpses of Radiance. That is a heck of a lot of hype for the second book of a series. Possibly more hype than ever before for the second installment of any series. It is quite possible this is all due to the 3 and a half year wait for the book. Maybe The Stormlight Archive will truly be the most popular fantasy series ever. But if I understand correctly, Brandon does not want any more than two years (Adonalsium let there be less than that!) to pass between SA books ever again, excluding the wait between the two arcs. That considered, do you think that the same type of hype will become a regular trait of a Stormlight release? Will we get glimpses of every book and 14 whole chapters? On a similar note, do you think that Words of Radiance will be a particularly exciting and fan-pleasing book in the series because of the long wait for it? Will Words of Radiance be a lastingly awesome book, possible even the most awesome of the series, because of this?
Green Hoodie Mistborn he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 The journey stands on the edge of a knife... but seriously, the hype can be dangerous because it *might* lift expectations too high for some people. or.. it could be the most popular fantasy series in a long time. Storms know that BS must be winning over most of the GRRM fan base with just even the pace of his writing production! I'm hoping that the massive release is due to the 4 year hiatus while he finished off the WoT, that said I also hope that they continue to give glimpses and chapter releases for future books as well because I love the advanced build up that gives me personally to my own expectations. it's like smelling a great meal being cooked when you're starving (hypebolically speaking)! 1
Shardlet he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) I think a lot of it is to get people's attention back after so long. I would not be surprised if book three was less to an extent. I also expect that Tor is hyping it big because of the substantial investment they have made in it (i.e., embossed cover, new color endpages, max pages they can print, etc.). I suspect that there would still be a substantial number of pre-release chapters. Though, glimpses may be a one-book pony (unless they get great feedback on it, I suppose). I think the book will likely live up to the hype. We have seen what Brandon is capable of. I have confidence that it will be great. Our fervor here is likely at a higher tenor than it would be otherwise due the longer wait. Edited February 14, 2014 by Shardlet
GreyPilgrim he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 I agree that the Glimpses are likely not to happen again, at least not until book 6 and the last ones. They are in part what prompted me to write this, as they surprised me so much.
Moogle Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) What's surprising about the Glimpses? They would have taken me maybe like three hours of work to set up, including gathering the quotes. They're not particularly difficult to put together. If reception to them is not negative, I fully expect to see them continue, as they get people to sign up to Tor's official mailing list by making an account. They're a great idea by Tor. Edited February 14, 2014 by Moogle 1
Green Hoodie Mistborn he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Agreed Moogle, I think the Glimpses are a great move on Tor's part, probably even better than full chapter releases, though I hope they continue that as well, I really enjoyed today's Glimpse in fact.
GreyPilgrim he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 What's surprising about the Glimpses? They would have taken me maybe like three hours of work to set up, including gathering the quotes. They're not particularly difficult to put together. If reception to them is not negative, I fully expect to see them continue, as they get people to sign up to Tor's official mailing list by making an account. They're a great idea by Tor. I agree that they are a great idea--I'm loving them so far, and they are smart on Tor's part. I was surprised because the only tome they had done something like this was for the release of A Memory of Light. To add my answer to one of my own questions, I think that Words of Radiance is likely to be a particularly fan-pleasing book, also because of the long wait. I suspect that this may be part of why it ended up so long, so Brandon could add lots of cool scenes.
vikorr Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 I'm not overly impressed with Brandon's earlier works...don't get me wrong - they're not bad - just not what I would call 'great'. To me they were missing 'complete & realistic' characters. Vin seemed somewhat wooden to me, and frankly, I couldn't bring myself to buy the third book in that series. It didn't interest me. But I found that Brandon's work finishing the Wheel of Time to be quite well done, technically accurate, and entertaining. I found WoK's to be engrossing, and towards the end - immensely enjoyable and engrossing. But I've found the first several chapters of WoR to be almost exceptional...imaginative, entertaining, technically accurate, depth of character, building of intrigue etc. That is to say - I think that Brandon has really developed as a writer in the last few years, perhaps most especially since finishing the WoT series. From that, I can only say that if he continues to develop at this rate, his books will become ever more anticipated. 3
Natans he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 For bad and for good I think that The Stormlight Archive will be the "definite work" of Brandon. A mega epic 10 book serie with almost sinful number of pages, scope, *add whatever you want here*. And I think that Brandon know that too so he kind give his veryyyyy best when going this serie, in terms reseach, detail, scope, and that show itself in the book. I readed everything that Brandon wrote, all very good, but only WOK are spetacular, and to me the book was spetacular because Brandon dared to put everything that made him great writer(wolrdbuilding, magic system,moral conflicts, funny wit characters) in quantities that he couldn't do in smaller books/series. Well this, and Kaladin/Dalinar arc that are crazy good in the way that delivered maximum amount of closure in the now famous plot avalanche in the end of book =) 1
Scriptorian he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) Wasing the confused of this thread topic name. But I get it now. Edit: Okay, what in Hoid's name just happened. When I read the thread title, I legitimately saw and read the whole thing in High Imperial! After I posted, I saw it again and thought I was seeing different thread! I can't remember exactly how I saw it, but do do recall being very impressed by this imaginary eastern slang. Resume original post: The most I've ever been disappointed by a Brandon Sanderson book was how quickly I have finished them. Hence why I am so excited for WoR as it apparently could not physically have been longer. Edited February 14, 2014 by Serendipity 1
Argent he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) The Memories of Light was, unless I am mistaken, the first time Tor has done something like this (daily snippet previews of a highly anticipated book), and the response must've been appropriately good so they decided to do the same with Words of Radiance. I expect them to continue doing the same thing all the way throughout The Stormlight Archive. And probably Dragonsteel (was that the seven-book series?). I doubt we'll see them for things like Mistborn, though it's more likely to happen as the series gathers momentum and number of volumes. The way I see it, Brandon is (one of?) Tor's biggest goldmine, so hyping people up for upcoming releases is a good marketing campaign. Edited February 14, 2014 by Argent
PeterAhlstrom he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Don't forget Scalzi. They're minting money from his books too, and they're more cost-effective since they are short. But to answer the OP: all of this type of thing is very likely to continue. The number of preview chapters may have hit a high. What gets previewed really depends on the number of different types of things in each book. I picked these preview chapters to showcase each type of chapter you're going to get in this book. I expect the next 3 books to be a bit shorter. The big delay did cause Brandon to be more cognizant of the need for this book to be very awesome, more awesome than he had originally been planning for book 2. So, it's very possible that with slightly shorter books following it, they may each be a little less complex and thus potentially less awesome. But I also have to agree with whoever said it earlier in the thread: Brandon has become quite a better writer in the last 4 years. And I'm confident he will continue to improve, as long as he keeps himself fresh by doing interesting side projects. I know a bit of what Brandon has planned for the next books, and I trust him to pull it off. 10
GreyPilgrim he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 I expect the next 3 books to be a bit shorter. The big delay did cause Brandon to be more cognizant of the need for this book to be very awesome, more awesome than he had originally been planning for book 2. So, it's very possible that with slightly shorter books following it, they may each be a little less complex and thus potentially less awesome. But I also have to agree with whoever said it earlier in the thread: Brandon has become quite a better writer in the last 4 years. And I'm confident he will continue to improve, as long as he keeps himself fresh by doing interesting side projects. I know a bit of what Brandon has planned for the next books, and I trust him to pull it off. Let me just note that by no means was I saying that the following books will not be good. I was merely conjecturing that they will not necessarily be as, like I said, long or as fan-pleasing. Frankly, I think that some shorter books may be good. As much as I like huge doorstoppers, 300,000 words is not much different than 400,000, and of course the longer the books are the more potential problems may arise. But I wholeheartedly agree that Brandon has grown significantly in his writing skills. One thing I love about reading him is seeing how his technical ability increases with every new book.
Aminar Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 I really hope this keeps up. I am enjoying having so much to discuss, and debate. It really helps with the wait.
Baine he/him Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 After I read WoK, I was worried that Brandon wouldn't be able to ever top it. Then I read the previews, and now I'm worried for the next books... 1
FollowYourMuse she/her Posted February 15, 2014 Posted February 15, 2014 I expect the next 3 books to be a bit shorter. The big delay did cause Brandon to be more cognizant of the need for this book to be very awesome, more awesome than he had originally been planning for book 2. So, it's very possible that with slightly shorter books following it, they may each be a little less complex and thus potentially less awesome. But I also have to agree with whoever said it earlier in the thread: Brandon has become quite a better writer in the last 4 years. And I'm confident he will continue to improve, as long as he keeps himself fresh by doing interesting side projects. I know a bit of what Brandon has planned for the next books, and I trust him to pull it off. I Too think Brandon's books and works have continued to improve, I love WoK, but I actually think The Emperor of Souls is the best he has written so far. I understand how the next books in the Stormlight Archive may be shorter, and some of that is because of how well Brandon has improved in writing shorter works. But the bibliophile in me really does hope that they do not get shorter, one of the expectations I now have from this series are the 1000 page Tome's. The size and scope of each book make each one epic in itself. And I do have to justify the new bookcase I bought just for massive books.
Chrono she/her Posted February 16, 2014 Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) I think every single one of Brandon's books are amazing. They're fantastic to read. However, The Way of Kings is definitely the cream of the crop, and not just because I could murder my dog by dropping it on him. With some of Brandon's books, I feel that the beginning is slow and a little difficult to get into. But with Way of Kings, I never felt that at all. Instead, I was captivated the entire time, from the beginning to finish (especially the finish. Holy crap the finish). It's been a wonderful thing to see Brandon's writing get better and better as each book comes out. That's why I'm excited for Words of Radiance. As for the hype, I think it's a good thing. Hopefully this will get more people hooked on the series. But I really hope Brandon starts pumping out more books. Waiting for March 4 is killing me. Edit: Also, I hope the books continue to be ridiculously long. I'm planning to use them in my weight training. Edited February 16, 2014 by Chrono 1
Swimmingly he/him Posted February 16, 2014 Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) SCALZI!!! Also, when all the Mistborn trilogies are out, the SA is done, and Dragonsteel is finished, Tor needs to release omnibusi usable as weights, with the books fitting into slots to modify the weight. Elantris for warmup bicep curls. Edited February 16, 2014 by Swimmingly
harry31j97 he/him Posted February 19, 2014 Posted February 19, 2014 I hope what I'm going to say doesn't offend anyone, least of all Brandon. I think WoR is going to be really awesome, but still I would like him to write long books in future only if he can maintain current quality of work. I don't want him to go the way of Robert Jordan did, i.e. the first 3-4 books of WoT were really really good, but the intensity waned off mid-series. I just hope doing various side projects keeps Brandon fresh. I want him to give his best even if it takes 3-4 yrs for the next book.(Now I really hope someone doesn't come hunting for my blood!) 1
AerionBFII he/him Posted February 19, 2014 Posted February 19, 2014 I hope what I'm going to say doesn't offend anyone, least of all Brandon. I think WoR is going to be really awesome, but still I would like him to write long books in future only if he can maintain current quality of work. I don't want him to go the way of Robert Jordan did, i.e. the first 3-4 books of WoT were really really good, but the intensity waned off mid-series. I just hope doing various side projects keeps Brandon fresh. I want him to give his best even if it takes 3-4 yrs for the next book.(Now I really hope someone doesn't come hunting for my blood!) I don't think you will offend anybody this is a forum and you are entitled to your opinion. I totally get what you mean but i think he knows what he is doing The way he links all of his books in the Cosmere the world building and character are second to none. Going from what we read in just book 1 there is plenty going on and much to work with i am literally dying waiting for WOR!!
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