Khmauv Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Something probably no one else is going to complain about, but it matters to me: the abuse of number 7. In alloy of law, most times random statistics are mentioned, the number 7 will be involved: 7 constables in 10 will miss a man at ten paces, wax was wounded 7 times, and a few other instances were something ahppened 7 times in 10, mostly quoted by marasi. This is not accidental: if asked a random number between one and then, most people will say 7. 1 and 9 are too close to the extremes and don't feel random, 5 is exactly in the middle, and 2, 4, 6, and 9 are too close to the above mentioned. So people having to choose a "random" number will generally pick 7, 3, and 8, in that order of likelyhood. If asked a 2-digit random number, they will mostly say 78 or 87 or 37. Knowing this, i tend to pay attention to random numbers. seeing that kind of pattern is a moderate blow to my suspension of disbelief, cause it keep pointing me that the story is fake. So I suggest brandon in the future use the random function of a calculator to get random numbers. Although I'm probably the only one who pay attention to that specific detail. Other than that, there are a few things I'm not really satisfied of, but they are all a matter of personal taste, nothing that could objectively be pointed as flawed. Have you thought that perhaps there is significance, beyond pseudo-randomness, in the number seven? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 If every character was mundane, realistic, and unfunny, it wouldn't be much of a fantasy, would it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moogle Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) If every character was mundane, realistic, and unfunny, it wouldn't be much of a fantasy, would it? I dunno, I think that the darker and more realistic fantasy (ASOIAF for example) manages it quite well. Things like Tyrion's quips never really bothered me like Shallan/Lightsong's did. Edited February 25, 2014 by Moogle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 The pain thresholds of some people in that series... The Greatjon, for example. He makes a joke after his fingers are cut off. That's not very realistic, because he clearly isn't going into shock either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalbusker Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 I too have a problem with the "witty" characters... but it's not that they're too witty. Dialogue in general has never been the strongest element of a Sanderson book, but the way the books, even from the early ones, reward careful reading and pay off foreshadowing in surprising but logical ways was more than enough to get me through the occasional line that rang as too colloquially American to me, or the occasional joke that fell flat for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metatr0n Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 Biggest immersion breaker in my mind is lack of swear words in brandons books. This especially killed Steelheart for me, after 2nd or 3rd "sparkles" i just stopped reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted February 28, 2014 Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 That's a good reason to make up your own, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyPilgrim Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 I've never been bothered by the lack of swears. In truth, Brandon has made up swears to fit most of those we have in our world. The use of "storm" and other forms such as "storming" and "Storm off" should make it apparent what he is trying to replace. If you read his made up swears as their function rather than the word itself, then Brandon's books can be pretty obscene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delightful Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 I've never been bothered by the lack of swears. In truth, Brandon has made up swears to fit most of those we have in our world. The use of "storm" and other forms such as "storming" and "Storm off" should make it apparent what he is trying to replace. If you read his made up swears as their function rather than the word itself, then Brandon's books can be pretty obscene. Never really thought of the books as obscene before.... Actually my favourite part of some books are how swears/colloquial phrases are adapted to the setting. My current favourite are all variations of "storm it!" , and "Rust and Ruin!", although in a recent AoL reread I had a good laugh at "by the Survivor's scars!" too. Also (WoR preview chapter) not exact wording - "I fear I am trying to stop a highstorm by blowing very hard." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swimmingly Posted March 1, 2014 Report Share Posted March 1, 2014 (edited) Haha yeah. Child-friendly obscenity, hey? Also, that puts the title of "stormwarden" in an entirely different light Edited March 1, 2014 by Swimmingly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metatr0n Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) I've never been bothered by the lack of swears. In truth, Brandon has made up swears to fit most of those we have in our world. The use of "storm" and other forms such as "storming" and "Storm off" should make it apparent what he is trying to replace. If you read his made up swears as their function rather than the word itself, then Brandon's books can be pretty obscene. Those are pretty ok and dont break immersion, swears usually have a historical significance so it isnt strange that "storm off" is their equivalent for our F-word. Im guessing that Calamity altered everybodys vocabulary in Chicago city somehow. Edit. I guess what i want to say is Brandon hasnt really transitioned from YA author to Adult author, while i love all his works if he went alittle bit grittier it would be much more REAL. Edited March 23, 2014 by metatr0n Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistdork Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 See, the very reason I couldn't get into Elantris (I'm really, really sorry to admit it especially because I can't read Emperor's Soul without reading this...) is because it wasn't as interesting/entertaining/well-written as Mistborn (the book I bought at the same time when I first read anything by Sanderson). 'Passable' prose will bore me to tears, I know I have a problem, but gosh, it's hard reading it when you know that he's written some outstanding passages in WoR and seeing just how much he's improved even over WoK... Those are pretty ok and dont break immersion, swears usually have a historical significance so it isnt strange that "storm off" is their equivalent for our F-word. Im guessing that Calamity altered everybodys vocabulary in Chicago city somehow. Edit. I guess what i want to say is Brandon hasnt really transitioned from YA author to Adult author, while i love all his works if he went alittle bit grittier it would be much more REAL. It's funny that I was reading a little AoL the other day and Wayne (I think) said "h*ll", and I was like, what? When did you find out what Hell was? That makes no sense! Why would Wayne even if know what that word means? He's not from earth...how does he know about that! And even with Scandriel being a kind of earth-like world/culture, I found that this piece of dialogue broke me out of the world much more than 'unrealistic' swearing. (Now you'll tell me to go and find it. Maybe in May or some time like that, once school's out...) That said, there's a swear in England "Bloody H*ll" that's actually related to Christianity... We don't use it in the U.S., or well, it doesn't have the same condemnation as it does there...despite that America is more religious (in general) than Britain. So, you should expect these worlds with their different histories to use different words. Desolations are gruesome events, Highstorms are terrible if you're out in them. It is gritty in context. Different cultures; different swears, it's that way on earth too. (I'm sorry for swear, really!) Anyway, the one thing that bugs me is whenever some-splinter/shard speaks in all caps. This isn't Sanderson's fault, it's Discworld's...whenever I see it, I think of Death (or name-your-Disc-personal/god-here)! Bah, I just wish he would drop the practice, it feels cheesy and makes the scene's impact less effective (on me) than it would without that... Also, I hate ASOIAF because sometimes it seems that author is trying to be too gritty. Yeah, life wasn't grand in medieval times, don't get me wrong, but I could never get into those books because of the overt grittiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeiryWriter Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 See, the very reason I couldn't get into Elantris (I'm really, really sorry to admit it especially because I can't read Emperor's Soul without reading this...) What do you mean by this? The Emperor's Soul is completely independent story-wise from Elantris, there are a couple easter eggs, but that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistdork Posted March 23, 2014 Report Share Posted March 23, 2014 What do you mean by this? The Emperor's Soul is completely independent story-wise from Elantris, there are a couple easter eggs, but that's it. Because, if I want to talk about it independently I can't do so in the Elantris and Emperor's Soul forum without looking like an idiot (in my mind), and I feel guilty for not reading Elantris first. I can't help if I'm strange like this! It might be that I also don't have a lot of time at the moment either and already have spent much of my free-time on WoR and WB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terra of Roshar Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 The one thing in Steelheart that broke immersion for me was when the character with the southern accent (only read it once, so I forgot his name) used "y'all" to refer to a single person. I've lived in Georgia my whole life, and while I try not to use it, I know plenty of people who do, and hearing it used as "you" singular and plural drove me nuts. I mean... it has "all" in the word... it should be kinda obvious it's plural... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metatr0n Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 Also, I hate ASOIAF because sometimes it seems that author is trying to be too gritty. Yeah, life wasn't grand in medieval times, don't get me wrong, but I could never get into those books because of the overt grittiness. IMO ASOIAF ran away from its author, too many characters, too many plots GRRM has to live to a 120 to finish that thing. Atleast it brought fantasy to TV, even if it wont be finished :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khmauv Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 The one thing in Steelheart that broke immersion for me was when the character with the southern accent (only read it once, so I forgot his name) used "y'all" to refer to a single person. I've lived in Georgia my whole life, and while I try not to use it, I know plenty of people who do, and hearing it used as "you" singular and plural drove me nuts. I mean... it has "all" in the word... it should be kinda obvious it's plural... I am sorry if I am showing my ignorance here, but if "y'all" is plural what is the purpose of the term "all y'all" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awesomeness Summoned Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 I am sorry if I am showing my ignorance here, but if "y'all" is plural what is the purpose of the term "all y'all" It's us southerners best attempt at a ketek. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakard Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 You know, it's odd. I've never really disliked Brandon's prose. I even liked Elantris quite a bit, and I read it after Warbreaker and the Mitborn Trilogy. I might have a blind spot when it comes to the man. I'm never taken out of immersion, and his swears actually improve the immersion for me. After all, why would a world with a different history have the same swears? I'll have to re-read his works to complain about them. It's odd, though. I have complaints about ASOIAF, but not any of Sanderson's works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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