Michael and Michael are once again left alone, and run with a full show dedicated to voicemail feedback from excited listeners:
Voicemail: Will the Computer Guy tells us some more of his favorite series: The Dragonlance series and GRRM's "Wild Cards" series; Brian in Sacramento gives us a mini review of Lian Hearn's "Tales of the Otori" series; Chris asks about using prologues and their possible necessity in multiple books in a series; John in Tampa comments on authors imposing their beliefs in their fiction, and an example of how that can backfire; Will again, commenting on politics and scifi, and asks a question on how to plan a novel; Nick from Brisbane comments on the overabundance of vampire and werewolf novels on the shelves these days, and wonders if there is a trend in that sort of flooding that consumers can influence or not;
Indiana Jim comments on the Tad Williams interview, and on the laughter; more comments on the Tad Williams interview, and the science/religion points in there; Robert from NH on the Joe Murphy tribute show; Wesley from OH on when authors may cross the line in preaching in their fiction; Lee from Houston asks Stackpole to elaborate on the shift from smaller-length novels to the thicker novels of today; Lambo asks for suggestions on how to handle religious topics in the works of fiction he's working on.
Listener Feedback: What books changed your life, and what books are your A+ books? Keep letting us know what your personal essential books are!
Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know!
Promo: The Gmail Podcast
Promo: Variant Frequencies
actually, i was thinking about goodkind when i mentioned before that politics and sci-fi cannot be seperated well.
He claims that his writing does not contain his philosophy(objectism) but its hard to identify anything apart from it contained in the series. Enemies tend be collectivist or religious in nature and the main character's kindgom seems to run with more magic involved(sarcasm) then a reality based model in existence.
that and the real sharp mirror of 'coincidence' between robert jordan's megaseries and his have driven me away as a reader. Fine writer, but doesnt believe in the artistry of his work...only its commercial potential.
It took a serious act of will to finish reading Temple of the Winds, I gave up on the series myself after that.
I read the first book int he Goodkind series, but I was never really pulled in by the characters, and had no interest in following more of their adventures, so I never read any more in the series.
I should make a list of extended series that I did and didn't follow... see if I can discern a pattern of why some I kept reading and others I didn't. I mean, beyond the obvious... sometimes I gave up on a series a few books before a majority began grumbling, and others I kept reading despite the grumblings of others.
don't recall if it was this podcast (i knocked over about 7 episodes whilst capeweed spraing on the tractor), but one of your voicemailers gave the hoary old science=how, religion=why argument.
couldn't disagree more.
a volcano erupts & burns your village to a crisp.
science= platectonics, empircal data, likelihood of eruptions, causes of eruptions.
religion= the villagers must have sinned or otherwise behaved immorally to have deserved such punishment.
yoda is right to say "there is NO why"
religion used thus lends authority to the undeserving.
try the how/why thing on AIDS, Space Shuttles exploding, armies losing wars, etc