KoA Short - Spoiler Alert!
Jun. 18th, 2007 02:45 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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queensthiefSo what do you all think of the new short story about Eddis, in the just-released paperback version of King of Attolia? Comments, thoughts, predictions? Should it be added to the read aloud?
Bring it on!
Bring it on!
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Date: 6/18/07 03:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 6/18/07 07:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 6/18/07 04:01 pm (UTC)Maybe Nahuseresh kills her.
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Date: 6/18/07 04:05 pm (UTC)But I did like Eugenides. He and Gen are a lot alike. Snark! I also liked the little moment where Eddis was unsure who to get to bless the wine.
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Date: 6/18/07 07:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 6/18/07 07:36 pm (UTC)Of course, if Helen marries the king/heir of Sounis, that would all be oh-so-tidy.
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Date: 6/18/07 07:48 pm (UTC)Didn't anyone else see it that way?
"She'll do"
Date: 6/18/07 07:55 pm (UTC)Keeping the race/culture from disappearing in the face of a massive volcanic eruption would count as a monumental task, from my perspective. Not to mention keeping the country intact in spite of unexpectedly inheriting it at a very young age.
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Date: 6/18/07 07:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 6/19/07 01:31 am (UTC)*Sings* "What do you do with a
GeneralMoW, that's no longer aGeneralMoW?no subject
Date: 6/19/07 01:42 am (UTC)They'll need all those armies and soldiers to fight the Medes.
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Date: 7/1/07 01:47 am (UTC)Some other questions I have about the story: Why doesn't it matter if Helen is pretty? Why have the gods decreed that she be called 'Eddis' (some conjecture has already been applied to that question)? Does that have to do with her being chosen as last Eddis? Also, does her being last Eddis mean that the line of Eddis ends, or that the land of Eddis ends? (conjecture, again, has been applied).
You see, I have been hoping that Eddis will be happy. And I was hoping that she would be happy with a tested and tried Sophos, who escaped Nahusaresh's evil clutches, learned to fight and grew up to be honourable and trustworthy - a kind of Aragorn. Of all the characters, she is the most 'good' and I so wish for her to have a 'good' life.
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Date: 7/1/07 02:49 pm (UTC)That made me think of the line in Jesus Christ Superstar: Why'd you choose such a backward time in such a strange land?
Perhaps the gods's time frame is impacted by the explosion of the volcano that's coming. At the end of QoA the unamed goddess tells Gen that there are some things the gods have no power over. Maybe the gods had some choice of who the ruler of Eddis would be when it happens, but that it has to be someone now because the volcano is exploding soon.
I don't think the gods's chief aim is to be worshipped. I'd say the gods love their people and want them to thrive.
The name thing will be resolved later, I'd say. It will be Important.
Sophos as a kind of Aragorn? That would be cool, though it will be sad if Sophos has lost his sweetness and become burdened and careworn. At least I can see Eddis bearing whatever the gods throw at her without losing her goodness. Though I desperately want her to be happy, too.
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Date: 7/4/07 02:33 am (UTC)I've always seen the gods in general as capricious, vane, selfish...am I sounding like Gen yet? :-)
I agree with the importance of the name thing. I look forward to finding out more about it! It seems like this short story is a primer for the next book. I am definitely primed!
As for Sophos, do you think that it's possible to stay that sweet? Although, he was rather obstinate in keeping Ambiades on a pedestal in "The Thief", though he was mean, and he has Gen for a friend, not the most gentle person. I guess I'd like to see him confident, resolved, manly...perhaps taking on some of Gen's kingly? qualities. Even typing those last two words made me laugh.
I do think you're right about Eddis bearing all things without changing in character. I just hope that 'bearing all things' doesn't include marrying the current Sounis at any point! Not the happy ending I want for her.
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Date: 6/18/07 04:15 pm (UTC)I feel rotten asking about that. Maybe if I, too offer cookies it won't be so bad...
*ALSO OFFERS COOKIES!!!*
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Date: 6/18/07 05:08 pm (UTC)*chocolate pudding to supplement the cookies*
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Date: 6/18/07 05:29 pm (UTC)Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/18/07 05:56 pm (UTC)* Writers publish books to earn a living. Buying the book supports the author, and encourages them to publish more stories.
* Publishers like writers who earn money for the publishing company and/or have a documented demand for their book.
* If we want to keep having stories about Gen, there needs to be documented value to the publisher for paying the author to keep writing them.
These books are deliberately kept inexpensive. Less than the cost of two coffee drinks, three rolls of 3M duct tape, a pair of greeting cards, or even one waffle ice cream cone with topping. Reading them in the bookstore, without buying them, does not count in the publisher tally marks. Buying them used does not count in the publisher tally marks. Begging people to send you a copy of the story so you don't need to buy the paperback not only doesn't count as a tally mark, it may discourage "Extras" in future books.
If you really don't want to/can't afford to buy them, please consider going to the library where your interest can be tracked. Even better, pester the library to have multiple copies available. Having to wait until your library gets the book may simply be the price you need to pay in order to read the story while supporting the author.
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/18/07 06:02 pm (UTC)Though, to be fair, I'm guessing most of these folks already own the hardback of KoA.
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/18/07 06:03 pm (UTC)Philia
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Date: 6/18/07 06:05 pm (UTC)Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/18/07 06:29 pm (UTC)I like to think the extras are to entice new readers, and perhaps as a treat to those who read the book originally in the library and have been waiting for the paperback edition in order to buy it.
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/19/07 01:19 am (UTC)I prefer it when authors publish extras in short story anthology’s, magazines or their website – in two of those the authors still get paid.
Lol, I actually had to sneak it into the house so that my mom wouldn’t see that I went and bought the exact same book twice.
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Date: 6/19/07 03:49 am (UTC)Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/18/07 06:09 pm (UTC)Peggy, you forgot: WE LOVE THESE BOOKS SO MUCH THAT THEY WEAR OUT FAST. MULTIPLE COPIES=GOOD INVESTMENT! Plus, short story.
*is buying a lending copy anyway!*
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Date: 6/18/07 06:14 pm (UTC)I lack a valid driver's licence as well as a job, so getting myself to a bookstore means begging a parent/friend to take me, waiting until they have an available hour, and paying for a portion of the gas as well as the book.
I love Ms. Turner's work to pieces and I support her in every way I can, but hardback KoA took some serous finagling to acquire. I'm not sure that I'm up for the challenge again, and it sucks that I won't get to read the story for months thereof.
Two cents, no offense meant.
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Date: 6/18/07 06:24 pm (UTC)that must be horrid having a small library without new books. i question your ability to live. though my town has no bookstores, there's a big barnes & nobel about 20 minutes from where i live, so it's not THAT bad.
but it's still too far away.
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/18/07 06:20 pm (UTC)Despite the fact that I love books, reading, writing, and books, I always kind of forget about libraries. I'm so used to buying books that it seems a strange and foreign concept to actually borrow one, and then, when I'm done reading it, not actually own it. So I didn't think of a library.
Another point I hadn't thought of is keeping track of the books I borrow/buy/glance at. They do that? That's pretty interesting, and I wonder if it's at all like a search engine keeping track of items you search for in order to advertise more to your liking. It's almost a bit Big Brother. But still, fascinating.
Thank you again and cookies for keeping me from going astray!
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Date: 6/18/07 06:29 pm (UTC)Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/19/07 04:22 am (UTC)I don't mean to be argumentative here, but there are other factors that come into play for me, and different other factors that come into play for a bunch of other people.
Buying my books used isn't about money, it's a lifestyle choice. Since I read a lot of books, this is a way I can reduce my net paper consumption. The environment is something I worry a lot about these days, and honestly, rebuilding a 1,000-volume library with all new books would make a negative difference in my "footprint". I just want a world for my kids to grow up in! Like I said below, e-publishing would be a great alternative, but I don't think Firebird is going to adapt that any time soon.
Sitting in the bookstore and reading something is usually how I decide whether or not I want to buy it. I don't feel obligated to buy something sight unseen, even from a familiar author. Case in point: I also read the preview of Eclipse while I was there, and decided not to buy that when it comes out. If I don't read something in the bookstore, I often won't bother buying it at all. In this case, if I hadn't liked the story, I would be shopping for a version of KoA hardback, not paperback-- I really liked the hardback. I am really not fond of these paperbacks. I'd rather have my old set, and that means buying them used.
As for supporting the authors-- I had a full set of these books, all bought new, before the fire. KoA was probably the only book I have ever bought in hardback. In my new library, Thief and QoA are two of the less than ten, out of about 100 books, that were bought new.
As for reasons for other people-- some of us are just flat broke. I think that point's been adequately illustrated. I definitely know what it's like not to have the money for a book or access to it at the library, because the library is also flat broke.
So that's my viewpoint. :-)
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/19/07 01:36 pm (UTC)I find it is amazing how often reducing an environmental footprint in one area makes for a larger one elsewhere, or negatively impacts another personal priority.
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Date: 6/19/07 02:44 pm (UTC)Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/19/07 02:11 pm (UTC)Now, the publishing field and how it is run - I won't comment on that.
I understand the money situation and it's very sad that not everyone has access to a well-stocked, up-to-date library. Until a few years ago I NEVER bought a book, hard or paper. I only read books from the library, and I'm fortunate I've always lived in places where I could get my hands on anything I wanted. I still don't own many books and most all are paperbacks. Now that I understand more about authors's profit and have more income, I do purchase hardbacks but only if I think I'll reread the book, which isn't often.
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/19/07 02:55 pm (UTC)Or when people decide they'd rather turn their brains to oatmeal watching TV shows and simply throw out books they never finished. >.< >.<
E-publishing is elitist at the moment. Cars were elitist when they first came out, too. Then Henry Ford came along gas-guzzling polluting technology available to the masses. Wait, that's not helping my metaphor... But in the paper today was something about how AT&T now offers DSL for $10/month. I think as technology advances, more and more people will have access to the Internet and it will change basically everything, even more than it has now.
They need to come out with a better e-book reader, though. What would be even better-- and something I can see coming because I think they've invented some sort of paper that would work for it-- would be something that looks like a book with pages, but has the technology to display the e-book on the electronic paper. So it would have pages you could turn, probably sort of plasticy, but then you could select another book and have it replace the first one. Does that make any sense? Chips are small enough that it probably could all be stored in a reinforced spine...
And, on a completely different tangent but speaking of used books, here's the Book Thing (http://csc.jhu.edu/involved.html#bookthing) in Baltimore which is basically a free book swap site. It's an interesting idea. Actually that whole page is full of interesting ideas.
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/19/07 06:40 pm (UTC)The problem is, what happens when the technology changes and you can no longer get support for your "book cards/chips"? A print book can be read at any time, generations down the road (assuming the other generations still know how to read the written word). It seems as though anything electronic becomes obsolete, sooner rather than later these days.
Re: Buying vs Not Buying
Date: 6/19/07 07:29 pm (UTC)I do consider adding new content to a paperback edition rather perverse. The people who already know the series are the most interested in Eddis' childhood. Also, librarians (I'm one) are going to order hardbacks shortly after publication, for the most part, unless their budgets also allow them to build a paperback collection.
Megan, would you comment on this via your Rowana channel?
Aside from these questions, don't you wonder how much back-story Megan has already written? Wouldn't that make a wonderful anthology?
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Date: 6/18/07 05:34 pm (UTC)I wondered briefly if the goddess with Eugenides was, you know, the mystery goddess. But I don't think so. The imagery around the mystery goddess is all water and rain -- this was the goddess of the wind.
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Date: 6/19/07 01:41 am (UTC)4, or 5 years depending on whether Gen and/or Eddis had their birthdays yet that year.
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Date: 6/20/07 02:23 am (UTC)Wonder what the age difference is between Gen and Irene. At least 7 years, I'd say. Maybe 10?
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Date: 6/19/07 06:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 6/19/07 11:37 am (UTC)There are three chapters left in Thief, and no one's officially called this short story yet. If you want, I'll give you my chapters in QoA.
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Date: 6/20/07 03:23 am (UTC)Thanks for the page link btw, I volunteered over there too.
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Date: 6/20/07 03:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 6/19/07 12:13 pm (UTC)Read aloud
Date: 6/19/07 06:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 6/20/07 03:22 am (UTC)