Видео

I think it’s a misconception that grimdark fantasy has only bad characters and noble bright has only good. The best of both genres represent real people with real moral struggles that the everyday person can relate to. Lord of the rings has this and so does WizardKnight. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow :)

All great ideas!! Seeing it on the big screen would be incredible! And I agree that he had no thought about it being made into a movie, mainly because before lotr and Harry Potter, fantasy didn’t really become regularly adapted. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow :)

Oh wow!! It’s not my top 3 at this point, but for sure a far better than average read. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow :)

I still need to finish the other two books in the series! Hope you enjoy the first book as much as I did. Thanks for commenting and subscribing :) every interaction helps the channel grow

Yes. I discuss this extensively throughout the video. It’s a major part of the review.

Glad there are others out there who agree with me :) thanks for commenting and subscribing. Every interaction helps the channel grow

I’m making a short video essay titled “fantasy is not escapism” it’s essentially reason 3 with a little more detail. Hope you get to AChristmss Carol!

Yes!! Glad I could act as a little extra motivation :) thanks for watching and commenting

@@Eldritchfan It could be considered fantasy, but it isn’t thought of as fantasy by the community at large, which is why it has such a broad audience and is socially acceptable reading in academic circles. If anything, you could consider it Urban fantasy, but one could also argument of this being a dream of a real man, so totally feasible it’s just regular fiction. Thanks for commenting this though! I knew it would be as some point. But didn’t know it would be the very first comment lol

I mean, the genre literally didn't exist when Dickens wrote it. But I think it would be accurate to retroactively classify it as fantasy

@@EricMcLuen What!?!? You didn’t like WizardKnight!?!? You’re killing me lol I’m guessing Gary Stu is like Mary Sue but a dude haha I’ve heard that critique before. Well, I guess everyone can’t like it. It’s still one of my favs. Thanks for commenting! There was lots of good stuff in there :)

@NICKREADSFANTASY Able also does some pretty horrible things with no consequences. The whole 'murder mystery' also seemed a little absurd that could easily have easily been narrowed down with 'was it a big or little sword?' I had a similar reaction to Fitz, Farseer by Hobb, that it seems were supposed to be sympathetic mass murderers who feel no remorse. But Fitz likes puppies.

@ lol that’s a hilarious analysis of fitz. I’ve only read the first so I will have to continue

You don’t think the media we consume influences our mindsets and worldviews? Especially when enjoyed passively? You think everyone actively and critically reflects on the entertainment they consume? Also, Noblebright doesn’t mean the world and people are perfect. The perfect example is LOTR. You can tell the word is a good place and there are good people in it. But you see the world falling to evil and good people giving into corruption. I think your answer shows you reacting to surface levels statements said in the video vs thinking critically about what is said, asking questions, and seeking answers before commenting something that shows you haven’t thought critically about it. Either way, glad you watched and commented. I even hope you subscribe. It all helps the channel grow.

@@NICKREADSFANTASY Not to the point where your entire idea of how the world works changes. Obviously media is going to have some effect but if you were developing mental illnesses because of what you’re reading, that’s a really bad sign and says a lot about you as a person.

@ That’s like saying your body won’t have physical disease because of what you’re eating. Respectfully, you’re wrong.

@@NICKREADSFANTASY OK I’m not sure how you came to that conclusion. There are a lot of other factors that affect your mental health besides what you’re reading. Things like are you getting exercise, do you get good sleep, are you out in nature, do you have a supportive friend and family group, And a whole bunch of other factors that I’m probably forgetting. What you’re reading on its own should not make a huge impact on the way you view reality.

This isn’t a dichotomy. Yes, those things affect your mental health. So do the things you read, especially when done passively. For some people, the media they consume will overpower other protective factors they have surrounding them. For others, who lack social protective factors, they are even more at risk when consuming potentially harmful material passively. Which, like I said previously, is what the majority of people do. Passive entertainment. You keep saying things like “that alone,” and by doing so, you are acknowledging it does have an influence. You are allowed to be wrong. Yes, your initial comment being aggressive will make you look worse than if it hadn’t been hostile, but it still looks worse to argue against yourself. This is a space for discussion of ideas. Even though I think you could’ve came less aggressively, I appreciate your comment and argument. I think other people reading the comments will gain insight from it.

Yess!!! Trying to get as many people on the bandwagon as possible! Thanks for commenting and subscribing :)

These discussions are why I love the comment section! Thank you for taking the time to write this :) I think you make a common mistake. Much your analysis is correct, while your conclusions are wrong. And I will use what you said about the shire to explain. The shire was noble and bright. And he did burn it down. But that does not mean this is not Noblebright fantasy, or that this world is not a Noblebright world. The scouring of the shire is the most important part of all three books. It’s what shows how the story could have gone if the hobbits, everyday normal people, had never left the shire to become hero’s. It shows how the world would’ve looked if good people had not stepped up to save it from evil. What’s more, the scouring does not end with the burning. It ends with our normal hobbits returning as heros with the tools to drive the evil out of their home. Tools they would not have had if they hadn’t stepped up ti begin with. Noblebright fantasy does not mean one dimensional. Noblebright fantasy has tradgey, triumph, and transformation. Noblebright fantasy has darkness in it. It has this in its plot, setting, and characters. More than anything else, it means that people have power over their lives, and that while there is evil in the world, it is mostly good. One of my commenters even explained it this way. "Bright = things are mostly good" / "Dark = things are mostly bad" "Noble = things can get better if we do our best" / "Grim = things can only get worse, no matter what" Curious to hear your thoughts! Thanks for watching and subscribing

These discussions are why I love the comment section! Thank you for taking the time to write this :) I think you make a common mistake. Much your analysis is correct, while your conclusions are wrong. And I will use what you said about the shire to explain. The shire was noble and bright. And he did burn it down. But that does not mean this is not Noblebright fantasy, or that this world is not a Noblebright world. The scouring of the shire is the most important part of all three books. It’s what shows how the story could have gone if the hobbits, everyday normal people, had never left the shire to become hero’s. It shows how the world would’ve looked if good people had not stepped up to save it from evil. What’s more, the scouring does not end with the burning. It ends with our normal hobbits returning as heros with the tools to drive the evil out of their home. Tools they would not have had if they hadn’t stepped up ti begin with. Noblebright fantasy does not mean one dimensional. Noblebright fantasy has tradgey, triumph, transformation. Noblebright fantasy has darkness in it. It has this in its plot, setting, and characters. More than anything else, it means that people have power over their lives, and that while there is evil in the world, it is mostly good. One of my commenters even explained it this way. "Bright = things are mostly good" / "Dark = things are mostly bad" "Noble = things can get better if we do our best" / "Grim = things can only get worse, no matter what" Curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks for commenting and subscribing :)

@ it has been many years since I last read Tolkien… being objectively mistaken about the scouring of the shire is indicative that it is well past time I read the series as an adult (this will not be the first, or the last time I didn’t give enough attention to a story; Blade Runner sure is different with an older perspective (except the 80’s style tv romance within; which is, if anything: far worse… and while the sequel is more graphic: it at least has some teeth). I expect I will likely enjoy another go of LotR, and if I’m doing so anyway; might as well run the Hobbit again. I can’t even remember the name of the fifth hobbit (who stayed behind) who didn’t give up Frodo and co. when came the Naz’ghul. Which is sad; I don’t think he was given long to die, but I remember being moved by his sacrifice (which strongly relates to the Christian concepts within). I can’t make a nuanced approach to my predicates if I lack the basis required for them to stand; regrettably: I have naught to contribute to argument if my perception has no legs. Having my strongest memories of the Lord of the Rings come from the movies is: unfortunate… but those do offer a very moving picture. And there is an observation: Whether it be Helms Deep; where most of the defenders died to protect the women and children (a noble sacrifice - yet lay dead old men and boys who haven’t seen many winters, and ancient learned elves alike) Or in the futile charge for old glory that leaves Faramir very nearly dead, and many of the men of Gondor slain. Or in the Battle on the Plains, where the Riders of Rohan give their lives to buy time for Gondor; and lose - only are they spared by the honoured promise of those bound to undeath by treachery. Or in the last charge of men, where hope is at its weakest, and the weight of the One Ring falls heavy on small shoulders. Or in the Scouring of the Shire (incomplete, and not fully destroyed, yet surely many are dead while the world is saved: one noble hobbit is, at the least). Or in the Mines of Moria, where the dwarves dug too deep, and died to the last to the beat of drums in the dark, for the Way was Shut: Tolkiens world speaks to me, as mostly… bad. The corrupt and rotting shell of what once was bright and good. Good wins out in the end; but at great, unspeakable cost. But sacrifices will always hold strong weight in LotR: noble intention is a mighty power there. Things are mostly terrible, but they can, and do get better: if only we will give it our all. Perhaps it is Nobledark? :)

Beautifully stated! A lot of good was written here. What books have you written? Anything I would know? Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel, and I appreciate the thought and effort writing this paragraph took. It adds value to the conversation we are having

@@NICKREADSFANTASY Sadly, I must work for a living, and therefore, must treat my writing as a hobby for now. I'm 48 and have been writing on and off since high school. Currently in the process of rewriting the book I wrote in high school, with a few decades of life experience under my belt. I'm also teaching myself game programming to create my own games based in this setting. So, my projects keep me jumping between writing and coding and drawing.

A man of many talents! I only started writing when I started this channel, but I too know what it feels like to have to put writing on the back burner. My family comes first and my work takes the rest of the time. I have been able to complete a first draft of one book, but that’s all it is. A first draft. No where near where it needs to be. My main characters entire background changed between first draft and 2nd.

Explain

@NICKREADSFANTASY You meet people who live in a genuinely dire society like say certain parts of Africa, the Middle East or Central and South America. They always seem to have a more optimistic worldview than a lot of people in the west who always seem rather more pessimistic in comparison. It's mainly just a feeling I've always gotten from both groups of people. You'd think it'd be the other way around, but that's just never really been it in my experience. 🤷

@ I see!!! When you have nothing, the simplest things seem like a blessing. When you have everything, simple inconveniences are trauma. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow, and this comment adds value to the conversations being had on the topic.

Comments like this make my day! Thank you so much for commenting, liking, and subscribing. Every interaction helps the channel grow :)

That’s an inflammatory statement if I’ve ever heard one lol

I decided not continue with the series, so I will never know if the series gets any better or worse, but you are not the only one who has mentioned they feel the way you do. Personally, her writing was too poor to make me want to continue. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

I love the giants!!! I haven’t read further than the first book, but finishing the first trilogy is definitely high on my TbR for the coming year! Thanks for commenting and subscribing, every interaction helps the channel grow

I don’t know what nom means lol

@NICKREADSFANTASY Nom is the name of a Sand Gorgon and one of the most fantastic lines in all of literature taken in context. Book 4 or 5.

Thank you!!

Bruh…. It’s already my favorite of all time lol (maybe 2nd to wizard knight)

@NICKREADSFANTASY well in that case i tip my hat to you sir.

Love Tolkien and Lewis! But to each their own. I still need to read Leiber, Howard was a last than average read for me, but Gene Wolfe loved him. I’ve read one Pratchett novel so far, had a good time. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! This was a great conversation and every interaction helps the channel grow.

Wow! I love hearing stories like this. I haven’t heard of anyone’s hook into fantasy being covenant. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! This was a great conversation and you bring up several interesting points. This book was extremely thought provoking to me, and it appears it is to most people who enjoy the book.

I think Donaldson definitely pulled off something hard to do and did it really well! I did hear that the last chronicles was essentially ret-conning his world to keep selling books to fans. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow

I’m going to try to read several more next year! I really enjoyed the world and particularly, the writing (after a rough start) lol thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow

@NICKREADSFANTASY I found the first book the hardest to read. The writing gets easier.

Also, I’m sure it will get easier because I like his writing now. It was just difficult for me to get into

I hope he can somehow find redemption even though I struggle with wanting such an evil man to be forgiven. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow

It’s an excellent read that I wish more people would pick up! Sometimes things become clearer when you read it in a fantasy setting and don’t have all your defenses built up. I think this book can help people deep dive into their own philosophies. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow

@@NICKREADSFANTASY It was indeed an excellent read - read it when I was a kid, and still remember several key parts of the storyline. I've never heard/seen anyone review it before. Thank you! You earned the sub. 👍 Looking forward to more of your work.

Thank you for the praise! The comment means a lot, every interaction helps the channel grow.

WHAT!?!? No!!! I have never heard of this!!! I love Doyle and if this is for real I will definitely check it out :) Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow

Great take! I think you are correct in your assessment. This paved the path for Grimdark to become what it is today. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow

Holy cow!! That is a beautiful analysis. I haven’t finished the series yet, but this makes me want to put it on the top of my list! Thanks for commenting and subscribing! This was a great conversation and every interaction helps the channel grow.

It was quite the journey, and I could see why people have moral confusion with this book. It takes asking questions to yourself to understand.

The internal conflict he must have had between “yes! They cured leprosy” and “uh oh” was probably isolated only to him lol thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

I understand what you are saying, but I don’t agree with it. You can be a real victim without adopting a victim mindset, and you can have a victim mindset while also having an internal locus of control. And good people don’t do that even in their dreams. ESPECIALLY not in there dreams. That kind of assault has the victim fight that you have to ignore. It’s incomprehensible. But great conversations!!! I love these kinds of conversations. Thanks for commenting and subscribing, every interaction helps the channel grow

@NICKREADSFANTASY I'm sorry but having been a nurse for 35 years, being diagnosed with a life limiting disease takes time to get used to. You will go through the five stages of grief, which are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. If you are stigmatised and socially isolated through no fault of your own, it will make it more difficult to reach acceptance, some people never do. As for rape in dreams I am afraid you are wrong. The psychology of perpertrating rape in dreams is very likely due to lack of control in your waking life. This type of dream, along with fantises about being the victim are very common and generally are not reflected in your waking life. That is not to say that this is always the case as certain narcissist personality types will exhibit this behaviour when awake as well.

@@craigflower13 I am well aware of the stages of grief. Being a victim is not an excuse for becoming a victimizer. And if you are r*ping people in your dreams, then you should not view it as something outside of your control, but something you view as wrong and work to change. The psychology of perpetrating rape in dreams being likely due to lack of control in your waking life is not a false statement. But the solution to that is not acceptance. It’s understanding that psychological problems are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking, psychological problems are based, in part, on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior, and that people suffering from psychological problems can learn better ways of coping with them, thereby relieving their symptoms and becoming more effective in their lives.

Yes! Just because there are characters you don’t like doesn’t mean the book isn’t good. Thanks for commenting and subscribing, every interaction helps the channel grow

He very well might be. I’ve never read him, and I don’t hear of Wagner or Kane spoken of frequently. Looks like an author was just added to my TBR!! Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

It definitely took me a while to get into it, but I ended up really liking Cooks writing style. Also, the Silmarillion at the age of 10? I could never have enjoyed it at 10 lol you’re built different. Thanks for commenting and subscribing, every interaction helps the channel grow

We see differently on this book. And just because leprosy can be cured doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold up any more. As far as being rejected multiple times, most of my favorite authors go through this cycle and I believe makes them better writers for it. Frank Herbert’s Dune was rejected by almost every mainstream publisher and he eventually had it published by a publisher that had only done automotive repair. Sanderson was rejected like 50 times. Rowling got rejected like a dozen times. But we can disagree while still having a discussion :) Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

I bet there is. From the bible comes the "doubting Thomas" and it seems like an unlikely coincidence that Donaldson's "unbeliever Thomas" is unrelated.

This all went completely over my head during the initial read, lol great observation! I love having these conversations! Thanks for commenting and subscribing, every interaction helps the channel grow

Several people have told me the Gap series is the best of his works. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

Only you can't get away from that "crime." Now, if you've read the Illearth War and The Power the Preserves (where that "crime" almost becomes a porn genre) we are aware that the "crime" had a lot of repercussions. But the crime in and of itself is not something you can just put aside because "the rest of the books were epic." It's like reading a Terry Goodkind, who seems to have all of his women characters be victims of that crime (and I know it's not every single one, but it sure feels that way) I think the crime could have been handle in 1000 different ways, but considering the character in question was written as being 16 if not a bit younger, it would still have been gross. But it wouldn't have been violent and something theput so many readers off the book. Sure, it was super popular back when it was first published, but so was Lolita and so many people take the gross part of that story and make it a love story it's kid of sick.

@@wokeaf1242 I totally get that. It was horrible, and yes, it definitely gets worse later with Thomas and Elena and with the effects it had on Lena's parents. I wish this wasn't part of the story, but it's so deeply integrated into the story that it can't be removed. And that's a shame because there's a lot to like about these books beyond that aspect.

I haven’t read any further than the first book yet, so I cannot speak of it beyond that. If it does turn into basically p*rn, then that is terrible. But I will say this. The scene Donaldson wrote is terrible, and I don’t blame people for not wanting to read this series because of it. But it is also very reassuring that everyone has such a repulsive, visceral, reaction to it. It gives me hope for humanity, and for those of us that like this book, it’s not that scene that we like. In fact, we hate that scene. We hate covenant. What we enjoy is what the book forces us to face by making the hero of this world such a deplorable character. Of a beautiful world relying on such a flawed person, and how disgusting it makes us feel. This has been one of my favorite comment threads!! Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

@@NICKREADSFANTASY The series doesn't turn into p*rn later :) There's some character interaction in part of the 2nd book that gets skeevy, but that's about it. If you liked book 1 overall, you should at least read the next 2. They are a self-contained story arc. Books 4-6 are another arc, and IMO are better than 1-3. Books 7-10 are OK, but certainly not as good as the earlier ones

@@OldRod99 very helpful info!

We see people like covenant in the news everyday. We do not see Voldemort in the news everyday.

@@NICKREADSFANTASY I'm just asking you to define your terms. What do you mean by evil? I do not think that covenant is evil. We can't have a useful discussion unless we are willing to explain our thinking.

@@delhatton I think people who r*pe women are evil. I would love to hear your defense of why Thomas Covenant is not evil. And I think Covenant is a scarier evil than Voldemort because people like Thomas Covenant exist in the real world, and both women and men fall victim to people like covenant everyday. If we do not protect ourselves against people like him, we become their victims. Voldemort on the other hand is more of a characature or homunculus of evil. We don’t walk the streets at night in fear of being assaulted by Voldemort. The definition of evil is “profoundly immoral and wicked”.

@@NICKREADSFANTASY The rape is evil. Undeniably. But it does not define Covenant. Covenant does not allow it to define who he really is. Most important, it does not make him irredeemable. The series is a redemption arc. And to be a real arc, there must to be a very bad beginning. Something that requires redemption. As you become familiar with Donaldson's fantasy works, you realize that Donaldson is the master of the redemption arc. He repeatedly pulls a character out of the trash and rebuilds them. Which means he is also the master of hope.

@@delhatton I will have to continue the series to see how it plays out. The first book has me concluding “Thomas Covenant is Evil”. There is little to no remorse, and what remorse there is, is selfish remorse. This book challenges my beliefs on forgiveness and redemption, as stated in the video. When looked through the lens of a Christian perspective, forgiveness is for anyone who seeks it. But as a human, I don’t want to forgive. And at the end of book 1, he does nothing to redeem himself. This is a great conversation btw lol

The Gap Cycle is my favorite Donaldson. Best space opera ever. Scariest aliens ever.

I agree. The Gap Cycle is just flat out amazing (past the first book). The Amnion are truly scary.

@@OldRod99 Starting things on a low note is a Donaldson trope. I think that the amnion are a negative version of the overmind in Childhood's End. Their achilles heel was so cool. They could not grasp lying. Some of the best character arcs Donaldson ever wrote.

I have consistently been told by both people who love covenant, and hate him, that the gap cycle is by far his best work, and one of the greatest space operas of all time. I’m excited to get started with that series next year, and if the rest of the comments in this thread are to be believed, I am sure I will love it! Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

Fair assessment! I think I will have to finish the series before I can comment if it’s a book or series I think is worth a reread. Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

I am consistently surprised at the lack of moral clarity we have today. It’s understandable, and I make mistakes too, but I think it’s very telling that we struggle so much to see evil as evil without trying to make an excuse. I think fantasy books are tool people can use to help with this if they think about the stories they read enough. Great conversation! Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.

You’re not the only one who feels that way lol Thanks for commenting and subscribing! Every interaction helps the channel grow.