Thank you Erikson for coming on! Who would you like to see interviewed next?? My goal when COVID is over is to do these in person. So, can we end this pandemic already?
WHAT!!?? YOU GOT ERIKSON!!?? In a few years I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a video titled " The Author of Beowulf talks inventing the Fantasy Genre and being resurrected"
Daniel: I've heard a lot of great things about your cave comic, Man Hunts Deer. What do you think about modern publishing methods, like paper or vellum? Caveman: Ook.
Wow, I've never heard Erikson talk before. Sounds like such a genuine, good guy. Never read a Malazan book but this has been one of my favorite interviews on the channel
@@DanielGreeneReviews Yeah, I was nervous for you. You know his brain is like on Deep Blue Level of thinking.....he just pulls his world from memory?? Who TF can do that?! lol
Send him a msg on fb, he will reply. Ive had several small conversations with regarding some of the stuff in the books, for instance the psychedelic honey, as id just seen a small doco on where and how they harvest psychedelic honey IRL. So shoot the man a msg and he will get back to you :)
@@Papatoole As he said, he and Esslemont created and played this world as a pretty long d&d campaign. I imagine he's about as familiar with the world as one could possibly get.
Other writers: Writing process is mysterious. Erikson: Nah bruh, Imma write you an essay on how to do characterization. You gotta talk about the process. Sanderson: Aiyt. Here is a whole series of college courses on my process of writing books.
Rothfuss: Nobody should write like I do. Nobody should complete a book 80 times and still find their work inadequate. Please, find someone else to emulate.
Dude it's not even close. One is an old school high fantasy written for adolescents that frankly went off the rails for 4-5 novels in the middle. Malazan is far more mature, complicated, poetic, and rewarding with no truly weak entries. WoT is only better in terms of popularity and accessibility.
I had to grind my way through WoT. It was the most dense, neurotic and naive blocks of text I ever read. Malazan was hard, but I always wanted to keep reading. Be
I love and hate this dude.. Seriously, whoever let this dude with such an insight on cultures and social construction pick up a pen needs a kick in the shins. He breaks my heart, nakes me laugh, makes me an optimist and pessimist at the same time, and I have so much respect for him. Thanks Steven for your time here, and thanks to Daniel for a solid and well done interview!
Yeah.. I am pretty good at recognizing different authors for their specific strengths and expecting different experiences from each, but after Erikson the word epic can only fit in one place
@@akrybion Yea. I feel you on that. But when it comes to the author Danielius Wolflord? Oh my goodness... Let's just say, if you liked Malazan you would LOVE the Children of the Morning Star series. It's basically The Bible, Soul Reaver, and Metal Gear Solid in terms of depth and complexity; Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z (not Super. Ugh) and My Hero Academia combined in terms of action and sheer craziness; Malazan x1,000,000+ in terms of worldbuilding and lore; and The Bible itself in terms of sheer light and darkness, human drama, deep characterization, deep characters, and immersive introspection and meaning. In a Nutshell, the Children of the Morning Star series is basically an action epic drama sci-fi thriller featuring the Triune God and his angels, Satan and his demons, another diabolical angel and his elite fallen angels, Primordial Beings (think Godzilla, King Kong etc), superpowered humans known as the Kai (think DBZ characters but on super ultra steroids), sheer Evil, and us humans who somehow got the smarts to create technological exoskeleton power-suits and super fast mechs to be able to keep up in this cosmic war between Good and evil -- Light and darkness.
@@danielsmithiv1279 Almost sold. Only one thing remains: Please please please tell me all of this goodness is not just thrown in a good vs. evil conflict. Because that's what I get from your comment and if yes, then it will be so much less than what it could be. There has to be at least a question of ethics (what actually is and isn't good and evil) somewhere in there to make it interesting to a mature reader.
You can tell how much Erikson cares about the craft of writing. I appreciate how he makes an effort to constantly improve his craft and make the best possible book he can. It seems strange to say, but not enough authors are like this. It's refreshing how informed and dedicated he is. Malazan has been on my tbr for a while now - I think it's time I finally read it!
I highly recommend listening to the Ten Very Big Books podcast alongside reading it, because you have 1 guy who has read the series before and 2 of his friends are reading for the first time. You get things clarified, you sympathise with the frist time readers and you have a lot of fun! Best part though is that every time they finish a book they have Erikosn on as he is a fan of their podcast as well!
Also, the episodes aren't too long for no reason. They are just the appropriate length. So if they cover 3 chapters it will usually be a 30 to 40 minute episode depending on the depth. Sometimes they cocer up to 6 chapters an episode, usually the end of a book, and then the episode can be more than an hour long. So the podcast isn't really any kind of commitment but only enhances the experience!
@@berserker8884 alongside you mean, check the chapters and listen after you've just read them or finish 1 book then listening? Ty for the recomendation I am about to start Malazan too, Just finishing Hyperion.
@@berserker8884 there's also Tor's Malazan Reread of the Fallen. They also have chapter by chapter discussions and summaries with insights from a veteran and a newbie. Erikson also wrote some essays there explaining controversial scenes etc. It really helped me a lot in digesting the series
@@marcosousa4029 alongside cuz they do a few chapters at a time. The guy who read the series, Peter, determines what they should read each week and so you get meaningful stopping points. It is good to listen to the episodes while you are reading(so read the chapters set for the next episode and then listen to the episode), because Malazan is quite dense and it benefits greatly to go over the chapters you just read with the podcast.
Finished Gardens of the Moon in like 4 days, halfway through Deadhouse Gates and this video pops up as I am taking a 5 minute break from reading... yeah... it turned into a 40 minute break... Daniel Greene lowkey reading subscribers minds.
i walked passe gardens of the moon more times than I can count. for years, because i hadmt heard of Erickson yet but the name Sgt Whiskeyjack just seemed corny. Eventually i got to a point i had read everything i could find in fantasy at the time. so i grabbed it not knowing it was 10 book series and H O L Y SHIT. ive read the series 3 times, still finding gems in there
I haven't read Malazan but I loved every minute of this interview. Erikson sounds like a smart guy and I'm definitely gonna read his books. Edit 2 months later: I have started Malazan and am really liking it although it's confusing as hell
Malazan is Epic Fantasy. It is massive, the world and the epic scope that it has. Just a heads up if you don't like those types of stories, you might not like it.
I have, it's good. Kind of reminds me of a cross between GoT and Vampire Hunter D. Been trying to get my hands on a copy of the second book for awhile now with little success.
I think there are definitely potential perks (and con) to both hard and soft magic. But I do agree that Erikson's approach is more...legitimately magical. Hard magic can be great, but its less magic and more alternative universe physics.
When you publish your book, you should have a reverse panel discussion where all the people you've interviewed come back and interrogate you on the details of your story.
This interview has single-handedly convinced me to get Gardens of the Moon. It'll be scary but this video proved to me it'll be worth it. Time to read Erikson's essay on characterisation, I'm sure it'll be a blast.
Deadhouse Gates (2nd book) is the best representation of the series overall. Unless you dnf Gardens, i suggest reading Deadhouse before making too many conclusions
Erikson's writing is phenomenal. When one of his characters is injured you literally feel it. It's unlike any other author and I find it both gritty and refreshing. Thank you for the interview Mr. Greene.
Just started reading Gardens of the Moon. (Loving it) And I'm so fascinated by Steven Erikson that I was searching for any interviews with him. So in 2024, this is great. Thank you (to both of you).
He mentioned he can write in any style, he's not really bragging, he's stating a fact. That why I love the man. Thanks for blessing YT for this interview.
Yeah it's true and it's what gives the series the ability to work even though it's so diverse and expansive. Incidentally I only read Cook and Donaldson after Malazan series and it's true that the whole series (especially about 3rd book and later) feels as if these two authors had a dialog.
What a fantastic and inspiring interview! Midnight Tides is probably my favourite of the series, but hearing Erikson's story about how its themes came to be has brought out a whole new level of admiration for it.
I finished Oathbringer yesterday and couldn't wait for more Rhythym of War, so I literally got the first Malazan book AN HOUR AGO and you're here talking to the author. The universe works in mysterious ways.
@@Buddanutslol I feel like I'm one of the few who loved Gardens of the moon and got drawn in to the world, the mystery and the characters with no problem at all. On the other hand I felt Deadhouse gates to be a real boring slog :S. Going for book three after Rythm of war ;P.
Hope you like it. Keep in mind that it will be impossible to know the complete meaning of certain actions and events until you advance in the series. It may seem things are happening just because, but that is because you haven't read enough of the books. :D
I knew Erikson used GURPS to develop Malazan and I always wondered if he used dice to determine the outcomes of certain things, because it just seems so hard to just decide what happens in certain scenarios. Now I know. Damn you, dice... damn you.
Erickson, wow what a cool guy. I've seen him in a few of these interviews now and I respect the effort taken to have some meaningful chats with the audience. Certainly adds more context and depth to the cannon of material. Thanks guys, much appreciated
I think Steve's big difference is his respect for readers. Many authors consider us stupid fans who are lucky to have their books; Erikson respects us and he is grateful that we are interested in his works. You can also see this in his interaction. I have seen his comments here on YT, even on small channels. He truly loves the art; he isn't interested in feeding his ego, like many other authors.
OH, COME ON! This is too much! Thank you so much, this interview was absolutely amazing and your post interview chat was really interesting. I am one of the many, many Malazan flagellants in your community, and hearing about Erikson's process and thoughts on writing (both his own and in general) was fascinating and enlightening for sure.
The post interview was amazing. Also Erikson is probably the most clear-spoken proof right now that personal convictions, worldview and yes, even political opinions inform the writing. I love how clear he is in reflecting on his process and how well he can present that both in his essays and interviews.
There is nothing as enjoyable as reading Steven Erickson. Except perhaps listening to him think. Brilliant, honest, and engaging without insulting those who disagree. And yes, the top 100 is the biggest list fail perpetrated on the speculative fiction audience in my lifetime.
I’ve read the first book and I enjoyed it but I was lost the entire time. I really want to read the rest but it’s something you definitely have to prepare for.
It's pretty tough. He literally doesn't do any info dump at all. So in the first read through more than half of the time you won't understand anything.
@@samarendra109 This isn't even true. Kind of tired of people saying this lmao. If you are paying attention, you should definitely have a pretty good grasp on things mid-way through book 2 or before that.
Gotta love Erikson. He's a master of the craft, he makes me realize how much I love reading every time I pick up one of his books. And thanks Daniel for what you do
Erickson is one of the best interviews. Intelligent, well spoken, and ready hear and analyze different view points from his own. Malazan changed view of what a fantasy world can be and we're all the better for it!
I used to dislike Erikson for what I perceived to be some distant, closed off, maybe snobby elitism but now that he's been opening himself up recently more and more, doing several interviews, being open on social media such as with those essays of his, I find him to be a warm and likeable guy and see how wrong I was for my perceived notion of him. Now I like him more and more with each new interview he does
Wow, what an amazing discussion. After listening to the after interview portion you can tell Erickson is insanely well read. He even started to talk about how individualism is an essential part of capitalism. I’m sure there is a great discussion about political economics there. You don’t see this caliber in every author out there. Great stuff Daniel!
OMG! Literally the very first sentences by Erikson said it all. The level and complexity of his prose (he's an academic, teaching classes in creative writing), that he's into short stories (aren't Malazan novels like compilations of short stories?) etc. I'm really happy for this interview. Malazan makes so much more sence now!!!
God: Oh? Because of Steven Erikson? And have you heard of Danielius Wolflord -- a writer who seeks to be as epic as My Bible itself? *Opens the pathway back to Earth* Good luck sir!
@@danielsmithiv1279 Sorry, I think, either I misunderstood your comment or you misunderstood the Opp. In my understanding, the joke about Tolkien was that he needed to go from heaven to be interviewed by Daniel Greene.
Currently reading Dust of Dreams and so far the Malazan series is shaping up to be my favorite fantasy series ever. Also want to add that I absolutely know who Guy Gavriel Kay is! I love his writing!
Everyone talks about Tigana, or Under Heaven, but no one ever mention Sailing to Sarantium and Lord or Emperors. I go back to that pair every 5 years or so!
Goddamn. MBotF did things to me that no other series has done. I haven't been able to do a reread in almost 7 years because parts of that series completely destroyed me and I do not know if I have the emotional capacity to take it on again. Having said that, it is my favourite series and he is my favourite author. It was a pleasure to watch him speak with you. Thank you
Wanted one of them to Quote Socrates through Plato regarding rhetoric and philosophers "there will only be utopia when philosophers are kings and kings are philosophers". sorry for the jumbled quote...
I literally finished Gardens of the Moon yesterday. Like how desne it is and looking forward to getting into the series. Will definitley watch this video later, just want to avoid anything that might spoil events.
He doesn't spoil anything. He alludes to situations but simply says "book x has two characters fighting and this is how we came up with that", he's very wary of spoilers in this. 🙂
If you liked GotM then I think you'll like the rest of the Malazan series much more. Admittedly, I thought GotM was really clunky and the weakest in the Malazan series. I was shocked when I saw the improvements in his writing over the next few books. You're in for a big treat!
@@CrimsonKing88 Yeah. The shift from book 1 to 2 is pretty big. From what I understand, GotM was written almost a decade before the other books and sat waiting to find a publisher.
Well, this finally got me to subscribe. A thoughtful interview with my absolute favorite author, and you did a great job interviewing him. Thank you for this.
It won’t be long before new authors start reaching out to Daniel for these interviews. These interviews always make me want to pick up the authors books.
This was the first video that I watched of a interview with Erikson and he was amazing, I purchased........well lets not say how many Malazan books just because of this I hope I really enjoy them I have just read the first few pages of the first book.
The Bauchelain and Korbal Broach short stories. Kharkanas, hopefully next year The god is not willing. And if you hunger for more, there is always Esselmont. Also i can only recommend Erikson's sci fi comedy, Willfull child
@@fidlr2904 actually except kharkanas trilogy others are not available in our country in physical format. I have read Esselmont's Book of Ascendancy trilogy but others are not available.
Great interview and interesting conversation afterwards! Great to hear Erikson talk about Steven R. Donaldson. His Chronicles of Thomas Covenant was the second fantasy series (after Lord of the Rings) I ever read as a young teenager. Have you read it Daniel? I can highly recommend it and would love to hear your opinion about it!
Malazan helped make my prison slide by, only series I have reread multiple times. Always picking up a different single line reference in gardens that only makes sense in assail. By far my most beloved work of literature.
Lol before Christianity took over, Nero was executing Christian’s like they were animals. He actually thought higher of animals than Christian’s. Please put a little more respect on Christianity’s name.
My new goal is to get Daniel to read the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Daniel, if you can hear me, please read these books. Will you like them? No idea. In fact, probably not. But will you suffer as I have suffered and come through the other side never to be the same again? Oh yes, most definitely.
A random point on your conversation about theology and the melding of religions between two different societies. You had mentioned the oddity that this is not commonly done today. Most likely, you would find that it was mutually beneficial to combine/borrow/steal religious ideas as a means to promote trade or ease the challenges of subjugation of a people. This embracing and merging of religions led to the point where a single religion became the all encompassing power of europe and at least a third of the population of the world. With that single religion, nations and people began needing variations to point out the difference between one people to another. Hence Lutheran, anglican, Mormon, and the host of other forms we see today. I would conclude that religion is as much about identity as it is about the afterlife.
hearing that Erikson wrote a Joe Abercrombie character into one of his novels, just so he could destroy him is really funny. I want to read it now just for that.
If only Daniel had done these interviews in the 90s he would have been able to interview Roger Zelazny. Author of my favorite series you probably know it as The Chronicles of Amber.
Mr Erikson has it right: Run a game. Herd the cats. It'll teach how to make your story work even when your players up and vanish to an entirely different plane of existance and you have to go 'well, we're doing this now! '
I love your author interviews so much. I buy all of my books because I want to financially support authors for the magic they provide to us. It’s fascinating to me to listen to them talk about their process and inspirations. Thank you for what you do.
Nice , massive Eriksson fan here(and Esslemont as well) loved the interview, the inspiration from Glen Cook (black company) + Stephen R Donaldson makes so much sense, The chronicles of thomas covenant is wonderful fantasy series that made a huge impact back in the day.( i am getting old ...) If you are taking requests i would love to see an interview with China Miéville, one of my favourites of todays fantasy authors
Hey Daniel, love this interview! have you sometimes thought about adding your own subtitles through youtube instead of the auto-generated ones, for the interviews? I'm not by any means bad at english, but it's not my first language, and sometimes it's hard to understand what's being said and referenced to in these videos. If not that's cool, love them anyway!
I think one of my most favourite things to do when I write something is to be blatantly wrong about some part of the world building or infodumps when it's from a character pov. Coz people are people and do not know everything And then let the story show them the real stuff and it's up to the reader to understand. I've also found having an omniscient voice every now and then that tells the absolute truth helps too
Daniel, thank you for your interview with Steven Erikson! From January until September I read through the Malazan Books of the Fallen for the first time and I really enjoyed them. I'm glad to hear your thoughts on the series and how your opinions have changed over the course of the series, especially on your review of the ninth book, Dust of Dreams. It is definitely a complicated series to read but it is really rewarding in the end. I'm looking forward to starting the Esslemont novels, the Kharkanas trilogy, and the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach next year after I get through some of my other reading list. I'm also looking forward to your review of the Crippled God and the series as a whole. Thanks for all the great work, it is really appreciated!
Thank you Erikson for coming on!
Who would you like to see interviewed next??
My goal when COVID is over is to do these in person. So, can we end this pandemic already?
Robin Hobb or NK Jemisin. Those would be dream interviews!
Will Wight
Neil Gaiman ;)
Brian McClellan
WHAT!!?? YOU GOT ERIKSON!!?? In a few years I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a video titled " The Author of Beowulf talks inventing the Fantasy Genre and being resurrected"
He'll get Homer on after that
LOL
He will discover and revive the writer of giglameshs ballad xD
He gotta do this for April's fool
Daniel: I've heard a lot of great things about your cave comic, Man Hunts Deer. What do you think about modern publishing methods, like paper or vellum?
Caveman: Ook.
Wow, I've never heard Erikson talk before. Sounds like such a genuine, good guy. Never read a Malazan book but this has been one of my favorite interviews on the channel
He was incredibly nice and as you can tell, SUPER smart. The guy knows writing.
His podcasts are incredibly interesting to listen to.
@@DanielGreeneReviews Yeah, I was nervous for you. You know his brain is like on Deep Blue Level of thinking.....he just pulls his world from memory?? Who TF can do that?! lol
Send him a msg on fb, he will reply. Ive had several small conversations with regarding some of the stuff in the books, for instance the psychedelic honey, as id just seen a small doco on where and how they harvest psychedelic honey IRL. So shoot the man a msg and he will get back to you :)
@@Papatoole As he said, he and Esslemont created and played this world as a pretty long d&d campaign. I imagine he's about as familiar with the world as one could possibly get.
Other writers: Writing process is mysterious.
Erikson: Nah bruh, Imma write you an essay on how to do characterization. You gotta talk about the process.
Sanderson: Aiyt. Here is a whole series of college courses on my process of writing books.
Rothfuss: Nobody should write like I do. Nobody should complete a book 80 times and still find their work inadequate. Please, find someone else to emulate.
Abercrombie talked about this in an interview. He sees it as a job not as a magical process.
@@Revanchist ye
Someone forward this interview to Rothfuss
@@gingerginger999 I dnf-ed the name of the wind. I dont know why i could not finish it. Something just did not click for me with that book.
OK. I'm just gonna say it... I prefer Malazan to Wheel of Time. I feel a weight lifted from my mind.
you are not alone. the magic systems are far more complicated, the characters less naive and the gallows humor of the marines is on point.
Once you separate the fact that theyre really fucking long theyre very different stories
I totally agree. And there was no weight being lifted.
Dude it's not even close. One is an old school high fantasy written for adolescents that frankly went off the rails for 4-5 novels in the middle. Malazan is far more mature, complicated, poetic, and rewarding with no truly weak entries. WoT is only better in terms of popularity and accessibility.
I had to grind my way through WoT. It was the most dense, neurotic and naive blocks of text I ever read. Malazan was hard, but I always wanted to keep reading. Be
I love and hate this dude.. Seriously, whoever let this dude with such an insight on cultures and social construction pick up a pen needs a kick in the shins. He breaks my heart, nakes me laugh, makes me an optimist and pessimist at the same time, and I have so much respect for him. Thanks Steven for your time here, and thanks to Daniel for a solid and well done interview!
I hate Erikson for ruining most fantasy books for me. Few live up to even a fraction of what Malazan is.
Yeah.. I am pretty good at recognizing different authors for their specific strengths and expecting different experiences from each, but after Erikson the word epic can only fit in one place
I've read the main series a few times and I always cry at the same spots...everytime.
@@akrybion Yea. I feel you on that. But when it comes to the author Danielius Wolflord? Oh my goodness...
Let's just say, if you liked Malazan you would LOVE the Children of the Morning Star series.
It's basically The Bible, Soul Reaver, and Metal Gear Solid in terms of depth and complexity; Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z (not Super. Ugh) and My Hero Academia combined in terms of action and sheer craziness; Malazan x1,000,000+ in terms of worldbuilding and lore; and The Bible itself in terms of sheer light and darkness, human drama, deep characterization, deep characters, and immersive introspection and meaning.
In a Nutshell, the Children of the Morning Star series is basically an action epic drama sci-fi thriller featuring the Triune God and his angels, Satan and his demons, another diabolical angel and his elite fallen angels, Primordial Beings (think Godzilla, King Kong etc), superpowered humans known as the Kai (think DBZ characters but on super ultra steroids), sheer Evil, and us humans who somehow got the smarts to create technological exoskeleton power-suits and super fast mechs to be able to keep up in this cosmic war between Good and evil -- Light and darkness.
@@danielsmithiv1279 Almost sold. Only one thing remains: Please please please tell me all of this goodness is not just thrown in a good vs. evil conflict. Because that's what I get from your comment and if yes, then it will be so much less than what it could be. There has to be at least a question of ethics (what actually is and isn't good and evil) somewhere in there to make it interesting to a mature reader.
Thaniel out here collecting the infinity authors
hahaha that sounds like his fantasy name
Lmfao!!
Infinity Hob is needed! 😆
Lols, and the creative comment of the year goes to u
You can tell how much Erikson cares about the craft of writing. I appreciate how he makes an effort to constantly improve his craft and make the best possible book he can. It seems strange to say, but not enough authors are like this. It's refreshing how informed and dedicated he is. Malazan has been on my tbr for a while now - I think it's time I finally read it!
I highly recommend listening to the Ten Very Big Books podcast alongside reading it, because you have 1 guy who has read the series before and 2 of his friends are reading for the first time. You get things clarified, you sympathise with the frist time readers and you have a lot of fun! Best part though is that every time they finish a book they have Erikosn on as he is a fan of their podcast as well!
Also, the episodes aren't too long for no reason. They are just the appropriate length. So if they cover 3 chapters it will usually be a 30 to 40 minute episode depending on the depth. Sometimes they cocer up to 6 chapters an episode, usually the end of a book, and then the episode can be more than an hour long. So the podcast isn't really any kind of commitment but only enhances the experience!
@@berserker8884 alongside you mean, check the chapters and listen after you've just read them or finish 1 book then listening? Ty for the recomendation I am about to start Malazan too, Just finishing Hyperion.
@@berserker8884 there's also Tor's Malazan Reread of the Fallen. They also have chapter by chapter discussions and summaries with insights from a veteran and a newbie. Erikson also wrote some essays there explaining controversial scenes etc. It really helped me a lot in digesting the series
@@marcosousa4029 alongside cuz they do a few chapters at a time. The guy who read the series, Peter, determines what they should read each week and so you get meaningful stopping points. It is good to listen to the episodes while you are reading(so read the chapters set for the next episode and then listen to the episode), because Malazan is quite dense and it benefits greatly to go over the chapters you just read with the podcast.
Finished Gardens of the Moon in like 4 days, halfway through Deadhouse Gates and this video pops up as I am taking a 5 minute break from reading... yeah... it turned into a 40 minute break... Daniel Greene lowkey reading subscribers minds.
i walked passe gardens of the moon more times than I can count. for years, because i hadmt heard of Erickson yet but the name Sgt Whiskeyjack just seemed corny. Eventually i got to a point i had read everything i could find in fantasy at the time. so i grabbed it not knowing it was 10 book series and H O L Y SHIT. ive read the series 3 times, still finding gems in there
@@nopenadda don't come for whiskeyjack :(
@@nopenadda Fun tidbit, Whiskeyjack is named after the bird, not the drink
Damn, it took me 1,5 years for the whole series :D
I read both of those books earlier this year. Definitely gonna try finishing the series next year.
I haven't read Malazan but I loved every minute of this interview. Erikson sounds like a smart guy and I'm definitely gonna read his books.
Edit 2 months later: I have started Malazan and am really liking it although it's confusing as hell
do it malazan was awesome
Malazan is Epic Fantasy. It is massive, the world and the epic scope that it has. Just a heads up if you don't like those types of stories, you might not like it.
i mean hes an archeologist and a anthropologist before he was an author. then toss on 15+ books
I have, it's good. Kind of reminds me of a cross between GoT and Vampire Hunter D. Been trying to get my hands on a copy of the second book for awhile now with little success.
You're in for a hell of a ride!
He has the best magic system. Authors try too hard to be technical now.
I think there are definitely potential perks (and con) to both hard and soft magic.
But I do agree that Erikson's approach is more...legitimately magical. Hard magic can be great, but its less magic and more alternative universe physics.
Excellent interview! Great questions and great answers - these author interviews have become my favorite videos on your channel.
When you publish your book, you should have a reverse panel discussion where all the people you've interviewed come back and interrogate you on the details of your story.
Getting Sanderson, Erikson, Kuang, Butcher and so many more to interview him is like climbing Everest. You need to have months if preparation
Interrogate😰😆😆
That was one of the best interviews I've seen. I've been eagerly awaiting your The Crippled God review btw
This interview has single-handedly convinced me to get Gardens of the Moon. It'll be scary but this video proved to me it'll be worth it. Time to read Erikson's essay on characterisation, I'm sure it'll be a blast.
Deadhouse Gates (2nd book) is the best representation of the series overall. Unless you dnf Gardens, i suggest reading Deadhouse before making too many conclusions
Erikson's writing is phenomenal. When one of his characters is injured you literally feel it. It's unlike any other author and I find it both gritty and refreshing. Thank you for the interview Mr. Greene.
Imagine a Fantasy Author Round Table with Daniel as the moderator
Just started reading Gardens of the Moon. (Loving it) And I'm so fascinated by Steven Erikson that I was searching for any interviews with him. So in 2024, this is great. Thank you (to both of you).
Writers: please do not talk to me
Erikson: you should talk to the readers, be approachable
Sanderson: welcome to the SANDERFAQ #173
He mentioned he can write in any style, he's not really bragging, he's stating a fact. That why I love the man. Thanks for blessing YT for this interview.
Yeah it's true and it's what gives the series the ability to work even though it's so diverse and expansive. Incidentally I only read Cook and Donaldson after Malazan series and it's true that the whole series (especially about 3rd book and later) feels as if these two authors had a dialog.
Extremely interesting interview. Personal favourite part being Daniel quickly diverting Erikson from spoiling the ending of The Crippled God.
What a fantastic and inspiring interview! Midnight Tides is probably my favourite of the series, but hearing Erikson's story about how its themes came to be has brought out a whole new level of admiration for it.
As a writer, Erikson makes me think of characters. Sanderson makes me think of the world. And Rothfuss makes me think of finishing it.
Rothfuss is nowhere near as good as Sanderson, Erikson or Jordan.
@@user-bm3ts2ql6s LOL! Rothfuss not as good as Brandon write by numbers, give me a break. Its not even close how much better PR is.
@@user-bm3ts2ql6s Rothfuss might not have written as much as them, still whatever he's written easily rivals the best in the genre
And Martin of not finishing...
And George Martin makes me things of all of those things :D
I finished Oathbringer yesterday and couldn't wait for more Rhythym of War, so I literally got the first Malazan book AN HOUR AGO and you're here talking to the author. The universe works in mysterious ways.
Good luck and have fun friend. Took me three tries to finish Gardens of The Moon, but once you do it is incomparable.
@@Buddanutslol I feel like I'm one of the few who loved Gardens of the moon and got drawn in to the world, the mystery and the characters with no problem at all. On the other hand I felt Deadhouse gates to be a real boring slog :S. Going for book three after Rythm of war ;P.
Hope you like it. Keep in mind that it will be impossible to know the complete meaning of certain actions and events until you advance in the series. It may seem things are happening just because, but that is because you haven't read enough of the books. :D
I knew Erikson used GURPS to develop Malazan and I always wondered if he used dice to determine the outcomes of certain things, because it just seems so hard to just decide what happens in certain scenarios. Now I know.
Damn you, dice... damn you.
I like seeing you from the side in interviews, feels right!
Erickson, wow what a cool guy.
I've seen him in a few of these interviews now and I respect the effort taken to have some meaningful chats with the audience. Certainly adds more context and depth to the cannon of material.
Thanks guys, much appreciated
I think Steve's big difference is his respect for readers. Many authors consider us stupid fans who are lucky to have their books; Erikson respects us and he is grateful that we are interested in his works. You can also see this in his interaction. I have seen his comments here on YT, even on small channels. He truly loves the art; he isn't interested in feeding his ego, like many other authors.
OH, COME ON!
This is too much!
Thank you so much, this interview was absolutely amazing and your post interview chat was really interesting. I am one of the many, many Malazan flagellants in your community, and hearing about Erikson's process and thoughts on writing (both his own and in general) was fascinating and enlightening for sure.
Have not read Erikson, but man I loved this interview.
I'm so glad you were finally able to interview him. I am currently reading Forge of Darkness and am a huge fan of Malazan in general.
The post interview was amazing. Also Erikson is probably the most clear-spoken proof right now that personal convictions, worldview and yes, even political opinions inform the writing. I love how clear he is in reflecting on his process and how well he can present that both in his essays and interviews.
There is nothing as enjoyable as reading Steven Erickson. Except perhaps listening to him think. Brilliant, honest, and engaging without insulting those who disagree.
And yes, the top 100 is the biggest list fail perpetrated on the speculative fiction audience in my lifetime.
Bro the top 100 didn’t even have storm light archive or Malazan
@@callum7081 It had a whole lot of the authors who were making the list though, deserving or not.
I’ve read the first book and I enjoyed it but I was lost the entire time. I really want to read the rest but it’s something you definitely have to prepare for.
10 min in and this guy sounds so intelligent! I was always afraid to jump into Malazan but now I think I have to lol
It's pretty tough. He literally doesn't do any info dump at all. So in the first read through more than half of the time you won't understand anything.
@@samarendra109 Ok that just sold me. I love books like that.
Read it. It's not hard as people say
@@gut.6925 If Daniel says it was tough for him, then it's sure tough and probably uncrackable for most.
@@samarendra109 This isn't even true. Kind of tired of people saying this lmao. If you are paying attention, you should definitely have a pretty good grasp on things mid-way through book 2 or before that.
Gotta love Erikson. He's a master of the craft, he makes me realize how much I love reading every time I pick up one of his books.
And thanks Daniel for what you do
It's pronounced Muh-LAH-Zin Daniel!! He said it so many times and you still mispronounced it! Other than that, great interview.
Erickson is one of the best interviews. Intelligent, well spoken, and ready hear and analyze different view points from his own. Malazan changed view of what a fantasy world can be and we're all the better for it!
Thank you for the interview. Malazan is my favorite fantasy series, it was really nice to see/hear the man behind it.
I used to dislike Erikson for what I perceived to be some distant, closed off, maybe snobby elitism but now that he's been opening himself up recently more and more, doing several interviews, being open on social media such as with those essays of his, I find him to be a warm and likeable guy and see how wrong I was for my perceived notion of him. Now I like him more and more with each new interview he does
Hoods balls on a skillet! My main man Erikson! Thank you goblin. You just made my day!
Wow, what an amazing discussion. After listening to the after interview portion you can tell Erickson is insanely well read. He even started to talk about how individualism is an essential part of capitalism. I’m sure there is a great discussion about political economics there. You don’t see this caliber in every author out there. Great stuff Daniel!
I saw the notification and thought, oh snap the dishevelled goblin has done it!
OMG! Literally the very first sentences by Erikson said it all. The level and complexity of his prose (he's an academic, teaching classes in creative writing), that he's into short stories (aren't Malazan novels like compilations of short stories?) etc. I'm really happy for this interview. Malazan makes so much more sence now!!!
WOW! Amazing conversation after. Suuuuch a great interview, really!
Meanwhile...
Tolkein in heaven: Hey God! I need to go now...
God: Oh? Because of Steven Erikson? And have you heard of Danielius Wolflord -- a writer who seeks to be as epic as My Bible itself? *Opens the pathway back to Earth* Good luck sir!
@@danielsmithiv1279 I think it's a joke, because Daniel is interview fantasy authors.
@@mariamann8292 I'm confused. What do you mean?
@@danielsmithiv1279 Sorry, I think, either I misunderstood your comment or you misunderstood the Opp. In my understanding, the joke about Tolkien was that he needed to go from heaven to be interviewed by Daniel Greene.
Currently reading Dust of Dreams and so far the Malazan series is shaping up to be my favorite fantasy series ever. Also want to add that I absolutely know who Guy Gavriel Kay is! I love his writing!
Everyone talks about Tigana, or Under Heaven, but no one ever mention Sailing to Sarantium and Lord or Emperors. I go back to that pair every 5 years or so!
GURPS! Oh, I loved playing GURPS when I was younger. Great interview and the post interview was also fantastic 😁
I figured this was happening, but I'm so excited to see it. Wooo.
Goddamn. MBotF did things to me that no other series has done. I haven't been able to do a reread in almost 7 years because parts of that series completely destroyed me and I do not know if I have the emotional capacity to take it on again.
Having said that, it is my favourite series and he is my favourite author.
It was a pleasure to watch him speak with you.
Thank you
Daniel. You freaking miracle. THANK YOU FOR THIS.
This has been such a wonserful interview!
Thank you for the well created and chosen questions.
Heyyy, avid fan here. Cool hand gestures, bro. Way to end off by talking about two other authors you love. Super classy. A++
Been waiting for this Daniel
Wanted one of them to Quote Socrates through Plato regarding rhetoric and philosophers "there will only be utopia when philosophers are kings and kings are philosophers".
sorry for the jumbled quote...
Kuddos to the both of you! You are both 2 of my favourite activities!
This man is my hero, thank you for your works & your lessons
Thanks so much. The post interview was phenomenal.
I literally finished Gardens of the Moon yesterday. Like how desne it is and looking forward to getting into the series. Will definitley watch this video later, just want to avoid anything that might spoil events.
He doesn't spoil anything. He alludes to situations but simply says "book x has two characters fighting and this is how we came up with that", he's very wary of spoilers in this. 🙂
@@CSLWoodward I still want to go in completly fresh with no prior knowledge. Starting Deadhouse Gates now :)
@@jonbaxter2254 Book 2 is a gut punch but one of the best in the series. Events in that book are felt throughout the rest of the series.
If you liked GotM then I think you'll like the rest of the Malazan series much more. Admittedly, I thought GotM was really clunky and the weakest in the Malazan series. I was shocked when I saw the improvements in his writing over the next few books. You're in for a big treat!
@@CrimsonKing88 Yeah. The shift from book 1 to 2 is pretty big. From what I understand, GotM was written almost a decade before the other books and sat waiting to find a publisher.
This is great, but my heart broke a little bit when Steve said the Malazan well might be running dry. Two dozen Malazan novels done and I need more!
👍 Great interview. I read malazan when it first came out in 1999 and the whole series when they came out. This interview makes me want to reread them.
Well, this finally got me to subscribe. A thoughtful interview with my absolute favorite author, and you did a great job interviewing him. Thank you for this.
It won’t be long before new authors start reaching out to Daniel for these interviews.
These interviews always make me want to pick up the authors books.
That comment about unable to run a game of DND and write at the same time - I felt that.
Your Interviews are the best. I really like how you make the Authors just talk and be casual. Very relaxing to watch.
Such a good interview! It's always interesting to hear from the author about their work
NICE! I finished malazan recently it was so good
My dream is to one day make it as a big enough author to be interview by Daniel.
SAME!
Same here
Malazan = Black Company + Thomas Covenant. Wow! This makes so much sense.
Malazan gang! He finally did it!
This was the first video that I watched of a interview with Erikson and he was amazing, I purchased........well lets not say how many Malazan books just because of this I hope I really enjoy them I have just read the first few pages of the first book.
Thank you for posting this
Finally we interview the king
Erikson seems like a very nice, intelligent guy. I'm restarting Malazan in January, but this made me want start today instead.
Today I just finished the Crippled God. I am just mesmerized about this world and characters.. I am sad that its just ended.
The Bauchelain and Korbal Broach short stories. Kharkanas, hopefully next year The god is not willing. And if you hunger for more, there is always Esselmont.
Also i can only recommend Erikson's sci fi comedy, Willfull child
@@fidlr2904 actually except kharkanas trilogy others are not available in our country in physical format. I have read Esselmont's Book of Ascendancy trilogy but others are not available.
Hey Daniel. Can we get a quick bookshelf roast?
Great job on these interviews!
Hey, I'm writing a book based off a world I made for a GURPS campaign! Knowing Erikson did the same thing is oddly inspiring
Please share your work when you complete it!
Great interview and interesting conversation afterwards! Great to hear Erikson talk about Steven R. Donaldson. His Chronicles of Thomas Covenant was the second fantasy series (after Lord of the Rings) I ever read as a young teenager.
Have you read it Daniel? I can highly recommend it and would love to hear your opinion about it!
Thomas Covenant is so good
This is fantastic. Thank you.
Malazan helped make my prison slide by, only series I have reread multiple times. Always picking up a different single line reference in gardens that only makes sense in assail. By far my most beloved work of literature.
Lol before Christianity took over, Nero was executing Christian’s like they were animals. He actually thought higher of animals than Christian’s. Please put a little more respect on Christianity’s name.
My new goal is to get Daniel to read the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.
Daniel, if you can hear me, please read these books. Will you like them? No idea. In fact, probably not. But will you suffer as I have suffered and come through the other side never to be the same again? Oh yes, most definitely.
Me seeing this on my RUclips recommended:
"OH MY GOD! Ok...it's happening... Everybody stay calm! Everybody stay calm! EVERYBODY STAY F*CKING CALM!"
A random point on your conversation about theology and the melding of religions between two different societies. You had mentioned the oddity that this is not commonly done today.
Most likely, you would find that it was mutually beneficial to combine/borrow/steal religious ideas as a means to promote trade or ease the challenges of subjugation of a people. This embracing and merging of religions led to the point where a single religion became the all encompassing power of europe and at least a third of the population of the world. With that single religion, nations and people began needing variations to point out the difference between one people to another. Hence Lutheran, anglican, Mormon, and the host of other forms we see today.
I would conclude that religion is as much about identity as it is about the afterlife.
Awesome interview!
hearing that Erikson wrote a Joe Abercrombie character into one of his novels, just so he could destroy him is really funny. I want to read it now just for that.
If only Daniel had done these interviews in the 90s he would have been able to interview Roger Zelazny. Author of my favorite series you probably know it as The Chronicles of Amber.
That's been on my TBR for nearly two decades!!
@@MichaelSmith-zx5lw You won't regret reading it.
Mr Erikson has it right: Run a game. Herd the cats. It'll teach how to make your story work even when your players up and vanish to an entirely different plane of existance and you have to go 'well, we're doing this now! '
I love your author interviews so much. I buy all of my books because I want to financially support authors for the magic they provide to us. It’s fascinating to me to listen to them talk about their process and inspirations. Thank you for what you do.
Nice , massive Eriksson fan here(and Esslemont as well) loved the interview, the inspiration from Glen Cook (black company) + Stephen R Donaldson makes so much sense, The chronicles of thomas covenant is wonderful fantasy series that made a huge impact back in the day.( i am getting old ...)
If you are taking requests i would love to see an interview with China Miéville, one of my favourites of todays fantasy authors
U are so famous!! You always have a great authors on ur channel!! Keep safe.. 😊📖
an excellent conversation
Been so excited for this!
You guys are both so friendly, its nice to see.good interview👍👍.il start the series.
I'm currently reading Memories of Ice. Very good series.
Hey Daniel, love this interview! have you sometimes thought about adding your own subtitles through youtube instead of the auto-generated ones, for the interviews? I'm not by any means bad at english, but it's not my first language, and sometimes it's hard to understand what's being said and referenced to in these videos. If not that's cool, love them anyway!
I think one of my most favourite things to do when I write something is to be blatantly wrong about some part of the world building or infodumps when it's from a character pov. Coz people are people and do not know everything
And then let the story show them the real stuff and it's up to the reader to understand.
I've also found having an omniscient voice every now and then that tells the absolute truth helps too
Daniel, thank you for your interview with Steven Erikson! From January until September I read through the Malazan Books of the Fallen for the first time and I really enjoyed them. I'm glad to hear your thoughts on the series and how your opinions have changed over the course of the series, especially on your review of the ninth book, Dust of Dreams. It is definitely a complicated series to read but it is really rewarding in the end. I'm looking forward to starting the Esslemont novels, the Kharkanas trilogy, and the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach next year after I get through some of my other reading list. I'm also looking forward to your review of the Crippled God and the series as a whole. Thanks for all the great work, it is really appreciated!
*Erikson:* I'm obsessed about process, I'm obsessed about narrative structure.
*Sanderson:* So, journey before destination! >:D
Mhm. Sanderson's style works better for Stormlight, and Erikson's works better for Malazan.