| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Amarel Derakanor |
Posted - 14 Sep 2008 : 22:01:13
Well met.
I just finished reading the Baldur's Gate novelisation, by Philip Athans, and something caught my interest. Something I had seen before.
Every time the word "Orc" (as in Half-Orc, for example) came up, it was spelled "Ore" instead. While the book was full of spelling errors (it hurted me inside when Gorion was "Gordon", and Torm was "Term"), I had seen this particular spelling before, in another book, and so, I started to wonder if it had anything to do with umm... copyrights, maybe (makes no sense, though)?
Does anyone know? |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| hawkytom |
Posted - 22 Sep 2008 : 06:02:48
I've also noticed quite a few cases of "loosing a battle!" :P |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 22 Sep 2008 : 04:46:31
My fave typo remains one of the ones in the 3E Player's Guide to Faerūn: the multiple listings for the month of Ukta! 
...Though I was honestly very disappointed that this slipped thru. In Word, at least, it's easy to add words into the Spellcheck dictionary. I'd think something like that -- or any of a host of typos I've seen in 3E -- would be easily found by a simple spellcheck.
I also recall the first TSR typo I ever noted, in the book Stormblade: "Tyorl shurgged." I still like that one. |
| GoCeraf |
Posted - 16 Sep 2008 : 22:08:16
I remember reading book one of the Rage of the Dragons trilogy. Nearly every chapter heading was messed up. Stuff like
Chapter "ix
" =/= S, thank you. I was worried that they were going with lower case roman numerals for one chapter, but then I remembered the previous was eight. Seriously. |
| Faraer |
Posted - 16 Sep 2008 : 16:36:24
Could it have been some weird 'dawizard'-style find/replace error? |
| Richard Lee Byers |
Posted - 16 Sep 2008 : 14:01:50
Since ore is a real word, a spellchecker won't catch it. Also, when a person proofreads, he sometimes sees what he knows is supposed to be there rather than what's really there. Also, if a book is on a tight schedule for some reason, the editing/proofreading process is sometimes rushed or streamlined.
So you can see how these kinds of mistakes happen. Which doesn't make them any less unfortunate. |
| Karzak |
Posted - 16 Sep 2008 : 12:27:17
And even if you don't know what an orc is (but why then are you editing for WotC...?), "half-ore" is pretty nonsensical. I mean, what's a half-ore exactly? |
| Amarel Derakanor |
Posted - 16 Sep 2008 : 09:09:51
Thanks for the input! I suppose it's just a common mistake (although a very sloppy one). I mean, the word "orc" does look almost the same as "ore". But then, you would have to be completly oblivious to what an "orc" is, or you wouldn't have made such a (continous) miss. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 15 Sep 2008 : 23:46:28
quote:
Originally posted by hawkytom
I was being sarcastic
Ah, figures. |
| hawkytom |
Posted - 15 Sep 2008 : 19:37:44
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
quote:
Originally posted by hawkytom
Just the authors trying to keep us honest and possibly cause a few speed reader stumbles...or perhaps trying to keep the proof-readers in check!
I doubt it. I doubt it very much.
I was being sarcastic |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 15 Sep 2008 : 18:37:00
Heh, that's odd. |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 15 Sep 2008 : 16:53:24
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Yeah, they are more than likely mistakes. And yes, I've seen some mistakes that struck me as quite embarassing, like "[" instead of "l".
In my very first published short story, in a 1998 issue of Realms of Fantasy (which, now that I've pulled it out, I see contains a full page add for Evermeet--also, holy crap, it's been ten years?!?), my submission contained a line of dialogue that was meant to do double-duty as temporal scene setting and characterization.
Talking about the reason for an upcoming celebration in their rural Kentucky community, a boy says "Sesquicentennial. I heard Mr. Childers say it to the preacher. It's the same as a hundred and fifty."
Except that the published version reads, "It's the same as 150%"
Which I suppose characterizes the kid, but not the way I meant! |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 15 Sep 2008 : 16:26:15
Yeah, they are more than likely mistakes. And yes, I've seen some mistakes that struck me as quite embarassing, like "[" instead of "l". |
| Karzak |
Posted - 15 Sep 2008 : 13:01:14
quote:
Originally posted by hawkytom
Just the authors trying to keep us honest and possibly cause a few speed reader stumbles...or perhaps trying to keep the proof-readers in check!
I doubt it. I doubt it very much. |
| hawkytom |
Posted - 15 Sep 2008 : 01:05:43
I actually kind of like seeing a few mistakes, not a lot or anything, but don't mind a few typo's. Nobody's perfect!
For example: I'm reading the 2nd book of twilight giants trilogy and the word "The" was spelled 'hte'
Just the authors trying to keep us honest and possibly cause a few speed reader stumbles...or perhaps trying to keep the proof-readers in check! |
