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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 15:22:47
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D&D in general is about Good vs. Evil (in the overal picture). The Forgotten Realms is no exception to that, though with perhaps a little more nuance. The novels set in the Realms more or less solidify that image. Good triumphing over Evil.
Without necessarily doing away with the above, wouldn't it be nice to read some more about Faerun from the perspective of organizations like the Zhentarim, the Iron Throne, the Knights of the Shield. It could be done in a series like the Sembia series was written; several authors writing along a comon topic with some overlapping stories.
Not only would that bring more of the Realms to life for the readers, it could also be a good opportunity to show something of the Realms' Dark Side...
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Echon
Senior Scribe
Denmark
422 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 15:43:15
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Indeed. If this was the case, it would probably help to lessen the degree of viewing things as black and white. What I mean is, if the readers suddenly gained an insight into the motivations of the 'evil' organizations, they might come to understand them better. Very few people persue evil for the sake of evil, there are usually better reasons (and I am not just thinking about poor upbringings and things like that).
Also I believe that there are more people playing evil characters than some might imagine. Perhaps these people might appreciate lore into groups of potential alliances.
-Echon |
"If others had not been foolish, we should be so."
-William Blake |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 15:45:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Echon
Also I believe that there are more people playing evil characters than some might imagine. Perhaps these people might appreciate lore into groups of potential alliances.
-Echon
Not to forget the DM's who would be better able to picture the adversaries for good aligned characters... Aren't the DM's the ones who 'play' evil the most...  |
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Echon
Senior Scribe
Denmark
422 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 15:49:14
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quote:
Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Not to forget the DM's who would be better able to picture the adversaries for good aligned characters... Aren't the DM's the ones who 'play' evil the most...
Of course, we are. Is it not the reason why we decided to become DMs in the first place?
Anyway, it does seem strange that their are source books covering some of these countries and power groups but no novels in which they are the protagonists.
-Echon
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"If others had not been foolish, we should be so."
-William Blake |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 19:04:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Echon
[brAnyway, it does seem strange that their are source books covering some of these countries and power groups but no novels in which they are the protagonists.
No it doesn't. Would you like to be known as the author who writes about evil triumphing, even in a small sense? Even the most bloodthirsty reader (like my brother the Doje) tends to prefer the parts where the good guys win. No one really wants to read a story designed so that the bad guys come out on top in the end. This sort of story is very hard to write. Or at least, I can't think of a way to do it. Can anyone else? |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Echon
Senior Scribe
Denmark
422 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 20:23:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
No it doesn't. Would you like to be known as the author who writes about evil triumphing, even in a small sense? Even the most bloodthirsty reader (like my brother the Doje) tends to prefer the parts where the good guys win. No one really wants to read a story designed so that the bad guys come out on top in the end. This sort of story is very hard to write. Or at least, I can't think of a way to do it. Can anyone else?
I certainly would not mind writing such a book. And I could not care less if someone disliked it simply because the bad guys came out victorious, for once.
By the way, how can you make such a generalization? You do not know the likes and dislikes of all FR novel readers.
Am I glad that you point out yourself that there might be others capable of writing such a story even if you cannot. And I am not saying I could.
-Echon |
"If others had not been foolish, we should be so."
-William Blake |
Edited by - Echon on 24 Feb 2003 20:25:50 |
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lowtech
Learned Scribe
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 20:33:32
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Thomas M. Reid
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author
334 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2003 : 23:02:00
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The War of the Spider Queen series falls into this category to a small extent. While it does not revolve around any of the major organizations, it does depict evil characters as the protagonists. And I will tell you, it was both difficult and exciting to write my part of it.
Trying to present the main drow characters in a somewhat sympathetic light (as in, you the reader are sympathetic to what's going to happen to them, not that they are compassionate) while still making them evil was really a challenge. In the end, as an author, all I can hope for is that the audience thinks on some level, "Well, they're nasty, but they are better than the alternative, so I hope they succeed. I am rooting for them."
So there is an example of writing fiction from a non-good perspective. It can be done, although how well it is done, I'll leave up to all of you to decide.
Thomas |
"A knight is not truly virtuous, only truly resolved to be so."
www.thomasmreid.com |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 26 Feb 2003 : 08:44:52
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Thanks for your input Thomas, yesterday I've ordered the series through Amazon (based on some of the reviews on this site) and will look forward to reading them.
Though not FR related, the books by George R R Martin are IMO well written from a charcter point of view. The characters are not clearly black & white, and when the reader first gets the impression that certain characters are on the 'good' side, a book later that impression changes as other sides of those characters are shown (and vice versa). This 'realism' was what has drawn me into these books more then the story by itself... |
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Echon
Senior Scribe
Denmark
422 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2003 : 14:28:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Though not FR related, the books by George R R Martin are IMO well written from a charcter point of view. The characters are not clearly black & white, and when the reader first gets the impression that certain characters are on the 'good' side, a book later that impression changes as other sides of those characters are shown (and vice versa). This 'realism' was what has drawn me into these books more then the story by itself...
Are you referring to A Song of Fire and Ice? I have heard a lot of good things about these books (a computer magazine I read had an article about them although they usually never deal with literature) but I have been unable to get my hands on them so far. It seems a lot of other people like them as well.
-Echon |
"If others had not been foolish, we should be so."
-William Blake |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2003 : 14:49:40
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That is indeed the series. I'm waiting eagerly for the next installment. That's the gruelling thing about series... one always has to wait for the next book...
To get back on the topic, it seems WotC does have some plans to highlight the darkside. |
Edited by - Mumadar Ibn Huzal on 27 Feb 2003 14:51:48 |
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Realms of Infamy: The Dark Side
