Issue with Gateways

[nicholas.westmiles@gmail.com]

Now I'm curious how old you and Mr Ares are...  Which has nothing to do with anything in particular, and I hope you don't take it as offensive; just an idle thought project I've been engaging in over the years relative to forums.

 

Again, as I've said before, if you want to debate Sanderson's writing chops, I don't think this is the thread to do it.  I'll start a new thread wherein we can debate our relative opinions, fine, but I'm uninterested in hijacking this thread any further.

 

The entire field of literary criticism is by definition, the application of subjective influences to an author's work.  There's nothing definitive or right and wrong about it in my estimation, and since you clearly can't buy into that rather fundamental point (fundamental to my perspective, that is), we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

I'll leave it at that for the purposes of this particular thread, and resume in a new one so the OP's topic doesn't get TOO far afield.  Seems like the courteous thing to do, eh?

[Suttree]

Now I'm curious how old you and Mr Ares are...  Which has nothing to do with anything in particular, and I hope you don't take it as offensive; just an idle thought project I've been engaging in over the years relative to forums.

Can't speak for Mr Ares but I'll be 30 next week.

 

Again, as I've said before, if you want to debate Sanderson's writing chops, I don't think this is the thread to do it.  I'll start a new thread wherein we can debate our relative opinions, fine, but I'm uninterested in hijacking this thread any further.

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/85337-quality-discussion-thread/page-96

 

There's nothing definitive or right and wrong about it in my estimation, and since you clearly can't buy into that rather fundamental point (fundamental to my perspective, that is), we'll have to agree to disagree.

Well that's not what's being taught in the UC system, guess who I'm going to side with on that one? As I stated above, critiquing quality of writing is not entirely subjective. Notice the emphasis there.

[nicholas.westmiles@gmail.com]

Yeesh.  I keep deleting my post accidentally.

 

Let me be the first to wish you happy birthday in advance, and also say thanks for the reading recommendation.  I haven't yet heard of R. Scott Bakker, and will be excited to try (him/her) out, particularly if you think there's something in there with philosophical merit.  My reading speed is such that I'm generally always on the lookout for new reading material, after all.

 

I'd like to clarify a few things, since I think you may have taken a couple things I said in a way I had not intended.  First, as I hope you have now extrapolated based on my views of literary criticism, my statement that Sanderson is superb was intended merely to illustrate my own opinions and preferences.  I'll clarify those in another thread; the one you linked doesn't fit in with what I see needing to happen here, so I'm working on starting a separate one.  Second, in response to Mr Ares' comment about Feist, I'm not trying to say that Feist is universally great at philosophy (and I wish you would stop taking my comments to mean more than stated--I specifically said he has SOME interesting philosophy in there--it would be great if you'd read a little more carefully--perhaps as carefully as you purport to do with your literary criticism?).  I've been taking great pains to specify what I think is opinion and what I think is fact.  That's a matter of courtesy, and one that, again, I'd appreciate seeing a little reciprocation on.  I tend to think that manners and courtesy are even more important over the internet because words must convey the totality of the communicative experience.

[jradnut]

I really misnamed this thread. I give the impression that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the book, AMoL.

 

I just couldn't overlook a huge oversight in that if you are willing to open a gateway in order to fire cannons through, why wouldn't you take the next step by bombing through them? Way more effective.

 

 

Edit: We are ALL stupid, ...just some moreso than others.

 

Stephen Hawking might be pretty smart, if he was faking it, who would know?

[Barid Bel Medar]

1. Thank you for taking this to another thread, it is indeed getting off topic. Let's get back on topic after this. 

 

2. I've updated the title to make it less misleading. Let me know if my change isn't to your liking and I'll change it to something suitable. 

[Goaswerfraiejen]

1.) I don't understand the OP. What was the problem with gateways, exactly? Just that they weren't used to bomb? I thought they were... certainly, trolloc corpses were dropped through them onto advancing trollocs, and I thought some cannonballs were also dropped. In any case, we have to remember that gateways are a fairly new technology in Randland, and they haven't yet figured out how best to use them, especially militarily. Sanderson already kind of pushed the envelope in that respect.

 

2.) As far as philosophy goes... well, I'm 2/3 of the way through my PhD in the subject, so I outrank you all.   There's not much in the way of substantive philosophy in any of these stories because they remain stories, not philosophy. But there's no question that they're influenced by the history of philosophy, and by some ideas that have been kicking around in those circles for a while.

 

3.) AFAIK, Bakker doesn't actually hold a PhD in philosophy. He started one at Villanova, but never finished it.

[Suttree]

3.) AFAIK, Bakker doesn't actually hold a PhD in philosophy. He started one at Villanova, but never finished it.

 

Yeah you're right, he started at Vanderbilt but never finished apparently. Since you have a similar background curious to what your thoughts are on his work?

[Drohana88]

Bakker: I don't see the appeal. Mediocre overall.

[Suttree]

Let's keep this on topic. Thread on Bakker here:

 

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/71813-prince-of-nothing-r-scott-baker/?hl=%2Bbakker&do=findComment&comment=2383016

[wotfan4472]

It is was also risky using gateways for anything then Demandred coming along to tamper with it. The books hint that Demandred and Lews Therin could do more than just keep them from closing. They may even have been the channellers that invented the Deathgates. Considering that we heard from Asmodean that Demandred can interfere with them in book five.

 

All the other uses were cool, as I saw it as Mat needing to try to out maneuver Demandred. It was just coincidence that Demandred was dead when they started firing that way. Otherwise, it would have been disastrous. But even then, yeah, it was over the top due to all that was going on during the Last Battle.

 

While Merrilor was a bad battle, I actually think that Thakan dar is an awesome battle!!! It was that one that had tons of tennsion, and left me wanting to read more of that battle. It was in that battle that Gateways were used well, in my opinion.