Timewaster's Guide Archive

Departments => Books => Topic started by: daranthered on July 09, 2010, 03:23:34 AM

Title: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: daranthered on July 09, 2010, 03:23:34 AM
I don't particularly like George R.R. Martin (the one exception being "The Armageddon Rag").  However, some writers I really like, Roger Zelazny for example, have written in the Wild Cards Universe.  I was wondering if it was worth getting into.

Anyone have an opinion?
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: Dragon Shard on March 08, 2011, 04:13:02 PM
NO, I dont know anyone whos ever read wild cards, but i understand that its pretty successful
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: dhalagirl on March 09, 2011, 05:11:25 AM
I haven't read them, but I have a good friend that loves them.  He's spent the better part of 5 years hunting for copies of the early books.  That kind of devotion bodes well for the quality of the series.
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: guessingo on March 09, 2011, 04:16:59 PM
The concept where you have a bunch of writers working on a shared story together is very interesting. However, I would need to know someone directly who read them to get me to try. The whole super hero premise doesn't do it for me.

Makes me wonder if GRRM does these because of his experience in television writing. Television writing is a group activity. Writing novels is a solitary job where you are by yourself all day long. This type of book lets George work as a group with other writers.
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: dhalagirl on March 10, 2011, 03:42:26 AM
It also allows him to get paid without actually writing a book.
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: fireflyz on March 10, 2011, 12:46:25 PM
Hahaha, that was good.  I was thinking the same thing.  I like GRRM's books, but my opinion of his work ethic is something else entirely.
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: guessingo on March 10, 2011, 02:13:54 PM
I can't see GRRM making much money off of short story books or off of Wild cards. They have to divide the money between alot of people.
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: hubay on March 10, 2011, 06:48:41 PM
I've read the first two. It IS a superhero thing, but it doesn't always focus on it. A good chunk of the first book is a sort of alternate history with the Red Scare and the Hollywood Ten. I think it's very well done; there's a lot of grey area in the protagonists' actions and motivations. Some of the stories are better than others, obviously, since different writers put it together.

The first book will leave you hating Richard Nixon, if not the whole 40's american government
Title: Re: Has Anyone Read the Wild Cards Series
Post by: Silk on June 08, 2011, 05:53:48 AM
I haven't yet read any of the Wild Card books (though there's one on my shelf) but I've been told they're good. Also, Tor.com just posted a short story called "The Rook" (http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/06/the-rook) which is in the latest Wild Cards novel, if you're still looking for a taste of it.