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Messages - Blane_Firehand

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Books / Re: Discuss
« on: April 14, 2008, 05:26:03 PM »
In the end, I love the fact that books are sort of self regulating. If you pick one up and don't like what you see, put it down. Turn the page. It's up to you. If you don't like a certain author, don't read him/her again.

Well said. There are a number of books/series I haven't finished. I decided I didn't like what I was reading, so I just stopped. In all honestly, the same can be said for a lot of media. There are movies I never finished and songs that I've abandoned because I decided the content wasn't for me.

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Books / Re: Discuss
« on: April 10, 2008, 04:26:20 AM »
I would say that visual mediums are more likely to stick in one's mind. Music, while not visual, also has tremendous ability to stick in one's mind. How much prose do you have memorized, compared to how much music you have memorized?

Content ratings affect media in a similar way to censorship. I know that there are movies that add or remove content in order to get the rating for their target audience. I believe a number of authors would do likewise if there was a national rating panel for books.

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Books / Re: Discuss
« on: April 09, 2008, 07:32:08 PM »
I would agree that I want the writer to be thinking "How can I write a good book", rather than "How can I write a book that wont get banned from libraries and schools" or "How can I write a book that will have such a shocking rating that it creates attention". On the other hand, it would be nice to be forewarned about explicit (i.e. pornographic) scenes. This usually means details that aren't left to the reader's imaginations.

A general note on my thoughts about censorship. I agree with a statement that said "Censorship causes blindness." However, I do believe that there are some things that shouldn't be seen. But humans aren't perfect, and any censorship system designed by one is bound to be flawed. Thus I am against censorship in general.

I would separate age restrictions and censorship legal battles into two categories. Age restrictions would enforce the "younger people are too dumb to read older people books" thought. The public school I went through had a system where they rated books based on what grade they thought could handle them. I thought this was dumb, and scared kids from trying to push the boundaries of their reading abilities. When I talk about censorship legal battles, I'm thinking about all the hullabaloo about video games from idiots like Jack Thompson. I would hate to see something like that to happen to books (although I do believe that sometimes it has, but to a much smaller extent).

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Writing Group / Re: Suggestions Welcome
« on: April 09, 2008, 07:52:17 AM »
Hmmm, "Beloved" is already used by Eddings. Perhaps something similar, such as "Dear One" or "So and So Heart".

You could call the Sentinels "Ministers", "Arbiters", or "Arch-something or the other".

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Books / Re: Discuss
« on: April 09, 2008, 03:55:58 AM »
This is something I've thought about before. Unfortunately, I can't seem to remember just what my opinion was. Anyhow, I can come up with two reasons off the top of my head why books currently don't have ratings.
A) They have the stereotype of being more "wholesome" than video games, movies and similar electronic entertainment.
B) Books are usually divided into Adult, Young Adult,  and Juvenile (for fiction at least); then further into genres which set certain expectations, such as Romance and Horror. This is done in most libraries and bookstores that I know of. The only exceptions I can think of are books in a home with varied ages/tastes and yard sales (both of which I'm somewhat familiar with).
One problem I know intimately is that younger children aren't always aware of all the differences. I remember a book that I had really enjoyed as a child (one of the Xanth series, by Piers Anthony). It wasn't until I reread it some years later that I realized all the adult themes found in it. Another problem is that there is generally few ways to know how graphic some of the scenes can be before reading.

Okay, now I'll try to directly answer your question.
Pros:
Parents and people who don't want to read explicit material can just look at the rating.
Authors may be forced to be more conscious about what they put in their books.
Cons:
Kids who'll make a beeline for the M for Mature books.
Age restrictions and censorship legal battles.
Authors may be forced to be more conscious about what they put in their books.

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Hmmm, one thing that I don't remember bothering me when I was younger but that does annoy me now is the superior attitude held by virtually all the female characters. "Men think with the hair on their chests" and "We let them play with their toys and we'll handle the real business" (not exact quotes, but you get the idea). I think this might have something to do with older sisters and democrats, but I'm not really sure. Of course, it might just be because I'm ticked that women really are smarter than us men...  :P

Mat sticks out as my favorite character. I could talk about him being a rogue/scoundrel yet responsible when need be, but that seems to have already been covered pretty well. I used to empathize with Rand when he was the main character, but the story stopped revolving around him after the first couple of books. I also used to like Perrin quite a bit, especially because I thought the whole "wolf-brother" thing was cool. He was solid and dependable, like a rock. However, also like a rock, he eventually started to become a bit boring.

I really need to reread the series, especially with the last book on the way. I am looking forward to, although dreading slightly, seeing how my perceptions of the characters have changed.

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Brandon Sanderson / Re: Warbreaker: Free Ebook
« on: April 08, 2008, 04:05:28 PM »
Warbreaker is excellent, so far my favorite of Sanderson's works (having previously read Elantris and Mistborn/Well of Ascension). I would have to say that while Vivenna was my least favorite of the characters at the beginning of the book, she was definitely my favorite at the end. This says something about her character development. I especially like the contrast between Siri and Vivenna, and the way they end up switching rolls (responsibility vs freedom).

Some people have complained about some of the mysteries that weren't answered. I would say that this is an indication of good writing (note I said mysteries, not inconsistencies). This gives Sanderson material to expand upon in future books. At the very least, it hints at a larger world behind the book.

One thing that bothered me slightly was the battle between the lifeless and the statues (D’Denir). I'll have to reread to see exactly what's written, but it seems that said battle deserves at least paragraph or so (I don't recall it being covered at all).  Edit: I reread, there's more than I remember. But still not very much.
Another's comment (sorry, don't recall who made it) about lack of information on what was happening back in Idris seemed a valid point.

After reading others' posts, I feel that I need to reread to make intelligent comments. I may even have to read earlier versions!

Note: I originally thought Sanderson was crazy for releasing a free book. However, after reading I would definitely say I plan on buying it when it comes out (and I have the money).

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