Yeah, the Incarnations of Immortality series turned into a soap opera about this one family of divinely attractive womanly women and stopped being a very interesting series about the mechanics of Death and Time etc. On a Pale Horse is still the best of them.
It's called a blaster, Will, a word that tends to discourage experimentation. Now, if it were called the Orgasmater, I'd be the first to try your basic button press approach.
Xander ,'Get It Done'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
Connie Neil - May 15, 2008 5:20:26 am PDT #5807 of 28358
brillig
Miracleman - May 15, 2008 5:33:56 am PDT #5808 of 28358
No, I don't think I will - me, quoting Captain Steve Rogers, to all of 2020
On a Pale Horse is still the best of them.
Absolutely. Really enjoyed that book.
Then the enjoyment curve took a swift dive.
Connie Neil - May 15, 2008 5:36:08 am PDT #5809 of 28358
brillig
The mechanics of Death and all that were brilliant, and I was really looking forward to how Anthony handled the other Incarnations, but, sadly, no, it became all about the difficulties of having a serious relationship when living backwards, and how to be a caring Earth Mother while holding down a career as a Fate, and all that.
edit: along with some very self-serving Author's Notes about how hard his life is.
Miracleman - May 15, 2008 5:43:36 am PDT #5810 of 28358
No, I don't think I will - me, quoting Captain Steve Rogers, to all of 2020
edit: along with some very self-serving Author's Notes about how hard his life is.
Always, ALWAYS with the "It's so hard to be Awesomest Me, you just don't know, man, you just don't know..."
Fuck you, Piers. Just...fuck you.
Pix - May 15, 2008 6:28:55 am PDT #5811 of 28358
The status is NOT quo.
It's so odd that this conversation is happening right now. This week, for no reason other than they were on ND's bookshelf and I needed some bedtime brain candy, I picked up one of the later Xanth books and read it. Then I read its sequel the next night.
I totally agree that Anthony is an ass (from what I can glean from the Author's Notes) and that the books have all kinds of flaws, but they've been fun to reread nonetheless.
-t - May 15, 2008 8:51:39 am PDT #5812 of 28358
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration
Then the enjoyment curve took a swift dive.
This is pretty much what I think of all Anthony's series. A Spell For Chameleon was good, but each book after got progressively worse. Ditto On a Pale Horse and those. Same for that Tarot series. I don't think it was part of a series, but the Author's Note in Steppe was so annoying it cancelled out the enjoyment I got from the book. And But What of Earth? was practically all Author's Note, and that sucked about as much as you would think.
Typo Boy - May 15, 2008 12:15:29 pm PDT #5813 of 28358
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
If you want classic Piers Prickiness, read the authors note where he replies to a young fan who suggests that a character could have refused to carry a promise made by his parents on his behalf for him to commit genocide.
PA replied that to suggest such a thing shows that the young fan has no sense of honor. WTF? Umm I could explain the reasoning in more detail, but why would you want me to?
Deena - May 16, 2008 3:42:17 am PDT #5814 of 28358
How are you me? You need to stop that. Only I can be me. ~Kara
Did you guys know that Piers Anthony writes porn? They're published by Mundania. I have not read any.
Dana - May 16, 2008 3:48:30 am PDT #5815 of 28358
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.
Oh, holy god.
Jessica - May 16, 2008 3:50:24 am PDT #5816 of 28358
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
From the Amazon reviews:
I was attracted to the taboo-violating nature of the basic plot device: Evil scientist removes man's stubby little penis & gives him a wide range of accessories (with full sensate functioning) to replace it. Man goes on quest to obtain techno-magical item to exchange for his original organ. The theme of "a quest to obtain something magical so the wizard will return what is rightfully yours" is a tired old theme. Applying it to a man's =PENIS= returns it to novelty!