That’s fine. Sanderson does, IMHO have some strong and interesting characters - he just doesn’t handle them well for various reasons. It’s particularly sad when he creates a very interesting character, gives them an interesting emotional arc, then just slams on the breaks on that long before the arc is finished…

Yes, it’s the classic know-nothing thing to think. If you’re really profoundly ignorant, you tend to live in a dream world where anyone who disagrees with you about an author or writer or game developer IS secretly that game developer or author or whatever in disguise. It’s a bizarre child-like fantasy.

Yeah I’m not keen on Rothfuss myself, but what he demonstrates well is that readability and good prose are in no way opposed concepts, where people were trying to argue they were.

Jemisin is absolutely a cut above, yes. I think she kind of gets a little “out of hand” with it even in The City We Became, where it does dazzle, but kind of becomes the focus and detracts from the story (which is itself a lot less universal and less compelling than her previous works).

Interesting. That might well be a big part of it. It sort of fits the SU toxicity too (albeit with different issues than mental illness).

I agree with most of what you’re saying and yeah you’re not fanboying. However I disagree with the conclusion - that being that the “boring” skills are a “huge anomaly”. The only anomalistic skill Sanderson has is his apparent ability to pump out writing about 3x faster than almost any other author. That is highly…

Oh this is precious in its profound ignorance and attempt to whinge about privilege (whilst carefully avoiding using the actual word so you don’t trigger the people who might agree with you but don’t like that word).

Yes I read the blurb for Flint and Mirror and it was fascinating - but I’ll take a look at Little, Big. I’m always up for a fantasy author who can actually write. Thank you for mentioning/recommending him!

Right? It blows my mind.

Is that all you got? Really? Jeez.

Yup. There are authors who can pull it off better than others, by making the lore not actually matter than much and avoiding going into Basil Exposition/”As you know Bob...” mode, like Leigh Bardugo, so the world-building isn’t a problem. But Sanderson isn’t one of those, and decreasingly few successful fantasy…

Being lore-heavy isn’t necessarily a problem.

“The opening page of Best Served Cold was enough to stop me in my tracks.”

Is it conscious? I’d love to see an interview from Sanderson where he specifically talked about that. Otherwise it seems like it’s just part of his general trend of pushing fantasy toward a sort of superheroic vibe.

I mean, I just no idea what you mean by “mainstream” if you’re saying Sanderson isn’t it. He sells huge numbers of copies of his works to an audience who are not, by and large, readers of other fantasy novels.

Personally I disagree re: it being just “I don’t like this author/I do” and I think it’s incredibly evident in the posts here, and much worse elsewhere. Just on this article we’ve got people calling the journalist every name under the sun, wishing for him to be fired, and so on. And that’s with people holding back…

They’ll scream at you, sure, but they aren’t quite as psycho as Sanderson/SU fans. It’s difference between a rude, aggressive but not-actually-throwing-hands sports fan, who will spew vitriol all over you for not liking his team or whatever, and a bunny-boiler.

You’re really encapsulating the profound shittiness of some fans in your post here. Not only are mad-as-hell with the journalist, you think he should be fired, and you don’t see any problem with saying that.

The exact terminology you use is going to vary based on your background and the way your mind works. You’ve certainly been pretty insulting and demeaning at times. “Fucking idiot”, for example, is not equally insulting to or from everyone who says it. In the case you’re referring to (which is a different thread) I was…

I don’t know if it’s most, but a significant proportion certainly do.