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Instrumentalities, Book 2?
by Lawrence Jenab 07 May '06

07 May '06

Anybody heard anything on a release date? I need a new-Glen fix . . . LJ

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Reprint of Dread Empire Novels in hardback omnibus
by George Hayward 24 Dec '05

24 Dec '05

Night shade books are reprinting the Dread Empire Books (first three anyway) in hardback. Perhaps if they go well, Glen will be encouraged to finish the series. see: http://www.nightshadebooks.com/book.aspx?bookid=141 george

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New Glen Cook Book?
by Troy & Sue Lefman 22 Dec '05

22 Dec '05

I was looking in eBay and found a book with Glen's name as author even though the cover does not. http://cgi.ebay.com/Surrender-to-a-Wicked-Spy-by-Glen-Cook-2005_W0QQitemZ45… Is it a psuedonym or misinformation? Troy

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Re: [Glencook-fans] Need Help
by maserati＠speakeasy.net 23 Oct '05

23 Oct '05

> I¹ve been a Cook fan for almost 20 years. Good lad. > That said, I¹m having a hard time getting into Tyranny. I¹ve started it > three times and haven¹t gotten past the first few chapters before something > else catches my interest. Is there a hump that I must cross to get on with > it? > Yes, the first few chapters. By 75-100 pages in you should be quite entranced. And grab a map of the Mediterranean basin, preferrably a politcal one c. 1200 AD. That'll make following the nationalities a LOT easier.

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Need Help
by Win Barker 22 Oct '05

22 Oct '05

I¹ve been a Cook fan for almost 20 years. That said, I¹m having a hard time getting into Tyranny. I¹ve started it three times and haven¹t gotten past the first few chapters before something else catches my interest. Is there a hump that I must cross to get on with it? -- Win Barker winb99(a)yahoo.com Macintosh for Productivity, Linux for Development, Palm for Mobility and Windows for Solitaire

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Spoilers for the Tyranny of the Night
by Richard Chilton 06 Oct '05

06 Oct '05

Spoilers for the Tyranny of the Night I haven't been online for a day or three - I've been reading this book at every spare moment. I hated putting it down. First, since some mail programs don't like lots of spaces before the text, a quick overview: This is three intertwined stories. One following a group that is associated with a variant of the old Norse gods, one a variant of Mameluke society (the slave soldiers of the caliphs), and a variant of a Catharist Perfect. Different terms are used but it basically looking at pagan, Christian (with heavy Gnostic overtones), and Islam belief in a world where the 'gods' are (maybe) manifestations of magical energy collected and given form. Did the creator God create man or did man's vision imposed on this magical energy create all the gods? That's a question that is mentally debated a few times in the book - an labeled a chicken and the egg one. Magical energy flows freely on this world but collects in "wells". There are 7 or 8 major wells in areas where much of the worlds gods / spirits / things that go bump in the night come from, and countless small wellsprings of power (for example, there's one going to where the norse type gods live). These power flows tend to be warmer than the ground around them, and this heat combined with the power movement in the Wells is an important factor in keeping the ice from advancing (holding off an ice age). In 'civilized' areas the various spirits, gods, and powers have all been banished or destroyed - or so it appears. The setting is clearly the Mediterranean area just before the renaissance. Countries have been relabeled, but you can spot Roman (Brothe), the Holy Roman Empire (the Grail Empire), the various Islamic groups, the Italian city states, France, Germany, and the Albigensian area. A translation guide might be worth looking at... But you don't need to know history to read this book - just because Cook borrows heavily on history is no reason you can't treat this as a normal fantasy world. Okay, that should be enough text. Now for some blank lines. To clear the screen before the spoilers. Because reading spoilers can be bad. Very bad. Okay, here's what I think is happening: Normally the Instruments of the Night are spawned, grow in power, then recycle their power into the wells as they are diminished. Some never really go, and this means an inbalance. Also, since the rise of the two big monotheologic groups more and more power has been directed to their views of God - which may be the same being, and possibly the same being as the Deves worship. This is leading to the cooling of the world. It think this is what is directing the plot - this ultra powerful being is working to move the ice back. A bit like the Director? Once there is a weapon that can affect the powerful Instruments this being inspires Else to use it to destroy a bogon - that's where his idea of using silver came from. Now on to some of the mysteries... Who killed Erief? Ask Vidgis about this one... She may have done it at the behest of her gods, but (I think) she gave the murder weapon (a dagger enchanted with his death) to her nephews to 'find' on the missionaries. They had it with them when they we taken to the Sky Fortress, left it there, and that's how it reappeared near the end of the book. What was the force that intervened when Shagot (representing the old gods), Starkden & Masant (representing the powers of magic), and Else (representing Man) battled? I'm of two minds on this. It could Rashal or something in the ring, or it could be the force behind the plot. I'm thinking it wasn't Arlensul - I can't see why it would be. Or more to the point - I can't see why Starkden & Masant survived if it was her. Maybe she would have kept the Godslayer alive to set up her battle with her father, but why did the sorcerers survive unless a factor wanted to see them latter brought down by guns firing iron and silver (driving home the lesson that Else should have learned)? Who was the angel that visited Stewpo? Again, I'm thinking it wasn't Arlensul. She might have wanted the Heroes killed, but she had other plans for that and wouldn't want to be on the field with the 'god killer weapons' being used. To me this is a sign of something pulling the strings in the background. Looking at his past series - how do the wizards of this one stack? Poorly. The most powerful one is 50 and looks 30 - he doesn't look like he'd give One-Eye a run for age, let alone one of the Taken. Their power seems based on sorcery (tapping magic from a magical source) rather than wizardry or personal power. There are grades for sensing / using power, but I doubt that Lady would notice the worse that Rashal could do. Speaking of old books, there's the Bones / Elmo comparison, but since Elmo was the classic 'grizzly old sergeant that survives everything' I think it's more reusing an archetype than borrowing from an old character. Anyhow, those are my thoughts Richard

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Re: RE [Glencook-fans] Spoilers for the Tyranny of the Night
by Pat Hannum 05 Oct '05

05 Oct '05

Why do you guys want to compare so much? The story is great. I finished the book in less than 4 day and enjoyed the hell out of it. Background noise is ignored, or filed in the round bin and I stayed on the main character and followed his story. When I read it the 3rd time, I'll worry about the back ground. I never finished the Dread Empire, just didn't do anything for me. This one has the betrayal, intrigue, and action that I want... Pat ----- Original Message ----- From: Don Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 7:08 PM To: Glen Cook: Science Fiction/Fantasy Author Subject: RE [Glencook-fans] Spoilers for the Tyranny of the Night I finally finished ToN. It was some rough going. First let me say I did not get to read this book for long intervals and I am sure I missed things as a consequence. Here we go: There were so many characters I just couldn't bring myself to care about all of them. Brother Candle for instance. Why did we need to see that perspective? Duke Tormond served no purpose but to get the Connec involved which eventually led to justification for a Crusade that will probably occur in the next book. Did we really need to follow hi journey to se the Patriarch? I didn't care about any of the Bruglioni except maybe Polo. Now that that is out of the way, I enjoyed to book. I feel like the others, in that the character stuff was great and hindered only by the geographical and political details. It must be tough setting up a portion of a semi-realistic universe. I can appreciate the task and the necessity for detail. But it was tough reading. The end was great and I thought the Grimmsons were the most fun. Feel free to let me in on things I missed. I am going to re-read this book immediately. I think it will make more sense the second time around. I will probably buy the next one new in hardback. I am hoping that much of this one was setup Thanks for listening. Don -----Original Message----- From: glencook-fans-bounces+dfgarcia=grandecom.net(a)mailman.xmission.com [mailto:glencook-fans-bounces+dfgarcia=grandecom.net@mailman.xmission.co m]On Behalf Of Dr. Skull Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 12:21 AM To: Glen Cook: Science Fiction/Fantasy Author Subject: Re: [Glencook-fans] Spoilers for the Tyranny of the Night Sebastian wrote: > > Setting a book in our world, or one similar, with all the name changes > was annoying. And worse, Glen seemed to enjoy sharing all these new > names and places with no real framework to hang them on. A third of the > way through I didn't care anymore and story got mired in the details. > > Or perhaps the lack of details. Too often Glen spent time in the > details at some 30,000 foot level of the politics and geography and > didn't spend time with the characters. He dropped the squad nature of > Black Company and went back to the epic story of Dread Empire. But in > the process he left the characters behind. > > The Dread Empire was done right. The Dread Empire had a big story to > tell and Glen did a much better job of telling it with characters. > These characters you got to know and love after the first book. > Varthlokkur, Bragi, Mocker, Nepanthe, and Haroun are classic. > > I was hoping with a fresh trilogy that Glen would give us a new round > of vibrant characters like Croaker, Goblin, Elmo, SoulCatcher, Lady, > and Raven. But this book has no soul and not much Else. I've been sitting on my reply. Partially, because it took me awhile to get through the book, but mostly because I was hoping that I just missed the particular genius of the new series. However, I have to agree with Sebastian. Glen's characters are so smartly done that when he moves away from them the narrative goes flat. Especially when characters like Else have such interesting possibilities that are never developed. I see Glen's bind. He likes complicated plots with multiple players and in order to get it all out, he needs an explainer. But how many Mercenary Annalists and Ancient Space Ninja Turtle Masterminds can one have to present insights to world's macro-politics? I had imagined the Perfect Candle in that role, but he was always far from the center of the action. I have shelves full of histories written in the form of impersonal thick description. I don't need it in my vacation reading. I look to fantasy for unrealistically clear stories told by characters who are always uncannily close to the action. The narrative portions of the book were worth wading though the other parts, but I might wait to read the reviews before I pay full price for the next volume. Of course, that rule doesn't apply to the promised Black Company books. -Skull _______________________________________________ glencook-fans mailing list glencook-fans(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/glencook-fans -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.10/73 - Release Date: 8/15/2005 _______________________________________________ glencook-fans mailing list glencook-fans(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/glencook-fans

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Whispering Nickel Idols tops Locus survey
by Lee Childs 22 Aug '05

22 Aug '05

Folks, Whispering Nickel Idols appears prominently in the Locus survey. http://www.locusmag.com/2005/Issues/08LocusBestsellers.html Another Glen Cook interview: http://www.malazanempire.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-3133.html Lee Childs

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Interviews with Glen Cook
by Lee Childs 16 Aug '05

16 Aug '05

Timothy, Which interview was that? I noticed these two interviews when I searched with Google: http://www.strangehorizons.com/2005/20050117/cook-int-a.shtml http://www.quantummuse.com/glen_cook_interview.html Lee Childs -----Original Message----- From: timothy mcdowell <saucer_h_t(a)yahoo.com> Sent: Aug 15, 2005 7:21 AM To: "Glen Cook: Science Fiction/Fantasy Author" <glencook-fans(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Glencook-fans] Spoilers for the Tyranny of the Night --- Grim213(a)aol.com wrote: > > Speaking of Black Company, are there supposed to be > more forhtcoming?? Read an interview with Mr. Cook in an online magazine a couple of months ago. In it, he says that there are one or two more planned 'Black Company' books. But it does not say where in the timeline they will be set. Before the company was recuited by Soul Catcher? Or on into the future with the Lady as Captain? Don't know. But I'm eagerly waiting to find out. Tim McDowell __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour: http://tour.mail.yahoo.com/mailtour.html _______________________________________________ glencook-fans mailing list glencook-fans(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/glencook-fans

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Re: [Glencook-fans] Spoilers for the Tyranny of the Night
by Grim213＠aol.com 15 Aug '05

15 Aug '05

I got the sense in TotN that I wont fully appreciate it until I have read the whole trilogy, not unlike Black Company's first three books. Speaking of Black Company, are there supposed to be more forhtcoming??

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