The Quest for Tanelorn vs White Wolf's Son

[The Beyonder]

...What premise do you think is superior? The original Quest premise,

which sees the END of the Runestaff, the Cosmic Balance, the Black Sword/Jewel and the Eternal Champion itself,

or the newer Son premise,

which not only kills of Hawkmoon and Erekose, but also flatly states that the Runestaff just doesn't exist.

Let's be polite about differing opinions about this.

Edited by Admin: It's polite to use the Spoiler tags when discussing details of books that not everyone may have read. Thanks.

[The Beyonder]

YEOW. I hadn't even considered that some people around here hadn't gotten around to reading Quest. Thanks for the info.

Anyway, I'd vote for the Quest premise. It brought all the major elements and themes of the Eternal Champion mythos together, and gave the entire saga a fitting send-off.

The premise from Son, by contrast, seemed to do little more then to rape the whole Eternal Champion saga, and to dismay me-- no matter HOW "novellistic structured" it was...

[David Mosley]

I was thinking more of WWS actually (still on my own to-be-read list) but yes, there could well be people who haven't read any of the Hawkmoon saga yet. Best to use Spoilers if in any doubt of giving any endings of anything away, I reckon. Thanks for understanding.

[The Beyonder]

Yes, well, I really should have thought of this mayself. But 1) I didn't, 2) I didn't even know there's a "spoiler" button around - but a pretty USEFULL tool, if you have one, isn't it? -, and 3) I guess I kinda thought we were all jaded and had read just about everything there is to read about the EC Myth.

But why do you think Son's premise is superior to the one from Quest, please?

[Doc]

I think that the WWS premise is superior simply because it rings true with some of the themes of MM's later work (especially the second ether work), while still being true to his earlier work.

Mostly I say this because I think the broadest message of the EC cycle is that it is up to us to find and create meaning for our lives. Looking for it in archetrypes and heros keeps us from knowing who we can really be.

For what it's worth, I find the most satisfying culmination to the cycle at the end of War Amongst the Angels.

Especially because Sam, choosing humanity, also chooses death and the happiness that Jack K. will never find as a jugador. (And the war the title references is spectacular.)

[Mario]

I prefer the MOTS #4 premise:

The Balance is the Runestaff/Grail and the Black Sword, combined.

Isn't it nice to have multiple options? ;)

[Doc]

Great observation Mario! Reading some of MM's work is like taking a multiple choice exam, except all of the answers are correct choices.

[The Beyonder]

First off, Dave, thanks for your help with my logging problem.

No back to topic...

[The Beyonder]

I think that the WWS premise is superior simply because it rings true with some of the themes of MM's later work (especially the second ether work), while still being true to his earlier work.

Mostly I say this because I think the broadest message of the EC cycle is that it is up to us to find and create meaning for our lives. Looking for it in archetrypes and heros keeps us from knowing who we can really be.

For what it's worth, I find the most satisfying culmination to the cycle at the end of War Amongst the Angels.

Especially because Sam, choosing humanity, also chooses death and the happiness that Jack K. will never find as a jugador. (And the war the title references is spectacular.)

Well, that may be, but what about the vastly greater drama of Quest? Of the elegance, with which all storylines were taken up at the same time, explained, and so beautyfully resolved?

[Doc]

Hi again, Beyonder. I somehow missed your last post.

Well, I cannot disagree with your assessment about the elegant way The Quest for Tanelorn unfolds, nor with its resolution...

However, (and this is like picking pearls over gold), I will contend that the titular war in The War Amongst the Angels provides a different kind of resolution

that emphasizes how important the ordinary is, and how important ordinary people can be. I find in it the most important aspect of "we're all eternal champions" idea.

Besides, how can you not favor a novel with a main character of Crazy Uncle Mike from Texas?

[Governor of Rowe Island]

Could I point your good selves in the direction of this thread. There is a rather similar theme to the discussion.

Can anyone help clear my confusion?

[Doc]

Hi Guv! Of course, it is the same discussion, just without Mike in this one.

[Random Goblin]

I actually just started Quest for Tanelorn this morning.

I haven't read White Wolf's Son yet, but I'll admit to not being in too much of a hurry. I definitely prefer Mike's older work to the newer stuff.

The newer stuff (particularly the Skrayling Tree, but i also had this problem with Revenge of the Rose and to a lesser extent with Dreamthief's Daughter) seems a lot more metaphysical/philosophical. The pace ismuch different. Call me a barbarian, but I prefer the fast-paced swords-and-sorcery of Hawkmoon or the six "original" Elric books.

I don't mind philosophy and metaphysics per se, but the approach in some of the more recent novels has just put me off a it. It's hard for me to follow- though not as hard to follow as, say, my Civil Procedure textbook- but certainly harder than I look for in entertainment reading.

As to the debate at hand, I'll have to reserve judgment until I have read them both. Quest will be finished soon, but Son might take me awhile (is it in affordable paperback form yet?).

[Doc]

White Wolf's Son is available in paperback, RG.

I like the metaphysics of the later novels, but there is nothing wrong with the action in Mike's older novels. I understand how someone who is reading mostly textbooks would look for something a bit more escapist than, for instance, The War Amongst the Angels.

[Random Goblin]

White Wolf's Son is available in paperback, RG.

I like the metaphysics of the later novels, but there is nothing wrong with the action in Mike's older novels. I understand how someone who is reading mostly textbooks would look for something a bit more escapist than, for instance, The War Amongst the Angels.

It just isn't my cup of tea. I guess I'm more Count Brass than Bowgentle...