# A thank you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535 "2009-02-12T15:23:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/1 "2009-02-12T15:23:41Z")
So I was browsing the Dope in the fall, and I came across [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=483109) thread. The OP was complaining about how he hated A Song of Ice and Fire, and the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Now, I’d just read ASOIAF that summer, and I thought it was several stages beyond awesome. So I figured that, if this Malazan series was being compared to ASOIAF, I should try it out. I went through the Malazan Book of Fallen in one month. And yes, I found it to be as awesome as GRRM’s books. Thank you, **hobscrk777**. Probably not what you intended by your OP, but thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/2 "2009-02-12T16:17:43Z")
Are you aware of the short novellas (I think there are currently three) that Erikson has written in the Malazan setting but outside the main series? They’re pretty fun. Additionally, Ian Cameron Esslemont (the guy who is the co-creator of the Malazan setting) currently has two books out that are branches of the main series. I’ve read one (_Night of Knives_); the other (_Return of the Crimson Guard_) is currently sitting on my nightstand but I haven’t started it yet. Esslemont isn’t as good a writer as Erikson IMO, but the books are still readable and add information to the story. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/3 "2009-02-12T16:46:25Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > I went through the Malazan Book of Fallen in one month. Holy crap! It takes me a month to finish **one** of the Malazan books! You’re not finished yet, you know. There will be 22 books and novellas when it’s all over. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/4 "2009-02-12T17:13:26Z")
Thank you back atcha! If it is comparable to GRRM’s books, I know I can skip it… They just didn’t do it for me. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/5 "2009-02-12T17:14:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I went through the Malazan Book of Fallen in one month. Wow. I didn’t think it possible to turn all the pages in a month, let alone read what’s on them. I’ve about 40 pages left in **Memories of Ice** and then onto the next brick. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/6 "2009-02-12T19:06:12Z")
I’m a natural speed-reader. A month is actually really slow for me. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/7 "2009-02-12T19:39:50Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > I’m a natural speed-reader. A month is actually really slow for me. …to do what? ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/8 "2009-02-12T20:10:19Z")
If you’re into autographed books, keep an eye on [The Signed Page](http://www.signedpage.com/). I’ve purchased a couple of Erikson’s signed books from this guy. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/9 "2009-02-12T21:28:35Z")
> [@unwashed\_brain](#): > > …to do what? To read eight books. I’m telling you, Erikson’s books were some of the hardest I’ve ever read. You really have to pay attention. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/10 "2009-02-12T22:34:52Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > To read eight books. I’m telling you, Erikson’s books were some of the hardest I’ve ever read. You really have to pay attention. And the more you pay attention, the harder it is. Erikson is guilty of some pretty serious inconsistencies. A more generous person might call them “design elements”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/11 "2009-02-12T23:20:15Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > To read eight books. I’m telling you, Erikson’s books were some of the hardest I’ve ever read. You really have to pay attention. Ahh, I’d be surprised if you’ve ever gone through a set of 8 books averaging 900 pages before. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/12 "2009-02-12T23:30:07Z")
Harry Turtledove’s Darkness series came close. That also took me an inordinate amount of time. ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-thank-you/485535/13 "2009-02-13T00:31:23Z")
Hey, glad to help! By way of continuation of that thread, I mentioned that I was picking up The Jackal of Nar. I read it, and then the entire series. While I think the ending was weaker than the beginning, I quite enjoyed it.