Terry Brooks Shannara Series (Discussion, Spoilers)

[Procutus]

Although this thread is motivated by the recent release of 'The Measure of the Magic', the second volume of the Legends of Shannara duology, it really can be a discussion of the overall series and the vast period of time that Brooks covers in his epic.

So far, I'm about fifty pages into TMotM, which picks right up where 2010's 'Bearers of the Black Staff' left off. I'm eager to see just much this novel lines up with future events set 1000 years into the Shannara series.

 

[timothy]

I am slowly getting the entire series on my nook. I read the original trilogy when it first came out and I love this universe I am just curious what's it's gener sci fi, fantasy or urban fantasy. with these new books and then we all so have a new trilogy coming out in 2012. all so I love magic kingdom for sale.

 

[Procutus]

I am just curious what's it's gener sci fi, fantasy or urban fantasy.

After all these years, I still tend to classify the entire series as fantasy, though to some degree I can see how the Genesis of Shannara trilogy was a bit more 'urban fantasy'. This is what I'm enjoying right now, is seeing how Terry lines up the events of our near future with the world we found in 'Sword of Shannara'.

 

[Venardhi]

I somewhat resent that Brooks made the Word and the Void trilogy into Shannara books retroactively. I felt they (particularly the first one) were his best work both conceptually and as a story.

 

[Procutus]

^


I can see your point on that. I never fully got into the Word and Void series, though I was familiar enough with the concept to see some of the connections between it and Genesis of Shannara. And in reading the Heritage of Shannara four-book series, I see that Brooks had mentioned the Word as far back as the early 90s, prior to writing 'Running with the Demon'.

 

[FreezeC77]

I kind of agree about the prequel works. The original trilogy is still my favorite, although the book in it that I love the most was Elfstones of Shannara. In fact I probably re-read it multiple times each year. I have a well-used paperbook that I will often throw into my bag if I can't decide which book to read next.

A lot of the stuff since the original works has felt more like 'extending/prolonging' the series because we saw Brooks write stand-alone novels featuring multiple characters who would then fulfill their roles and disappear or just become minor characters in the next one.

As the Shannara universe went along it became more of of these 2 or 3 novel sets just to tell a story arc that IMO isn't even as good as what was done in just 1 novel in the original trilogy books.

 

[Procutus]

I will agree that the Heritage of Shannara did feel drawn out. While I liked it, it almost seemed too massive. By comparison the following trilogy, The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, opened with a mystery and the pace is much quicker (plus I like the character of Walker Boh).

And 'Elfstones' is my favorite single Shannara novel as well.

 

[Technobuilder]

I began reading Terry Brooks on "Running With the Demon" The Word & The Void (Book #1)

I enjoyed it well enough, but only got about halfway through Book #2 before putting it down and I haven't really felt the need to pick it back up again.

Not sure what that says, but meh. Never had any desire to pick up his Shannara Books as a result.

 

[sojourner]

I read the Sword of Shannara (the only book printed to that point). It was such a bad rip off of Lord of the Rings I wondered why the Tolkien estate never sued. Later on I tried reading Elfstones when it came out and couldn't get through it. Never touched a Terry Brooks book again.

 

[Lonemagpie]

End it. Used to love it for fun and thrills, but as soon as he went with the "oh, it's really Earth in the future" that just killed it stone fucking dead for me.

 

[O'Dib]

I seem to recall that was hinted at in the very beginning, with the original Sword of Shannara trilogy. Those are the only Shannara books I've ever read, too.

 

[Procutus]

The funny thing is, he never really made any pretense about hiding when and where the events of Sword and Elfstones took place. I recall reading a review in a book mag back in '79 (when I first discovered Brooks) that it was an epic fantasy that took place some 2000 years in the future. Granted, the notion wasn't explored in detail until much later, but it was out there in the open from the beginning.

 

[sojourner]

Yeah, even I remember over 30 years since I read a line in Sword of Shannara about encountering the ruins of a vast city.

 

[Procutus]

So is anyone besides me reading the new novel?

 

[Lonemagpie]

The funny thing is, he never really made any pretense about hiding when and where the events of Sword and Elfstones took place. I recall reading a review in a book mag back in '79 (when I first discovered Brooks) that it was an epic fantasy that took place some 2000 years in the future. Granted, the notion wasn't explored in detail until much later, but it was out there in the open from the beginning.

I never really took much notice of it back in the day, cos you could interpret it either way - future world, alien planet, whatever.

But once he just came out and made it explicit....

 

[Silvercrest]

I, too, could never get past the original novel being a rip-off of Lord of the Rings-- although I have to admit it's engagingly written.

I also had severe problems with his treatment of elves and dwarves. Dwarves are humans mutated from centuries of living underground, okay. But to claim this somehow afflicted them with racial claustrophobia? Excuse me? Isn't that a bit backwards?

And his elves are indistinguishable from humans except they have pointed ears. Except that they're a magical race who were "always there" and who survived the war by their magic. Except that they mostly don't believe in magic any more (per Elfstones). Huh?

I don't care if future novels managed to clear all that up. It's based on a flawed premise and doesn't interest me enough to find out. I read the original trilogy, then stopped.

 

[Holdfast]

Having only read and enjoyed Sword and Elfstones, both decades ago, I'm doing a MAJOR double-take reading this thread and now realising they're meant to be set on Earth in the future. WTF? Wow... not sure I really want to read how that's all connected up...

 

[O'Dib]

I don't recall what races were in play. I could buy Elves as tech-savvy humans who survived in well-equipped shelters (or in orbit) and used genetic engineering to become a stronger, more long-lived, beatiful version of humanity, with some measure of ESP and whatnot. Radiation can semi-plausibly explain all sorts of mutated freaks like dragons and giant spiders... But still, magic shouldn't be as prominent. Anyway, as a kid I read and loved both Lotr and the original Shannara trilogy in my native Serbian, and while I was only planning on rereading Lotr in English, I might add this series as well..

 

[Mr Awe]

I read the original trilogy shortly after they were all out. Loved it! I've read a couple of the follow up books but couldn't get into it the same way. The hints that Shanara was future Earth were built in the story from that first trilogy.

Mr Awe

 

[Technobuilder]

So does the magic ever get explained (ala The Dresden Files) or is it just... whatever and poof?

Based on The Knight of "The Word" and his "abilities" in Running with the Demon and whatever magical abilities the girl and her family processed, I'd guess no.