View Full Version : Who knows Joel Rosenberg?


BogiTheWaverer
Mon, 23rd Apr '01, 7:44am
Yesterday I searched through my old books on the garret of my parents and what a surprise:
I found 6 Forgotten Realm books by R.A. Salvatore. Can you imagine I played BG for several months and did not remember that I once red those books. O K. I was reading them in German but that’s not really an excuse for such a memory gap. Also the other books I found - the memories sheer overflooded me.
(The Nameless would be jealous :)
The insane end-of-the-world scenarios by Michael Moorcock, the Spellsinger cycle or the adventures of Flinx by Alan Dean Foster, Enwor, Mallorea, Thieves World, Dragonlance, The Iron Tower Trilogy, the funny books by Robert Asprin and by Craig Shaw Gardner....enough of twaddling!

I have a question to you: has somebody red The Sleeping Dragon by Joel Rosenberg? I red the first 4 books about 10 years ago. At the beginning I was pleased by the (then) new idea but then I became unlucky with plot and did not buy further books. So, has someone red them all? Is it worth reading them?

(Btw. I also found a MERP I bought in 1989 and never rolled a single dice because I found nobody who was willing to play it *sigh*)



[This message has been edited by BogiTheWaverer (edited April 23, 2001).]

Enagonios
Mon, 23rd Apr '01, 10:11am
I only read Agatha Christie mysteries (except Ms. Marple, I hate the doddering old idiot) and Forgotten Realms novels. I think I saw a copy of that book, but I'm not too sure.
Anyways, there's only one Rosenberg I know, and I don't think it's the one you're looking for unless this is a weird twist of fate.
Wasn't Rosenberg the name of the alien that died in MIB? The one that said something about saving the galaxy on Orion's belt? :D
Maybe I'm Clairvoyant...?
-Chance is a Fool's name for Fate-

Darien Noella
Mon, 23rd Apr '01, 1:16pm
Bogi, I've got those Rosenberg books, too, and I have to say, don't waste your time. You are right. The plot takes a distinctly silly and downward trend after the first couple of books. Unfortunately for me, it takes at least 3 bad books in a row before I stop buying a series. Heh. That's how I ended up with 5 or 6 books by Modesti, when I only liked 2 of them. (Great concept, I just don't care for the writing style).

Mathetais
Mon, 23rd Apr '01, 2:13pm
The first Joel Rosenberg is every RPG player's dream. Your old and crafty DM somehow turns you into your character! Wouldn't it be great if we really got to be wizards and warriors, etc.

After 2-3 books though, it gets real, real lame (double lame for emphasis)! Listen to Darien the Wise on this one. Re-read the first book. Enjoy it, but then don't waste your money on any more of them!!!!

By the way, Thieves World was one of the best collections published!!!! You're making me want to go out and buy them again.

Wish I could be a Hell Hound in BG2! :D

Check out http://www.sff.net/people/Lynn.Abbey/Thieves__World/thieves__world.htm

They are releasing a new Thieves World book! Oh-Yeah!

[This message has been edited by Mathetais (edited April 23, 2001).]

Lord Moeken
Mon, 23rd Apr '01, 2:44pm
I concur wholeheartedly. The first book is ok, (it's been years since I read it. I don't remember much about the others so they couldn't have been too great.

Darien Noella
Mon, 23rd Apr '01, 3:10pm
Just had a thought. For another series along the same theme, only better crafted, try Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry trilogy. It starts with The Summer Tree, I think... Ok, I checked, yes it does.

It all began with a lecture that introduced five university students to a man who would change their lives, a wizard who could take them from Earth to the heart of the first of all worlds-Fionavar.

Heh, sorry, couldn't help myself, it's one of my favorite trilogies. :) Hopefully someone else will enjoy it as well.

[This message has been edited by Darien Noella (edited April 23, 2001).]

BogiTheWaverer
Mon, 23rd Apr '01, 3:21pm
thank you - i knew it, you're a fount of wisdom ;)

Voltric
Mon, 30th Apr '01, 4:32pm
Bogi, I read the first two book about 15 years ago and remember them being rather good. So last year I pick them all (5) up again for a re-read. I still liked the first three, but four was kind of weak and five was rather bad. If you want some good Fantasy skip the end of Sleeping Dragon and read the Wizard to Earth Sea series instead.