Noooooooooooooo, they slaughtered this show :(
SHADOWCHIEF2
DR-NAOHHI
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 07:57 AM CST
You're kidding me. Now I'm going to have to move the books up on my reading list because I was REALLY enjoying the show and only knew about it from imgur.
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NaOH+HI
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NaOH+HI
FLINT-TIPPED
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 02:02 PM CST
I donno, I saw it was going to be on MTV and kept my expectations extraordinarily low. Who knows, maybe they'll get a second season and improve. The only thing I can't forgive is the stupid decaying landmarks and shipping freighters that keep popping up in the background. Who knew the Space Needle would survive nuclear holocaust and 2500+ years? There must be a crazy amount of old decaying Starbucks stores littering the Westland.
If you're enjoying the show Naohhi, definitely move the Sword of Shannara up on your list because you can't start out in the middle of a triology.
Vote:
http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
If you're enjoying the show Naohhi, definitely move the Sword of Shannara up on your list because you can't start out in the middle of a triology.
Vote:
http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
BADGOPHER
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 02:06 PM CST
In somewhat defense of the show I haven't watched, doesn't Brooks make some pretty extensive use of ancient technology sometimes?
DR-RAESH
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 02:44 PM CST
I haven't read the books in a long time (I grew up with the first seven in late grade school/early middle school and read a few more as they came out, notably some of 'Word & Void' before it was officially connected and 'The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara' though I'm not sure I read book three) but I really don't remember the post apocalyptic themes and whatnot being apparent until much later in the series (Around the Jerle Shannara books) where it was blatant.
Clearly the books since then have explored these themes and connections much more. So on one hand it's weird to me to hear that's such a big deal in the TV series (Which I haven't watched yet). Of course I also thought it was weird that they were starting with Elfstones.
On the other hand I imagine most of his current fans are more likely to have read the recent books and have that more ingrained into their expectations for the world building.
On the gripping hand I reread Sword of Shannara relatively recently compared to the rest of the books (And by that I mean 6-7 years ago around the same time I reread a bunch of Pern and other random books from my childhood) and I was extremely unimpressed by it and felt like it was absurdly derivative of the Lord of the Rings and had a really weak overall plot and ending.
So maybe I should bow out of the conversation until I'm willing to invest the time in rereading the early books and plowing through the later books :P
-Raesh
"It was wise enough to know itself, and brave enough to BE itself, and wild enough to change itself while somehow staying altogether true." ― The Slow Regard of Silent Things
Clearly the books since then have explored these themes and connections much more. So on one hand it's weird to me to hear that's such a big deal in the TV series (Which I haven't watched yet). Of course I also thought it was weird that they were starting with Elfstones.
On the other hand I imagine most of his current fans are more likely to have read the recent books and have that more ingrained into their expectations for the world building.
On the gripping hand I reread Sword of Shannara relatively recently compared to the rest of the books (And by that I mean 6-7 years ago around the same time I reread a bunch of Pern and other random books from my childhood) and I was extremely unimpressed by it and felt like it was absurdly derivative of the Lord of the Rings and had a really weak overall plot and ending.
So maybe I should bow out of the conversation until I'm willing to invest the time in rereading the early books and plowing through the later books :P
-Raesh
"It was wise enough to know itself, and brave enough to BE itself, and wild enough to change itself while somehow staying altogether true." ― The Slow Regard of Silent Things
DR-NAOHHI
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 03:12 PM CST
>>Who knew the Space Needle would survive nuclear holocaust and 2500+ years? There must be a crazy amount of old decaying Starbucks stores littering the Westland.
I was sort of torn about that, when I saw it.
>>If you're enjoying the show Naohhi, definitely move the Sword of Shannara up on your list because you can't start out in the middle of a triology.
Will do. Is it a series that's finished? I kind of dislike picking up series that aren't finished at this point.
>> really weak overall plot and ending.
Eh, I've read a lot of disappointing books lately like this that still had enough interesting qualities that I kept reading. The Walker saga is one of those. VERY YA.
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NaOH+HI
I was sort of torn about that, when I saw it.
>>If you're enjoying the show Naohhi, definitely move the Sword of Shannara up on your list because you can't start out in the middle of a triology.
Will do. Is it a series that's finished? I kind of dislike picking up series that aren't finished at this point.
>> really weak overall plot and ending.
Eh, I've read a lot of disappointing books lately like this that still had enough interesting qualities that I kept reading. The Walker saga is one of those. VERY YA.
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NaOH+HI
SHADOWCHIEF2
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 03:19 PM CST
I really enjoyed most of the books, though I had read them in junior high school time as well which was like 15 years ago. I totally agree that Sword of Shannara is way to much like LOTR. I think basically they started out with Elfstones because it basically goes hand in hand with the Word and Void series, and they wanted I think to portray the whole post apocalyptic theme moreso in the tv series. I'll still watch it, but I wish it wasn't so teen oriented like most of the crap on WB.
Hopefully its not as painful as The legend of the Seeker. That show, while some people enjoyed it was totally off the books in so large a degree that it completely lost its real fan base. That and it really suffered from bad casting. The Shannara chronicles at least seems to have SOME good actors, and seems to have a bit bigger of a budget.
Hopefully its not as painful as The legend of the Seeker. That show, while some people enjoyed it was totally off the books in so large a degree that it completely lost its real fan base. That and it really suffered from bad casting. The Shannara chronicles at least seems to have SOME good actors, and seems to have a bit bigger of a budget.
SHADOWCHIEF2
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 03:26 PM CST
Double post but meh.
<Will do. Is it a series that's finished? I kind of dislike picking up series that aren't finished at this point.
Yeah, basically everything that your going to want to read is finished. I think he's mostly just been doing related origin stories that have to do with characters throughout his various series.
<In somewhat defense of the show I haven't watched, doesn't Brooks make some pretty extensive use of ancient technology sometimes?
There are references in the books to old technology, though nothing to the extent that's been in the show. Honestly for instance, Word and Void took place in modern day times, and basically was the beginning of everything that he's written. Modern day which was like 2000 years as Skaen had said before things are happening in Sword though wishsong. However there's still a 1960ish old pickup truck decaying on the side of the road.
<Will do. Is it a series that's finished? I kind of dislike picking up series that aren't finished at this point.
Yeah, basically everything that your going to want to read is finished. I think he's mostly just been doing related origin stories that have to do with characters throughout his various series.
<In somewhat defense of the show I haven't watched, doesn't Brooks make some pretty extensive use of ancient technology sometimes?
There are references in the books to old technology, though nothing to the extent that's been in the show. Honestly for instance, Word and Void took place in modern day times, and basically was the beginning of everything that he's written. Modern day which was like 2000 years as Skaen had said before things are happening in Sword though wishsong. However there's still a 1960ish old pickup truck decaying on the side of the road.
BLAYD
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 03:38 PM CST
The books are definitely worth reading, but there are a lot of them :) Once you get sucked in, you will find he has been writing for more than 30 years now and they are piling up.
They are saying you can enjoy the show without actually reading the books first. I really enjoyed the first episode, and thought they did a pretty good job so far.
They are saying you can enjoy the show without actually reading the books first. I really enjoyed the first episode, and thought they did a pretty good job so far.
DR-NAOHHI
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 04:36 PM CST
>>Once you get sucked in, you will find he has been writing for more than 30 years now and they are piling up
That's okay. When I'm actually interested in a book, I can go through a standard ~700 page one in a day or two. Sleep be damned.
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NaOH+HI
That's okay. When I'm actually interested in a book, I can go through a standard ~700 page one in a day or two. Sleep be damned.
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NaOH+HI
FLINT-TIPPED
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 05:03 PM CST
Yeah but Sword was his first book. Have to cut him some slack for that. I'm sure they chose Elfstones for tv because it's a better crafted story, but you lose some of the impact of Allanon's awakening from the druid sleep starting out with Elfstones.
Went back and looked it up and it's not 2500 years after all. The Space Needle would be 130 years old when it gets nuked though. Then it would have to decay for ~2000 more years to show up in Elfsong. Shame on you show creators. I'm hoping they get the anachronisms out of their system soon because New Zealand gives them plenty of good backdrops.
Vote:
http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
Went back and looked it up and it's not 2500 years after all. The Space Needle would be 130 years old when it gets nuked though. Then it would have to decay for ~2000 more years to show up in Elfsong. Shame on you show creators. I'm hoping they get the anachronisms out of their system soon because New Zealand gives them plenty of good backdrops.
Vote:
http://www.topmudsites.com/vote-DragonRealms.html
ABSOLON
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/12/2016 06:08 PM CST
The second book of the Heritage of Shannara series (Druid of Shannara) is very clearly post-apocalyptic and there's hints of it throughout the early series, although I don't recall anything ever indicating that it was specifically a post-apocalyptic Earth in any of the books.
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Elanthipedia - https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Main_Page
Epedia Admins - https://elanthipedia.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Elanthipedia:Administrators
BLAYD
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/13/2016 12:14 PM CST
I think a lot of the "post-apocalyptic" stuff was there in the books, but didn't really get a lot of focus. Mostly they talked about how their ancestors ruined the planet with technology and then came the time of magic, etc.
Even Terry Brooks has said the first book is a bit rough and that is one of the reasons they started with the second. He didn't come right out and say that the book sucked, but pretty close. :P
I think the ruined landscapes (I love the Starbucks line earlier) are more for people who haven't read the books, to give them a quick and easy reference to what has gone on in the past. It certainly doesn't affect the story much, if at all.
Even Terry Brooks has said the first book is a bit rough and that is one of the reasons they started with the second. He didn't come right out and say that the book sucked, but pretty close. :P
I think the ruined landscapes (I love the Starbucks line earlier) are more for people who haven't read the books, to give them a quick and easy reference to what has gone on in the past. It certainly doesn't affect the story much, if at all.
DBABIASH
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/14/2016 09:51 AM CST
With zero knowledge about the books, my wife and I enjoyed the premier. Looking forward to watching the next one when I get some time this weekend.
MYREK2
Re: The Shannara Chronicles
01/21/2016 01:16 AM CST
>On the gripping hand
Now I have to go rummage in my book closet and re-read 'The Mote in God's Eye'.
>Shannara.
It looks like there might actually be more late 50's, early 60's stepside pickup trucks slowly rusting away than starbucks. Rubber tires still intact? Oh well, the show is still not half bad.
Now I have to go rummage in my book closet and re-read 'The Mote in God's Eye'.
>Shannara.
It looks like there might actually be more late 50's, early 60's stepside pickup trucks slowly rusting away than starbucks. Rubber tires still intact? Oh well, the show is still not half bad.
