View Full Version : Order of the Stick in Water Stones
Do you think the characters and setting of The Order of the Stick are limited because it is a web comic? As fantasy readers who like D&D often do, I devour books of epic and heroic fantasy (I can comfortably read a good book of 300 pages in a day), and I sometimes wonder what it would be like for me if the concepts of the webcomic had instead been made into a book, with most of the humour cut out (possibly the OotS renamed)?
Do you think it would still be so popular? Would you enjoy it as much? I could definatly see it as a good book.
BatRobin
2009-09-28, 04:34 PM
The bard smiled in understanding. "I get it now, thanks V!"
Vaarsuvius turned to Elan.
"And knowing is half the battle." Suddenly a man dressed in green army gear popped out from nowhere and screamed,
"G.I. JOE!"
The bard smiled in understanding. "I get it now, thanks V!"
Vaarsuvius turned to Elan.
"And knowing is half the battle." Suddenly a man dressed in green army gear popped out from nowhere and screamed,
"G.I. JOE!"
Hence the "with most of the humour cut out" bit.
CrimsonAngel
2009-09-28, 04:41 PM
I'de hit that book. With a crowbar.
BatRobin
2009-09-28, 04:42 PM
I'de hit that book. With a crowbar.
Aye.
OOTS without humor is like a car without tires.
Elfin
2009-09-28, 04:44 PM
Truer words were never spoken.
Sure you could write the story in straight prose, changing as much of the dialogue as you wanted...
But what's the point? Is there a critical shortage of high fantasy stories on the shelves?
I'm happy to let each author pick their own medium. Rich's medium is a webcomic, and he's very good at that. Other authors write books - that's their decision, and I wouldn't ask them to illustrate their books unless they wanted to.
Even the bits that are completely serious (the denouement in Start of Darkness, for instance) wouldn't hit nearly as hard without the humor.
Moreover, the entire premise of the setting--a literal snarl in the threads of reality that devours the Greek pantheon, leaving the Norse, Babylonian, and Chinese pantheons to create a world to imprison it--strikes me as real hard to translate into a low-humor novel format without coming across as really goofy in a bad way.
Aye.
OOTS without humor is like a car without tires.
That was kind of my point. I believe the characters of the OoTS, unlike most other D&D based webcomics, would be strong and distinct enough to carry a novel.
Moreover, the entire premise of the setting--a literal snarl in the threads of reality that devours the Greek pantheon, leaving the Norse, Babylonian, and Chinese pantheons to create a world to imprison it--strikes me as real hard to translate into a low-humor novel format without coming across as really goofy in a bad way.
The snare becomes some faceless apoclypse, and as the characters travel through the world they encounter many cultures that the reader recognizes, but not a Greek one.
I'm happy to let each author pick their own medium. Rich's medium is a webcomic, and he's very good at that. Other authors write books - that's their decision, and I wouldn't ask them to illustrate their books unless they wanted to.
Obviously Rich can do with his own work what he wants. I'm not trying to say "If only I had thought of the OotS, then I could have made it into a novel and it would be a whole lot cooler". I just find the idea of the OotS as a novel interesting.
Linkavitch
2009-09-28, 05:01 PM
I'de hit that book. With a crowbar.
More like a flamethrower.:smallamused:
Elan's Modron
2009-09-28, 05:06 PM
What are 'Water Stones'?
vis a vis the OP
What are 'Water Stones'?
vis a vis the OP
Sorry, first book shop that came to mind. Not so common across the pond?
The snare becomes some faceless apoclypse
Hm, slippery road you got there. Take one of the most original, quirky and interesting things about the story and turns it into 'some faceless apocalypse'. So...
... Roy becomes some serious-type lawful fighter who fights with a big sword
... Haley becomes some rogue that really likes gold and has a mysterious past
... V becomes some wizard who wants more power and uses big words
... Elan becomes some happy-go-lucky bard who doesn't worry about stuff
... Durkon becomes some wise and level-headed cleric who gives advice now and then
... Nale becomes some long-lost evil twin brother who makes evil plans
... Miko becomes some really strict paladin-type who takes things way too far
... and they all travel around some landscape fighting to prevent some faceless apocalypse that's going to be caused by some evil lich somewhere.
Come to think of it, all this is sounding awfully familiar, are we sure someone hasn't already turned OOTS into a novel? Cause I could swear I've seen it about 30 times now :smallwink:
Hm, slippery road you got there. Take one of the most original, quirky and interesting things about the story and turns it into 'some faceless apocalypse'. So...
its still the god killer. It still fell to a trap it was unable to see being laid because it could not comprehend the difference between order and chaos. By "faceless" I just meant leave out anything that makes its unsuitable in a serious novel. Like the name.
... Roy becomes some serious-type lawful fighter who fights with a big sword
... Haley becomes some rogue that really likes gold and has a mysterious past
... V becomes some wizard who wants more power and uses big words
... Elan becomes some happy-go-lucky bard who doesn't worry about stuff
... Durkon becomes some wise and level-headed cleric who gives advice now and then
... Nale becomes some long-lost evil twin brother who makes evil plans
... Miko becomes some really strict paladin-type who takes things way too far
What do you mean becomes? They are already that. Roy is "serious-type lawful fighter who fights with a big sword". Rich just went a bit further than that instead of deciding that was enough. Same applies to every other character.
... and they all travel around some landscape fighting to prevent some faceless apocalypse that's going to be caused by some evil lich somewhere.
Come to think of it, all this is sounding awfully familiar, are we sure someone hasn't already turned OOTS into a novel? Cause I could swear I've seen it about 30 times now :smallwink:
Congratulations, you have just discovered the plot of every heroic fantasy novel, including the ones I plan to write. No body writes them because of plot origionality any more. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be published.
Kallisti
2009-09-28, 05:25 PM
Seriously? OotS without the humor? You're insane!
OotS would make a good novel, I agree, but why cut out the humor just because you're novelizing it? The humor is an integral part of the setting. Nale is a very flat and cliche character--except that he's funny. Thog without humor would be impossible. Elan without humor? Good luck.
There can be such a thing as humorous high fantasy, you know. I recommend you start reading some of Terry Pratchett's writing. His Discworld series is high fantasy, and it makes me laugh so hard I cry. OotS as a humorous fantasy novel...that'd actually be really, really awesome...
Porthos
2009-09-28, 05:35 PM
You know, this thread is a lot like saying, "What would Good Omens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Omens) have been like without all of the jokes?" Would have it been a pretty awesome story? Perhaps. Maybe even probably. But it wouldn't have been Good Omens without all of the humor.
The deconstruction (sometimes via humor, sometimes not) of Fantasy Archtypes is one of the central points of the Order of the Stick. Even at it's darkest, there is humor aplenty.
Could Rich write a Serious Novel? Of course he could. Would it be The Order of the Stick? Of course it wouldn't. The half-mocking half-celebatroy nature of OotS is usually delivered via humor (sometimes black humor, but humor nonetheless). And I think a lot would be lost without it.
Now if you can think of a way to service the Deconstruction/Satire of Fantasy without the humor, be my guest. But I think you lose a lot when you do so.
TengYt
2009-09-28, 06:17 PM
The humour is what makes OOTS so popular. Take it away and you just have a fairly run of the mill fantasy story.
Sorry, first book shop that came to mind. Not so common across the pond?
Never heard of it.
Grey Watcher
2009-09-28, 10:19 PM
The humour is what makes OOTS so popular. Take it away and you just have a fairly run of the mill fantasy story.
I agree with this entirely. Burlew's quirky sense of humor, which includes a lot of gags that are best delivered visually, is what makes this comic stand out so much against so many other fantasy stories out there (be they books, games, graphic novels, webcomics, movies, flash cartoons, television series, operas, radio dramas, History Channel documentaries, or what-have-you). I'm impressed enough with the written parts of the Order of the Stick that if I saw a novel by Rich Burlew on a bookshelf, I'd certainly pick it up and read it, but I don't know if you can really translate this particular story into another medium and have it be... quite the same. Maybe it'd end up being just as good, but it would definitely be different.
Nimrod's Son
2009-09-28, 10:20 PM
I thought this was going to be a thread announcing that Waterstones had started selling OotS books.
I am disappointed. :smallfrown:
Cleverdan22
2009-09-29, 02:03 PM
I don't think it would be great. Cut out the snappy humor, compelling art, running gags, rule jokes, and funny character quirks and you got yourself a generic high fantasy story that probably wouldn't be too impressive.
Gamerlord
2009-09-29, 02:07 PM
OOTS with no humor? That is an even worse idea then making an OOTS tv show or movie, which are really, really bad ideas. Plus those nasty little executives would mess it up.
HandofShadows
2009-09-29, 03:14 PM
More like a flamethrower.:smallamused:
Why go for half measures. Put it next to nuke about to be set off.
OOTS without humor isn't OOTS. The humor is integral to the story.
fangthane
2009-09-29, 05:05 PM
OotS could be done as a novel, but it'd be absolutely contingent on the comedic elements making a successful transition to novel form. It would perhaps be translated best into a format which was exceedingly well-used by one of the people to whom the Giant gives props in one or other of his forewords (I think it was Paladin Blues, but I could be wrong).
Specifically, it would work fairly well if we could resurrect Robert Asprin (who, surprise surprise, gets a mention as one of the Giant's major influences) to collaborate or mind-meld with the Giant*. That being somewhat unlikely, I'll stick with the comic rather than a flaky, half-assed effort to translate it to a new medium and (in the process) gut it of what makes it truly special. Bad enough that the transition to new media often robs strong fiction of its essence; worse still if a major element is consciously omitted.
Had the Giant started off writing it as a novel, one of two things would be true:
1. Not a one of us would ever have heard of him as he languished in obscurity.
2. If published, he'd have been compared to Donaldson, Tolkien, Williams, Martin, Eddings, Goodkind, Duncan, Anthony, Pratchett** and, much though I love the comic and hate to say it, he'd probably have been found wanting.
*Finding a publisher at this point may not be quite as difficult as it would have been if it were originally a novel, but it's probably still not likely to be trivial.
**authors listed in approximately descending order of my esteem. Read a few pages of some of Pratchett's stuff years ago, and hated it; most people's mileage seems to vary. The adventure game was even worse.
spargel
2009-09-29, 06:32 PM
Since OOTS runs mostly on humor, and it would be too difficult to transfer the humor into a book, no.
What are 'Water Stones'?
vis a vis the OP
I think he means "Waterstones (http://www.waterstones.com/)"
Bibliomancer
2009-09-29, 07:51 PM
**authors listed in approximately descending order of my esteem. Read a few pages of some of Pratchett's stuff years ago, and hated it; most people's mileage seems to vary. The adventure game was even worse.
The opening chapter or so is setup for things later in the novel, and can be a little hard to get through. Once you're past that, it's hilarious, inventive, and multi-layered.
I can accept that a Discworld adventure game would be a bad idea, though.
For the record Waterstones already sells On the origin of the PCs & Dungeon Crawling Fools. Just saying...
Nimrod's Son
2009-09-30, 12:05 AM
For the record Waterstones already sells On the origin of the PCs & Dungeon Crawling Fools. Just saying...
Really? Sweet, DCF is the only one I've not got hold of so far. And there are three branches of Waterstones within walking distance of my house - for some reason I just assumed OotS was too "niche market" to be stocked there. It might have been an idea to at least check.
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.