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SpekterofDavid
2010-06-17, 02:40 AM
Ah Eragon my favorite series of books right behind lord of the rings. But what about others? I like the book for its simplicity and just plain fun mostly. It also is interesting for campaign ideas (But the Movie was beyond Abyssmal) What do you people think?

PId6
2010-06-17, 02:52 AM
Shouldn't this be in Media Discussions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=24)? :smallconfused:

Thurbane
2010-06-17, 03:15 AM
Saw the movie, never read the books. The movie was OK, but not great. I know the book fans screamed blue murder that it wasn't faithful to the book, but...meh.

Curmudgeon
2010-06-17, 03:19 AM
If you report the thread to the Moderator, you can get it moved to where it belongs.

As for the books, I found the lack of imagination most troubling -- especially the scene where he levels up as a Half-Elf Paragon. :smallamused:

Delta
2010-06-17, 03:33 AM
Saw the movie, and I was seriously unimpressed. Don't know if the books are any better, but speaking of the movie, it was poorly written, the actors performance wasn't impressive and I felt like nothing actually happened that caught my interest for more than a minute at most.

Thurbane
2010-06-17, 03:41 AM
Saw the movie, and I was seriously unimpressed. Don't know if the books are any better, but speaking of the movie, it was poorly written, the actors performance wasn't impressive and I felt like nothing actually happened that caught my interest for more than a minute at most.
But, but...Joss Stone! :smalltongue::smallbiggrin:

Fenrazer
2010-06-17, 03:48 AM
Okay, there are a lot of things that I dislike, but Eragon is still one of my favored series.

I thought that some of it was okay, but the way that Eragon has to be linked with a bakers dozen of some of the more powerful elves shows that he and Saphira are pretty much useless by themselves. I also dislike the way magic works for the most part. The Golden flower was cool I suppose, but its like the bastard child of Mini Me and Particle Man as opposed to the way the One Power works in the Wheel of Time series. Also I didn't like how the only race worth a gosh darn is the elves. Really? Nobody could take on an Elf in physical combat, magical combat, weapon forgery, etc? So pretty much Brom told you strait up that Eragon will have to transform into an Elf to be of any use. You can tell Paolini backed himself into a corner with a lot of things. Like how powerful he made Galbatorix, and as a result, book three was far to predictable when it came to him getting Gledrs heart of hearts. Also, it was awfully convenient that Saphira didn't mention hers. I know she quasi explains it, but it was definitely a last minute concoction. The romance thing is bleh. No story there. Also, there is never hinting at anything. If there is something groundbreaking to be learned it just sort of happens...and yet somehow its STILL predictable...like we all knew he was gonna get the Riders sword, and then the blacksmith who swore never to make another sword is all like..., "okay" and makes it anyway. You can use Paolinis explanation if you want. Bottom line is Eragon is right..."How is it any different?"...which it's pretty bad if the main character of the series even questions his own author. Lastly, though I am sure there are more aspects Im less than fond of, is how in Book two Rorin had a story...but then book three all he does is hit crap and impress people with it. Oh yeah, and he gets laid a lot. =-]

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer there Haha.

Some of the stuff I do like is the true name. I just think its stupid that it's all Elves Elves Elves with the language. I like how it can be changed as well, so its not really who you are, but its who you are. Pretty cool. I really like the Urgles, and their culture. Their stomach thing was pretty rad, and I liked the whole "Rok Rok Rok" laughter. I had that book on audio and mimiced it every time =-].

I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, Brom being his pappy, but I think the story would prove to be more interesting had Morzan remained his father, rather than "Oh...well now it's Brom." I'll still read the whole series. I like a lot about it and all, but I just wish the story spent its time developing rather than just sorta happening.

Now, time to go read some of Robert Jordans Wheel of Time =-]

Longwinded is how I like it...can you tell from my post? Haha

Prime32
2010-06-17, 03:53 AM
Saw the movie, and I was seriously unimpressed. Don't know if the books are any better, but speaking of the movie, it was poorly written, the actors performance wasn't impressive and I felt like nothing actually happened that caught my interest for more than a minute at most.

Differences between the book and the movie. (http://inheritance.wikia.com/wiki/Eragon_%28movie%29#Differences_between_the_book_an d_movie) Yes, it's a long list which completely changes the personalities and motivations of major characters and removes others entirely.

Basically, some people like the books, some people hate them, but when it comes to the movie they set aside their differences and agree that the director should be shot with a hammer.

Thurbane
2010-06-17, 04:03 AM
Differences between the book and the movie. (http://inheritance.wikia.com/wiki/Eragon_%28movie%29#Differences_between_the_book_an d_movie) Yes, it's a long list which completely changes the personalities and motivations of major characters and removes others entirely.

Basically, some people like the books, some people hate them, but when it comes to the movie they set aside their differences and agree that the director should be shot with a hammer.
That list, BYW, has some serious anal retentive issues. OK, some changes are major and detract for the fans, but some of them are just plain petty.

Hair and eye color? 15yo vs. 17yo? Really now... :smallredface:

PId6
2010-06-17, 04:06 AM
I would just like to add that the movie was terrible, but the dragon was awesome. That is all. :smallcool:

Fenrazer
2010-06-17, 04:09 AM
"To compare myself with a bovine would be both ridiculous and insulting"

- Saphira

Good character when the finally get around to doing stuff from her point of view. I like the names she has for things. He did a good job of showing how Paolini style Dragons think.

Delta
2010-06-17, 04:11 AM
That list, BYW, has some serious anal retentive issues. OK, some changes are major and detract for the fans, but some of them are just plain petty.

Yeah, to be honest, I gave up on reading that list after a couple entries. I'm sure there's some pretty major changes in the story, but I really can't be bothered to find those out of the midst of "Oh, but in the book the sword has a golden pommel and he has a long white beard, but in the movie it's silver and he has a short grey beard!!!!"... this is ridiculous.

Prime32
2010-06-17, 04:17 AM
Yeah, to be honest, I gave up on reading that list after a couple entries. I'm sure there's some pretty major changes in the story, but I really can't be bothered to find those out of the midst of "Oh, but in the book the sword has a golden pommel and he has a long white beard, but in the movie it's silver and he has a short grey beard!!!!"... this is ridiculous.I've seen reviews of the book complaining about the number of times Paolini describes Arya's hair colour. "We get it, it's black!" And yet, in the movie... :smalltongue:

Also, it makes no sense for the sword to be blue, since it belonged to a guy with a red dragon and they're supposed to match. The sword's also supposed to be highly recognisable, and Eragon getting a sword which does fit him is supposed to be significant.

Grumman
2010-06-17, 04:18 AM
I think they're bad. The main thing I got out of the movie was sympathy for Saphira for having to put up with Eragon.

Mystic Muse
2010-06-17, 04:19 AM
Basically, some people like the books, some people hate them, but when it comes to the movie they set aside their differences and agree that the director should be shot with a hammer.

:smallconfused: That isn't nearly cruel enough.

Fenrazer
2010-06-17, 04:21 AM
Angela and Solumbum were wicked cool. At least in the books, where Angela is a commonly recurring character, and where Solumbum is actually a character =-]

Mystic Muse
2010-06-17, 04:36 AM
I did enjoy Solembum as a character.

The name is both cool and weird.

Morph Bark
2010-06-17, 04:53 AM
I loved Solembum's character. It made me wish his appearances were more significant (though not as frequent, otherwise he'd take away too much from the mystery he is).

Frankly, I disliked the movie. It seemed rather shoddy, like the old D&D movie. Except I liked that one simply because I didn't heavily link it to D&D back then and I was younger. For this day and age, I tend to have higher expectancies for a movie than one from a decade ago (or more).

I liked the first book, got it in two languages. Liked the second one too, but I quit the third one about 2/3rds in. It just got so... long. It started feeling like a chore to read. And this coming from someone who didn't think the same of the Wheel of Time series until the fifth book.

Jacque
2010-06-17, 04:53 AM
Never read the book, but saw the movie. The whole movie is Star Wars IV over again but with metal swords instead of light sabers. I was very unimpressed.

Escheton
2010-06-17, 04:56 AM
Yeah, it was written by a 12 year old that seems to have int and/or wis as a dumpstat.
The movie was made for the same demographic. As such, I agree it wasn't much good.

Thurbane
2010-06-17, 05:11 AM
It seemed rather shoddy, like the old D&D movie.
Hey now, no need to get that nasty. There is no fantasy movie I've ever seen that has the suckitude factor of the D&D movie (never saw the second one). Marlon Wayans as Snails the thief makes Jar Jar Binks look like a well thought out and engaging character. :smallmad:

Seatbelt
2010-06-17, 05:19 AM
I saw Star Wars. It was good. I didn't need to see it again with D&D paint.

Fenrazer
2010-06-17, 05:24 AM
I loved Solembum's character. It made me wish his appearances were more significant (though not as frequent, otherwise he'd take away too much from the mystery he is).

Actually I'm pretty sure that every last one of his appearances were helluh significant, but played down. The problem is that Paolini just has no idea how to use mystery for crap.

Delta
2010-06-17, 05:25 AM
There is no fantasy movie I've ever seen that has the suckitude factor of the D&D movie (never saw the second one).

Come on, Jeremy Irons lesson in "how I can out-act everyone in this whole damn movie with only my eyebrows" was hilarious enough to make that movie entertaining to me :smallbiggrin:

Lord Loss
2010-06-17, 05:28 AM
Hey now, no need to get that nasty. There is no fantasy movie I've ever seen that has the suckitude factor of the D&D movie (never saw the second one). Marlon Wayans as Snails the thief makes Jar Jar Binks look like a well thought out and engaging character. :smallmad:

I liked the D&D movie.

Back on topic, Eragon is great apart from the previously mentioned speciesism (which convinced me never to play a D&D Elf). SOLEMBUM FTW.

Thurbane
2010-06-17, 05:30 AM
The series has a character called SolemnBum? I know it's written by a 12 year old, but...

PId6
2010-06-17, 05:31 AM
I liked the D&D movie.
I've only watched the second one, and I've been told it's the better of the two.

I have no intention of watching the first one. :smallannoyed:

Ossian
2010-06-17, 05:31 AM
Sadly, the movie sucked immensely. A poorly written D&D adventure, even more poorly translated into a film. :smallannoyed:

http://everything2.com/title/Comparisons+between+the+plot+of+Eragon+and+Star+Wa rs

The reading is amusing though, go for it.

The books, I have not read them. They are three massive volumes written by a teenager who has an editor-publisher dad or something. Said teenager must have been a D&D aficionado, at the very least. We all ahve our "D&D novel" in the drawer, we just had the common sense of not listening to all those friends who said "you should really write a book with all that imagination you have", and stay with our normal job.

Writing is an art, and a difficult one. Perhaps one can write just for entertainment, which is really OK, but there is tons of fictions which promises to be really good before I even approach Paolini. Let me finish all Asimov, all Clarke, all Heinlein, all Vance, all Eddings, all Gemmell, then we talk.

The Eragon trilogy maybe really really good, but I just feel like taking my chances there and who knows, cheating myself out of the "best book of my life".

O.

lord_khaine
2010-06-17, 05:33 AM
Yeah, it was written by a 12 year old that seems to have int and/or wis as a dumpstat.
The movie was made for the same demographic. As such, I agree it wasn't much good.

Before you flame him to much, do remember that he managed to write a serie that got published all over the world, i suspect thats more than you or me will ever accomplish.

yes, i can agree that the books are mediocre at best, and in some points plain bad, but that has more to do with writing being hard.

And of course he cant help but lose when we compare his writings with people who have 20+ years of experience on him, but that really doesnt say much.

Thurbane
2010-06-17, 05:35 AM
I have no intention of watching the first one. :smallannoyed:
He speaketh wisdom, this one. Sorry to de-rail, but the D&D movie was truly, honestly and earth-shakingly awful. And that's quite a feat for a movie with a cameo by Tom Baker.

I will grudgingly agree that the only semi-decent thing about the movie was Jeremy Irons chewing up the scenery as an over-the-top BBEG...

Prime32
2010-06-17, 05:41 AM
Come on, Jeremy Irons lesson in "how I can out-act everyone in this whole damn movie with only my eyebrows" was hilarious enough to make that movie entertaining to me :smallbiggrin:Jeremy Irons also plays a major character in the Eragon movie, and his performance is rather similar to in the D&D movie. That should tell you something about it.

Deca
2010-06-17, 05:42 AM
The movies was awful but the books aren't particularly good themselves either. The fact that Book! Eragon is pretty damn psychopathic doesn't improve matters.

Prime32
2010-06-17, 05:44 AM
The movies was awful but the books aren't particularly good themselves either. The fact that Book! Eragon is pretty damn psychopathic doesn't improve matters.I maintain that Eragon is supposed to be messed up. Even his own allies say that they'd prefer if someone else bonded with Saphira, because Eragon keeps doing stupid things with his powers and ignoring orders. His "love interest" views him as a stalker. The dwarves try to kill him. Many complaints about the series seem to ignore all this and claim that everyone loves him.

Eragon is a man who desperately wants to be a hero like the Riders of old, but doesn't really know how. He's rather gullible, his whole life being raised on stories spewed by a ex-Dragon-Rider who is highly nostalgic and has a personal vendetta against the Empire. He's the high-Int, low-Wis type.

Grumman
2010-06-17, 05:55 AM
I've only watched the second one, and I've been told it's the better of the two.
It is. I've seen both, hated the first one, and enjoyed the second enough to re-watch it. And not just because of Lux, either. :smallbiggrin:

Godric
2010-06-17, 05:59 AM
The books are terrible. Shoddy writing, with even more shoddy storylines. I think it's an embarrassment that someone could get this sort of drivel (fantasy version of twilight, in my opinion) published. Clearly tried to backtrack in later books to distance himself from his star wars/everything else theft.

Though he did still go to dagobah to train with yoda, and yoda still died.

Tear.

Prime32
2010-06-17, 06:03 AM
fantasy version of twilight, in my opinionIt frustrates me when people say this, since the books' flaws lie in opposite directions. Eragon didn't change enough, Twilight changed too much.

Yes, the backtracking/nerfing in Brisingr was pretty facepalm-worthy and took up a lot of room which could have been used for, I dunno, plot. It's like they suddenly switched DMs and the new one shouted "HOLY **** Why is one player a gestalt warblade//wizard in a non-gestalt campaign?!"

Ravens_cry
2010-06-17, 06:14 AM
Having only seen the first movie years ago and never read the books, I have this to say. The baby dragon was adorable, the armour the guy with the dreadlocks spectacular, but aside from the fact no one ever got dirty, it felt funny that the characters would spend so much on really cool armour, but only got ropes and logs to construct the last redoubt. It seemed. . .odd.

Morph Bark
2010-06-17, 06:16 AM
Jeremy Irons also plays a major character in the Eragon movie, and his performance is rather similar to in the D&D movie. That should tell you something about it.

Definitely, although while watching both those movies, I didn't quite like him so much, not until after the movie. He was great in Kingdom of Heaven though.

Katana_Geldar
2010-06-17, 06:38 AM
Jeremy Irons plays Obi-Wan, doesn't he?

Prime32
2010-06-17, 06:40 AM
Jeremy Irons plays Obi-Wan, doesn't he?Don't be ridiculous, Brom is nothing like... oh, you said Obi-Wan. Yes.

Kurald Galain
2010-06-17, 07:23 AM
Before you flame him to much, do remember that he managed to write a serie that got published all over the world, i suspect thats more than you or me will ever accomplish.

I don't see why the fact that he's got published would be a reason not to criticize his work. If anything, it is the main reason to criticize it. There are plenty of things (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HateDom), from Uwe Boll movies to McDonalds food, that are very well known despite being of poor quality, and are heavily flamed as a result.

Eloi
2010-06-17, 07:29 AM
I thought the premise and setting were cliched and unoriginal, however the writing and pacing were enough to make the books entertaining. This is the opposite of Twilight's problems, where the premise and setting were original, however the writing and pacing were bad. And that's all I have to say about that...

Kaiyanwang
2010-06-17, 08:52 AM
I thought the premise and setting were cliched and unoriginal, however the writing and pacing were enough to make the books entertaining. This is the opposite of Twilight's problems, where the premise and setting were original, however the writing and pacing were bad. And that's all I have to say about that...

You mean, the authors decided that they had to suck in two different way?

DrGonzo
2010-06-17, 09:36 AM
I will grudgingly agree that the only semi-decent thing about the movie was Jeremy Irons chewing up the scenery as an over-the-top BBEG...

Oh, and how he was chewing! Big ass chunks of scenery! I love him in that movie! The movie itself? Meh..

Oh, and by the way, you should probably check this (http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Eragon.aspx) and this. (http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Dungeons___Dragons_2000.aspx)

Emmerask
2010-06-17, 10:12 AM
I've only watched the second one, and I've been told it's the better of the two.

I have no intention of watching the first one. :smallannoyed:

Yes the second d&d movie was far better then the first.^^


Anyway I never read the Eragon Books and sadly, after that horrible horrible movie (even the first d&d movie was worlds better) I have little intention to read them anytime soon :smallwink:

Especially seeing that my toread list is filled with awesome books and will become even more crowded this year / early next year (A wise mans fear, new star wars book, new Wheel of time book, new discworld book etc)

Zore
2010-06-17, 10:34 AM
The books are terrible, terrible wish fulfillment fantasy that are about as inconsistent as possible and have some of the most blatantly troubling scenes I've ever read in a book. Lets go with the leather wearing hyper vegan elves who have problems killing non-sapient species and feel terrible every time an ant is killed, but can go and murder humans and generic orc stand in by the thousand with no real problem. Or how Eragon manages to become a master swordfighter and master of magic in mere months and its tales contrived plot reasons that break the laws of his universe to beat him.

The movie is worse.

Eloi
2010-06-17, 10:34 AM
You mean, the authors decided that they had to suck in two different way?

No, they didn't 'decide' to suck at anything. They just have different writing weaknesses they need to improve upon.

Worira
2010-06-17, 11:02 AM
Before you flame him to much, do remember that he managed to write a serie that got published all over the world, i suspect thats more than you or me will ever accomplish.

yes, i can agree that the books are mediocre at best, and in some points plain bad, but that has more to do with writing being hard.

And of course he cant help but lose when we compare his writings with people who have 20+ years of experience on him, but that really doesnt say much.

His parents are publishers.

Draz74
2010-06-17, 11:05 AM
I don't understand why so many people (from this Forum) saw the Eragon movie, when it was obviously going to be horrible and have little to do with the book. I haven't seen the movie and have no intention to, but I've read the books.

I loved the first book. Loved it. Because it made me feel great about my own writing skills by comparison. :smallamused:

Since then, Paolini's writing style has improved at least fivefold. There are still plenty of facepalm moments in the story (like when he becomes sort-of-elf, or any of the retro-continuity stuff), but I have to admit, in spite of those I couldn't put Brisingr down until I finished it, and will read the fourth book. (At least if it does indeed turn out to be the last one. If he "extends" the series to six+ books, he may lose my readership.)


(A wise mans fear, new star wars book, new Wheel of time book, new discworld book etc)

Don't forget The Way of Kings, coming in August!

SpekterofDavid
2010-06-17, 11:39 AM
Never read the book, but saw the movie. The whole movie is Star Wars IV over again but with metal swords instead of light sabers. I was very unimpressed.

EXACTLY! Its like my EVIL Dead Series!:smallcool:

Salbazier
2010-06-17, 11:43 AM
I loved the books. To be honest I didn't notice the 'bad writing' until much later from the net. And I still don't care. I enjoyed the whole of first book. It was in the later books things that annoy me started to appear, despite people saying how Paolini's writing improved.

I guess I just like what fit my taste and doesn't care much about objective writing quality, at least not while in the middle of reading (or until it become horribly bad. Yes, I've read worse stuffs). I'll leave deep analysis of Eragon to other people :smalltongue:

As for the movie,.. it is so bad that I cannot express it in words. It even traumatize me that I loss any will to watch other adaptation movies. I wonder as well why so many people here watch it :smallconfused:

Emmerask
2010-06-17, 11:54 AM
Don't forget The Way of Kings, coming in August!

Uh yes, definitely a must read for me too, especially since I had quite some doubts about Sandersons wheel of time continuation but it was really good.

Fenrazer
2010-06-17, 12:19 PM
The series has a character called SolemnBum? I know it's written by a 12 year old, but...

I understand the hesitation fella, but believe it: Solumbum is the coolest cat around. He should have his own spinoff or some junk.

Draz74
2010-06-17, 12:23 PM
I understand the hesitation fella, but believe it: Solumbum is the coolest cat around. He should have his own spinoff or some junk.

Just pronounce the "u"-s the way they'd be pronounced in some other languages: Saloomboom.

EDIT: And where'd this "12-year-old" nonsense come from? He was 19. And I think that was when he started writing Eragon; it wasn't published until he was 20 or 21 IIRC. (19 is still the number the media kept throwing around, though.)

Fenrazer
2010-06-17, 12:26 PM
I thought the premise and setting were cliched and unoriginal, however the writing and pacing were enough to make the books entertaining. This is the opposite of Twilight's problems, where the premise and setting were original, however the writing and pacing were bad. And that's all I have to say about that...

Did you just say Twilight contained originality? Vampires who want to maintain humanity? The only thing that is original is that they have ***** sparkles.

Fenrazer
2010-06-17, 12:28 PM
Just pronounce the "u"-s the way they'd be pronounced in some other languages: Saloomboom.

Aye. He ripped much stuff off of foreign languages and anything he didn't there, he just reshaped from Gaelic Mythologies, such as the Silver Palm.

Ormagoden
2010-06-17, 12:51 PM
In a world where "the movie" is always worse than "the book" This is the only Movie adaptation that actually is better than the book.

Mainly because it's shorter to watch the movie and its MUCH less disappointing to find out its a starwars rip off after a two hour movie than a 5+ hours reading the book.

Shpadoinkle
2010-06-17, 12:52 PM
I read the first book, and that was enough for me. Bear in mind that everything I'm saying refers only to the first book, not the others or the movie.

It's bad, yes, but it's not "OH GOD MY BRAIN WHERE'S AN ICEPICK I NEED TO REMOVE MY MIND'S EYE" horrible. It did have some good qualities, but to quote the old adage, "Bad news will make it around the world, but good news won't make it across the street." People LOVE to focus on the negative.

It was the Paolini's first effort. And, like all first efforts, -his, yours, and mine- it was ugly and unpolished and a lot of it was stupid. And like many first efforts, a lot of it was derivative (Yes, it's basically 'A New Hope' minus space travel and replacing laser swords with metal ones, and I understand the other books follow suit.)

Yes, the main character acted like a world-class dumbass. But you know what? MOST teenagers act like world-class dumbasses.

Don't get me wrong, the book has a lot of problems which have been harped on by a million other people, I'm just trying to provide something of a counter-perpsective.

I think, after a few years (and maybe a couple writing classes, some constructive criticism, and being put in touch with a good editor) Paolini could become a legitimately respectable fiction writer. But for now I'll pass.

Sir_Elderberry
2010-06-17, 12:56 PM
When I was in middle school, I read the first one and liked it. Then I read the second one. I got to the end and thought "Man, this ending kind of reminds me of Empire Stri--oh...oh god..." and had a literary epiphany that completely destroyed my ability to enjoy them retroactively. Were I to go back and read them today, I'm pretty sure I'd go from "meh, not all that good" to something worse, so I've never went back to reread them.

The Poet
2010-06-17, 01:07 PM
I'm surprised no one has mentioned yet the absolute similarity between its system of magic and Le Guin's Earthsea Chronicles. Yes, its a great system and its cool that he used it, but it kinda put me off when it seemed exactly the same. :smallconfused:

Morph Bark
2010-06-17, 01:08 PM
All the comparisons with Star Wars make me wonder... if Eragon had come first (imagine George Lucas saying so...) would people dislike Star Wars for being similar ("it's just like Eragon, except in space and with laser swords")?

Logic would dictate "yes". But personal tastes are hardly ever logical. :smallamused:

PersonMan
2010-06-17, 01:11 PM
All the comparisons with Star Wars make me wonder... if Eragon had come first (imagine George Lucas saying so...) would people dislike Star Wars for being similar ("it's just like Eragon, except in space and with laser swords")?

Logic would dictate "yes". But personal tastes are hardly ever logical. :smallamused:

Probably. If you read Eragon and then saw Star Wars, you'd probably dislike Star Wars for the same reason many people dislike Aragon.

GenPol
2010-06-17, 01:11 PM
The books weren't terrible, if they were a bit unorigional. Worth reading, but not phenomenal. The movie was crap.

I dunno, that was my interpretation of the series...:smalltongue:

Eloi
2010-06-17, 01:12 PM
All the comparisons with Star Wars make me wonder... if Eragon had come first (imagine George Lucas saying so...) would people dislike Star Wars for being similar ("it's just like Eragon, except in space and with laser swords")?

Logic would dictate "yes". But personal tastes are hardly ever logical. :smallamused:

Well people would hate the Star Wars novel but love the Star Wars movie while people would love the Eragon novel but hate the Eragon movie. That way everyone wins.

PersonMan
2010-06-17, 01:14 PM
Well people would hate the Star Wars novel but love the Star Wars movie while people would love the Eragon novel but hate the Eragon movie. That way everyone wins.

...I don't think that there are any Star Wars books outside of Expanded Universe.

Zore
2010-06-17, 01:14 PM
Roughly nothing in the book is unique or novel, even the invented languages are just old languages given English syntax.

Eloi
2010-06-17, 01:17 PM
...I don't think that there are any Star Wars books outside of Expanded Universe.

Actually the novel was released before the movie in 1977, and it was ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster if memory proves correct.
The novel was based on George Lucas' original script treatment before it got on the silver screen, so the movie is not based on the book but the book did come first.

Raistlin1040
2010-06-17, 01:30 PM
I liked it at first. When it came out. When I was 9. By the time I had passed 10, I realized that someone had taken the plot of Star Wars, put it in Middle Earth, and stolen the magic system from Earthsea, and called it a novel. I was disgusted.

Jayabalard
2010-06-17, 01:53 PM
...I don't think that there are any Star Wars books outside of Expanded Universe.Depends on whether you count Splinter of the Mind's Eye (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splinter_of_the_Mind%27s_Eye) by Alan Dean Foster as an "expanded universe" novel. It was written as a sequal to star wars and released before the empire strikes back.

There's also novelizations of the movies:

Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_From_the_Adventures_of_Luke_Skywalker) was ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster. It contains quite a bit of stuff that was filmed but not part of the final cut of the movie.
The Empire Strikes Back (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Strikes_Back_%28novel%29) written by Donald Glut
Return of the Jedi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_of_the_Jedi_%28novel%29) writen by James Kahn

SlyGuyMcFly
2010-06-17, 01:54 PM
Probably. If you read Eragon and then saw Star Wars, you'd probably dislike Star Wars for the same reason many people dislike Aragon.

Hey, Aragon is a beautiful region of Spain!

PersonMan
2010-06-17, 01:56 PM
Hey, Aragon is a beautiful region of Spain!

...Well, they just stole Eragon and changed the first letter! They call that a beautiful region?! It's plot is completely unoriginal!

...Ehehe ehe.

Foryn Gilnith
2010-06-17, 01:58 PM
Eragon was uncompelling, and that's all I remember. A friend of mine had them, I slogged through the first two because I was bored as hell, and I didn't really have any impressions.

Roland St. Jude
2010-06-17, 02:01 PM
Shouldn't this be in Media Discussions (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=24)? :smallconfused:

Yes, though I'm confident that threads on these things already exist.