Steven Erikson Talks Building Malazan, FaceBook Post, & MORE!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- My interview with Steven Erikson the author of the Malazan series!
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0:00 Intro
00:45 FaceBook Post
09:30 Abercrombie Comment
10:46 Developing Malazan
13:30 Malazan’s lack of notes
14:47 Cocreating Malazan
20:05 Malazan’s Magic
25:17 Joy in writing
26:56 Erikson’s Prose
29:43 Post Interview chat - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
Thank you Erikson for coming on!
Who would you like to see interviewed next??
My goal when COVID is over is to do these in person. So, can we end this pandemic already?
Robin Hobb or NK Jemisin. Those would be dream interviews!
Will Wight
Neil Gaiman ;)
Brian McClellan
WHAT!!?? YOU GOT ERIKSON!!?? In a few years I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a video titled " The Author of Beowulf talks inventing the Fantasy Genre and being resurrected"
He'll get Homer on after that
LOL
He will discover and revive the writer of giglameshs ballad xD
He gotta do this for April's fool
Daniel: I've heard a lot of great things about your cave comic, Man Hunts Deer. What do you think about modern publishing methods, like paper or vellum?
Caveman: Ook.
Other writers: Writing process is mysterious.
Erikson: Nah bruh, Imma write you an essay on how to do characterization. You gotta talk about the process.
Sanderson: Aiyt. Here is a whole series of college courses on my process of writing books.
Rothfuss: Nobody should write like I do. Nobody should complete a book 80 times and still find their work inadequate. Please, find someone else to emulate.
Abercrombie talked about this in an interview. He sees it as a job not as a magical process.
@@Revanchist ye
Someone forward this interview to Rothfuss
@@gingerginger999 I dnf-ed the name of the wind. I dont know why i could not finish it. Something just did not click for me with that book.
OK. I'm just gonna say it... I prefer Malazan to Wheel of Time. I feel a weight lifted from my mind.
you are not alone. the magic systems are far more complicated, the characters less naive and the gallows humor of the marines is on point.
Once you separate the fact that theyre really fucking long theyre very different stories
I totally agree. And there was no weight being lifted.
Dude it's not even close. One is an old school high fantasy written for adolescents that frankly went off the rails for 4-5 novels in the middle. Malazan is far more mature, complicated, poetic, and rewarding with no truly weak entries. WoT is only better in terms of popularity and accessibility.
I had to grind my way through WoT. It was the most dense, neurotic and naive blocks of text I ever read. Malazan was hard, but I always wanted to keep reading. Be
Wow, I've never heard Erikson talk before. Sounds like such a genuine, good guy. Never read a Malazan book but this has been one of my favorite interviews on the channel
He was incredibly nice and as you can tell, SUPER smart. The guy knows writing.
His podcasts are incredibly interesting to listen to.
@@DanielGreeneReviews Yeah, I was nervous for you. You know his brain is like on Deep Blue Level of thinking.....he just pulls his world from memory?? Who TF can do that?! lol
Send him a msg on fb, he will reply. Ive had several small conversations with regarding some of the stuff in the books, for instance the psychedelic honey, as id just seen a small doco on where and how they harvest psychedelic honey IRL. So shoot the man a msg and he will get back to you :)
@@Papatoole As he said, he and Esslemont created and played this world as a pretty long d&d campaign. I imagine he's about as familiar with the world as one could possibly get.
I love and hate this dude.. Seriously, whoever let this dude with such an insight on cultures and social construction pick up a pen needs a kick in the shins. He breaks my heart, nakes me laugh, makes me an optimist and pessimist at the same time, and I have so much respect for him. Thanks Steven for your time here, and thanks to Daniel for a solid and well done interview!
I hate Erikson for ruining most fantasy books for me. Few live up to even a fraction of what Malazan is.
Yeah.. I am pretty good at recognizing different authors for their specific strengths and expecting different experiences from each, but after Erikson the word epic can only fit in one place
I've read the main series a few times and I always cry at the same spots...everytime.
@@akrybion Yea. I feel you on that. But when it comes to the author Danielius Wolflord? Oh my goodness...
Let's just say, if you liked Malazan you would LOVE the Children of the Morning Star series.
It's basically The Bible, Soul Reaver, and Metal Gear Solid in terms of depth and complexity; Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z (not Super. Ugh) and My Hero Academia combined in terms of action and sheer craziness; Malazan x1,000,000+ in terms of worldbuilding and lore; and The Bible itself in terms of sheer light and darkness, human drama, deep characterization, deep characters, and immersive introspection and meaning.
In a Nutshell, the Children of the Morning Star series is basically an action epic drama sci-fi thriller featuring the Triune God and his angels, Satan and his demons, another diabolical angel and his elite fallen angels, Primordial Beings (think Godzilla, King Kong etc), superpowered humans known as the Kai (think DBZ characters but on super ultra steroids), sheer Evil, and us humans who somehow got the smarts to create technological exoskeleton power-suits and super fast mechs to be able to keep up in this cosmic war between Good and evil -- Light and darkness.
@@danielsmithiv1279 Almost sold. Only one thing remains: Please please please tell me all of this goodness is not just thrown in a good vs. evil conflict. Because that's what I get from your comment and if yes, then it will be so much less than what it could be. There has to be at least a question of ethics (what actually is and isn't good and evil) somewhere in there to make it interesting to a mature reader.
Thaniel out here collecting the infinity authors
hahaha that sounds like his fantasy name
Lmfao!!
Infinity Hob is needed! 😆
Lols, and the creative comment of the year goes to u
You can tell how much Erikson cares about the craft of writing. I appreciate how he makes an effort to constantly improve his craft and make the best possible book he can. It seems strange to say, but not enough authors are like this. It's refreshing how informed and dedicated he is. Malazan has been on my tbr for a while now - I think it's time I finally read it!
I highly recommend listening to the Ten Very Big Books podcast alongside reading it, because you have 1 guy who has read the series before and 2 of his friends are reading for the first time. You get things clarified, you sympathise with the frist time readers and you have a lot of fun! Best part though is that every time they finish a book they have Erikosn on as he is a fan of their podcast as well!
Also, the episodes aren't too long for no reason. They are just the appropriate length. So if they cover 3 chapters it will usually be a 30 to 40 minute episode depending on the depth. Sometimes they cocer up to 6 chapters an episode, usually the end of a book, and then the episode can be more than an hour long. So the podcast isn't really any kind of commitment but only enhances the experience!
@@berserker8884 alongside you mean, check the chapters and listen after you've just read them or finish 1 book then listening? Ty for the recomendation I am about to start Malazan too, Just finishing Hyperion.
@@berserker8884 there's also Tor's Malazan Reread of the Fallen. They also have chapter by chapter discussions and summaries with insights from a veteran and a newbie. Erikson also wrote some essays there explaining controversial scenes etc. It really helped me a lot in digesting the series
@@marcosousa4029 alongside cuz they do a few chapters at a time. The guy who read the series, Peter, determines what they should read each week and so you get meaningful stopping points. It is good to listen to the episodes while you are reading(so read the chapters set for the next episode and then listen to the episode), because Malazan is quite dense and it benefits greatly to go over the chapters you just read with the podcast.
I haven't read Malazan but I loved every minute of this interview. Erikson sounds like a smart guy and I'm definitely gonna read his books.
Edit 2 months later: I have started Malazan and am really liking it although it's confusing as hell
do it malazan was awesome
Malazan is Epic Fantasy. It is massive, the world and the epic scope that it has. Just a heads up if you don't like those types of stories, you might not like it.
i mean hes an archeologist and a anthropologist before he was an author. then toss on 15+ books
I have, it's good. Kind of reminds me of a cross between GoT and Vampire Hunter D. Been trying to get my hands on a copy of the second book for awhile now with little success.
You're in for a hell of a ride!
As a writer, Erikson makes me think of characters. Sanderson makes me think of the world. And Rothfuss makes me think of finishing it.
Rothfuss is nowhere near as good as Sanderson, Erikson or Jordan.
@@user-bm3ts2ql6s LOL! Rothfuss not as good as Brandon write by numbers, give me a break. Its not even close how much better PR is.
@@user-bm3ts2ql6s Rothfuss might not have written as much as them, still whatever he's written easily rivals the best in the genre
And Martin of not finishing...
And George Martin makes me things of all of those things :D
He mentioned he can write in any style, he's not really bragging, he's stating a fact. That why I love the man. Thanks for blessing YT for this interview.
Yeah it's true and it's what gives the series the ability to work even though it's so diverse and expansive. Incidentally I only read Cook and Donaldson after Malazan series and it's true that the whole series (especially about 3rd book and later) feels as if these two authors had a dialog.
There is nothing as enjoyable as reading Steven Erickson. Except perhaps listening to him think. Brilliant, honest, and engaging without insulting those who disagree.
And yes, the top 100 is the biggest list fail perpetrated on the speculative fiction audience in my lifetime.
Bro the top 100 didn’t even have storm light archive or Malazan
@@callum7081 It had a whole lot of the authors who were making the list though, deserving or not.
Erikson's writing is phenomenal. When one of his characters is injured you literally feel it. It's unlike any other author and I find it both gritty and refreshing. Thank you for the interview Mr. Greene.
Imagine a Fantasy Author Round Table with Daniel as the moderator
10 min in and this guy sounds so intelligent! I was always afraid to jump into Malazan but now I think I have to lol
It's pretty tough. He literally doesn't do any info dump at all. So in the first read through more than half of the time you won't understand anything.
@@samarendra109 Ok that just sold me. I love books like that.
Read it. It's not hard as people say
@@gut.6925 If Daniel says it was tough for him, then it's sure tough and probably uncrackable for most.
@@samarendra109 This isn't even true. Kind of tired of people saying this lmao. If you are paying attention, you should definitely have a pretty good grasp on things mid-way through book 2 or before that.
Finished Gardens of the Moon in like 4 days, halfway through Deadhouse Gates and this video pops up as I am taking a 5 minute break from reading... yeah... it turned into a 40 minute break... Daniel Greene lowkey reading subscribers minds.
i walked passe gardens of the moon more times than I can count. for years, because i hadmt heard of Erickson yet but the name Sgt Whiskeyjack just seemed corny. Eventually i got to a point i had read everything i could find in fantasy at the time. so i grabbed it not knowing it was 10 book series and H O L Y SHIT. ive read the series 3 times, still finding gems in there
@@nopenadda don't come for whiskeyjack :(
@@nopenadda Fun tidbit, Whiskeyjack is named after the bird, not the drink
Damn, it took me 1,5 years for the whole series :D
I read both of those books earlier this year. Definitely gonna try finishing the series next year.
I finished Oathbringer yesterday and couldn't wait for more Rhythym of War, so I literally got the first Malazan book AN HOUR AGO and you're here talking to the author. The universe works in mysterious ways.
Good luck and have fun friend. Took me three tries to finish Gardens of The Moon, but once you do it is incomparable.
@@Buddanutslol I feel like I'm one of the few who loved Gardens of the moon and got drawn in to the world, the mystery and the characters with no problem at all. On the other hand I felt Deadhouse gates to be a real boring slog :S. Going for book three after Rythm of war ;P.
Hope you like it. Keep in mind that it will be impossible to know the complete meaning of certain actions and events until you advance in the series. It may seem things are happening just because, but that is because you haven't read enough of the books. :D
OMG! Literally the very first sentences by Erikson said it all. The level and complexity of his prose (he's an academic, teaching classes in creative writing), that he's into short stories (aren't Malazan novels like compilations of short stories?) etc. I'm really happy for this interview. Malazan makes so much more sence now!!!
He has the best magic system. Authors try too hard to be technical now.
I think there are definitely potential perks (and con) to both hard and soft magic.
But I do agree that Erikson's approach is more...legitimately magical. Hard magic can be great, but its less magic and more alternative universe physics.
This interview has single-handedly convinced me to get Gardens of the Moon. It'll be scary but this video proved to me it'll be worth it. Time to read Erikson's essay on characterisation, I'm sure it'll be a blast.
Deadhouse Gates (2nd book) is the best representation of the series overall. Unless you dnf Gardens, i suggest reading Deadhouse before making too many conclusions
Writers: please do not talk to me
Erikson: you should talk to the readers, be approachable
Sanderson: welcome to the SANDERFAQ #173
Have not read Erikson, but man I loved this interview.
I think Steve's big difference is his respect for readers. Many authors consider us stupid fans who are lucky to have their books; Erikson respects us and he is grateful that we are interested in his works. You can also see this in his interaction. I have seen his comments here on YT, even on small channels. He truly loves the art; he isn't interested in feeding his ego, like many other authors.
The post interview was amazing. Also Erikson is probably the most clear-spoken proof right now that personal convictions, worldview and yes, even political opinions inform the writing. I love how clear he is in reflecting on his process and how well he can present that both in his essays and interviews.
I knew Erikson used GURPS to develop Malazan and I always wondered if he used dice to determine the outcomes of certain things, because it just seems so hard to just decide what happens in certain scenarios. Now I know.
Damn you, dice... damn you.
Gotta love Erikson. He's a master of the craft, he makes me realize how much I love reading every time I pick up one of his books.
And thanks Daniel for what you do
When you publish your book, you should have a reverse panel discussion where all the people you've interviewed come back and interrogate you on the details of your story.
Getting Sanderson, Erikson, Kuang, Butcher and so many more to interview him is like climbing Everest. You need to have months if preparation
Interrogate😰😆😆
That was one of the best interviews I've seen. I've been eagerly awaiting your The Crippled God review btw
Currently reading Dust of Dreams and so far the Malazan series is shaping up to be my favorite fantasy series ever. Also want to add that I absolutely know who Guy Gavriel Kay is! I love his writing!
Everyone talks about Tigana, or Under Heaven, but no one ever mention Sailing to Sarantium and Lord or Emperors. I go back to that pair every 5 years or so!
Erickson is one of the best interviews. Intelligent, well spoken, and ready hear and analyze different view points from his own. Malazan changed view of what a fantasy world can be and we're all the better for it!
Excellent interview! Great questions and great answers - these author interviews have become my favorite videos on your channel.
Extremely interesting interview. Personal favourite part being Daniel quickly diverting Erikson from spoiling the ending of The Crippled God.
I'm so glad you were finally able to interview him. I am currently reading Forge of Darkness and am a huge fan of Malazan in general.
That comment about unable to run a game of DND and write at the same time - I felt that.
I like seeing you from the side in interviews, feels right!
Just started reading Gardens of the Moon. (Loving it) And I'm so fascinated by Steven Erikson that I was searching for any interviews with him. So in 2024, this is great. Thank you (to both of you).
Hoods balls on a skillet! My main man Erikson! Thank you goblin. You just made my day!
Been so excited for this!
I had never seen your channel but I came here after Gardens of the Moon because I was really scratching my head. Normally I can get a feel for an author as a person rather quickly in a book but I finished that novel going 'wow, I have no idea about the person who wrote this amazing thing. Was he writing with dice to scramble my radar or what?' But then in this interview I discover that he has much in common with figures that I like to imagine and personify from my own field like J.S. Bach, who did have a few very concise but overarching virtues he made known (usually at the tops of first pages) but generally his music was the model of self-sufficient form and structure, whilst also somehow being an exemplar of 'flight' (fugue) and freedom. Their utter transparency makes him impenetrable in a way; one is left with a sense that every construct both arose spontaneously and yet also evolved within a natural landscape that seamlessly contains it at all stages. When Erikson talks here about being able to write in other styles, I thought 'oh that's just like Bach writing his English or French or Spanish suites, polonaises, etc. where he traveled, absorbed like a sponge, and then related what he saw as their underlying elements to us through his lens.'
Daniel you are a marvelous interviewer, one of the best I've ever seen, and I'm really happy you are here to talk to people like Erikson and then relate what you can draw out of them with us, because you do such a wonderful job of it.
It won’t be long before new authors start reaching out to Daniel for these interviews.
These interviews always make me want to pick up the authors books.
This has been such a wonserful interview!
Thank you for the well created and chosen questions.
The general chat at the end was all amazing. Really glad that got to be uploaded.
This is so cool that you get to talk authors, amazing to watch
WOW! Amazing conversation after. Suuuuch a great interview, really!
It's really cool to see this channel grow in the way it has! Makes you excited about the future!
Great job on these interviews!
So, so happy to see this interview!
Daniel, I truly appreciate your channel man. What a relaxed environment you've managed to create for such fascinating authors. It really give the rest of us a chance to see and learn so much. You're killing it man 🤙Thanks again.
The malazan book of the fallen is the greatest book of all time, it is so awesome to get insightful convos like this. Thanks a bunch.
I love this! Erikson is such a kind, smart person and there's too few interviews with him online. Thank you for this interview Daniel!
i have some classes and exams online now so i cant watch the interview right now and i hate it, but definitely i love Malazan and im so excited about this interview! thanks Daniel and thanks Steven! looking forward to watch it this evening!
Thank you for the interview. Malazan is my favorite fantasy series, it was really nice to see/hear the man behind it.
I literally finished Gardens of the Moon yesterday. Like how desne it is and looking forward to getting into the series. Will definitley watch this video later, just want to avoid anything that might spoil events.
He doesn't spoil anything. He alludes to situations but simply says "book x has two characters fighting and this is how we came up with that", he's very wary of spoilers in this. 🙂
@@CSLWoodward I still want to go in completly fresh with no prior knowledge. Starting Deadhouse Gates now :)
@@jonbaxter2254 Book 2 is a gut punch but one of the best in the series. Events in that book are felt throughout the rest of the series.
If you liked GotM then I think you'll like the rest of the Malazan series much more. Admittedly, I thought GotM was really clunky and the weakest in the Malazan series. I was shocked when I saw the improvements in his writing over the next few books. You're in for a big treat!
@@CrimsonKing88 Yeah. The shift from book 1 to 2 is pretty big. From what I understand, GotM was written almost a decade before the other books and sat waiting to find a publisher.
You guys are both so friendly, its nice to see.good interview👍👍.il start the series.
Great interview, I love listening to Erikson talk. If you want to bring him on again in the future, I would certainly not complain.
What a fantastic and inspiring interview! Midnight Tides is probably my favourite of the series, but hearing Erikson's story about how its themes came to be has brought out a whole new level of admiration for it.
Amazing interview and interesting topics , Kudos Daniel !
Amazing interview, very free flowing. I especially enjoyed your back and forth.
Well, this finally got me to subscribe. A thoughtful interview with my absolute favorite author, and you did a great job interviewing him. Thank you for this.
OH, COME ON!
This is too much!
Thank you so much, this interview was absolutely amazing and your post interview chat was really interesting. I am one of the many, many Malazan flagellants in your community, and hearing about Erikson's process and thoughts on writing (both his own and in general) was fascinating and enlightening for sure.
MAAAN, you're now my favorite fantasy booktuber for these conversations and news!
That was awesome. Thanks for adding that ending convo on.
Thoroughly enjoyed the content as usual. The following conversation was fascinating to watch.
Great interview! Really enjoyed this one - well done from both sides =)
I love your author interviews so much. I buy all of my books because I want to financially support authors for the magic they provide to us. It’s fascinating to me to listen to them talk about their process and inspirations. Thank you for what you do.
I love when these authors make themselves available like this. Michael J. Sullivan’s and Erickson’s interviews with you and John Gwynne’s interview on another channel have all been the final catalyst for me to take the plunge and investing in those series.Again, thank you for what you do. You have added greatly to my library of 📚 this year with your work. This interview was insightful, enjoyable, and I look forward to picking up Malazan in the near future.
Erickson, wow what a cool guy.
I've seen him in a few of these interviews now and I respect the effort taken to have some meaningful chats with the audience. Certainly adds more context and depth to the cannon of material.
Thanks guys, much appreciated
Daniel, thank you for your interview with Steven Erikson! From January until September I read through the Malazan Books of the Fallen for the first time and I really enjoyed them. I'm glad to hear your thoughts on the series and how your opinions have changed over the course of the series, especially on your review of the ninth book, Dust of Dreams. It is definitely a complicated series to read but it is really rewarding in the end. I'm looking forward to starting the Esslemont novels, the Kharkanas trilogy, and the Bauchelain & Korbal Broach next year after I get through some of my other reading list. I'm also looking forward to your review of the Crippled God and the series as a whole. Thanks for all the great work, it is really appreciated!
I saw the notification and thought, oh snap the dishevelled goblin has done it!
Thanks so much. The post interview was phenomenal.
I love this interview. Great job again, Daniel
I am so excited for your book!
Yup.. I’m definitely checking out his books!
This is the first author interview I've watched on this channel and I'm sooooo glad I did! To hear his thought process behind writing these stories and its beginning in an RPG, it makes me wanna grab a copy now. Definitely adding Malazan to my TBR, which is ever growing! Also a big fan of Egyptian and Greco-Roman mythos.
Side note: Currently reading Mistborn First Era and fell in love with it around Chapter 3. Is it me or does is seem like Brandon Sanderson writes his stories like a D&D campaign?
Wow! I was thinking about reading he's books, now I'm absolutely sure I will.
Thank you so much for the video!
Malazan helped make my prison slide by, only series I have reread multiple times. Always picking up a different single line reference in gardens that only makes sense in assail. By far my most beloved work of literature.
I'm loving these interviews!
Steven Erikson is awesome! I am an amateur writer and I could relate to what he says.. Thanks for conducting this interview..! It was insightful and encouraging..
Great fan of you and Erikson. Been waiting for this, hoping you would get to interview the creator of Malazan! Made my day.
Erikson seems like a very nice, intelligent guy. I'm restarting Malazan in January, but this made me want start today instead.
Daniel new subscriber here. Binged your videos. I’m older and have read fantasy and sci-fi for years. I got into fantasy through dragon lance as a kid. TH-cam is still relatively new to me. It’s good to see a young persons perspective on the subject. Outstanding questions sir. Eriksons talking about Native Americans taking the White House and not being able to hold it because of the system!! Thought provoking!! Also made me want to read his books again. Made me think more about Coltaine... What were his motives and thoughts? outstanding sir thank you.
Great interview, very nice to see Erikson on here. And the prist wristband was awesome as well.
Well I am a huge Malazan fan, putting it #2 after WoT. After watching this, I appreciate Erikson so much more, for not just his writing style and where it comes from, but his personality and mindset on things. I also have studied anthropology and now teach history and I love roleplaying. He seems like a really cool guy. Stephen, thank you for agreeing to this and thank you Daniel for having him on your channel. This was a real treat.
ok I'm hyped for this interview!
Great job! Thanks for awesome content.
Malazan = Black Company + Thomas Covenant. Wow! This makes so much sense.
Rewatched this just now. Erickson is such a fantastic, likable person. What a great conversation.
Thank you Mr. Erikson and Daniel. Wonderful interview.
Huge fan. Thanks so much for this interview! Great questions too!
Man, this is the type of conversation, with Authors, I would like to see. Great answers Steven. Good job Daniel.
Daniel, excellent interview 👌
Thank you Erickson, I still remember the first time I picked up Gardens of the Moon in Barnes & Nobles in 2004. I’ve been following almost all of your recent interviews and they don’t sound the same. Best of luck to you.
Chris
I should expect this by now but still every time I see you interview a big name author, I take a step back to clutch my heart in mingled awe and envy
Yes its finally here!
This was very insightful, thank you once again Dan!
My dream is to one day make it as a big enough author to be interview by Daniel.
SAME!
Same here
What a great interview/conversation!
Thanks for this, just finished reading malazan series fof the second time. Took 9 months and it's the best of the best. This man is a genius.
👍 Great interview. I read malazan when it first came out in 1999 and the whole series when they came out. This interview makes me want to reread them.
Been waiting for this Daniel
Thank you for posting this