"The Chronicles of Shannara" Topic

Now there's a blast from the past.

link

I don't recall it being post-apocalyptic, though I only read the first two novels, and it was a long time ago. Still it looks pretty good.

There were a few hints at old technology which gave this otherwise obvious LOTR inspired book a slight Gamma World feel.

I enjoyed the first book, at the time, but it rapidly went downhill. Hugely successful though, so what do I know ?

Blast from the past, indeed. Concur with 20th, the first couple books were good, but it got strained maybe mid-way through the second. Hadn't thought of it in those terms before. Gonna have to dust it off the shelves now …

I read the first book in high school and thoroughly enjoyed it, though it very much did feel like a LOTR reboot. But that was fine to me. Don't recall much about it, though. I believe I pinched a few ideas for a D&D campaign. Wasn't it a single story all in one book? I had no idea so many books came from it.
--
Tim

I read it when it first came out and remember being hugely disappointed with it even at the time. I never tried any of the other ones, but word in my group was that they stunk on ice. At least the first one had Brothers Hildebrandt illustrations. 8)=

That trailer has some cool images, but it unfortunately suffers from "MTV Quick Edit Syndrome". I can't watch that sort of fast editing-- it makes me sick.

Voldemort seems to have survived.

I read the Elfstones first…which is actually the second book in the series and then went back to read the Sword. I can see how someone would be disappointed. I thought the Sword was boring. Elfstones was pretty good. No idea how the chronicles will play out compared to the books. Will they even follow the books or are they going to be something different?

The clip/teaser did look pretty good.

I read Elfstones first too. I enjoyed it except for the ending, which annoyed me. I liked Sword of Shannara as well. I read one or two after that, but stopped buying the novels afterwards.

I read Sword of Shanarra back in school too, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I tried to re-read it last year (after having not read it in 25 years), couldn't get through it. Over the years I've read a bunch of other installments in the series; it was always "fantasy-lite."

IIRC in book 1 there was a scene in the ruins of an old, modern era city. In later books there were scenes in other cities as well.

Damon.

"fantasy-lite."

I think that is a good way to put it. Kind of trope heavy really.

The first copy I purchased had a section of color plates bound into the center with artwork by the Hildebrandt Brothers. In fact that's why I bought it. Here's some of the art:

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I seemed to remember that I liked it and that I got bogged in the second book about the same time I started noticing girls.

Think you may be thinking of Urshurak which is a collection of colour plates and B&W line drawings wrapped up in a story.

When I first read The Sword of Shannara many many years ago I wasn't impressed by it. However, I read the rest of the first trilogy and the books got better. In fact i've found that Terry Brooks has really impooved a lot as a writer over the years. The Heritage of Shannara trilogy is better than the original trilogy and the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara triology better still.
However, I've found his best work to be the Word and the Void series and the Genesis of Shannara series. They are excellent post-apocalyptic fiction and a good explanation of how our world becomes the world of Shannara.
I'm looking forward to the TV show a lot.
All the best,
George.

Think you may be thinking of Urshurak which is a collection of colour plates and B&W line drawings wrapped up in a story.

No, the original printing of The Sword of Shannara had interior art by the Brothers Hildebrandt, as well as the cover art. At the time it was rare for a fantasy novel, especially a paperback, to have interior illustrations. I remember quite vividly one picture of a prince being stabbed by an evil advisor. As with much Hilderbrandt, the poses were somewhat overgrand and melodramatic, but the work with light and shadow was always striking.

I think their success with Shannara led to the Hildebrants getting the greenlight on Ushurak.

As for Shannara, the first book was quite derivative, though at the time that was what I wanted, though the resolution was odd to me, and perhaps a little too philosophical: [SPOILER] The evil wraith-like overlord succumbs to the sword because it reveals the absolute truth, and his own existence is basically a lie which he has told himself. Say what now?[END SPOLER]

I did like Elfstones a lot, but I was also a teen and not very discerning. I'm not certain it would hold up to my more experienced reading today.

No, the original printing of The Sword of Shannara had interior art by the Brothers Hildebrandt, as well as the cover art. At the time it was rare for a fantasy novel, especially a paperback, to have interior illustrations. I remember quite vividly one picture of a prince being stabbed by an evil advisor. As with much Hilderbrandt, the poses were somewhat overgrand and melodramatic, but the work with light and shadow was always striking.

Yes, the edition of Sword I read had the Hildebrant illustrations in it too, although in B&W. The one I read was a mass market paperback edition…

Damon.

Parzival / Garand – thanks for the info : never seen a copy like that, maybe it didn't make the UK printing ? I'll keep my eyes out for a copy as I like (some) of the Brothers H's artwork.

This link by the way is an excellent companion to the series – virtually a D&D world write up all ready to go !

Can usually be picked up for next to nothing, and is worth far more IMHO !

Is it as crap as the books?

No – far from it : it's really like a handy world description with maps, major heroes described, the "politics", all the creatures, flora, etc that could be used as a RPG background for a D&D type game in the world of Shannarra.

How that would compare to the books would really be down to the DM

Shannara was written up in D&D terms way back in 2001 (Issue #286).

link

I quite liked Elfstones but this is awful. Any resemblance to the book is entirely coincidental.

I'm enjoying bits of it – the bloke playing Allanon seems familiar from somewhere – was he Slade in Arrow ?

It's a bit like The 100 light. The worst bit is that no-one can recall magic 'cos it "disappeared" 40 years ago….so, well within your lifetimes elders of the council of the elves….

Read one. I recall (from 20 years ago) it came over as an American Teenager trying to write sub-Beowulf. Didn't bother further

I liked the 1st book and thought the illustrations were excellent. For some reason I never read any of the books that came after.