Just throwing in my two cents for authors . . .
Don Bassingwaithe
Tim Waggoner
Graeme Davis
The only fantasy fiction I've read recently has been Eberron novels. The works of these three stand out in my mind.
Contributor
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I enjoyed Don Bassingthwaite's Ragon below a great deal and would definitely buy a Pathfinder novel by him.
In fact, I'm going to go back through this thread and look at other authors also reccomended by posters who reccomended Bassingthwaite, as likely good reading. Clearly these are people with good taste.
I also really liked Keith Baker's "City of Towers." Actually, I wrote the sfsite review that is quoted in the second and third books. I'd like to see how he writes in someone else's world. OTOH, I only found his second novel okay, and the third improved but was still not as good as the first. Personally, I think he does better in a stable setting like Sharn, where he can focus on other stuff, than when he's trying to impress us with the weirdness of the setting, such as Xendrik or alien planes.
Edward Bolme's "Orb of Xoriat" was cool.
I haven't read too many other D&D novels novels, and those I've read ranged from 'blah' to 'fun, for a trash fantasy novel.' I don't want to speak negatively of anyone in particular, so I'll leave it at that.
I'm not going to range further afield into non-D&D authors as I'm not sure that this is realistic or desirable. Erik, if I'm wrong, let me know and I'll post more.
Actually, there's another reason I'm sticking to D&D authors; I think it requires a specific skill. I know most other people don't care about this (even other gamers), but I do. I don't like novels set in game worlds that break the rules of the game. That said, I also like them to seem 'realistic' (if a fantasy novel can be called that) in a real-world sense. Since I teach historical sword-fighting, this shows up most often for me in combat descriptions.
For example (and with apologies to RAS), in the Icewind Dale trilogy there's a scene where one character throws a dagger at a giant, and the dagger gets stuck in the giant's chest. Then another character hits the dagger with a thrown hammer (IIRC) and drives it into the giant's heart, killing him. I find this unbelievable ina RW sense, but further, my character could never do that (in any edition of the game).
Some authors can write realistic fight scenes. Some can write fight scenes that follow the rules and are still dramatic. One of the reasons I enjoyed City of Towers so much was that Keith Baker had managed to do both. Same for Bassingthwaite and Bolme.
Not that this only applies to fight scenes. It's hard to follow the rules for magic, while producing a consistent and believable effect, and describing it in an engaging manner.
Okay, I have drifted sufficiently from the topic and rambled long enough. Except for this. I hope that when you do start producing Pathfinder novels, you open them up to new talent. I will submit something if you do.
Craig Shackleton,
The Rambling Scribe
Dan Abnett. Don't know how much he's tied to the WH40k universe, but I love his writing; he's a great storyteller and I think he could do a good job of bringing the Pathfinder world to life.
I say either Richard Lee Byers, Paul S. Kemp(and it's great to see others love them too!), or Chris Pierson. I am LOVING his Taladas trilogy. And I concur with the vote for Weis and Hickman.
All four of these authors have proven ability to write character-driven stories that gradually reveal complex worlds:
James Alan Gardner
Janet Kagan (Uhura's Song, Hellspark, Mirabile)
Julia Ecklar (The Kobayashi Maru, plus many books as a solo author or as a team of authors under pseudonyms)
Lois McMaster Bujold (The Curse of Chalion)
Hmm, I didn't go into any of the current crop of D&D fiction writers in my post above, but put in another vote for Don Bassingthwaite. I'd never heard of him before the Dragon Below series for Eberron, but I liked his work. He did a good job of "humanizing" a shifter among other things. Keith Baker's series was good too, though I imagine he's unlikely to write a non-Eberron book at this point.
I'd like to see what James Jacobs could do with a novel too, based on the Tyralandi Scrimm thread and the other items he has written, but I imagine he's a bit busy just getting Pathfinder ready, much less writing fiction set in the world. I'd like to see what Richard Pett could do as well, based on the adventures he has written so far.
Now if Erik Mona wrote a novel, all the main characters would be dead within the first 100 pages. Just kidding Erik. :D
I don't know that they're sword and sorcery per se, but T.F. Banks and Elizabeth Redfern are two historical fiction authors I've enjoyed the hell out of reading recently. In their favor, nothing would make a D&D novelization fresh like being written from an "outsiders" viewpoint.
To be honest, I think it'd be keeping in the spirit of Paizo's roots to have an anthology book of stories written by us wannabe-novelists. Is that open for consideration or are you going straight for the big names in this, so far, hypothetical scenario?
I'm not sure if Vonda McIntyre still writes genre fiction, but I always thought she had a way of putting her stamp on Star Trek and Thieves World stuff way back when.
Most of the authors mentioned I have enjoyed reading or are on my reading list. I am currently reading The Dragon Below trilogy and really enjoying it. One author I noticed missing though is David Gemmell.
On the other hand, I am so Pro-Paizo that just by slapping Pathfinder on a novel cover will get me to buy it.
Uh, me? (OK, OK, no track record, not a professional fiction writer, etc. etc. But I think I could do a good job if I were able to focus on such a task.)
Seriously, though, what about Thomas Harlan, who wrote a series of interesting stories for Dragon some time back set in a sort of alternate "Crusader Earth." I thought they were some of the best fiction I've read in Dragon.
Edit: Hey, what about a short-story contest?
I think J. Gregory Keyes would do a good job. He's had work published in Dragon, after all. I'd rather see someone like him, with his own creative voice, than someone that's already written novels for a Dungeons and Dragons audience, specifically (specificly? specifickly?).
Tell me even if you can't imagine yourself reading fiction based on a game. Humor me. Who would get your attention and get you to buy?
--Erik Mona
Well, I like R. A. Salvatore, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and Ed Greenwood. I also found a lot of the novelists who worked on the "War of the Spider Queen" sextet to be pretty good. Of course, as an aspiring author, I'd love to toss my own hat into the ring here. It could be a real treat to write something for a world like Varisia. However, based strictly on who would get my attention and get me to buy, I would put R. A. Salvatore at the very top of the list, with Weis and Hickman right behind him.
If you have the money to spare, might I suggest raising HPL.
Otherwise, Neil Gaiman or Tim Powers would be OK.
On the off-chance that they are "unavailable"... maybe...
I've enjoyed Don Bassingthwaite for similar material.
PS, have you started casting for the movie yet? or storyboarding for the animated series?
:)
Richard Byers.
or barring that . . . me ;)
PS, have you started casting for the movie yet? or storyboarding for the animated series?
:)
Oy! I loved the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons comics. I would totally be on board for a Pathfinder comic book.
I'll toss out two names: one an established writer, and one somebody I think is super-talented and needs a break.
1) Amber Scott - this is my "super-talented but needs a break" entry. I'm likely extremely biased, since she's my best friend. But I've read her fiction, and Amber can seriously spin a tale. You can be the launching pad for the next great fiction writer, Erik! :)
2) Joel Rosenberg - His Guardians of the Flame series is so well written, and lots of fun. The whole world is already based around a "gaming" world, though the split was made completely at the end of book one. His characters have life and personality, and his stories move and a fun pace.
PS, have you started casting for the movie yet? or storyboarding for the animated series?
:)
I am of the understanding that comics can be very 'cost-prohibitive' but I for one would also love the well-done fantasy comic book.
Oy! I loved the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons comics. I would totally be on board for a Pathfinder comic book.
I'd go for someone familiar with the rules behind the game to prevent, as someone else has already pointed out, uncharacteristic and "impossible" scenarios (from a gaming perspective).
My top 3 (in no particular order):
* Thomas M. Reid (really enjoyed his Scions of Arrabar trilogy - others have mentioned the War of the Spider Queen series, which he also contributed to)
* Douglas Niles (just an alround good and fun writer)
* Elaine Cunningham (great, great characterization)
Who's the person who wrote the "Korgath of Barbaria" cartoon that ran once on Adult Swim?
Ok, perhaps not as that would be over the top. But I'd like to see Pathfinder / Varisia developed with more "sword & sorcery" tropes than traditional fantasy ones. More Erol Otus type weirdness and less bucolic, pastoral, renaissance type stuff.
That being said here are a few names in no particular order that I'd check out:
Don Bassingthwaite (I enjoyed his novels in the Dark Matter series)
Lisa Smedman (I enjoyed her House of Serpents trilogy)
Peter David (comics writer extraordinaire and accomplished novelist)
Kurt Busiek (comics writer extraordinaire with sword & sorcery experience)
Greg Vaughan (loved his Dungeon adventures and that fact that he made them feel a part of the world he placed them in)
Richard Pett (the Styes is just one of the types of weirdness I'm looking for)
I'm not trying to be sycophantic here but if they weren't too busy putting out Paizo products I'd suggest:
Jason Bulmahn (The Hall of Harsh Reflections & Here There Be Monsters continue the weirdness theme I'm looking for)
James Jacobs (the creator of Scuttlecove, enough said!)
Erik Mona (your love of settings is well known and the way you breathed life into Diamond Lake makes me curious to see you write a novel)
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Perhaps an anthology ...
Byers (gothic / undead)
Bassingthaite (post-colonial / esoteric)
Forbeck (western / heroic)
Wulf (swashbuckling / feminist)
K. Baker (psionic / planar)
R. Baker (erudite / mythic)
Bolme (exile / wanderer)
Twining (unknown / desperate)
Moorcock (champion / multiverse)
Busiek (pulp / rogue)
Claremont (mutant / archetypal)
need an author for (nautical / islander)...
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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Thomas M. Reid (I'll second the Scions of Arrabar as top notch)
Paul Kidd (Justicar rules!)
Richard Lee Byers (year of Rogue dragons and Dissolution were good)
Monte Cook (Glass prison was awesome)
Lisa Smedman (House of Serpents trilogy! Yesssssss...)
Paul S. Kemp (Erevis Cale is a bad man!)
I'm a bit out-of-touch w/ modern fantasy writers, and have been for about the last decade (I blame it on all those years I was in graduate school). So I guess I'm undercutting any worthwhile opinion already :)
But. I'd like to second the few suggestions that there be an anthology rather than one overarching novel. I know Monte Cook had (2) anthologies for his Diamond Throne setting, and while I've just ordered them and can't comment on their quality, I think the idea is a sound one. And dare I say, perhaps more realistic than getting an "A-lister" to write an entire novel.
One possible advantage to an anthology is that some of the people w/ proven track records, adventure-wise (i.e., have already published in Dungeon, especially), would be able to take the next step in their creative careers. This also allows people already involved in the creation of Pathfinder's new world--like James Jacobs--a shot at fleshing it out in a different way. It's more likely he'd have time for a short story than a novel. Just a thought.
A few people have mentioned Troy Denning. Between Brom's outstanding artwork, and Troy's Prism Pentad (?) series of books set in Athas, I quickly became a hard-core Dark Sun player in 2nd edition days. Something to think about: art + fiction to draw in new people. We've already got WAR doing covers and getting rave reviews; now all we need is some fiction to bring in some more people.
Let's face it. We're not trying to sell ourselves (those of us on these boards). We're already sold on the new world. But we could help out the cause by bringing in some more. Erik, this was a great thread to start.
Stephen King--The Eyes of the Dragon is a great fantasy novel with touches of horror in it. Greyhawk meets Lovecraft.
Lois McMaster Bujold--The Curse of Chalion was great.
Tad Williams--The War of the Flowers was amazing.
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From the updated description of _Dragon: Monster Ecologies_
"As if a dozen and a half ecologies weren't enough, we also asked Gary Gygax, China Miéville, and Rob Kuntz to recollect their favorite D&D monsters; we take retrospective looks at the beholder, githyanki, mindflayer, and displacer beast, and then we wrap it all up with a feature known as the "Monsters of Suck." And did we mention an index of every ecology ever printed?"
Maybe you missed it:
"As if a dozen and a half ecologies weren't enough, we also asked...China Miéville...to recollect [his] favorite D&D monsters..."
I wonder how many times I can get by with posting China Miéville as my pick for the Writer...?
So...China's foot's already in the door, so to speak...
China Miéville
...Or James Jacobs.
OK, OK, I'll do it! Geez. Stop hassling me already.
:D
Paul S. Kemp (Erevis Cale is a bad man!)
Nooo... He is a very good man ;-) and an excellent character!
Did I mention that Paul S. Kemp would be great for a Pathfinder novel?
Amber E. Scott can tell a great story. If you're thinking of giving someone a "shot," she's my first pick.
Katharine Kerr, Peter Evans, David Drake, Brust.
If it's a horror novel, set in the Pathfinder world, I wouldn't mind seeing what Meals could come up with. If he can write fiction half as well as he GMs, it would be a geed read.
Simon Green.
Did someone say MOORCOCK? That might be fun. Something like his Corum sextet, the Vadhagh & Nadrhagh(?) were a nice take on the Fey/Elf mythology.
I say we dig up Robert E Howards body, and cast raise dead. Anyone else with me?
Tell me even if you can't imagine yourself reading fiction based on a game. Humor me. Who would get your attention and get you to buy?
--Erik Mona
Um, me. Though I guess I would get a contributor's copy at some point.
;)
GGG
I am humbled and grateful. Thanks for the props!
-Amber S.
Me too. Enjoyed both White plume mountain and Demonweb pits. No matter how stupid the fairy was, the sentient hell hound pelt was great.
I actually quite enjoyed the Paul Kidd Justicar novelizations
We have a winner here- Paul Kidd. I'm not a fan of Salvatore and other so-called "big names".
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You know...a name like
China Miéville
would pull in a wider readership; the people who don't normally spend much time browsing the D&D shared-world shelves at B&N, the Sci-Fi and Fantasy readers who don't role-play...
yes...
China Miéville
would be an excellent choice to draw in the Others and make them one of Us...
China Miéville
First - who shouldn't write it? No one who has written gaming fiction for TSR/WotC. Certainly folks like Salvatore and Weis/Hickman can tell a good story, but you have an opportunity here to do something that stands apart from WotC's style of novels. Since you're going OGL, you need to find someone who can highlight not just the setting, but the tone you are seeking.
My personal preference would be someone who can write good stories about the world and the characters. Gaming fiction is often criticized because the characters suck or the fiction doesn't fit the published setting. You also don't need a publishing "superstar" that wants to impose their vision over Pathfinder.
All of that having been said, my recommendations would be:
Greg Keyes - author of The Briar King, The Charnel Prince, etc. Interesting characters, converging storylines, interesting world, and compelling action.
Lynn Abbey - The heart of the Thieves' World anthologies. Abbey can write character-driven stories where the character is deeply rooted in the world, thus developing the world without boring exposition. She can also vary the tone and style. Some of her stories are gritty day-in-the-life survival stories, some involve magical powers of incredible scope, others involve political maneuvering. She can even weave the three together.
Barb & J.C. Hendee - Authors of the Dhampir novels. Again, good characterization and action and an interesting world explored through the exploits of the characters.
And finally, in direct violation of my "no gaming fiction" rule: Richard A. Knaak. Proven track record writing in worlds/universes not of his own making. Decent-good characterization. Good action.
As for the books themselves, I'd also prefer a more swords-n-sorcery approach than a high-fantasy approach but I haven't seen enough about Pathfinder to see if that is consistent with the tone of your new world.
BPorter
I say we dig up Robert E Howards body, and cast raise dead. Anyone else with me?
Ok, this would be my first choice!!
BPorter
I wouldn't mind seeing what Meals could come up with.
Mearls, that is. Sorry, Mike.
Michael Stackpole
Aaron Allston
Walter Jon Williams is one bloody *excellent* writer, but I betcha his fantasy would read more like a cyberpunk nethack. :D
I have to say I am disappointed to see no one mentioned my name. Oh, wait...that's because I've not PUBLISHED anything yet!
OK, OK, I'll do it! Geez. Stop hassling me already.:D
I have to say I also think kahoolin would do an excellent job. He seems at least barely literate (and good looking!)
But seriously, why go for a name? It's all well and good to name established authors like Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and China Mieville, but these guys have developed their own millieux (which is why they are popular) and I can't see them being interested in writing a book where they don't control the setting. Sure there are a few big names in gaming books like Salvatore and co, but why limit yourselves to them?
Why not have a contest? It could be just like Search for the Next Pussycat Doll only with more hobgoblins and less short shorts.
We could still have some short shorts though .... right?Why not have a contest? It could be just like Search for the Next Pussycat Doll only with more hobgoblins and less short shorts.
Well, obviously we'd need some.
I personally think an anthology of short stories is a great idea for a first Pathfinder book (allowing us to explore several areas/characters/power-struggles/themes)...it'd also give some us unknowns a chance to strut our fiction stuff. I've been scrawling out short stories for years and have never shown them to ANYONE, except close personal friends, and I think the Lords of Paizo would be the only people I would enjoy writing fiction for to be honest...I'm weird about my short stories...even though I love writing plays and getting them out there.
I think a contest is a great idea too. Give everybody a chance to get involved.
Rose Estes...
(Just kidding)