My point is at some point I think it's reasonable for the author to follow the rule of cool and let it be that. Any author drilling down to the minutiae of everything could well make his work his life ( and unfortunately ours as well ) and nothing else. Better works will have some poor math ( i.e. errant detail not adding up ) in that the author is mindful of the reader, not dragging him/her along to explain every spec of dust in the room. All of Bakker's detail in my opinion is simply a near perfect balance with rich scenery and movement in the story. Don't reggae with this balance by trying to drag him down into the mud of ensuring EVERYTHING makes sense ( not that he would be so weak to submit, but just saying ).

To contradict myself, it is fun to point these things out - nice catch in this case - but not as criticism, but simply to drive interesting conversation and learning - it did not occur to me underground dwellings require ventilation, but seems obvious now that it's brought up. It does seem that the posts here are mere that - something cool to talk about - which is good. To throw in, could be non-men have tolerance for higher CO2 levels and their human slaves adapted over time. Could be air conditioning technology they received from the aliens ( think I recall impressive amounts of machinery laying about in the mansions, but could be a made up memory on my part ).

I laughed out loud when reading Sarl yelling This one's a chopper! as he wiggled the skin spy face on his belt. Made me think of the very beginning of the first book with the Non-man donning faces all over his garb ( man, I miss both those guys! ).

Normally I would thank you all for the kindness you gave me in responding to my post – but Wilshire MANDATED me not to … so a warm fuck you to all of you. I’ve exposed you, Wilshire, as being a Mandate schoolman – careful, I have a nice selection of chorea, one with your name etched on it … hee, hee – all from love, my man, just rockin on your “busting balls” comment. 

So, it comes down to what is K doing … appears none of us know for sure yet. I guess I give Esmenet’s explanation much credit when she tells the girl in the previous book about Kellhus deceiving/using everyone to save everyone’s lives. If that is true, if Esmenet is accurate, then the question is motivation. Either K doesn’t want to be lonely, even the company of children is better than no one at all or he feels connected to humanity in some way. I think we connect with each other in a more interesting way than evolution can explain – love. We love people who have died and life loss can reduce people to ruins ( hard to explain the evolutionary benefit of enduring severe trauma for the departed – sadness to ensure we avoid it ourselves could be evolution, but carrying on for years … ). Either he’s following evolutionary instinct to ensure humanity endures ( which I think we all agree his Duynain conditioning would prohibit this ) or he at bare minimum “likes” humanity enough to dedicate a good portion of his life to saving it.

If indeed he conned his way to power ( appear he did, he wasn’t a prince among other lies/deceptions ), hard to imagine it was as another human does simply for the sake of power – seems his Dunyain mind would not find pleasure with power, especially over those he manipulates so easily.

Seems there’s more purpose to his design than to simply perform a task – he’s into it. I don’t think he’s compelled out of sense of duty to save us ( evolution ) nor is he doing it just to avoid loneliness ( a good reason, but seems more to it ) … I get a sense of joy in him figuring it out ( maybe the Dunyain drive to figure everything out ) and enjoys “hanging” with humans. Could be he’s learning how to love.

I like Beard’s way of putting it, he left Dunyain and returned a man. The celebration of what it is to really be human, to feel as a human can - but at the same time, knowing we can be more. Through this whole madness of crazed violence, I see beauty – humanity standing, taking flight. Saubon's response when he realized certain doom at Dagliash to keep on fighting was amazing - he knew this is what it is to feel truly alive, risking your life for something more and not just sitting in the air conditioning as I am now typing away.

I think Bakker’s self-proclaimed cynicism doesn’t stem from a broken heart of humanity falling short or consumed with pettiness, but a happy stare at what we can be. This isn’t a horror novel – it’s beauty born from horror, perhaps even a romance novel ( sorry, had to throw in the romance novel bit to fuck with you ).

Thank you both, was a good idea to check with you guys, my brothers in Nothing, knowing you have good taste 

Yeah, as with Begbie, my friend's a monster, but he's a mate.

Cool, thanks for the rec, I'll get it. The Steel Remains is not the first on in the trilogy?

Well, takes all kinds, the 4th Dune book of the series was my favorite 

Haven't read the last one yet, Chapter House, will get to it some day. The "end" written by his son wasn't at least worth it to learn how it ends? I heard Chaper House was a cliffhanger.

I've read a lot of Herbert, all so good.  Love the Void Ship series - that was one VERY fun read.

Hyperion is easily the coolest scifi environment ever rendered, even cooler than Dune ( so much better than Star Trek, Star Wars - and I like those works, so that's saying something ). I love all 4 of the Hyperion books. I got a friend of mine to read the first book and he threw it across the room when he finished it ( bit of a hanger in that one ) yelling "fuck him!". I tried to calm him down letting him know it continues in book 2, but was having none of it, LOL. I've read other Dan Simmon's ... so much of his stuff is so good. Carrion Comfort is worth the effort.

Not to kiss Bakker's ass, but the Prince books are my favorite fantasy. But not by far, Abercrombie's First Law stuff is very strong, good stuff. I liked the Cold Fire trilogy, Friedman knows her stuff.

I'm out of fantasy stuff to read - any recommendations? Didn't care for Prince of Thorns. Didn't care for American Gods ( though I like Gaiman's comics ).

Has The Prince of Nothing story been bought up to produce an episodic tv series yet?