How is navigating the postpartum world?
Might you be able to confirm or deny your attendance to Zaudunyanicon?
Also - now that afternoon breakfast for the house is done - I do believe congratulations are in order. Seven books in and two completed series! Thank you for bending your self to the page over the past 15+ years!
The one burning questions I have (and that you have a slight chance of answering) is when can you disclose the title of the next series? If the answer is now the please let us know!
2. Are you currently writing said series?
3. The tapestry that Mimara comes across once reaching the Ordeal, is it one commissioned by Kellhus or is it older, maybe even ancient?
The digestion is improving, day after day, but it's like eating a mammoth, it isn't easy to hunt it, eat it and digest it.
The tapestry is ancient, and it's significance is unknown to Kellhus. As for THE NO-GOD, I have scads of snippets centering mostly on individual characters, but I still have a huge amount of decisions to make.
Quote from: Cu'jara CinmoiThe tapestry is ancient, and it's significance is unknown to Kellhus. As for THE NO-GOD, I have scads of snippets centering mostly on individual characters, but I still have a huge amount of decisions to make.
Well, lets all put baby Kellhus to rest now, thank God. Thanks for responding. Nice to see you around again!
The digestion is improving, day after day, but it's like eating a mammoth, it isn't easy to hunt it, eat it and digest it.
You forgot to mention the hot sauce...
The No-God :o , and ZDC confirmation ;D. A great day. Thanks for coming by .
I know you will not spoil future books. But alot of speculation on Kellhus, is he the other decapitant, in the Outside and so on and so on. My question, is if he is dead, he did make it to the Outside, correct?
Also, will there be a time jump in the next series or will it pick up where we left off?
Hi Mr. Bakker, huge congratulations on finishing The Aspect Emperor. I thought the final book was the best of the lot.
If it isn't too spoiler-y, can you let us know what the image of Kellhus that everyone sees floating down from the Horn is? It seems clear that the Judging Eye sees the Carapace beneath it, but what was making it ever look like Kellhus was there? Was it the same kind of Tekne that the Mutilated used to project an image of Shae in the Golden Room, or was something else at work?
One question I've had since TJE was concerning the identity of "the traveler" that seeks out the Skin-eaters in the first few pages of the prologue. Is this traveler an agent of Kellhus, the Mutilated, or someone else entirely?
With that said, I was thoroughly confused by the ending of TUC. I thought that many of the scenes that were unclear upon my first read would yield greater clarity upon my second. Particularly, I felt the like the entire conclusion, from the gold room forward, felt rushed and opaque. I consider myself to be well read overall, a careful reader and fairly intelligent. What I am not, is a student of philosophy. I was willing to allow for the possibility that the failure to comprehend was solely mine as I am not familiar with the deeper philosophical underpinnings of the second series. When a reread failed to yield additional clarity I came to this forum and to Westeros to see what others had gleaned.
I was disappointed to find the lack of any consensus. Is the ambiguity intentional? I feel like the end reads like a reprisal of the scene from PON where Kellhus pulls Serwe's burning heart from his breast. The imagery is striking but the impact is lessened due to the ambiguity. If I recall, you've always stated that the editing of the "burning heart" section was poor and that you would clarify it if you had a chance to write it again. I still have only vague speculations regarding how that occurred even given the benefit of the whole series (was he possessed by Ajokli or interacting with the outside in some way?).
Are you disappointed in the reaction thus far? Are we missing something that that you, as the author, feel is obvious or is the ambiguity intentional?
Regardless, thanks for taking the time to interact with your fans. Despite my dissatisfaction with the ending I still think that that your series is fantastic and I can't wait to begin reading the No-God in the hope that greater clarity awaits!
Is Mimara giving birth in Golgotterath meant to be a little meta-joke - that Golgotterath, the most wicked place in all of Creation, is now Earwa's actual Jerusalem?
Do you see RSB's response to my question about the tapestry?
No, its important because Kellhus soesnt know the importance of it. Hence, he probably had no idea Mimara had the JE, ergo no Baby Kellhus
Scott, are you The God? It would explain how the God can be both immanent (the books are composed of your thoughts) and transcendent.
The fact that the Judging Eye can see the No-God indicates that the God isn't asleep like Moe thought nor doesn't it care like Kellhus thought, since the very fact that Mimara possesses it indicates the God has some interest in the world, right?
Did you turn Kellhus into a baby (specifically Mimara's)?
edit: Oh, and the entire time I thought Kelmomas was supposed to be twin-souled, was he actually meant to represent non-conscious human thought via bicameralism?
edit 2: On skimming through the first-book again, I came to the conclusion that rage Kellhus feels when he sees Cnaiur rape Serwe must come from The God since Kellhus has no reason to feel such rage. By the end of TTT, Kellhus is clearly communicating with The God. At what point between the series did Kellhus convince himself that he wasn't a prophet and was there anything specific that pushed him in that direction?
edit 3: Sosering is one of the few Ordealmen described as being Saved as opposed to going to Hell. Why is that? Did he not engage in the rape and cannibalism or were there other contingent factors? Similarly, why is Esmenet saved? Do sins only count if you commit them directly? Does burning Caruthysal not count if you don't hold the torches yourself?
Oh and 5- who was the person who met the Skin Eaters in TJE's prologue?
Interpretative indeterminacy, or what I call 'Crash Space' in my philosophical work, is what this series is ALL about, so if you were expecting a traditional discharging of narrative mysteries, you were bound to be disappointed: the idea is to cue our meaning-making instincts in the absence of any definitive interpretation.
Shrewd observation regarding Kelmomas (I wasn't sure anyone would pick up on the conversation in the tent), though it isn't bicameralism so much as the absence of identity that's the crux.Does that means he is in some sense like a Sranc? Is that why the Gods can't see him?
Not to derail this thread, but the Baby Kellhus Theory (henceforth to be referred to as M+A=K) isn't contingent on Kellhus knowing Mimara has TJE. Its only presumption is that Kellhus is now a baby.
I find this theory to be as funny as it is unlikely. Hurry up and get him weaned and into his nappy Mimara the No-God is coming.
The glossay entry for the Apocalypse states the Mandate Schoolmen are not the recognized authorities on the subject. Who is?
The identity of the Mutilated, do you have their names and what are their relations to Kellhuss? They call him brother several times is that just a Dunyain thing or are they related?
Okay, so I just spent 3 hours typing nonstop answering every question on the topic summary and only the last two posted... Oof...Lmao..... Just.... Lmao. When my luck mixes with Bakker on the internet.... Yeah, nothing unexpected here.
Sorry guys. I'm shaking with rage at the moment. Not sure when I'll have a chance to get back to these... You might want to save them for the AMA.
Wait, the Mutilated are the sons of Imimorul? Also, such a bummer about the lost posts...No, he's referring to Ciogli's second question. Also, the Mutilated might actually be Kellhus's literal brothers. We know that Kellhus is a prodigy among the Dûnyain, and the only other Dûnyain survivors we see also happen to be Anasûrimbors. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not...
Bummer about the lost answers, Bakker. Is there a planned date for the AMA yet?
I thought about it- if the Mutilated were one of his actual brothers, they'd have no need for an anasurimbor to start the No-God. I don't see them holding back their own lives in the face of obtaining the Absolute.Wait, the Mutilated are the sons of Imimorul? Also, such a bummer about the lost posts...No, he's referring to Ciogli's second question. Also, the Mutilated might actually be Kellhus's literal brothers. We know that Kellhus is a prodigy among the Dûnyain, and the only other Dûnyain survivors we see also happen to be Anasûrimbors. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not...
Bummer about the lost answers, Bakker. Is there a planned date for the AMA yet?
3- what can you say about Kellhus' role in TSTSNBN? still a major player?I need to know this!
Okay, so I just spent 3 hours typing nonstop answering every question on the topic summary and only the last two posted... Oof...A very unfortunate mishap for sure. I was disillusioned with web forms for long posts when the Internet was all forums similar to this one. Now if I want to post anything substantial, I just type it into Word first (other editors work, of course). Obviously, this practice evolved from some unfortunate experiences of my own…
Sorry guys. I'm shaking with rage at the moment. Not sure when I'll have a chance to get back to these... You might want to save them for the AMA.
pirating is the worst. Sorry to hear that, Scott. Me and many of my indie author friends have all had our work pirated, too. The thing is, it's hard to tell if that's really your book there or if they've just pulled your book off amazon and are really hosting malware or other destructive programs to scam you because you often have to download their software first. Really foul ones sell the ebooks like they're a legit site but probably are stealing your credit card information in the process.
pirating is the worst. Sorry to hear that, Scott. Me and many of my indie author friends have all had our work pirated, too. The thing is, it's hard to tell if that's really your book there or if they've just pulled your book off amazon and are really hosting malware or other destructive programs to scam you because you often have to download their software first. Really foul ones sell the ebooks like they're a legit site but probably are stealing your credit card information in the process.
The click bait stuff I don't worry about too much for this very reason, but this was a site with my whole book available to read online. Little&Brown, I find, is pretty good at policing this stuff though. Still one has to wonder for the future. We had friends over a few nights ago who laughed that I would be so stupid to buy Bluerays for things that were free. Its got to the point where I'm apologizing for taking intellectual property seriously.
pirating is the worst. Sorry to hear that, Scott. Me and many of my indie author friends have all had our work pirated, too. The thing is, it's hard to tell if that's really your book there or if they've just pulled your book off amazon and are really hosting malware or other destructive programs to scam you because you often have to download their software first. Really foul ones sell the ebooks like they're a legit site but probably are stealing your credit card information in the process.
The click bait stuff I don't worry about too much for this very reason, but this was a site with my whole book available to read online. Little&Brown, I find, is pretty good at policing this stuff though. Still one has to wonder for the future. We had friends over a few nights ago who laughed that I would be so stupid to buy Bluerays for things that were free. Its got to the point where I'm apologizing for taking intellectual property seriously.
pirating is the worst. Sorry to hear that, Scott. Me and many of my indie author friends have all had our work pirated, too. The thing is, it's hard to tell if that's really your book there or if they've just pulled your book off amazon and are really hosting malware or other destructive programs to scam you because you often have to download their software first. Really foul ones sell the ebooks like they're a legit site but probably are stealing your credit card information in the process.
The click bait stuff I don't worry about too much for this very reason, but this was a site with my whole book available to read online. Little&Brown, I find, is pretty good at policing this stuff though. Still one has to wonder for the future. We had friends over a few nights ago who laughed that I would be so stupid to buy Bluerays for things that were free. Its got to the point where I'm apologizing for taking intellectual property seriously.
It's time to do what web-comic authors do - stick books on your site for free and sell t-shirts, hats and stickers. Circumfix bumper stickers will out-number Jesus fish in a few years. Or instead of Calvin peeing decals, we can have Aurang ejaculating. The possibilities are endless.
pirating is the worst. Sorry to hear that, Scott. Me and many of my indie author friends have all had our work pirated, too. The thing is, it's hard to tell if that's really your book there or if they've just pulled your book off amazon and are really hosting malware or other destructive programs to scam you because you often have to download their software first. Really foul ones sell the ebooks like they're a legit site but probably are stealing your credit card information in the process.
The click bait stuff I don't worry about too much for this very reason, but this was a site with my whole book available to read online. Little&Brown, I find, is pretty good at policing this stuff though. Still one has to wonder for the future. We had friends over a few nights ago who laughed that I would be so stupid to buy Bluerays for things that were free. Its got to the point where I'm apologizing for taking intellectual property seriously.
If it's any consolation for the pirating, I bought two copies, Kindle & Hardcover, as I'm sure others here did as well.
This!pirating is the worst. Sorry to hear that, Scott. Me and many of my indie author friends have all had our work pirated, too. The thing is, it's hard to tell if that's really your book there or if they've just pulled your book off amazon and are really hosting malware or other destructive programs to scam you because you often have to download their software first. Really foul ones sell the ebooks like they're a legit site but probably are stealing your credit card information in the process.
The click bait stuff I don't worry about too much for this very reason, but this was a site with my whole book available to read online. Little&Brown, I find, is pretty good at policing this stuff though. Still one has to wonder for the future. We had friends over a few nights ago who laughed that I would be so stupid to buy Bluerays for things that were free. Its got to the point where I'm apologizing for taking intellectual property seriously.
It's time to do what web-comic authors do - stick books on your site for free and sell t-shirts, hats and stickers. Circumfix bumper stickers will out-number Jesus fish in a few years. Or instead of Calvin peeing decals, we can have Aurang ejaculating. The possibilities are endless.
It's time to do what web-comic authors do - stick books on your site for free and sell t-shirts, hats and stickers. Circumfix bumper stickers will out-number Jesus fish in a few years. Or instead of Calvin peeing decals, we can have Aurang ejaculating. The possibilities are endless.
This!
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We had friends over a few nights ago who laughed that I would be so stupid to buy Bluerays for things that were free. Its got to the point where I'm apologizing for taking intellectual property seriously.Free as in it's genuinely in the public domain? Otherwise it's not free?
At the risk of alienating my favorite author, I'm firmly believe piracy is a bogeyman used by large media companies.
I've read a lot of studies on the issue and if you throw out the media sponsored ones and the ones that equate each pirated copy to a lost sale, the actual effect of piracy isn't bad and even has positive benefits.
Is Meppa going to show up in the next series or is his story over?
Also, can you confirm that Kellhus actually failed in the end and didn't pull off some trick to fool Ajokli and the Consult?
I wish I had a meaningful question, but beyond the title, I don't want to spoil the story for myself, so I will only ask that perpetually annoying reader question... how long? Have you inked a deal yet? Will it grow from 2 to 3 books, or are you set on 2?
Also, you mentioned on TPB that the film/TV rights were optioned. Have you heard of any movement on that project? And if it moves forward, how much creative control will you retain?
Amazon welched on the TV deal. In fact, they sacked everyone involved in it and several other deals with several other authors. Typically, a letter of agreement is as good as a contract in the biz. Once again they have proven themselves innovators.
A deal for the next books is in the works, but quite a bit depends on how well things go with TUC and the degree to which it bootstraps the backlist. Even if that happens, I'll keep on writing. The innovative folks over at Amazon have developed a great platform for authors to go it alone.
And yes, the world really is that crazy.
"...but hindsight is a motherfucker when it comes to threading those kinds of needles." Perfect answer!
Can you please clarify the meaning or symbolism of the "head on the pole behind you" imagery?
How did Serwa overcome the effects of the Agonic collar that she had on in Ishterebinth?
As I said, I have a million of them! ;^)
A lot of the questions have been put forward and even answered already. Something I was wondering about, what was the ultimate point of the Serwa vs the Dragon scene? The Ordeal's fight to enter the Ark seemed futile, considering the context of the Golden Room, and I don't quite see what the Serwa scene does for the narrative. Serwa's feats had been legendary already, I did not feel or understand the necessity of this setpiece.
Best white-luck with all of that stuff!THere's a TPB post somewhere where Scott mentions he wanted to turn it into a Total War esque game, had a bidder or something(?), but it fell through.
Another mad desire: the saga could be a terrific franchise for games, as Project Red made with Sapkowski's The Witcher. That's the future.
I don't have a question prepared on short notice, so the first thing that comes to mind is to ask about Ark. It was my presumption that the No-God apparatus (the sarcophagus) functioned differently before Ark-fall. My supposition would be then that while Ark was fully functional, the souls of the Progenitors would have been contained therein, meaning that on other worlds, it would have been unnecessary to find a suitable surrogate. Of course, the presumption then would be that what makes a soul a suitable alternative is not specifically Anisûrimbor blood, but rather similarity to the Progenitors. Could this be an accurate summation?
Is Mimara giving birth in Golgotterath meant to be a little meta-joke - that Golgotterath, the most wicked place in all of Creation, is now Earwa's actual Jerusalem?
Plug and play, basically. Having lost the original store of circuits, the Consult had no choice but to keep rummaging through the heap the World provided. The Anasurimbor, for whatever reason, have proven apt historically.
A lot of the questions have been put forward and even answered already. Something I was wondering about, what was the ultimate point of the Serwa vs the Dragon scene? The Ordeal's fight to enter the Ark seemed futile, considering the context of the Golden Room, and I don't quite see what the Serwa scene does for the narrative. Serwa's feats had been legendary already, I did not feel or understand the necessity of this setpiece.
I'm not sure I get the question, even if it were the case that the battle lacked downstream consequences. To the extent that war is generally pointless, all war stories are mountains of futility with peaks of 'closure' here and there. I can't tell a realistic story without including dead ends. The Glossary is literally packed with them!
I've been reading the books and 3 pound brain for quite some time, and thank you Richard for answering what you can.
My question is more about message: Is it my understanding that the progenitors is something you see as something humanity is going towards, and ultimately, in your books so far is the implied message that too much knowledge and power, as demonstrated by both the progenitors (via tekne) and the non-men (via gnosis) - ultimately leads to damnation? Both of them stepping too close to the absolute, to bringing light to where ignorance should always rule. The only thing that will always win is absence - ignorance, the unknown. That is why the no-god was always inevitable, as it is the unknown. This is the same of the God of Gods, in a way. (I won't ask here because obviously you're saving that).
I guess what I'm asking is whether this is one of the messages you intend here, and that the moral we should see in it is the importance of leaving a bubble of ignorance, to respect the unknown's place and importance as defining us within what we do see. Since we cannot see ourselves we are both the ignorant and the ignorance. The importance of admitting ignorance, respecting it and take into consideration that not all pursuits should be taken, not all tracks should be explored.
Can you tell us what was up with the Old Father ordering the skin spy to preserve Mimara? Even once we know the 'false prophecy' refers to the misunderstanding about the Anasurimbor returning at the end of the world I'm still not sure why they thought Mimara could prove beneficial to their cause.
In Prince of Nothing, there is a scene where Conphas describes war as intellect, and then later on, another scene where Cnaiur describes war as conviction. Given this, should we see one of the key themes of the entire Second Apocalypse as a contrast and/or conflict between rationality and faith, and/or their implications?
Many of the words used to describe the in-story concepts have more than one meaning in English. With that in mind, how important to the overall story arc is the spiritual/religious meaning of gnosis?
Should we read anything into the use of the word jihad for the Fanim holy wars?
Are the head-fucking scenes a direct message from the author to the reader? ;)
How much is the Earwa No-God influenced by Karl Barth's concept of the No-God?
How should we take the Mutilated's statement that the No-God is the Absolute? Is it just rhetoric on their part or is the No-God a mechanical device that somehow uses God? I have thought that the No-God being a device that interacts or uses God in a mechanical manner would be an easy way to explain both how it controls the weapon races (beings without "Free Will") and the Bode (everything with "Free Will" can feel the emanation of Divine Will but aren't suborned to it).
In TTT, Kellhus says the Mangaecca squat, chanting about Aurang's real body to relay him to the Synthese. But, the Consult's Brain Trust seems to be restricted to just Mek, Shauriatus, Aurang and Aurax (and then the Mutilated). Were there any other Minds among the Consult for the past 2 millenia or has it just been those four? If so, given their .. dilapidated status how did Consult programs like breeding the Inversi actually function? How did they manage it with so little sane manpower?
How much of the Tekne do the Mutilated understand? They've attached batteries to a lasergun and fixed a nuke, but is it limited to electrical engineering (which they could understand just by taking things apart and using their big brains) or have they learned any of the fundamentals of physics, chemistry, or biology?
Edit: Is the Chair of Hooks meant to be a device we should recognize and go "Ha! The Inchoroi used a [insert] as a chair!"? Because I can't figure out what its original purpose was based on its description.
Edit 2: Kakaliol kills an Erratic and can't find its soul. Did this poor Erratic actually manage to find Oblivion?
Do you have any predictions of when can we expect book 1 of THE NO-GOD series ?
2- still 2 books or a trilogy now?
3- what can you say about Kellhus' role in TSTSNBN? still a major player?
4- How much metaphysical questions can we expect to be answered in TNG ( feels good saying that) ?
6- What is the deal of the Anasûrimbor prophesy? Didn't Akka's changed dreams hint at Nau-Cayuti being Seswatha's son, how was he the NG 1.0 then? or did the Mutilated misunderstood it?
Interpretative indeterminacy, or what I call 'Crash Space' in my philosophical work, is what this series is ALL about, so if you were expecting a traditional discharging of narrative mysteries, you were bound to be disappointed: the idea is to cue our meaning-making instincts in the absence of any definitive interpretation.
What questions can we ask which wouldn't invalidate to various degrees this goal, Scott?
Edit: Also while I'm sure getting back into raw writing rather than redrafting must be exhilarating, might you continue at TPB in future?
Is there any hopes for a further edited Glossary in future printings? While I loved reading it, all the character entries from TTT are lifted with no death dates added and there are loads of things I looked forward to looking up in the Glossary but alas, were nowhere to be found. Some I had hoped for, an entry on the Tall, the Cinderswords.
And is Glimir and Alamir the same sword? It's described as the High-King's sword, spelt as Kelmomas, and matches Glimir's description from TGO.
There's an entry on the finger locking handshake of Boonsmen...but not one on Boonsmen.
1. I should not expect Earwa to be perfectly thought out in every respect, since no writer is God, but there seem to be actualized philosophical principles in the world of the Second Apocalypse. Some of them are created by the Tekne (the Inverse Fire and the No-God), some have unknown origin (the Outside, possibly the Judging Eye), and some are sorcerous (Chorae, though I feel only to an extent). This troubles me since there are no real world alternatives to such things, and so I can't relate. Which means any kind of logical reasoning about the nature of the world of Earwa is fundamentally flawed (more than usual), because those are things in themselves, working as you want them to or as needed for the narrative. Could you comment on this issue?
2. In my opinion, there is (after the end of "The Unholy Consult") one and only one undoubtedly heroic character in the Second Apocalypse and that character is Anasurimbor Serwa. She was, of course, by no means perfect, but her intentions and actions (as I see them, and my sight is also by no means perfect) speak for themselves. She followed her father, because she wanted to save the world. She battled the Horde and suffered hardships of the Great Ordeal. She lived through Ishterebinth. She saved Moenghus. She was capable of love, and loved Sorweel. She mourned him when he died. She saved Mimara, Achamian, and Esmenet before attending to her mission, which makes her human as opposed to Kellhus. Oh, and she also killed a dragon with all its retinue. A dragon that kept the entirety of the Great Ordeal at bay. Some people argue that your books are misogynistic. And yet the most heroic character in them is a woman. Are you laughing now? I know I would be, quite evilly so!
Shrewd observation regarding Kelmomas (I wasn't sure anyone would pick up on the conversation in the tent), though it isn't bicameralism so much as the absence of identity that's the crux.Does that means he is in some sense like a Sranc? Is that why the Gods can't see him?
Also, can you expand a bit on what is meant by "You realized the Mission was not to master Cause via Logos, but to master Cause via Cause, to endlessly refashion the Near to consume and incorporate the Far." ? Does it mean that more and more elaborated machinery will converge to a self-moving soul?
Will you explore the mechanism that allowed Inaru to reach from the void in a dream and tell Akka about the Consult.
Was it Onkis that told Inaru to run? (the first series seems to have loads of wee interactions that could be interpreted as "god whispers")
What did he find in Uncle Holy Quarters?
The skin-spy with a soul, Old Father Moenghus made him didn't he? So that Maitha could unveil him and gain the mandate trust?
2. C'naiur's fate: I thought this was an obvious case of inverted-ascension (inverted because Ajokli exists across the age, despite his temporal genesis occurring at the end of a frame of existence).
The Most Violent of Men becoming the Prince of Hate was a stunning scene.
But based on other readers' reactions I'm quite alone on that and so, I'm probably wrong about it.
Could you comment on that scene and C'naiur's AE storyline in general?
3. Would you say that Koringhus, Mimara and the Inverse Fire were intended to reveal the veracity of Oblivion, Redemption and Damnation or should readers consider these scenes with suspicion?
Did we see any of the Mutilated in previous books?
On the Nonmen, is that the last we will see of them or do the Cunuroi have one final hand to play?
Is the caged Dûnyain a defective? "on a voice like bundled reeds" <- was he in the process of getting his larynx removed when the Consult attacked?
According to a Google search the epub of the unholy consult was posted on a certain forum on July 7th around 2pm. So yeah, at this point any remotely known book will be pirated on release pretty much. There is really no point trying to stop that.
In Prince of Nothing, there is a scene where Conphas describes war as intellect, and then later on, another scene where Cnaiur describes war as conviction. Given this, should we see one of the key themes of the entire Second Apocalypse as a contrast and/or conflict between rationality and faith, and/or their implications?
Many of the words used to describe the in-story concepts have more than one meaning in English. With that in mind, how important to the overall story arc is the spiritual/religious meaning of gnosis?
Should we read anything into the use of the word jihad for the Fanim holy wars?
Are the head-fucking scenes a direct message from the author to the reader? ;)
How much is the Earwa No-God influenced by Karl Barth's concept of the No-God?
A large part of the project deals with problematizing both rationality and faith in light of their mandatory nature, the fact that we have no bloody choice but to live life through them--as well as how both are bound to ultimately let us down, despite their proximal power.
Both gnosis and jihad plug into the conceptual imaginary of the series in largely retail ways.
As a rewriting writer, you hover over the text too long not to become wicked in some small way.
I've never read a lick of Barths.
In TTT, Kellhus says the Mangaecca squat, chanting about Aurang's real body to relay him to the Synthese. But, the Consult's Brain Trust seems to be restricted to just Mek, Shauriatus, Aurang and Aurax (and then the Mutilated). Were there any other Minds among the Consult for the past 2 millenia or has it just been those four? If so, given their .. dilapidated status how did Consult programs like breeding the Inversi actually function? How did they manage it with so little sane manpower?
Your second question leads me to believe that pretty much everyone has missed a certain boat, in which case, I can only say, RAFO!
It's time to do what web-comic authors do - stick books on your site for free and sell t-shirts, hats and stickers. Circumfix bumper stickers will out-number Jesus fish in a few years. Or instead of Calvin peeing decals, we can have Aurang ejaculating. The possibilities are endless.
1. Do you have a Patreon? I am aware of other mid and even A-list writers who are using these as a means of securing a stable income between books. It's also an interesting way to let your readers invest in you, as opposed to only consuming that which you produce (I'm not sure if this distinction makes the idea more or less attractive). But I would certainly contribute a few dollars a month if you had one.
Can you tell us what Maithanet was trying to say to Esmenet when he died?
Will you explore the mechanism that allowed Inaru to reach from the void in a dream and tell Akka about the Consult.
Was it Onkis that told Inaru to run? (the first series seems to have loads of wee interactions that could be interpreted as "god whispers")
What did he find in Uncle Holy Quarters?
The skin-spy with a soul, Old Father Moenghus made him didn't he? So that Maitha could unveil him and gain the mandate trust?
The thing called Simas, however, is a creature of the Consult.
1. Do you have a Patreon? I am aware of other mid and even A-list writers who are using these as a means of securing a stable income between books. It's also an interesting way to let your readers invest in you, as opposed to only consuming that which you produce (I'm not sure if this distinction makes the idea more or less attractive). But I would certainly contribute a few dollars a month if you had one.
My wife mentioned this to me a couple months back and a bolt of terror went up my spine. For whatever reason, self-promotion is indistinguishable from self-hatred for me. It's hard to explain, but I am genuinely ENSLAVED by all this stuff. I've spent decades now, trying to batter and berate myself into a more 'well rounded' human, but now that I've turned 50, I've resigned myself to being honest to my two-dimensional nature, and just to write whatever must be written.
In TTT, Kellhus says the Mangaecca squat, chanting about Aurang's real body to relay him to the Synthese. But, the Consult's Brain Trust seems to be restricted to just Mek, Shauriatus, Aurang and Aurax (and then the Mutilated). Were there any other Minds among the Consult for the past 2 millenia or has it just been those four? If so, given their .. dilapidated status how did Consult programs like breeding the Inversi actually function? How did they manage it with so little sane manpower?
Your second question leads me to believe that pretty much everyone has missed a certain boat, in which case, I can only say, RAFO!
Ark?
It's time to do what web-comic authors do - stick books on your site for free and sell t-shirts, hats and stickers. Circumfix bumper stickers will out-number Jesus fish in a few years. Or instead of Calvin peeing decals, we can have Aurang ejaculating. The possibilities are endless.
I would sooner shit in my own mouth with my dog's asshole.
Old fashioned that way, I guess. All I know is that the farther thoughts of commerce are from my mind, the sweeter the spice flows.
1. If the No-God 2.0 doesn't have Chorae attached to the carapace, why didn't Akka just blast the thing into oblivion at that moment where it's revealed to him?
2. Are Ajokli and the Gods still completely unaware of things with the Consult/No-God? Doesn't Ajokli have enough information now to infer that there are things that he cannot see ? I mean he was briefly right there interacting with the DunSult so he has to have some clue about whats going on. Or the God's just not reason that way?
3. It seems kind of foolish that the Consult would bring Dunyain back as prisoners. Was it simple arrogance that made them feel safe in doing so, or are you actually kind of saying that the Consult brain trust isn't that great and has degraded?
4. The Inchoroi are immortal in their physical bodies and were able to do the same for the Nonmen. Why were they not able to do that for Shaeonanra, a human? Why did he have to resort to that complicated and cumbersome method of soul trapping for staying alive?
5. Is/was Kelmomas one of the few?
I'd kill for a horde of sranc figurines, muahahaha. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I'd kill for a horde of sranc figurines, muahahaha. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.
No way, think about what they'll actually look like. You'd get the jail for owning them lol
Whale-mother action figures or riot.
Whale-mother action figures or riot.
Heron-spear glass bong please.
Whale-mother action figures or riot.
Heron-spear glass bong please.
Carapace, fully openable and floatable. With Kelmomas and Nau-Cayuti action figurines that fit inside. With mail-in tags to complete the set with a Whirlwind diorama.
l and the Truth spoke with but one soul.
Bakker, R. Scott. The Unholy Consult: Book Four of the Aspect-Emperor series (Aspect Emperor 4) (Kindle Location 7184). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.
There's no money in books Callan. It's all in shirts and stickers. You think it was the book sales or even her movie cut that made Rowling a billionaire? Nope, it was the swag.
At the risk of alienating my favorite author, I'm firmly believe piracy is a bogeyman used by large media companies.
I've read a lot of studies on the issue and if you throw out the media sponsored ones and the ones that equate each pirated copy to a lost sale, the actual effect of piracy isn't bad and even has positive benefits.
In other words, big media are skewing results in order to minimize their profits... The only universe in which this argument could have bite is one where humans are hardwired to rationalize guilt
For whatever reason, self-promotion is indistinguishable from self-hatred for me. It's hard to explain, but I am genuinely ENSLAVED by all this stuff.I can't cast stones. We all have our neuroses.
Otherwise, who said anything about putting the genie in back in the box? It's about creating a culture that maximizes the number of people who do pay, and dispelling the ridiculous argument that giving away free content actually increases the amount of money ALL artists receive. It may help certain artists in certain circumstances, the same way giving away Toyotas at hockey games helps sell Toyotas. It's proselytizing Yars like you, the ones who think returning to the age patronage is good, 'natural,' and that the vast explosion of professionalized creativity arising out of IP was 'unnatural,' 'oppressive,' bad--YOU are the virus, the one slowly ensuring every piece of content is selling something other than itself, via patronage obligations, or product placement, or the simple terror of doing anything different as a profession.I'm guilty of plenty of pirating myself, but I do agree with this. Leave patreon for youtube "content producers". Also, what's a Yar?
On topic: Why did Kellhus say to Proyas that the Inchoroi must win? Was he arguing from the perspective of the Consult?
This is straightforward in the text. Earwa is a world where everything has already happened, forward and backward in time. So the fact that the Gods can't see the Ark or the Consult implies that they succeed at some point in the future. It's the same reason why the Gods can't see Kelmomas.
I actually have a version of that final Cnaiur scene that's more than twenty years old - it's been baked in since the very beginning. For me, it's always been a kind of bookend for the series, the becoming infernal/geological of the hate that initially preserved him, but leaves him hijackedIs that what you meant when you'd previously said Cnaiurs arc was done?
It's funny, I think of myself as a more mercenary soul in contrast. Worse, I actually want to explore these economic vices and thumb screws - a kind of 'Grim Buck' genre. I think I started out as a teen, making up a Gambit rip off called Debt, who could only kinetically charge objects people cared about (thus money was something best used as a weapon - so he was generally broke. But sentimental items blow up good as well...) and the Lone Shark, mercenary chartered accountant, violently readjusting the fiscal balance sheets of the world where debt has been sold over and over until the very fist person who owed the debt now owns it...somehow. Weird years latter seeing this debt selling thing actually happening. Anyway, that's my plug, now buy my stickers, ya'll! lol! Sorry, wanted a chin wag and I'm never gunna get to Zaudunyanicon! And the contrasting fiscal rejection fascinates me.1. Do you have a Patreon? I am aware of other mid and even A-list writers who are using these as a means of securing a stable income between books. It's also an interesting way to let your readers invest in you, as opposed to only consuming that which you produce (I'm not sure if this distinction makes the idea more or less attractive). But I would certainly contribute a few dollars a month if you had one.
My wife mentioned this to me a couple months back and a bolt of terror went up my spine. For whatever reason, self-promotion is indistinguishable from self-hatred for me. It's hard to explain, but I am genuinely ENSLAVED by all this stuff. I've spent decades now, trying to batter and berate myself into a more 'well rounded' human, but now that I've turned 50, I've resigned myself to being honest to my two-dimensional nature, and just to write whatever must be written.
1. How does Serwa know about the 100 stones? Did she commune in some way with the absolute?
1. How does Serwa know about the 100 stones? Did she commune in some way with the absolute?
Ooh, that was such a nice leitmotif. Koringhus had one hundred revelations, the last one delivered him to Oblivion. He also had one hundred stones, the last one saved his son. Serwa faces one hundred chorae, the last one punishes her. One hundred Gods, the last one betrays them all.
Scott - I bought a nice, crisp hardback this week and have mowed through it. I have a quick comment which is that, in the past year, I've reread The Great Ordeal a few times and am more impressed with it each time. At the moment it might be my favorite book of yours.
I am sure I will continue to reread The Unholy Consult and will have questions stemming from that, but the one that I want to ask right now, while it stems from this book, reaches back to the very beginning of the story, and it is this: when Kellhus first encounters a Nonman in the woods said Nonman (Mek, presumably) says something to the effect of "I have fought for and against the No-God in the wars that authored this wilderness (big paraphrase)." That suggested to me that it could have been the No-God that fought on two opposite sides rather than the speaking Nonman erratic. This seems more plausible now that we know that Nau-Cayuti was the first iteration of the No-God. Was this a deliberate clue all along about the identity of the first No-God?
ETA: I'm not even certain that I didn't try to ask this in another thread at some point, erratic as I myself have become.
Will Zeum feature prominently in The No-God?
If your not just being funny about what Maithenet was trying to say to Esme, "Kill Kelmommas", then it begs the question why didnt Kellhus? He surely knew the same and even says as much in Chapter 1. It cannot be because of his love for Esme, i cannot buy that! (Me. The guy for 2 years who has said emotions are what has guided Kellhus and the TTT.)
He had to know Kelmommas was the No-God, had to. He seemed to goad Esme into releasing him. You dont have to say im right, but did i pick up on some breadcrumbs at least?
Here's a crackpot question:
Are the Mutilated Shauriatus? They all talk one-by-one and Shae's original Wretches apparently only function because they're 'shorn of passion' and what better way to describe Dunyain? So, Shauriatus alone resisted and Shauriatus won. The scene is a pantomime on Shae's part, flattering Kellhus' Dunyain vanity (of course the Dunyain took over the Consult). And, we the readers held the same conceits as Kellhus... we didn't see it either.
Edit:Quotel and the Truth spoke with but one soul.
Bakker, R. Scott. The Unholy Consult: Book Four of the Aspect-Emperor series (Aspect Emperor 4) (Kindle Location 7184). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.
So... this quote is a pun... isn't it. -_-.
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Keep it classy, Second Apocalypse.
9. Was Aurang using Aporetic wards when Kellhus took him down?
This was something I was wondering as well (he says he practices other Arcana in TWP and Saccarees spells dissipate against his wards), but I was planning on saving it for the AMA tomorrow to help bolster the comment count :O.
This is straightforward in the text. Earwa is a world where everything has already happened, forward and backward in time. So the fact that the Gods can't see the Ark or the Consult implies that they succeed at some point in the future. It's the same reason why the Gods can't see Kelmomas.
Except the way the gods intercede to alter the flow of history (and fail) implies that is only true in the Outside. Same with the way that prophecy effects the past. It's a real brain-bender and is not that straightforward to many of us.
As for your analogy you're ignoring a vital difference. Yes, I do go to a grocery store and pay for my groceries. If I took them without paying, that's theft. The difference here is that no physical copy is actually taken. Suppose we developed the technology to just replicate food like in Star Trek. Would that be stealing? That's a closer analogy than stealing food at a supermarket.A physical copy is indeed taken? Digitizing isn't supernatural.
ThoughtsofThelli,
You managed to plot out the number of months of the pregnancy? The detective skills of some fantasy readers is amazing :)
I'm still currently trying to see how feasible it would be to attend Zauduyanicon or BakkerCon! on as I prefer to call it. I'm hoping this disagreement won't prevent you from signing my books.(click to show/hide)
Would The Judging Eye be able to see Kelmomas? If he is invisible to the gods, and the Judging Eye is (I think?) a manifestation of the gods or one god or the god of gods, then would he be invisible to it?The is a scene in TUC where it does. It sees the whirlwind.
Would The Judging Eye be able to see Kelmomas? If he is invisible to the gods, and the Judging Eye is (I think?) a manifestation of the gods or one god or the god of gods, then would he be invisible to it?The is a scene in TUC where it does. It sees the whirlwind.
I think this might be a reference to when she sees the No-God after he descends from the Ark under an illusion. She's the only one who can seemingly see through said illusion.Would The Judging Eye be able to see Kelmomas? If he is invisible to the gods, and the Judging Eye is (I think?) a manifestation of the gods or one god or the god of gods, then would he be invisible to it?The is a scene in TUC where it does. It sees the whirlwind.
I'm trying to find this scene. I went back and re-read the scene where Mimara first appears at the Umbilicus and there is a scene (though it's from Kel's POV) and it mentions that she seems not to see him at first, seems to look through him, and then she slowly smiles as if he suddenly appears (maybe the Judging Eye closing?). So I think that answers my question. If you happen to find the scene where she sees the whirlwind when looking at him I'd be interested. Thanks.
Meat can be hard on the digestion, I know. I have a little salad I can offer, for those suffering more extreme bowel cramps.
Meat can be hard on the digestion, I know. I have a little salad I can offer, for those suffering more extreme bowel cramps.
Does Kellhus meet Koringhus in the Outside? How about Inri Sejenus?
ANSWER ME BAKKERSir, please step calmly away from the whirlwind ...