Thanks for the link, Richard. Gollancz put a link to the video on FB, but it was to a UK scifi site and my computer didn’t like it. No music, etc. Now it makes sense! Well, sort of – looking forward to reading the book and finding out what all this means. Wish I could visualize everything so beautifully while reading! Kudos to whoever did the video (and whoever did the text…)!
Couldn’t wait for Friday, bought it on the kindle, great start already, prob finish tonight.
Now swithering about attending your reading in Glasgow. I know I should, know I’ll enjoy it..
Always regret never meeting David Gemmell, always putting it off.
Impatiently waiting for the mail to arrive with my copy of TCC. Apparently, some of you have already finished reading it! Not only that, but there are major spoilers at Westeros, which I have read because I have no self control.
Y’know, I had a lot of stuff going on this week. I have two papers due and a job interview I should probably be thinking about. But that’s all gonna fall by the wayside now, because I got TCC glaring at me, not letting me sleep or even leave the house until it’s read. Thanks a LOT, Mr. Morgan.
…no seriously thanks a lot, this is going to be a blast.
Apologies in advance for the gushing sycophancy of this post.
Finished reading last night – I couldn’t go to sleep without getting to the end. Loved every part of that book from the story to the characters to your exceedingly excellent prose. Love how it follows on from The Steel Remains while still working as a closed unit, and from the obvious setting up I can see that The Dark Defiles is likely to achieve the same. It was worth waiting for.
Just finished TCC. A great work and so much better than TSR. Still, how many of you share the inherent sadness of opening a new Morgan book which is *not* a Takeshi Kovacs novel?
Will not repeat the spoilers, even if it is a fitting punishment for people hitting the tubes before they finish the book — but I hope Richard would, at some point, comment on the Kovacs/Quellcrist references/connections.
I can’t believe this is subconscious of that Richard run out of good character names. This does not look like a “future” Takeshi universe to me.
My theory? I think this is an elaborate in-joke, and let me tell you, Richard, it is a cruel one.
PS – Oh yeah.. almost forgot.
Some dude [author] I don’t actually know, listed Altered Carbon number one on his list of best books, in “The Week” magazine, couple weeks back.
Tickled the hell out of me. Figured you’d get a kick, as well.
Well, well, as the world may have considered me your best fan, I haven’t managed to order the thing. I will probably get it once I get my kindle. Then I’ll read Dawkin’s latest as well.
Here are my short answers to some of the questions, possibly all misguided.
C) The process Ringil goes through is obscure (and obscured)? Why would the gods behave so obscurely?
Obscure to Ringil because he operates on a human time scale. Perhaps it is clearer at the gods time scale, but they have their own limitations as well. The process is obscured because the author wants us to buy the third instalment.
D) What is Egar’s real motivation in the book? Is he aware of it?
Dignified self destruction before old age and senility sets it.
E) WHY does Archeth seem (to some unhappy people!! ) ineffective? How realistic does this feel?
She operates on a different time scale (a meth), so her effectiveness must be judged on a much longer time scale.
H) What, if any, themes does the book seem to be built around?
That even gods can’t change complex systems by mere magic, and have to achieve it by micro-manipulations over long time frames. Understanding and morality etc depend on context and time scale, and the search for the “right” morality and complete understanding is futile by definition.
C) Because they’re playing both ends against the middle. One minute Kelgris is trying to get Egar killed in TSR and Takovach is stopping her, and then it seems they’re both working together. Also Ringil isn’t the kind of man who a) deals well with authority or b)likes being used. And they’re planning on using him, and probably his mates as well.
D) I figure he’s got a little bit of mid-life crisis / recapturing lost youth thing. I think he also cares more about his noble girlfriend than he wants to admit to himself.
E) After seeing her butcher her way through opposition in TSR I will never consider her ineffective. Neither did Jhiral when she was thinking about knifing him in the throat. I think some people might consider her ineffective because she actually thinks things through before killing whoever is in her way (a la Ringil) and pays attention to political shifts and considerations as opposed to blundering about and causing a shitstorm (a la Egar). Also, she’s dealing with an entire Empire, and not just a bunch of killable-minion-types.
H) The same as usual – the world is a shitty place, realist principles tend to dominate – “the strong do as they will and the weak suffer as they must” etc.
Thanks for the link, Richard. Gollancz put a link to the video on FB, but it was to a UK scifi site and my computer didn’t like it. No music, etc. Now it makes sense! Well, sort of – looking forward to reading the book and finding out what all this means. Wish I could visualize everything so beautifully while reading! Kudos to whoever did the video (and whoever did the text…)!
“The time for kiriath alloy & blood is at hand” – clearly didn’t work, so “steel” is acceptable.
But “I can hardly wait” – that’s just callous.
Ooh. Tingling anticipation. But where’s the scar?
saw the video via twitter.
went to my local waterstones to see about reserving a copy for friday… and they had four copies in already. so I am reading it, as of now!
I am very, very happy about this slice of good fortune!
Spell-binding, in two words.
Nice.
When it comes to your novels I generally end up buying a reading copy and then later on impulse-buy a pristine copy.
This time I forgot to update my address for my pre-order (i’m abroad for the year) so you’ve sold me two copies in record time ^_^
[/crazedfanirrelevence]
Couldn’t wait for Friday, bought it on the kindle, great start already, prob finish tonight.
Now swithering about attending your reading in Glasgow. I know I should, know I’ll enjoy it..
Always regret never meeting David Gemmell, always putting it off.
Impatiently waiting for the mail to arrive with my copy of TCC. Apparently, some of you have already finished reading it! Not only that, but there are major spoilers at Westeros, which I have read because I have no self control.
I am postiviely brobdingnagian with envy … if that’s at all possible
Most excellent indeed.
Glad it in finished, based on how much I enjoyed the first, I hope the second is as good. I will find out.
Well, I just picked up my copy.
Y’know, I had a lot of stuff going on this week. I have two papers due and a job interview I should probably be thinking about. But that’s all gonna fall by the wayside now, because I got TCC glaring at me, not letting me sleep or even leave the house until it’s read. Thanks a LOT, Mr. Morgan.
…no seriously thanks a lot, this is going to be a blast.
All I can say is: Never trust the Envoy Corps.
Richard,
Apologies in advance for the gushing sycophancy of this post.
Finished reading last night – I couldn’t go to sleep without getting to the end. Loved every part of that book from the story to the characters to your exceedingly excellent prose. Love how it follows on from The Steel Remains while still working as a closed unit, and from the obvious setting up I can see that The Dark Defiles is likely to achieve the same. It was worth waiting for.
Just finished TCC. A great work and so much better than TSR. Still, how many of you share the inherent sadness of opening a new Morgan book which is *not* a Takeshi Kovacs novel?
Will not repeat the spoilers, even if it is a fitting punishment for people hitting the tubes before they finish the book — but I hope Richard would, at some point, comment on the Kovacs/Quellcrist references/connections.
I can’t believe this is subconscious of that Richard run out of good character names. This does not look like a “future” Takeshi universe to me.
My theory? I think this is an elaborate in-joke, and let me tell you, Richard, it is a cruel one.
-Joseph
So.. pretty cool. Got my copy this past weekend, though I need to finish re-reading The Steel Remains before I crack it open.
More importantly, though; now you’ve got this done, you can get to work on another Kovacs novel.
Please, please, pretty please..?
PS – Oh yeah.. almost forgot.
Some dude [author] I don’t actually know, listed Altered Carbon number one on his list of best books, in “The Week” magazine, couple weeks back.
Tickled the hell out of me. Figured you’d get a kick, as well.
Well, well, as the world may have considered me your best fan, I haven’t managed to order the thing. I will probably get it once I get my kindle. Then I’ll read Dawkin’s latest as well.
The movie clip was quite rivetting, though.
Congrats,
Richard has posed some interesting questions for discussion and debate here:
http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/58432-richard-morgan-the-cold-commands-total-spoilers-thread/page__st__60
Here are my short answers to some of the questions, possibly all misguided.
C) The process Ringil goes through is obscure (and obscured)? Why would the gods behave so obscurely?
Obscure to Ringil because he operates on a human time scale. Perhaps it is clearer at the gods time scale, but they have their own limitations as well. The process is obscured because the author wants us to buy the third instalment.
D) What is Egar’s real motivation in the book? Is he aware of it?
Dignified self destruction before old age and senility sets it.
E) WHY does Archeth seem (to some unhappy people!!
) ineffective? How realistic does this feel?
She operates on a different time scale (a meth), so her effectiveness must be judged on a much longer time scale.
H) What, if any, themes does the book seem to be built around?
That even gods can’t change complex systems by mere magic, and have to achieve it by micro-manipulations over long time frames. Understanding and morality etc depend on context and time scale, and the search for the “right” morality and complete understanding is futile by definition.
WARNING – SPOILER ALERT!
@Joeseph:
Mostly agree but would also say:
C) Because they’re playing both ends against the middle. One minute Kelgris is trying to get Egar killed in TSR and Takovach is stopping her, and then it seems they’re both working together. Also Ringil isn’t the kind of man who a) deals well with authority or b)likes being used. And they’re planning on using him, and probably his mates as well.
D) I figure he’s got a little bit of mid-life crisis / recapturing lost youth thing. I think he also cares more about his noble girlfriend than he wants to admit to himself.
E) After seeing her butcher her way through opposition in TSR I will never consider her ineffective. Neither did Jhiral when she was thinking about knifing him in the throat. I think some people might consider her ineffective because she actually thinks things through before killing whoever is in her way (a la Ringil) and pays attention to political shifts and considerations as opposed to blundering about and causing a shitstorm (a la Egar). Also, she’s dealing with an entire Empire, and not just a bunch of killable-minion-types.
H) The same as usual – the world is a shitty place, realist principles tend to dominate – “the strong do as they will and the weak suffer as they must” etc.