Paolini's Pre-emptive Strike

Phaeal · Oct 21, 2008

Speaking of Christopher Paolini, as we so often are, he made a brilliant pre-emptive strike at a recent appearance. He told the audience he was going to read them his favorite line from Brisingr. It was:

"Die, puny human!" (This is the exact line -- it's now burned into my brain.)

He followed up with more self-deprecation, to the effect of: "If you can't write a line like that in fantasy, where can you write it?"

Yikes. Talk about biting the hand that's feeding you, and your family, and your descendents unto the umpteenth generation.

Or maybe he was just being cute and charming. All depends on your POV. Mine is noticeably snarky. So go ahead and defend "Die, puny human!" if you wish.

Sarpedon · Oct 21, 2008

Since I have some appreciation for campy movies, why not campy literature?

Toothpaste · Oct 21, 2008

Actually I am a bit curious to hear a bit more about his appearance. What did he talk about? Does he have a sense of humour? I must admit to not liking the lad very much from certain stories I have heard, but they have always been through third, fourth, twelfth sources. Would be nice to hear from someone who was actually there.

Phaeal · Oct 21, 2008

I've only seen him on TV, where he's very likeable and often funny. I think that his persona is one of the reasons he's succeeded -- he made tons of personal appearances, often in medieval garb, when he and his parents were stumping around selling the self-published version of Eragon.

My analysis, from personal observations and experience. Paolini is a good salesman. A point in his favor with the publisher. Add the initial age hook. Add a strong appeal to those for whom fantasy is new (and hence any cliches unknown) -- of the dozen people I know who liked Eragon, none had ever read fantasy before. Whereas the dedicated fantasy readers I know have all, like me, put the book aside after a few chapters.

The plus: I was able to turn a couple of the newborn fantasy readers on to Tolkien and Susanna Clarke. You could say that Paolini put a few million rents in the paper ceiling of their reading tastes.

So we can thank him for that.

That said, I still can't forgive "Die, puny human!" I'll have to put it in my own Hall of Shame, along with Rowling's "Not my daughter, you bitch!" (Her stunning reproduction-gone-wrong imagery in the last book made up for that line, though.)

Rowling, I know, wasn't trying to be campy. I guess I'll have to skim Brisingr to see the context in which "Die, puny human!" appears. I'll start near the end -- seems like the kind of line you'd save for the big climax.

Fenika · Oct 21, 2008

Phaeal said:
"Die, puny human!" (This is the exact line -- it's now burned into my brain.)

He followed up with more self-deprecation, to the effect of: "If you can't write a line like that in fantasy, where can you write it?"

Cartoon Network.

.

Inarticulate Babbler · Oct 21, 2008

"Die, puny human!"

--being his favorite line explains much. As writers, we tend to obsess over clichés and re-used themes. Most of us painfully edit our work until all excess words and redundancies are as near-extinct as we can get them. As Robin Hobb said, we "agonize over every adverb".

I think, by his comment, Paolini was reminding us of the "fun" and "sense of wonder" that are sometimes lost in the agonizing. He has to have seen some of the biting comments, and that he can shrug them off and make such a comment is, indeed, a testiment to his character. Maybe, it's a message to us all to "lighten up" a bit.

Liosse de Velishaf · Oct 21, 2008

I'm sure he was at least partially joking... (I realy, really, really, hope so!) I'm not sure whether it's a testament to his character, though. I mean, for every voice spewing hate of his trash, there's some adoring little fankid burping up honey. Who's to say he's under all that much stress?

The only sense of wonder I see in "Die, puny human!" is shock that it got past the editor. It's a terrible line. If I thought that much of Paolini's wit, I might credit it as a commentary on the "rules" of writing "good".

On the other hand, I'm always careful about how seriously I take any ragging on Paolini. I'll admit that it's fun, but honestly, of all the horrible crap that hits the best seller list, it's only because I think he gives my genre a bad name that I care. If he was a romance or horror writer, I porbably wouldn't pay much attention to either side of the debate.

Cybernaught · Oct 21, 2008

Sadly, Paolini is a fad that's going to die rather quickly. His entire campaign has always been about his age. He's no longer 15 and the Inheritance series is (hopefully) almost over. For his sake, I hope his writing has improved.

It's nice to know that I'm not missing much. I excused Eragon because it was his first novel and he was young, and I felt like giving the next two a chance, but never got around to it besides reading a few laughable lines like, "A black dagger in the bowels of the earth" or "He formed his anger into a solid bar with one word stamped on it: revenge." :roll:

Glad I stopped when I did.

Inarticulate Babbler · Oct 21, 2008

Liosse de Velishaf said:
The only sense of wonder I see in "Die, puny human!" is shock that it got past the editor. It's a terrible line. If I thought that much of Paolini's wit, I might credit it as a commentary on the "rules" of writing "good".

Wow. I didn't say "Die, puny human!" was any "sense of wonder", I said:

I think, by his comment, Paolini was reminding us of the "fun" and "sense of wonder" that are sometimes lost in the agonizing.

Just so it's clear: I'm not saying the line is in any way "good writing", rather, by saying it's his favorite line, Paolini is making a statement about fantasy being fun stories with a sense of wonder (not literary masterpieces).

Kids don't care about how well written a piece is, it's all about story for them.

Inarticulate Babbler · Oct 21, 2008

Cybernaught said:
Sadly, Paolini is a fad that's going to die rather quickly. His entire campaign has always been about his age. He's no longer 15 and the Inheritance seriest is (hopefully) almost over.

From what I understand (just to inform you) Inheritance is now planned for a 5-book cycle.

PS - I'm no Paolini fan. I read the first one, was forced to read the second one to my kids and swore I wouldn't even look inside the third. I had two huge problems with the second: 1) Both Eragon and Rorin (sp?) whines and cried (literally snotted) over their girls so bad that I started to see them as the same, whiny character. 2) It was predictable.

I had hoped he would chose the different path (and make the people live up to their bloodline), but he didn't.

Liosse de Velishaf · Oct 21, 2008

Inarticulate Babbler said:
Wow. I didn't say "Die, puny human!" was any "sense of wonder", I said:

Just so it's clear: I'm not saying the line is in any way "good writing", rather, by saying it's his favorite line, Paolini is making a statement about fantasy being fun stories with a sense of wonder (not literary masterpieces).

Kids don't care about how well written a piece is, it's all about story for them.

Ah, sorry then.

cdoctor13 · Oct 22, 2008

Indeed.

Lccorp2 · Oct 23, 2008

Inarticulate Babbler said:
From what I understand (just to inform you) Inheritance is now planned for a 5-book cycle.

Wait. Where did you hear this?

Inarticulate Babbler · Oct 23, 2008

Lccorp2 said:
Wait. Where did you hear this?

At another site I frequent, someone posted a link a while back. The press release is linked at his site . (Perusing that says a fourth book is planned.)

Lccorp2 · Oct 23, 2008

The last I heard, it was only 4 books, not 5. Hm.

maxmordon · Oct 23, 2008

Lccorp2 said:
The last I heard, it was only 4 books, not 5. Hm.

Ditto. Bringsir (sp) was originally meant to be called Empire; but they decided it was too long so they cut it into two books. What I have read about it, they know how to kill Galbarotix and going to his castle.

Inarticulate Babbler · Oct 23, 2008

I'll try to find the thread with the link, if you are really interested. To me it really doesn't matter--I'm not reading them. Brisngr (which is supposed to be Norse for "fire", although I haven't seen any confirmation) has had "Bestseller" ales already.

Darzian · Oct 23, 2008

I've never read Eragon, and probably never will considering the apparent abundance of typical cliches. I've read there is something called the 13 Forsworn or something? That's supposed to be directly from the 13 Forsaken in the Wheel of Time, I believe. Sorry if I'm mistaken.

BTW, is it any worse than the Belgariad?

maxmordon · Oct 23, 2008

Darzian said:
I've never read Eragon, and probably never will considering the apparent abundance of typical cliches.

Me neither, that's why I read the recapitulations made by Paolini-hating forums

Bartholomew · Oct 24, 2008

Phaeal said:
Speaking of Christopher Paolini, as we so often are, he made a brilliant pre-emptive strike at a recent appearance. He told the audience he was going to read them his favorite line from Brisingr. It was:

"Die, puny human!" (This is the exact line -- it's now burned into my brain.)

He followed up with more self-deprecation, to the effect of: "If you can't write a line like that in fantasy, where can you write it?"

Yikes. Talk about biting the hand that's feeding you, and your family, and your descendents unto the umpteenth generation.

Or maybe he was just being cute and charming. All depends on your POV. Mine is noticeably snarky. So go ahead and defend "Die, puny human!" if you wish.

Die, Puny Human?

It could work. It depends on context.

Oddsocks · Oct 24, 2008

Darzian said:
BTW, is it any worse than the Belgariad?

I found it so, but the Belgariad was one of my earliest fantasies, so I didn't have a lot to compare it to. Reading Eragon, I could connect a lot of elements to things in other works, and that's frustrating - but Eragon has the same 'if you read it first and as a kid then you'll probably love it' factor as the Belgariad, I believe.

Darzian · Oct 24, 2008

Sadly, I read the Belgariad just after A Song of Fire and Ice. Considering that I was already familiar with the Lord of the Rings, Farseer and the Wheel of Time, you can imagine how I took the Belgariad. I was never, once, concerned for a character and could anticipate all the major events. Dramatic revelations were more boring than my snoring grandmother and some tricks used are just WAY too convenient with no negative effects.

So why did I read all 5?
1) I hate leaving stories unfinished.
2) I was expecting something (at the end at the very least), considering the popularity of the books.

Not to mention that every cliche possible exists. He didn't even do much to change them. The only positive thing I can say about the Belgariad is the idea of the prophecy being alive.

I also dislike how much of the MC's struggle was made vain at the end by stating that something completely different was what the prophecy actually referred to( I think Pol's decision or something).

I might have liked it if it had been my first fantasy, but it may have put me off fantasy forever.

I don't usually criticize the whole work of an author (knowing the difficulties of writing myself), but to me there was nothing new in this.

StephenJSweeney · Oct 24, 2008

I nearly died when I read that "Die, puny human!" was his favourite line.

He should have plumped for something more traditional like,

"No, Eragon. _I_ am your father."

Vomaxx · Oct 24, 2008

Don't die, puny Paolini. Just stop writing.

Darzian · Oct 24, 2008

StephenJSweeney said:
"No, Eragon. _I_ am your father."

Does it matter? If I was the MC, I'd have hesitated to say, "Really?" before plunging in the sword. I mean, he's the father I never knew, and he's the evil overlord too.

It's something like foster parents and real parents. If the real parent (whom you never knew) comes back and claims to be your father, you would you react? It'd be like meeting a total stranger.

Paolini's Pre-emptive Strike

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