An authors betrayal

[Drizzitdude]

This is the third time I feel as if an author has betrayed me. After the whole thing with douglas adams and the hitch-hikers guide I though I wouldn't recover. Ayn Rand Stabbed me a couple of times with some of the unneeded punishment of the characters in her books.I mean Eddie of all people in "Atlas Shrugged"? Catherine and Peter in "The Fountainhead"? Thats cold, I mean I get she is trying to make her objectivism philosophy clear and all but, ouch. And now I have suffered quite possibly the greatest betrayal of all.

My favorite Author of all time was R.A. Salvatore. I have finally been able to get my hand on a copy of "The Ghost King" I swear to fucking god that ending was so brutal it wasn't even funny. Then with renewed hope that something would change I read "Gauntlgrym"....SERIOUSLY?

I can't take it any more. Every series I ever come to love, I feel like the author ends up betraying me in one massive compulsive act wrought upon their keyboard simply to increase sales.

So what about you guys? You ever hit a spot in a beloved series or book where you felt like the author just spat right at your face? If so when? What book? Details are fine as long as your prepare potential readers for spoilers.

 

[tippy2k2]

Now out of these, I've only read the Drizzt book so I'm going to focus on that (though I have not read the new Neverwinter books so if you could please not spoil them, that would be appreciated).

I entirely disagree with you saying the author betrayed you (I am assuming you are referring to the deaths in the books when you talk about the betrayal). I think a major problem with most media is that they are afraid to take characters out because they make them so much money. Character deaths (especially primary characters) are a good way to show that anything goes.

Of course, you can end up on the other end of the spectrum which doesn't work either. Ask Joss "Shit, the viewers are bored, who can we kill?" Whedon.

 

[Shockolate]

Gaunt's Ghost's.

I will never forgive Dan Abnett for killing off Corbec.

Sure, I'll read his books. But seriously, fuck you Dan, you Black Library god you.

 

[GrimTuesday]

Someone's never read any of George RR Martian's A Song of Ice and Fire series... Its so bad that some created this

Spoiler: What GRRM actually looks like, if you're curious

They're still the best series of books I've read.

 

[Esotera]

So what about you guys? You ever hit a spot in a beloved series or book where you felt like the author just spat right at your face? If so when? What book? Details are fine as long as your prepare potential readers for spoilers.

Spoiler: The end of Matter by Iain M. Banks

When after the characters spend about 400 pages establishing the fact that one of them is the rightful heir to the throne and are about to take it, some super-advanced killer robot comes out of nowhere and destroys everything, kills nearly everyone. Two of the main characters die immediately, and the last one destroys the bad guy with a suicide bombing. Her last words, which are also the last words of the novel?

Spoiler

"Fuck you."

This one really annoyed me when first reading it, mainly because it doesn't resolve anything, and feels like he's actively taunting you with the last words. But on reflection it does make the ending a lot more powerful, and adds a lot to the meaning of the book, so it's not all bad.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

Gaunt's Ghost's.

I will never forgive Dan Abnett for killing off Corbec.

Sure, I'll read his books. But seriously, fuck you Dan, you Black Library god you.

What about "Try Again" Bragg? Seriously, he didn't deserve what came to him in any way.

Anyway, I don't feel "betrayed" because characters die in books. If I react emotionally to a character's death then that's just a reason to praise the author for being able to make me care so much about a fictional character. And frankly, the rest of you should too.

I mean we're talking about make-believe people whose fictional deaths you actually MOURN as if they were REAL people! That takes some serious skill in terms of writing ability and story telling, because trust me a less able author would NEVER be able to make you care as much as you did for these characters.

 

[Rednog]

The only book series that ever made me completely rage was the Animorphs, it ended up being one of those oh look let's just start randomly killing people left and right, yea that's done...uhhh gotta find a way to this series, throw a bunch of random crap together....done!

 

[Lionsfan]

I dunno, the only way I've been betrayed is by the Author using the same character over and over again. Case in point; the Bob Lee Swagger series. The first few ones are good, but once he started doing stuff in Japan and whatnot it just got to unreal. I don't care how good of shape he's in, a 60-something year old CAN'T DO ALL THIS STUFF!!!

 

[Soviet Heavy]

How about everything Troy Denning has ever written? He is the equivalent of Frank Miller for the Star Wars universe. His first book is one of the best of the New Jedi Order, before he went off the deep end and started making insane stories that discredit everyone who isn't a jedi, and then makes the jedi assholes.

 

[lacktheknack]

Considering how I followed the Series of Unfortunate Events very closely... very, VERY closely (I figured out who Beatrice was around book nine), I couldn't help but think "That's it?" when The End rolled around. It was pretty unsatisfying. Other then that, I don't feel betrayed by authors much.

 

[cryogeist]

the maximum ride books went from interesting to Global warming Ad...
and the guy who wrote the silverwing books...first 2 were good...the third one sucked...main character died main villain is alive...
although those were the only 2 that really just became derp for me
there is another one but i forgot it...

 

[Drizzitdude]

Now out of these, I've only read the Drizzt book so I'm going to focus on that (though I have not read the new Neverwinter books so if you could please not spoil them, that would be appreciated).

I entirely disagree with you saying the author betrayed you (I am assuming you are referring to the deaths in the books when you talk about the betrayal). I think a major problem with most media is that they are afraid to take characters out because they make them so much money. Character deaths (especially primary characters) are a good way to show that anything goes.

Of course, you can end up on the other end of the spectrum which doesn't work either. Ask Joss "Shit, the viewers are bored, who can we kill?" Whedon.

*spoilers to "the ghost king*
Yes I am referring to the deaths at the end of the ghost king. I mean honestly. I really don't see the point in continuing the series anymore Cattie-bre is dead. Regis is Dead. Cadderly is dead. And out of the three of them 2 got the shit end of the stick so to speak. Regis is lonely as hell and not truly happy. Cadderly is doomed to walk the Earth; in a circle around spirit soaring FOR ALL TIME. And the only reason Cattie-Bre seems so content is that it would seem to me Mielikki possessed her or affected her in some way. Shitty ending.

*spoilers to "GauntlGrym*
Simple way of putting it, Bruenor dies. Pwent Dies. Wulfgar dies.Yep. But dun worry they are all in Mielikki's little heaven wondering what the hell is the matter with cattie-bre!

Now Seriously. For YEARS I have followed the story of Drizzt. His struggles, everything he went through all the judgement he faced. Then he found friends and was able to face it a little better, he became a world reknowned hero. And after all the battles, all the war all the constant doubts he finally is able to marry cattie-bre and be happy... For about 4 paragraphs in the book.

Now all of his friends are dead. I means eriously what is the point in attempting to continue the series? He has nothing keeping him grounded. He is unrelatable now and alienated from everyone. He is just a broody emo angst filled protaganist and i I wanted that I would go read read 'twilight' or some shit.

Should I really bother picking up the next book just so I can read a few hundred pages of my favorite book character of all time contemplating suicide every five minutes? I mean in all honesty the nicest thing R.A. Salvatore could do is kill him.

I am seriously wrecked by this, like look at my username? This is my username for like everything. Drizzitdude; the 'drizzit' being based off the way the small child mispronounced his name in the earlier books( 'exile' I think?)

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

the maximum ride books went from interesting to Global warming Ad...

Oh god this. Pretty fun first three books, then it went downhill faster than I would have thought possible.

 

[Kinokohatake]

Someone's never read any of George RR Martian's A Song of Ice and Fire series... Its so bad that some created this

Spoiler: What GRRM actually looks like, if you're curious

They're still the best series of books I've read.

Yeah this. So this. It's like he actively dislikes all the characters that you like. And wants the characters that you hate to be okay. If Jamie Lannister lives through the end of the series I will find his house and vomit Jamies name in his yard.

 

[SamBargeron]

I don't even really understand the basis of this thread. I love a good book. I love a good book series. Sometimes things happen in books that I don't like. I can understand a thread to talk about fictional characters you wish had survived. What strikes me as odd is that you feel "betrayed". I'm having a hard time putting into words how that concept bothers me.

Life does not always go how you wish, and people have very different tastes. You may feel that these character deaths are a deal breaker for you. That you no longer wish to read the books. Another lifelong reader, however, might be on the edge of their seat. Dying to see how Drizzt deals with the loss of his comrades. It is impossible for an author to satisfy every reader with every decision.

I guess the best way to express my confusion is to make a definable reference. Misery.
Read the book or watch the movie if you aren't familiar with it. Misery. Stephen King.

To be perfectly honest, I find R.A.Salvatore to be a highly unreadable author. Which is a shame, because whenever people talk about the events in his stories I'm always fascinated. Honestly, hearing of the horrible loss Drizzt has had to go through sounds like something worthy of a read, but I've learned from many Salvatore purchases in the past that it is a TRAP and I'll be unwilling to read his starchy writing style yet again.

I would love to know what happened in Hitchhikers that made you feel betrayed. I can't even imagine. This is a serious request, btw. I really am shocked that you included that series in your initial post.

If it is relevant, I'll go ahead and state that my favorite book is the Ralph Manheim translation of Neverending Story, and my favorite author is currently Neil Gaiman. The last book I read was Anansi Boys and I am currently reading The Marvelous Land of Oz. My secret shame is that I have a romance novel on my shelf that I love. Other books I would recommend include: White Mountains, Lost Years of Merlin, The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, The Silmarillion, and Downshadow.

 

[AngryMongoose]

I gave up on the Quickening books (Myrren's Gift ect) because everyone kept friggin' dying. I know it's pretty integral to the plot, but comon!

 

[Hero in a half shell]

This is the third time I feel as if an author has betrayed me. After the whole thing with douglas adams and the hitch-hikers guide

Are you refering to Mostly Harmless? Cause I really hated that book once I'd finished it, no Marvin, a weird omnipotent guide, unceremoniously offing Fenchurch, and the downer ending. In my mind it will always be a trilogy of 4.

 

[darth.pixie]

snip

...That's what happens in those books? I was thinking about starting to read the whole saga (I know the basic plots but not much else) but if that's the outcome, I'm starting to reconsider. I only liked Jarlaxle, Artemis and Kimmuriel anyway but I did want to know about the whole world....

Mine wasn't earth-shattering. I was a teen who liked monsters and started reading the Lestat books since I heard a lot about them. I liked them, they were quotable. Then the Devil shows up, Lestat suddenly became less like Lestat (to the point where he says 'dude') and the whole world seemed as if the author lost interested. I've tried to re-read most of the books again now, but I just think of them as long-winded.

 

[genericusername64]

Usually if a character dies its because everyone hated the character and her death was so so sweet

Spoiler

Lori Grimes

The only time where I didn't want a character to die was Berserk

Spoiler

Everybody dies, EVERYONE

That was horrible, not in the sense that it was executed poorly, far from it, I just had never had an author take away characters I actually liked before.