this post was submitted on 05 Mar 2024
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[–] [email protected] 80 points 8 months ago (8 children)

My theory is he actually helped write the ending of the TV show, and when the fans absolutely despised it, realized he had to scrap his entire ending.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I hope not. The ending didn't suck, the build up did. I can absolutely see dragon girl nuking kings landing but it'll take more than one episode between "I don't want to rule over ashes" and her actually ruling over ashes for me to say "yeah I can see how she got there."

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

This is the best take. It really was the speed run buildup, not the actual events and decisions that ruined it.

[–] [email protected] 66 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (5 children)

The problem was the execution. A tyrannical Daenarys as the final villain after the White Walkers were defeated makes sense, but she was never actually given the time to be the Mad Queen. She should have gotten a whole season as the big bad after her entire arc from book 1 to present being the buildup to her reign. It's like they were given the bullet points of the ending and instead of fleshing it out into a proper story, they just used the bullet points as the entire source for the script.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Yeah, it could have been interesting to watch her slow decent into madness, but it was like they crammed all the major plot points into a day or two.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

This was a show that was totally cool spending 2-3 seasons for a payoff. I can't believe I'm still upset by how they speedran through everything.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

I'm still surprised how GoT was on the forefront of pop culture and within 2 seasons any and all interest was morphed to apathetic disdain. No one really talks about it anymore. It's only "they fucked up the ending". Blue balled an entire fandom so bad that it impacted the show runners careers. I'm really hoping HotD brings the fandom back (also, a reboot of the last 2 seasons as a whole new show would be dope)

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[–] [email protected] 83 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I've been telling people this since somewhere around 2014/2015 when I read the third book. The first two books were well thought out, the plot moved, the exposition had purpose and was driving toward something. While I was about 2/3 of the way through the book I realized that it felt like GRRM had changed his mind about what he wanted to do with the story. The book no longer seemed focused on a destination, it seemed focused on moving characters around so that he could make something different work instead. But doing that new thing meant killing off 75% of the characters he'd spent two books developing, so he had to replace them with new ones, who were less developed, kind of cardboard cutouts of the previous ones. But now these new characters stories needed to be fleshed out so he could make their involvement make sense. In doing that he realized he couldn't slot them in to accomplish the goals he needed to complete the story. So he kept expanding the web, expanding the universe, but never really having a plan or path in place to make it all come back together. And that's where he's been for over a decade.

He hasn't finished the books because he doesn't know how to at this point. He can't get everything tied together, he can't go back to the story he wanted to tell because he killed off pieces necessary to make it happen, and the replacements didn't fit where he needed them to.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (2 children)

This is why I just do not buy any story that’s unfinished.

As sad as it is, no matter how cool Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth looks, I just can’t emotionally bring myself into it knowing it could be another Kingdom Hearts 3 “we don’t know where we’re going” ending. Even my childhood classic Half-Life both couldn’t commit to an ending, and when their writer frustratedly uploaded “fanfiction” of its ending, it basically ended on a Cthulu Mythos style downer.

From now on, I’m only getting into stories if I can see a review that says “It ended very well!” not “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

The only author I feel comfortable reading an unfinished series by is Brandon Sanderson. But that's just because the dude can write two books in the time it takes me to read one.

Edit: Son of a bitch, he wrote another book while I was writing that comment. Skip to the very end for new book announcement

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Legit.

I'm so sick of the 'big twist' ending where something 'unexpected' happens or it leaves it ambiguous, just give us closure.

The ending to Hot Fuzz is perfect. It answers questions, doesn't stick around too long and ties up all the loose ends, while still being open-ended and leaving it to the viewer to conjure what happens next.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I stopped reading after the third book too, and that's exactly the sense I got.

There's no conclusions, just character deaths. It's just an unraveling web that becomes less and less coherent the further it goes.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 8 months ago (5 children)

I am 💯 convinced he's been done with all the material for years and it will all get released on his death. He had a huge amount of leverage for those last deals and he's paid for all time based on what he made from HBO.

My guess? He just didn't like what he saw in those last seasons, and doesn't feel like he owes anyone anything. Maybe we'll get the rest when he passes, but he's probably just not worried about it and living his life.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

I think the last few seasons demonstrated that a lot of his conclusions for these characters is going to feel rushed if he tries to do it in just two books.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

A big ASOIAF YouTuber Preston Jacobs went through George's statements and interpreted them and determined he had a bunch of leftover material that didn't fit in the last book, and he has since added less than 100 pages total over the last 13 years or whatever. The guy is not working on Winds of Winter.

And he was supposed to get Winds out during the show, it was going to be season 6 which came out in the Obama administration. And think of how much money he would have made if he released a book during the show.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Link/source?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I saw that. He made a pretty convincing case that the only new content George had written was during lockdown in the pandemic, the rest was all stuff that he cut from Dance of Dragons.

Now, George Martin doesn't owe anyone anything, it just makes me sad that this series will never be finished.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

He doesn't owe us anything, but I wish he would at least be honest and say, "hey y'all, sorry but I'm not really interested in these books anymore".

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 8 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Similar writers who for some reason are fixated on completing their series in one or two books.

My hot take is it's this constraint they put on themselves that caused them to feel overwhelmed and lose interest.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yes. I need to know what the hell happens to kvothe

[–] [email protected] 18 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

See, Rothfuss made a Mary Sue. Since the story is being told by the guy the story is about, after the fact, to someone who the narrator has no respect for, Rothfuss has an out: He can let Kvothe keep telling his story and then out it all as complete bullshit, or he can let it be just an embellished truth and then let us learn exactly why Kvothe is essentially in hiding after living such a fantastical life - either way Kvothe gets his punishment / redemption and we learn about what real tragedies have befallen him. This story is deep and good.

What he cannot do is pretend that all that ACTUALLY happened, and that Kvothe went on to kill a king and retired to an easy life as an in keeper. That story would suck hard ass and make everyone's eyes roll out of their heads.

I'm convinced he wrote #2 and is basically waffling over how to turn it into #1, or arguing with his publisher over it, because he knows it's inherently bad.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

His latest book, The Narrow Road Between Desires, isn't written from Kvothe's perspective though, but has him as a side character and confirms that Kvothe is at least somewhat of a bad ass.

It's told from the perspective of Bast (Kvothe's fae apprentice/student, for those of you who haven't read a Patrick Rothfuss book in the last 13 years). The book basically implies that while Bast has strange magic powers, Kvothe is still the true master. So that basically rules out the idea that Kvothe is telling a complete bullshit story.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 8 months ago (2 children)

The most annoying part is he's written several books since then, just not in the main story.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 8 months ago (1 children)

He's probably getting so much done by avoiding working on Winds of Winter.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago
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[–] [email protected] 26 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I started the first one then came into the realisation he is never gonna finish it and abondoned it.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)

You can stop at book 3, it's fine.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I tell people this about wheel of time. It was originally supposed to be a trilogy and then they all saw $$$ and went "JUST KIDDING" on that ending and wrote 11 more books.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Was it? Didn't know that. It definitely could have been a couple of books shorter, but I love the expansive epicness of the entire wheel of time story.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Well, call it a fan theory. It's not like I have proof.

I was reading them early enough that I remember waiting for Winters Heart to come out, so I had time to lament his decisions in between each book after that 🤣

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Nah i can't

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

He is too busy trying to destroy Lamy, NM.

[–] [email protected] 110 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I gave up on finishing those books years ago. It's been long enough I hardly remember what happened in the last one and the next one isn't even on the horizon as far as I can tell. It's not happening.

[–] [email protected] 111 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Here you go: "—" (em dash)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

Oh yeah, thanks.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Wrapping up a story is hard. Which is why I don't 😎

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Rothfuss!!! Get of Lemmy and write dammit!

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

How are people supposed to read it if it's wrapped up duh

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

People are wrapped up in the story eh

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

Well that just sounds like a health and safety violation

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