OT: Sword of Truth coming to television Fall 2008

[Meglobob]

Endoperez said:

YES! Even as a book, it felt more like there was an epic movie being played in my head. And the fact that Druss is old, and his axe unpossessed, and the battle is taking its toll, and he still beats everyone up just makes the skin crawl in your back.

Love Legend, I think its David Gemmels best book.

If done correctly, with the right actor playing Druss and some matrix style combat scenes (except with a bloody big, formerly demon possessed battle axe) and a good supporting cast, it would be a great film.

Sadly, hollywood has a track record of ruining fantasy films based on good books.

Btw, did someone mention Lucy Lawless? I can watch her all day...

[BigandScary]

Who would you cast as Druss? I would say Sean Connery, but he doesn't have the right build. I don't rally know of any hulking, aging men who are good actors.

[S.R. Krol]

"Legend" was the best ten cents I ever spent.

At the time I was able to fit in reading a lot more than I can today, and because of that I spent a lot of time in used book stores. I was browsing the fantasy section of one such store and came across "Legend". At the time I had never read anything by Gemmel and was completely unfamiliar with the book. I picked it up on a whim, and with my store credit the cost came to a dime.

Sat down that evening at dinner and started reading it and was completely amazed. One thing you learn from picking up books on the cheap, there are *a lot* of really bad fantasy novels out there. "Legend" was not. Totally blew me away.

I sought out other stuff from Gemmel but I have to say nothing seemed to equal that first taste.

[HoneyBadger]

A few, random thoughts:

It's a shame about the Sword of Truth series. I started reading the first book, got through about three chapters (which weren't bad), lost interest, lost the book (my cousin "borrowed" it, which is ok, because I turned around and "borrowed" his extensive collection of Magic: The Gathering cards.), and then heard that the rest was so much slop.

I stuck around longer (than I should have) for the Wheel of Time series. Here's some advice: just go read Dune.

I'm surprised noone mentioned the Riftwar saga. There's another series that started out really strong and then slowly but less-than-inevitably sunk like the Titanic.

Song of Ice and fire was great for the first two books. I kind of got lost by the third "let's scar/deform/ cripple/massacre/sideline all the characters" book, and have yet to return.

I just don't have enough hours in my day to fit in an ill-recommended, ill-concieved, ill-continued, or ill-fated series of books.

David Gemmel was great.

Sean Connery is not only too old, he's retired from acting. If you absolutely *need* an aging Scottish actor in your life, I suggest you start looking at Billy Connolly. He's amazingly talented.

For Druss, I'd suggest Vincent Regan, he played the Captain in 300.

If you could dry him out and clean him up, and if he could still do the physical training, Nick Nolte might make an amazing Druss. If you don't believe me, rent Farewell to the King sometime. It's not the best movie ever, but it's one of the best war-movies, and a movie that should be seen.

Ofcourse, I'm always up for the part
I'm a big guy, I'm aging badly, and I can handle an axe (I used to do a lot of land-scaping).

[AlgaeNymph]

Nobody's mentioned Limyaael's rant on Goodkind yet? I will then.

[Agema]

Mm. Yes, that rant's pretty much spot on.

I gave up on Jordan around book 5 because I was just finding it incredibly tedious. I gave up on Goodkind book three or four because of the misogyny. It's full of ****tish women who desperately want the hero, virtually all of whom die horribly. And that's just about every woman in the book who has more than a passing mention; except the hero's girlfriend, who spends all her time obsessing over him to the point you want to throw the book across the room.

What makes it even worse is that the hero is, frankly, extraordinarily dull. His best attribute is the usual fantasy cliche of uncorruptible righteousness, but I think it takes a little more than personal integrity to have women desperately trying to get you into bed.

[Szumo]

Interesting. I liked both the series, and i'm kinda surprised by all the negative comments here.