"Try to write a whole book without main character" Erikson is just next to you, Pat.

Malazan Book of the Fallen... Such a great and, unfortunately, underrated series. Steven Erikson is truly a genius; please give his series a chance.

Here to show some love and appreciation for Steven Erikson !

Strange how Patrick Rothfuss spoke the most on the panel but has written the least Steven Erikson spoke the least but said the more profound things, whilst having written one of the most epic and profound fantasy series ever

Erikson is a genius...read his series it'll blow you away

Sometimes the smartest person is the one who talks the least

The four other authors: *Talks for ten minutes each, speaking and having on the fly conversations and responses* Erikson: *Says something about the topic that he's been mulling over and considering for the past thirty minutes* The four other authors: *Go silent*

All good authors and stuff... but Erikson is on a different level: he is amazingly deep in every sentence, like he has already given so much thought on everything.

Man, Rothfuss likes to be the center of attention. I would have liked to hear more from Hobb and Erikson.

Erikson man. He needs more publicity. His Malazan books series can triumph most of the current *epic fantasy* series out there!

Got the guy in the bottom-right translating it into Adem.

I'm a huge fan of Rothfuss, but even he is a child when sitting next to Erikson. It's odd how many times the other make assertions for the genre that Erikson's books completely contradict. Someone else already commented it, but it seems like none of them have read his work. There other authors are telling stories. Erikson is teaching us all about life.

Hobb is by far my favorite author up there, followed by Rothfuss, but just seeing P. Rothfuss go on and on about his hatred for prophecy while while sitting next to ROBIN FUCKING HOBB was so very awkward, especially if you look at the expression on her face the entire time he's going on about it. She clearly wants to fight him on it, but doesn't know how to go about without seeming self-righteous about her books. Hobb is such a masterful storyteller, in a class above everyone else up there, and her use of prophecy (not certain as to the level of difference and certainty of outcome between premonition and prophecy, but I'm going to consider premonition as a loose form of prophecy) is so interesting and character connected that it isn't at all like the things Rothfuss said he disliked about fantasy, and I wished some one would have called him out on that, if only to see himself try to disentangle himself from that awkward situation. Although, like Rothfuss, I not a big fan of prophecy, like for example in Harry Potter, the prophecy just seems like a plot device that allows Harry to confront Voldemort, ultimately leading to the rest of the world acknowledging his return and thus "progressing" the story, but Hobb's use of "prophecy" is so much more than that. You can see the same expression on her face when he's talking about superman not being a compelling character, and I also agree with Rothfuss on this one too, based on the versions of SM I've seen, but I pretty sure Hobb is somewhat of a comic book fan, and she clearly doesn't agree (at least not totally) on this point either. I wish she'd just say what was on her fucking ingenious mind.

I like Hobb and Erikson. No need to talk if you're not going to say anything interesting.

Erikson Great Writer. The Best

erikson has created the best work in my opinion. his is truly unconventional races and magic system.

Gotta try Malazan again Erikson really impressed me here.

I swear, none of these authors have (yet) anything on Erikson on "Epic". Looking at you, Rothfuss! Stop being a perfectionist, and just write one perfect book a year, so we can enjoy your marvellous prose.

Erikson is the Grand Wizard of this panel. Rothfuss talks too much, you get the feeling he is always tying to look to impress with his "wise words". Erikson is on another level compared to all of these other authors. I truly believe he has tapped into something "other" with is books.

Erikson: I don't know how to write novels. Rothfuss: Hahaha yeah, me either...

Rothfuss keeps wanting to use the term big fat fantasy, because compared to Malazan, nothing else around can be called epic

Based on the last question, Erikson could have held an entire panel on legend/myth/folklore and their uses and nuances. Wow. He must be feeling modest... or disintersted. XD

Are there any more of these "panels" Erikson sits on? I cannot find many.

steven just towers over all of them...

Is it me or every time Rothfuss speaks he looks to Erikson for validation?

I love Erikson but I do wish he at least pretended to give a shit about being on this panel. On the other hand, I love how he bides his time and really thinks deeply before answering anything. Man's a genius.

I, like everyone else in the comments, hold Erikson above all these authors. Robin Hobb is up there though.

Ok I just started and heard Erikson say Malazan with emphasis on the second 'a' and lost my shit...

Did anyone feel that none o the others have read Eriksons books?

rothfuss' books are okay.....so thankful to have read malazan and ian's books as well....so satisfying.

Not enough Erikson :S

Anyone else weirded out by the fact that Erickson pronounces it Mal-ah-zan?

I'm curious, what was Steve Erikson's motivation for doing this panel

If you like Erikson try R. Scott Bakker. The Darkness that Comes Before, The Warrior Prophet, The Thousandfold Thought, The Judging Eye, The White-Luck Warrior, The Great Ordeal, The Unholy Consult. As much as I loved the Malazan Book of the Fallen I think Bakker is the best fantasy I've ever read.

Erikson is a God. After finishing his series all other fantasy I came across felt stale. I think all the other authors in this panel secretly acknowledge this. He thinks so deeply about a lot of things and it reflects in how deep his writing is, as well as in how thought out his responses are in this panel. Like all the others are talking and giggling and he just drops an answer and they all go like pooof....mind-blown.

I like how the other authors praise certain elements of good fantasy and don’t give Erikson credit for how he does them

The MuhLAHzen Book of the Fallen.

Everyone at the panel : *drinks water* Steven Erickson : *Coke* And you wonder why he's so different and profound.

This was incredible

Just dropping by to remind everyone it's 2018 and Patrick Rothfuss still hasn't even revealed a release date for Doors of Stone. So, I don't know what he was doing sitting on a panel with Steven Erikson. Brandon Sanderson should have been in his place.

42:13 is the very essence of magical realism, my favorite genre.

Hey which book is it Peter recommends on 31:50??

Solid discussion. Easy to see why Rothfuss is polarizing with some people. He definitely took a majority of the time here but I also didn’t feel like the other panelists cared, in fact most of the time I think they were enjoying listening to his takes. He’s definitely a scholar of the genre and an entertaining, intelligent guy. But in doing so does he maybe give off a little bit of a Simpsons Comic Book Guy vibe? Yeah, maybe a little. As for Erickson? Yeah probably a class above the others imo (though if Pat ever finishes his series we can revisit that lol), but I I have no doubt he could have talked more if he wanted to. I enjoyed it when he did but he isn’t giving off a vibe of people frustrated or anything. He’s just listening and chiming in when he has something to add. Just don’t agree with this weird taring down of Rothfuss in the comments. You can be mad at how he may act or remark in other instances or take issues with his lack of progress, but at face value he added a lot to the discussion and it wasn’t like he was just talking out of his ass. The guy knows a bit

I love the chemistry between these guys.

In the first like 5 mins of the video Erikson was like statue.

Erickson is the best )

I feel cheated Erikson should have talked more

I watched the guy signing the whole time.

Erikson is God!

I've always thought the distinction between fantasy and science fiction is the reflection of who we were in the past and who we will be in the future. For fantasy it's a reflection on medieval society with aspects like swords, kings, princesses, heavy importance on religion, and everything we weren't able to explain were passed off as magic. A lot of our world was still undiscovered so you see grand maps and sprawling adventure. For science fiction it's a speculation on how our society will be changed with technology with aspects of space travelling, discovering alien life, and how exploring outside of our planet would change us moving forward.

26:20 YOU DRAW A MAP!!! Omg, so trueee

One looks for baby names in a book, and another goes the opposite, to death, in obituaries to find names... xD I loved Rothfuss ranting about prophecies, lmfao.

I wonder if Peter Orullian, Robin Hobb, Patrick Rothfuss and Peter V. Brett really read Erikson books...many of the things they discuss are ripped off in Malaz.

I think writer's have to be careful. If you create so many villains that you can empathize with, it's dilutes the power of success for your protagonist which leaves a lack of satisfaction.

Erikson is bored of the Tolkien praise. You can tell. He's already said not to compare him to Tolkien because his work is more in line with Donaldson and the classic Sword and Sorcery writers.

Fitzchivalry's kills in book oneFirst bookTrials by forged- 3First summer bread poisoning- 17Lordling outside of turlake- 1Loaned skill to verity- 1 boatBotched mountain poisoning- 1Kills- 22 and 1 boat

😎🔥

no he is using 2 hands

Mr Erikson looks like he is bored most of the time, and no one on the panel can tell.

So Rothfuss got me thinking on 'props'. In Wheel of Time, the 'props' from the Age of Legends include spaceships (of sorts)/ technology. So Wheel of Time isn't fantasy, it's sci-fi. Kill me.

Cozy lookin panel

whats with the fake laugh?

26:36 anyone?

46 Minutes in Pat falls asleep lol

This was a wonderful discussion. I'm all for the death of prophecy. Fantasy's oldest trope. Thanks, Tolkien.

Erikson is so iconic on this panel. Just sitting there, letting all the others bullshit wash over him. Just taking it in..

OMG, somebody likes to listen to his own voice... Whereas the most quiet guy outshines them all, not to mention how his words actually have meaning and are not just filling empty space or time... Hats off, mr. Erikson!

18:32 😂😂😂

Map.

I see that everyone in the comments here talks about Steven Erikson, and yes, he is the best of them all. Above him in my opinion is just J.R.R. Tolkien.

Erikson looks bored. I'm not even sure he appreciates those other authors that much, other than Hobb ofc , which I know for a fact he admires a lot and has written an entire article praising her. But yeah, it's pretty evident that these two have the most profound things to say

So if there’s no magic in the story of a magical world then it’s not fantasy?

Why is this whole comment section obsessed with Erikson? I mean, his books are incredible, but really . . .

Rothfuss talks too much and says almost nothing. He just has the need to impress like the narcissist he is. Kingkiller Chronicle is an amazingly crafted piece of art, but that's the truth about its father and creator. Like other people already said here on the comment section, geniuses like Erikson don't have the need of impressing people. They just do.

50 years from now Erikson will be on par with Tolkien. I just wish he forbade Esslemont to write.

Rothfuss is seriously annoying in this

Patrick Rothfuss needs to shut up and give someone else a chance.

Where is BRANDON SANDERSON!😂😂😂

Rothfuss is the biggest hack.

Erikson has the best series on the panel. Rothfuss has the worst.

Peter v Brett gets on my nerves. I love Patrick Rothfuss I really felt for him when Brett just says "I just use a babies names book and change the letters" bc Rothfuss puts so much work into his characters names.

That sign language dude is so distracting...