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sendingsignal
Acolyte
USA
6 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Oct 2010 : 19:23:10
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Hi everyone.
I'm a huge geek and one of my biggest passions is sorting books. I used to put up a lot of text booklists online and now it's evolved into running a small website that dynamically lists books in my database to help people figure out reading orders.
I'm pretty excited, because today I just finally put up my Forgotten Realms novel reading order as I have it so far. Right now it's limited to just books I own, though, and I'm not sure what to add next. I was super into the Cleric Quintet as a kid, so I started my list (and collection) with all the books by R. A. Salvatore. So far I've read the first two drizzt trilogies and enjoyed them.
I was wondering what's the next best stuff, if it's worth adding EVERYTHING released in the realm, and if sorting by the DR year is a good way to do it. I still need to add book covers as well.
Thanks a lot, in advance, for your help :D
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Edited by - sendingsignal on 21 Oct 2010 02:59:46
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36870 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 02:36:47
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I'd recommend taking a look at O Love's Novels Timeline. 
Having ready a great many of the FR books as they came out, now I just pick and choose my reading order. Right now I'm rereading Elaine's books about Danilo and Arilyn, reading them in chronological order. I'll be stepping away from the Realms for a while after that, but I think I'll revisit the Rogue Dragons trilogy when I come back to the setting. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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sendingsignal
Acolyte
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 02:38:46
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ooh, thanks for the link! I'll start looking through it.
Do you think it's appropriate to read them chronologically then? Nothing is spoiled? (I know that sounds silly, but I still think it's good to watch the earlier produced star wars films first, haha) |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 02:57:02
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quote:
Originally posted by sendingsignal
Do you think it's appropriate to read them chronologically then?
That depends on just how much you know about Realms history already. If you're already familiar with the events of the return of the Shades for example, then reading the "Return of the Archwizards" trilogy before the various "Avatar" book shouldn't be too difficult.
quote:
Nothing is spoiled? (I know that sounds silly, but I still think it's good to watch the earlier produced star wars films first, haha)
Again, that depends on how much you know of Realms history. If you're being exposed to the setting and its events for the first time, then I'd recommend a chronological reading in order to prevent spoiling later events that might be referenced elsewhere. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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sendingsignal
Acolyte
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 02:58:58
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I don't know too much (only what I've picked up in the first two sets of drizzt books and Cleric Quintet.) And I wanna put the list together on my site with the intention of making things easier for first time readers.
So chronological then? By event/story date? |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 03:02:35
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quote:
Originally posted by sendingsignal
I don't know too much (only what I've picked up in the first two sets of drizzt books and Cleric Quintet.) And I wanna put the list together on my site with the intention of making things easier for first time readers.
So chronological then? By event/story date?
If you can manage it, I'd say both. There can be some convoluted examples of plot-lines and relationships between events referenced in novels that don't always follow the definitive "story date" as you said.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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sendingsignal
Acolyte
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 03:55:38
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| How do you mean both? Placing books a couple times on a reading list? Or just sometimes by story date and sometimes by release date? (I do that a lot on the DC Comics list, since a lot of flashbacks/backstory volumse really have to be read after other volumes of the character.) |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 05:07:53
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quote:
Originally posted by sendingsignal
How do you mean both? Placing books a couple times on a reading list? Or just sometimes by story date and sometimes by release date? (I do that a lot on the DC Comics list, since a lot of flashbacks/backstory volumse really have to be read after other volumes of the character.)
The DC comics example is pretty much what I was thinking. It pays to go back and forth through Realms stories ... depending on where they fall in event/story date categories, for maximum enjoyment. Like Ed Greenwood's "Shadow of the Avatar" and the original "Avatar" trilogy books. Even though they were published at different times, I'd recommend reading them both around the same period.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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sendingsignal
Acolyte
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 21 Oct 2010 : 07:09:26
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| cool. I'm bookmarking that o-love page and will see what it has to say. I'll try putting in all the titles I can find by release date first, then checking to see how that works compared to the DR dates, then bring it by you guys for any specific advice you might have. Might take a little bit, but you've been really helpful :D |
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BEAST
Master of Realmslore
USA
1714 Posts |
Posted - 24 Oct 2010 : 01:24:21
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sendingsignal,
Here's a link to my own <Comprehensive Chronology of RAS Realms publications>, including all the novels, short stories, and game modules that he's been credited with.
I calculate fictional dates based on the time clues within the works themselves, rather than using the publisher's official dates, because the official dates seem kinda arbitrarily chosen a lot of the time.
After the chronological order in the opening post, I provide individual posts for each publication which give the release date of the first edition and explanations for discrepancies from the publisher's in-world dates. These individual posts all appear in publishing order. |
"'You don't know my history,' he said dryly."
--Drizzt Do'Urden (The Pirate King, Part 1: Chapter 2)
<"Comprehensive Chronology of R.A. Salvatore Forgotten Realms Works"> |
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sendingsignal
Acolyte
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 27 Oct 2010 : 22:03:18
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wow beast - that's an amazing wealth of information. Thanks for the link!
I've got a lot to work on before I can update this list again (I'm currently running some giveaways (http://www.tradereadingorder.com/list/blog/giveaways/), like one for superman trade paperbacks, and updating a lot of the website code and features.) but I'll definitely pop back in here to update you when I've shifted stuff around or added new books or covers and stuff.
I'd like to make a little link section to collect all these resources that you've linked me too. I'll add it to my to-do list! |
Edited by - sendingsignal on 27 Oct 2010 22:04:04 |
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Ananta
Acolyte
Finland
22 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2010 : 23:01:09
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quote:
Originally posted by BEAST
sendingsignal,
Here's a link to my own <Comprehensive Chronology of RAS Realms publications>, including all the novels, short stories, and game modules that he's been credited with.
I calculate fictional dates based on the time clues within the works themselves, rather than using the publisher's official dates, because the official dates seem kinda arbitrarily chosen a lot of the time.
After the chronological order in the opening post, I provide individual posts for each publication which give the release date of the first edition and explanations for discrepancies from the publisher's in-world dates. These individual posts all appear in publishing order.
Oh lawl, never realized that was done by you. I've been using that for a while now. xD
Are you perhaps RAS himself in disguise? Because you seem to know literally everything about his works. :x |
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Sandro
Learned Scribe
New Zealand
266 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2010 : 06:57:35
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quote:
I've been using that for a while now. xD
Are you perhaps RAS himself in disguise? Because you seem to know literally everything about his works. :x
You'll find they disagree on far too many counts for that to be even close to the case. |
"Gods, little fishes, and spells to turn the one to the other," Mordenkainen sighed. "It's started already..." |
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BEAST
Master of Realmslore
USA
1714 Posts |
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Forgotten Realms Novel Reading Order
