JMFord/Liavek question

Anthony Nance

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Dec 21, 2009, 10:18:50 AM12/21/09

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I have Ford's _Casting Fortune_ , and I am utterly unfamiliar
with anything Liavek. How much will it impact my reading of
CF if I dive right in without doing any other reading in the
Liavek (shared-)universe first?

Thanks,
Tony

James Nicoll

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Dec 21, 2009, 10:23:16 AM12/21/09

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In article <hgo3kq$kb2$1...@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,

As I recall CASTING FORTUNE contains two previously
published stories and one new one. If you read the other collections,
you will read a large percentage of CASTING FORTUNE as a side effect.

--
http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicoll
http://www.cafepress.com/jdnicoll (For all your "The problem with
defending the English language [...]" T-shirt, cup and tote-bag needs)

Martin

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Dec 21, 2009, 10:52:30 AM12/21/09

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I read _Casting Fortune_ before any other Liavek stories, and found
the book, especially the title story, to be thoroughly enjoyable.
Ford did a fine job of showing enough background to avoid confusing
the new-to-Liavek reader.

Martin

Andrew Plotkin

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Dec 21, 2009, 11:07:58 AM12/21/09

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It will not impede you. You'll be introduced to characters who are
regulars in the shared volumes, but these stories are complete in
themselves.

The potted introduction to the setting is: fantasy city; cultural
stewpot, with several ethnicities and religions in dynamic balance;
everyone has a little bit of magic ("luck") on their birthday; a few
people undergo the effort of investing their luck into a talisman,
thus making it accessible year-round, thus becoming wizards. There's
more to it but I think that's all that's relevant to the Ford stories.

--Z

--
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
*

Andrew Plotkin

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Dec 21, 2009, 11:12:39 AM12/21/09

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Here, James Nicoll <jdni...@panix.com> wrote:
>
> As I recall CASTING FORTUNE contains two previously
> published stories and one new one. If you read the other
> collections, you will read a large percentage of CASTING FORTUNE as
> a side effect.

But the new story is the best one. (And the longest.)

Here, Martin <moor...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I read _Casting Fortune_ before any other Liavek stories, and found
> the book, especially the title story, to be thoroughly enjoyable.
> Ford did a fine job of showing enough background to avoid confusing
> the new-to-Liavek reader.

Agreed. Except that the "title story" (the new one) is actually titled
"The Illusionist", not "Casting Fortune". I always forget that too. :)

Dan Blum

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Dec 21, 2009, 2:41:24 PM12/21/09

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I agree with others that starting there is not a problem.

Note that Ford wrote a fourth Liavek story which is not in
_Casting Fortune_: "Riding the Hammer". I believe the poems that
appear in at least one of the collections are his as well.

--
_______________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum to...@panix.com
"I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't just made it up."

Mike Schilling

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Dec 21, 2009, 4:54:03 PM12/21/09

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As the others have said, not a problem. Liavek is a bit like Discworld writ
small -- several subseries plus a number of standalones, and each subseries
and/or standalone story can be read on its own.

Anthony Nance

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Dec 22, 2009, 7:58:51 AM12/22/09

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Excellent - many thanks to you, James, Martin, Dan, and Mike.
- Tony