Stephen Donaldson - The Thomas Coveneant books and the Gap Series

Books Forum

I've been a Fan of these books for a long time now, and I was wondering if anyone else has ever read them?

I am reading the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever now, I am half-way through the second trilogy. This is actually the second time I am reading them because it took me so long to get through the first time, I had to re-read them. I really like these books.

I have not heard of the Gap series though. Is that the book of short stories Stephen Donaldson edited?

No, I think that that was the mirror of her dreams or something like that! No, the Gap series is a set of Five Sci-fi books that he wrote. The first one is a bit strangely written, but it is very short and once you're through that the next four are amaizing. Definitely some of the best Sci-Fi I have ever read!

i loved the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. excellently written books. the ending was especially interesting.

I did not really like the ending, I thought he should have lived with Linden.

No, he could never have gone back to normal life in the world. He was too changed. It would have been nice to have had him living with linden, but I like the way it ended, and I don't think that it would have truly worked any other way!

No, he could never have gone back to normal life in the world. He was too changed. It would have been nice to have had him living with linden, but I like the way it ended, and I don't think that it would have truly worked any other way!

Yeah I guess I see that now, reading it all again a second time, I just get sad for Linden, finally finding a man to love and then losing him like that. She had been through so much she deserved better.

I still don't understand why Cail wanted to go back to the Merewives?

yeah..i kinda felt bad for her, and was sad that he died, but they both seemed pretty happy about it. i still don't think i know if that world was an illusion, or if it really existed....i'll have to re-read sometime..

I am about a chapter away from finishing re-reading all six books/ two trilogies and I still have no idea whether it was real or not. Maybe there is a clue in the last chapter, I will let you know if I find it.

allright. thanks shmiggens. my own personal opinion is that its a real world...it'd be kind of hard to have 2 people dreaming the same thing...unless your strangely psychic... but then theres the fact that he "conveniently" dies at the end...so you never really know if they were both dreaming or if it was just her... but i'd lean toward it being a real place.

Well it could be either way.

Linden takes Covenants ring when he dies and uses it to heal the Land and she takes it back with her to the "real" world with her. No other way it could have gone from his hand to hers unless what they went through in the Land was real.

But ... Linden ueses the Staff of Law to heal the land and she uses it to heal Pitchwife and The First, I would assume that during all this healing she also heals herself (the gash on her head) but when she comes back to the "real" world the gash is still on her head. She has not been healed in the "real" world, only in the Land.

Personally I think it was real. I think the ring changing hands is more "concrete" evidence than the gash in her head.

wow...i have know clue half the stuff you just mentioned, i've forgotten alot from that series...i'll put it on my "to reread list"

That happened to me too, I was talking to someone about the book and had no idea baout some of the things they were talking about, so I re-read it. It is heaps better the second time around. I took in so much more details and things about the Land.

I recommend you do read it again.

I am surprised there are so few posts about Thomas Covenant / Ur Lord / The Unbeliever etc. within the whole of Inreview, but perhaps I haven’t got to grips with the system of searching yet

I intend to re-read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant again just prior to the release of Stephen Donaldson's final book in his next series, The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which begins with The Runes of the Earth and involves Linden trying to unravel more of Lord Foul's tricks.

I read The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story, on my 3rd attempt spanning 10 years and although it sort of tells you the story again from different angles I believe it sets the scene character wise for the following books. I was really into The Gap Into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge, reaching the point where a virus had been laid in the Captains Fancy's memory core but I began decorating from which I haven’t recovered and have misplaced the book ha ha! but I’m a patient sort so it’ll keep

Stephen Donaldson is an excellent author, possibly my favourite above JKR! (wash my mouth out with a zone implant)

OMG! Is he releassing a third trilogy? Awesome!! I just started reading the first trilogy again, so I'm good and ready for a new series!

I thought there'd never be more, the first one's came out in the last 70's, I wasn't even sure if Stephen Donaldson still wrote books. Awesome. Thanks for the news beezneez!

What are these books actually about? They sound fascinating, but only get the gist of it, not really what the story/stories entail.

OK, there's a guy from Earth, called Thomas Covenant, he's a leper, his wife leaves him, the town hates him and he starts having these "dreams" about this place called "The Land" where everyone thinks he is a hero because he resembles some long-dead hero and because he wears a white-gold wedding ring and white gold cannot be found in the Land.

He quests about with these people from the Land, giants, wierd horsey-people elves (well they're not elves, but they're little people who live in trees) drawves (fat people who live in rocks) and whatever, helping them fight their wars and what not all the while wrestling with his inner-self and his leproy.

Saying much more would give it away ...

ah huh, but basically the dude's just dreaming all this crap? Or his dreams turn out to be real or something. Sounds interesting...

...... you'll have to read it to find out .......

There is an interview with Steven Donaldson at http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/interview.aspx?ID=11373

as well as an official excerpt from the Runes of the Earth but wasnt sure if pdf's can be attached so check out : http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/extras/...softheearth.PDF

That except sounds intense.

I did wonder whether Joan had lived or not, seems she did.

WARNING - SPOILERS

Can anyone tell me what happens to Brinn when the Isle of the One Tree copllapses? They don't make any mention of him afterwards.

hmm, good question. Other than his becoming its gaurdian, i can't remember anything about it.

I read Runes of the Earth, and it was very good. I can't wait for the next one!

I read the new one. NOBODY TOLD ME THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE AFTER THIS AND I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought that the tome (yes tome, it's friggin HUGE) that I was given would be the complete story, but no ..... there is another book!!??!!??. Jebus.

Anyone knows when the next one comes out and will that be it, or is it a trilogy (or worse)?

Fatal Revenant is the 2nd of 4 books in the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

However..........it wont be published 'til October 2007 (after JKR's Harry Potter dust settles )

Runes of the Earth was 2004, Fatal Revenant follows 3 years later; I guess the 4th book'll be out in 2013! so it looks like I'll start my re-reading in the Olyimpic year of 2012!!!