#malazan

[the-evil-duckling]

A short series of malazan quotes, part 1:

"The flower defies."

Tiste Andii poem, in its entirety.

[ae-neon]

One thing about being a woman (and in particular a black woman) is always being burdened with the expectation to remain resilient and gracious, to remain strong through struggle

That's why I love female characters like Nesta Archeron and Felisin Paran, who are bitter, who are broken and exist in sharp shards, who cut even the people who try to hold them because that is simply the form they exist in.

Through simple proximity they cannot help but hurt the ones they love, even though they don't want to

That is the realest, most human shit ever

But fandoms will always despise this in female characters because they expect them to have a sense of grace, a certain level of acquiescence, and an overt kindness to those around them

Fans often expect these characters to perform according to their expectations of femininity and completely ignore or brush over the internal struggles or moral values of these women. It is not enough for these characters to think or act for the benefit of others if it doesn't feel like a direct apology to the often male characters who are important to the audience

Fans ignore how words or actions may hurt these characters while magnifying how the characters words or actions hurt others.

There is no empathy for unkind female characters and straight up contempt for 'ungrateful' ones

[humanoid--human]

i've heard it said that malazan is a three million word essay on the nature of compassion

and this is true

but if malazan is an essay then this here is the thesis statement:

“We humans do not understand compassion. In each moment of our lives, we betray it. Aye, we know of its worth, yet in knowing we then attach to it a value, we guard the giving of it, believing it must be earned, T’lan Imass. Compassion is priceless in the truest sense of the word. It must be given freely. In abundance.”

and that sentiment is so utterly beautiful that by itself it balances all three million words and ten books of cynicism and despair and suffering

let alone the fact that throughout the series this thesis is lived out again and again

these books man

[autumntavern]

Commission series "The Wickans"

Made for Graceless Passion's Youtube Video here.

Crow Clan, Foolish Dog Clan, Weasel Clan and Camp Followers (feat. very tired Duiker!)

Lots of fun working on this, including discussing what Erikson meant by "threaded skin" with Grace.

[eve-is-obsessed]

Malazan character tier list

Felisin Paran

Sha'ik Reborn

Ganoes' sister

leader of the Whirlwind

Tavore's sister

[fallowhearth]

Rereading Malazan Book of the Fallen for probably the fifth time...

"This city was dead long before the sea dried up," Fiddler said, resuming his climb.

Crokus called up after him, "How do you know?"

"Because everything's water-worn, lad. Waves crumbled this sea wall. Century after century of waves. I grew up in a port city, remember. I've seen what water can do. The Emperor had Malaz Bay dredged before the Imperial piers were built-revealed old sea walls and the like." Reaching the top, he paused to catch his breath. "Showed everyone that Malaz City's older than anybody'd realized."

"And that the sea levels have risen since," Mappo observed.

Fascinating to see how a major plot-point of Witness (the new series) was being casually built up as early as book 2 of MBotF - the melting of the Jaghut ice. And perfect of course, that it is Mappo who brings it up: of the group, he's the only one who would have been in a position to know this.

One thing I truly love about this series is the extent to which the world feels lived in. People have lived in the lands for hundreds of thousands of years, and not as static occupiers, but have endured climate change, environmental collapse, invasions, migrations, cultural movements, and political upheavals. Nobody does longue durée quite like Steven Erickson.

He's also an author who cares about subsistence strategies and the way geography shapes human patterns. The major cities emerge in places where water transport and farmland intersect. Plains nomads have pastoral animals apart from horses, plus working dogs, women play key roles in subsistence, and they have distinct material culture in dress and decoration. (As opposed to certain other authors, cf. Bret Devereaux's Dothraki write up). Environmental changes and human movement force new strategies; pretty much every group in the Malazan world is in some kind of flux or process of change outside of the actual plot, and have diverse responses to these pressures in terms of culture and values.

For all that these books can be very dense, I also appreciate Erikson's loving indulgence toward the reader. Yes, it would be funny if a small spoilt lapdog joined a pack of war dogs: so we will have a series of vignettes describing this in the background of real events. Yes, it is very funny to picture a bunch of capering monkeys mocking the High Priest of Shadow and his broom nonsense, so we will get a series of slapstick set pieces again in the background. Characters like Kruppe and Iskaral Pust get to chew the scenery, etc.

[jellisdraws]

"Children are dying."

Lull nodded. "That's a succinct summary of humankind, I'd say. Who needs tomes and volumes of history? Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words[…]”

-Steven Erickson, Deadhouse Gates

[botchbehemoth]

god it's the little moments of compassion in malazan that really get me. it's mappo using his healing vials to save the wickan dogs, it's crone comforting the mhybe, it's that captain comforting the soldier who had to shoot coltaine. it's toc the younger hearing that the t'lan imass might be dispelled and looking at onos t'oolan, this terrifying undead freak who has shown emotion exactly one time, and going: i hope that doesn't happen, because he's my friend.

[say-gex]

you all should start reading malazan, we've got some great things there like:

nailing children down to crosses

weird relationship that borders on pedophilia

crazy lesbian lady

colorful bug folks

a big angry guy making clocks

descriptions of people pissing their pants

sadness, utter despair, just the most gut-wrenching situations

and last but not least, flying monkeys

if these don't convince you, i don't know what will

[corporal-nobbs]

Malaztober 2023 Day 10 - 18

[flyboyelm]

Quick Ben and Kalam from the book series Malazan: Book of the Fallen. Started reading it last year after months of nagging from my bf. Holy shit it's good, very grateful for the nagging!

I’m currently on book 3, loving it. No spoilers please!

[auricoma]

god malazan is annoyingly good. give me endless amounts of crispy, crunchy, undead prehistoric armies. what the fuck.

[ae-neon]

Watching Steven Erikson murder my favourite characters two books in a row

Guess that's why it's called Book of the Fallen

[thurgon]

Anomander Rake

Art by Harkalé Linaï

#Malazan Book of the Fallen

[autumntavern]

Monok Ochem, colour version! Bit experimental on the colours

[iwillberunningfromdemons]

Picker could not pull her eyes from the man. He sat hunched over, on a chair that had yet to find a table, still clutching in his hands the small rag of tattered cloth on which something had been written. The alchemist had done all he could to return life to what had been a mostly destroyed, desiccated body, and Baruk's talents had been stretched to their limits - there was no doubt of that.

She knew of him, of course. They all did. They all knew, as well, where he had come from.

He spoke not a word. Had not since the resurrection. No physical flaw kept him from finding his voice, Baruk had insisted.

The Imperial Historian had fallen silent. No-one knew why.

(...)

"Sure," Spindle snapped, "a story to break our hearts all over again! What's the value in that?"

A rough, broken voice replied, "There is value."

Everyone fell silent, turned to Duiker.

The Imperial Historian had looked up, was studying them with dark eyes. "Value. Yes. I think, much value. But not yours, soldiers. Not yet. Too soon for you. Too soon."

"Perhaps," Baruk murmured, "perhaps you are right in that. We ask too much-"

"Of them. Yes." The old man looked down once more at the cloth in his hands.

The silence stretched.

Duiker made no move.

Picker began to turn back to her companions - when the man began speaking. "Very well, permit me, if you will, on this night. To break your hearts once more. This is the story of the Chain of Dogs. Of Coltaine of the Crow Clan, newly come Fist to the 7th Army..."

Memories of Ice, by Steven Erikson (Malazan Book of the Fallen #3)