Tad Williams Was Late to His Own Revolution | A Spoiler-free Overview of His Fantasy & SF Works

Comments · 528

• TH

  @thelibraryladder · 3 years ago · pinned

  Due to events outside my control (including heavy professional commitments, travel, and an untimely bout with the flu) this video took a lot longer to produce than I expected. I apologize to anyone who's been waiting patiently since my community post teased it three weeks ago.

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• TH

  @TheLilylucky13 · 2 years ago

  Hi, as Tad's editor for his long fiction (from Tailchaser's Song, and on into the future) I deeply appreciated your analysis and conclusions. But as his publisher, I feel it important to say that Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn was heavily promoted. Yes, as "a modern Tolkien" but even in 2024, I still meet many authors who still cite Tolkien as their favorite writer (though I personally don't agree, his place as the cornerstone of high fantasy cannot be argued.) When Tad set out to write Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, his aim was to modernize the form with well-fleshed out female characters, secondary characters, and a tribute to those classic authors who made him the writer he is today. To Green Angel Tower was a smashing success and spent five weeks on the New York Times and London Sunday Times bestseller lists (he hit those lists on his birthday in March 1993.) You seem to imply they were not successful when they were published, which is not correct. It is correct however that too few people appreciate Tad as I believe (and you believe) he should be appreciated. Tad is a true master. Sadly, many readers have too short attention spans. However, I will continue to work with Tad (we first met in 1985, after I bought Tailchaser's Song, and we remain very close to this day) until I am forced to stop either from age or illness, which I hope doesn't happen for many years to come. Betsy Wollheim

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• MA

  @malcolmhays2726 · 3 years ago

  It's a crime he hasn't been recognized for his works. He truly is a master of epic fantasy.

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• SA

  @sandwichdelta · 3 years ago

  There's truly nothing better than someone with a pleasant voice talking at length about something they're both knowledgeable and passionate about. This is an absolute gem of a channel, and I've found some great books I've never even heard of through videos like this one.

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• EK

  @Ekaidseaky · 3 years ago

  I think Tad Williams is probably  the best fantasy writer ive read. Memory, sorrow, and thorn. Reads like that missing piece in fantasy. In between that classical epic fantasy and the new modern epic fantasy. Using the best of both worlds

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• DA

  @DarthLobitou · 3 years ago

  There is one small thing that Tad Williams does that no other author I've read does consistently, and that's adding a "the story thus far..." summary at the beginning of each new book in a series. This, to me, feels like he respects his readers and is aware most of us would've read dozens or more books in between the last entry and the latest. It may seem like a small thing, but for us avid readers who can't stand still between releases of a single series, it is a great help. Plus, it makes his books easier to revisit whether by going through them all over again or just picking and choosing your favorite passages. I only just read Otherland back in 2015, but for two months of my life I could think of nothing else than those books, so enthralled was I. Few other authors have managed to hold my attention captive even when doing something other than reading. Not Martin, not Rothfuss (both of whom I don't care much for, if I'm to be perfectly honest), not even Sanderson with his intricate (oftentimes confusing) shared universe. The downside to this may be that Tad is the kind of author you have to set special time apart for the first time you jump into his worlds, and his books have a hard time being that book you only read during your morning commutes.

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• SE

  @Severian1 · 3 years ago

  Tad deserves more attention than he has now and I am so glad for this video! Him inspiring GRRM is perhaps the understatement of the year. So many elements in ASoIaF have their origins in Osten Ard. I hope more people give him a try.

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• NU

  @numb3r5ev3n · 3 years ago

  Tad Williams as an author reminds me of this quote about the Velvet Underground: "Not a lot of people came to their first show, but nearly every one that did went out and started a band after hearing them."

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• NA

  @NaliniKluth · 3 years ago

  Tad Williams is quite popular over here in Germany. I met him about 26 years ago during a book presentation and afterwards me and my wife had dinner with him and his agent. He is such a sweet and nice character and he certainly deserves better. I love all his books, but still my favourites are his 4 Otherworld novels. I had never read anything like this ... and have never since. Brillant!

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• DU

  @dugonman8360 · 3 years ago

  A lot of people enter the fantasy genre by traveling through middle-earth or Narnia, Hogwarts or westoros or randland, but my 14 year old self began that journey by beating a weary traveler of osten ard. <br><br>Tad still to this day is my favorite contemporary author next to Gene Wolfe. He is so sublime in his writing and worldbuilding and storytelling that, as a struggling writer myself, he&apos;s one of those guys that teaches me utter humility at being such a master of his craft.

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• MR

  @MrSentinel83 · 3 years ago

  The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn Trilogy to this day remains the best high fantasy trilogy I&apos;ve ever read. Will definitely read the sequels someday.

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• SU

  @SuperPlastered · 3 years ago

  I read Otherland a long time ago and it still hangs with me. My friend who passed a couple of years ago gifted me The Dragonbone Chair and it’s time to read it!! Thank you for bringing Tad to YouTube!!!

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