Saturday, June 27, 2009

He's Not Dead After All .....


I love to read. I have since I was a kid in grade school.

I read voraciously. With volumes and volumes under my wing all through school, I found myself at the tail end of my high school years discovering Stephen R. Donaldson and his The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever series of books.

The first - Lord Foul's Bane got me hooked right from the start.

The first trilogy centers around Thomas Covenant, a writer. Turns out he is a leper, too, despised by society and left to his own devices by his wife in order to protect their son from his disease. Covenant is conflicted and complex and destined to become the savior of The Land so lushly illustrated in the books, unsure if what he is experiencing while there is something real or some figment of his imagination. His sanity is at stake and the health of The Land is something he cannot fathom and even rejects, thus setting up the first trilogy of tales.

This was an amazing read for me way back when.

And then, at some point over the past 25 years, I thought Stephen R. Donaldson - with the six books about Thomas Covenant written making up the first and second chronicles - was dead.

When did he die? Where did he die? What did he die of? How old was he?

I had no clue. And never researched to find out.

Quite amazing when it's my nature to search out information on things that trip my trigger, seeking out every little bit of trivia I come across on an item. I'm a walking encyclopedia, oft times.

So ... I went quietly about my business, thinking Mr. Donaldson was dead and gone, not giving it another thought.

Until last weekend.

I was in a close-out shop of books and I came across The Runes Of The Earth, the first book in The Last Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant. by none other than the "back from the dead"
Stephen R. Donaldson. What a shock to the system. I purchased it immediately.

I found out right then and there that this new (to me) series of books would run four volumes. Giddy with my find, I didn't know whether to dig in right then and there or begin at the beginning and start the entire cycle all over again, just for the sake of the pure joy of reading. And I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do.

But .... I have a vacation coming up. I will be relaxing with the family. And, when I get the opportunity, I'll be turning pages - whether with Lord Foul's Bane or with The Runes Of The Earth - toasting Mr. Donaldson once more, glad that he is alive and well and working on the last two books of the series.

...................... Ruprecht ( STOP )

2 comments:

Midd13m4n said...

First, I'd start from the beginning to refresh the memories.

Next, I'd do some research and find out if this fellow is doing any book-signings. There's nothing better than read a book that's been signed by the author himself. Its like meeting George Washington or the starting line-up of the 1976 Stanley Cup winning Montreal Canadians or Elvis or Pee Wee Herman... or all 9 rolled into one!!!

Enjoy the upcoming vacation... whatever THAT is.

cajunvegan said...

Donaldson is another geekdorknerd thing you and @Pester/Boog have in common. He too has read all of his books and is anxiously awaiting the last in the series.