Yes.
Now that we got that over with, yes, it’s the end of the Shares. It’s probably not the end of Ishmael Wang. I’ve had a couple of emails about not ending the series and I want to assure you that this series *must* end. It’s the last of the share levels. I can’t write another Share book.
What I can do is start another series. I can fill in the places where there are gaps. I have a whole universe of other stories to tell, some of which will have Ishmael Wang in them, I’m pretty sure.
I’d like to ask you to wait until you see what the ending of this series actually is before getting too upset.
After it’s over, you’ll have plenty of time to be peeved with me. :)
Now, fresh comment thread available. 26 should be up in the morning. Some of you will be cheering when it’s over.
I truly enjoyed Owners Share, thank you for your continued efforts in entertaining us all!
I have been, and will continue to be one of the “true 1000”!
Safe Voyage!!
So many critics! Wow! We’ve been along for the whole ride and it’s been a great adventure. Emma commented that she was 11 when we started listening to Ish’s story, so she feels she’s losing an old family friend now that the series is over but consoles herself with thoughts of other stories in the Solar Clipper universe to come, there is so much untapped space and characters we haven’t met yet (or some we’ll maybe meet again), and of course there is the Ravenwood series, too. We place ourselves in the true fan category (but, Nate, I think you must have more than a 1000 by now!). I am amused by the reactions and comments to how the series has ended, but it feels right and natural to me, and (article 37) has kind of book-ended the series. Part of the experience has been the contact you make, Nate, with your fans here and over at Podiobook, I have felt more connected with your work through you responses, having some background in which to place the books. It’s been cool – thanks for sharing your stories and your wonderful voice. :)
@Lisa…nothing compares imho. However, if you enjoy fantasy, Nathan does a great narration for Michael J. Sullivan’s “The Crown Conspiracy” at Podiobooks. Also I’ve enjoyed Abby Hilton “Guild of the Cowery Catchers”….enjoyable in it’s own right, very different from Trader’s Tales
Well done all around, though Article 37 (from top to bottom) generated a fair amount of righteous fury. I wasn’t really expecting a plaid tank to appear in this story and shoot me in the face.
I agree with the plaid tank. I was poleaxed when I realized what you had done. I know they say you have kill your darlings but…. Wow, I really loved the stories and more than ever look forward to what is coming next. Thank you.
Nathan,
What a superb ending to the ‘Share’ series. I have listened to every one, starting when ‘Quarter Share’ was the only one released in audio format.
These presentations were a large part of my introduction to literary podcasting, and one reason why I am now such an addict.
Thank you so much for giving me such wonderful stories at a time in my life when I couldn’t afford to buy books.
I can’t wait to hear what you have for us next. I would love to hear more from the Ravenswood universe. I really like your protagonist and am very curious to further explore that world with you through her eyes.
You are a singularly fantastic force in both the written and aural formats.
P.S.
Bully for you for pretty much singlehandedly crashing the Podiobooks.com website!
I was uncertain at first that I would enjoy this series, but it came highly recommended, so I gave it a try. I must say that you hooked me. I found myself wanting to know what happens next at the end of my workday and fought the desire to continue listening at home. I burn through a lot of audio fiction since I have about 5 hours at work where we are encouraged NOT to talk and to listen to our mp3 players and work hard. I find (good) audio fiction motivates me and I work hard and don’t notice the hours go by most days. I’m a bit spoiled by good narrators or casts and this series did not let me down. Thank you for such a wonderful series! I cannot wait to hear what you come up with for the next series (you better have a next series or I think I shall cry).
Nate. I need to apologize for my earlier comment . when I said the ending was unacceptable to me, and that I expected and required too much of you… having time to reflect and relisten a couple times,and rereading the posts. I realized ,I was wrong ,and I’m sorry ..you have a reason for writing it the way you did.I guess I was still cheesed by “article 37″… not a excuse,but maybe a reason…..I enjoyed ALL of your books…and will patiently wait for whatever else you decide to write …Thank You, for all your hard work,time, energy, your infinite patience and understanding..
Nate. Thank you so much for this journey. Ish’s sotry up to this point has been very well crafted and eloquently told. I think that the amazingly emotional responses here show the investment that your fans have placed in your character. I will eagerly await the next chapter in the story. The only thing I ask is to make the wait as brief as possible.
“Ish feels emptyâ€â€¦ um. no. actually he doesn’t but that’s obviously not something that’s getting across.
I believe that a lot of people were listening but not really “Listening”. When you want to hear what you expect, you don’t always hear what was said.
Hopefully, if/when they listen again, they will really hear what was said and the way it was said.
Maybe seeing the emphasis in text will make things clearer, when that option is available.
Well,
I believe I am as emotionally tied to the characters as anyone. Article 37 affected me greatly. Yet, I think the entire series was just excellent. Article 37 was unexpected, but so is real life. This certainly leaves the future stories wide open. I expect that after time, Article 37 will ensure that those of us affected will never forget this experience. The whole of the Share Series is much greater than it’s parts. I have seldom listened (or watched) anything that is as satisfying to re-experience as the Share series. Not exactly sure why, just that Nate GOT IT RIGHT on so many levels.
Thank you Nate.
Still wondering about the Hardback special edition. Is it still going to happen? Is there a way to sign up so I don’t miss out? I want to add to my Quarter Share special edition. :)
Nate, I am looking forward to discovering what happens after Episode 30. I mentioned before that I understand why you did the Article 37, and while it saddened me and had me on the verge of tears I find myself envious of your ability to elicit such emotion. Thanks for bringing us all along this journey.
Lemme make a general announcement on the hardbacks for Half Share, Alex.
I made this post in the other blog, but I need to make it here, too.
I have listened to the last 3 episodes several times since my first shock with Article 37.
Ishmael did not fail. Think about how Ms. Thomas was 2 years ago and where she is now.
Think about where Ishmael first met Ms. Arellone and how she was finally able to laugh a
real laugh by the end of the book.
Ishmael took a ship that was striped of almost everything and dirty and made it a ship that people lined up to ride.
Ishmael stood by his crew member when that crew member could have been forced off the ship.
Yes, I was as gut punched as Ishmael was by Article 37, but I will recover as much as he will. It will just take time.
@ Nate Thank you Nate for sharing the past 20 plus years of Ishmael’s life with us. Safe Voyage in all that you do.
TIMES SHARE!!
Can someone kill me now?
After all the emotional freak-out and back-and-forth comments, I decided to re-listen to the last two episodes. I’ve now done this three times. So for whatever it’s worth …
Your new character is warm, competent, and very human. The last line was a perfect book-end to the series, and made me smile. The return of the welkies & tai chi resonated. All this I noticed the first time thru.
Re the final ending … You clearly said it, so why didn’t I hear it? I didn’t have preconceived expectations, and I think the listener also has responsibility for hearing what is said. Was I still wrapped up in Article 37? Was I slow in matching the change in emotional pacing? I don’t know.
It is clear that my interpretation was emotional. Somehow I never felt that Ish ever wanted or considered doing anything else. And throughout the series, I’ve sometimes felt sad because Ish seems to make good friends but never seems to keep in touch w/ any of them. It’s sometimes felt like a lonely journey.
For whatever reason, I heard the move to emptiness, I heard any camaraderie as Ish just going through the motions, and any “snap†out didn’t seem to cover the emotional distance. While I wanted the best for this nice, ethical, sincere, compelling character, my initial emotional response was that our Ish was alone and adrift.
Having re-listened, I now understand what you were doing. I no longer want an epilog. All good things must come to an end. Thank you for the stories.
Thanks, Annie. Good to hear. I’m looking forward to the next series of Ishmael Wang stories myself. I can’t wait to see what he gets up to in the next six. :)
Nate –
Your comment about 6 more books takes the sting out of Ep 30 for me… I felt like Captains Share was a crescendo/finale but Owners Share left me with the “Empire Strikes Back” feeling. Not saying I want the Ewoks in your next series (please, no) just that 6 more stories on Ish would rock. A book or books on academia with flashbacks would be a best-seller in my eyes…
Six more? Really?????
Oh, the end was too soon and not enough…..ARTICLE 37!!!!…..I hope to hear more about Ishmael Wong and I think that the storyline has had plenty of possibilities built into it by the author who did a great job of setting it all up…….here is my foretelling of the future story to be written……Ismhael takes his profit and purchases another Higgby for him to set out to re-connect (seabird whelkie) with his past…..possibly doing some side business with Pip and family……seeing old crewmates and classmates to let us find out how their lives are going…..getting a crew member ready for her change from crew to bridge officer……visiting St. Cloud and leaving with a very special whelkie…..he is able to significantly increase his fortune through a very opportune chance with an old captain (set up by the examples of him being able to do analysis of trends)…..happens to be at Jimmie Choo’s during a roundabout trip to see his father and lo and behold….Miss Maloney has been going there in anticipation of seeing him again (remember she was told not to let him get away by an experienced person and they are connected through the dolphin and the love of good cuisine)…..after some deep discussion of their lives and some confessions of long suppressed truths, romance blossoms to give Ishmael the peace and belonging he is needing from a family of his own……skip to some later years and a Capt. Arrelone is on board one of their ships to continue a family run business……..his connection back to the Academy on Port Newmar to bring another generation into the deep dark……….
A series that had me anticipating each new episode and many times of re-listening…..A great read, Nate!!!!!!!
@btw – um. no. just wrong. but i appreciate your trying REALLY hard to get me to stop writing Ishmael Wang stories :\
@annie – well, there are probably a hundred or more waiting. but only the last one will have the happy ending everybody wanted for this book. So, be careful what you wish for.
@aaron – if i can ever think of a take that can beat Bedtime for Bonzo, I might consider it. As it is, and knowing what life in the Academy is like? I’m not terribly interested in playing there.
FWIW, I don’t intend to write the same story twice. There’s only so much mileage I can get out of “and then we went to (fill in the next trading port)…” So far I’ve had six unique stories, each with its own theme and idea. The ongoing insistence that I really *needed* to have Ishmael get the girl and continue sailing from port to port would have marked the end of Ishmael Wang in my writing because I’ve explored those ideas as far as I want to — at least for now. A long time ago, I promised I wouldn’t kill him at the end of this book. I assumed that meant you wanted me to write more about him. For that to happen — and for him to meet up with his old friends and have new stories for me to tell — this series HAD to end the way it did. Ishmael is looking forward. He’s set up with a nice income. He’s heading back to his roots and he’s free to pursue whatever adventure awaits him there.
I’m sorry that a few of you have found this distressing — even traumatic. I’m not sorry that I told an honest story.
Good point on the excitement of college life. Fast forwarding 4 years saved us a lot of failed relationships, studying at coffee houses and binge drinking (oops, I may have just described mine instead). Does your family understand how much back seat driving you’ve been subjected to? You might need to ship out for a cruise of your own to keep your sanity…
Nate you did a fantastic Job on Owners Share. As with all of your books I devoured it with a gluttonous fervor. I just cannot get enough of the world you created in the “The Golden Age†I absolutely love each of the characters I meet, and meet is exactly how I feel. Your writing style, and the eloquence and depth in which you reveal them to us leave me feeling like I have not only met these people but have become emotionally invested in them as well. I truly care about them. My Heart was truly broken for Ish by [Article 37] (great job of handling that BTW I totally understand why it was necessary to the evolution of “the storyâ€) I was encouraged by Miss Maloney’s Growth from what we were led to believe was a jet setting heiress to a strong determined woman of character, and an excellent counterpart to Ishmael.
Please, please play in this world as often as you are able to. I have “re-read†the other books in the “Share†series several times already, but will probably go through them all again now that the arc is complete. This will only take me a week or two. I will then be left much like Ish at the end of Owner’s Share, looking out at the deep dark not knowing what comes next, but knowing that it will be an adventure.
“I’m sorry that a few of you have found this distressing — even traumatic. I’m not sorry that I told an honest story.”
I had noticed that there were some review that stated disappointment that everything was “upbeat” in your Share series. I had been concerned that you would take that to heart and change your style. I’m _so_ tired of the many “and everyone fails” books and movies that seem to be everywhere.
The smooth way that you addressed the many “adult” themes (including death) throughout the series was refreshing.
Thanks, Delbert. The “it’s too perfect, too pretty” people let me know that I’m hitting correctly, I think. One of the realities of putting writing out there is that there will be a percentage of people who won’t like it for one reason or another. “Too perfect” or “too much emphasis on food” or “too much sex” (that one still puzzles me) or “not enough happens.” I’m good with that, particularly when the same people come back book after book and note that I haven’t changed much – the stories still suck because nothing ever happens, there’s too much emphasis on food, etc. Obviously *something* is working, even for them, and the majority of the response has been so much more than I could have hoped for.
I hope I’ll be able to continue to write the stories I want to read and that, when I put them out there, other people will find them and want to read them. I suspect that I’ll write stuff now and again that this person or that person might not find interesting or appealing, but I’m also confident that the nature of the internet is that for every one that drops out, five will take his or her place. That’s not to say I’m not sensitive to the critiques. Too many instances of “that’s not working for me” might indicate a problem. I do consider the critiques, but with all said and done, I haven’t found many of them that have much credibility.
On the other hand, I *do* have to agree with every one of the five star reviews. Those people know I’m brilliant and it shows in every word they write about me. (j/k) but it is a lot easier to believe the good press and discount the bad. I try to take both with a hefty pinch of skepticism and a five pound bag of salt.
@Nate – “well, there are probably a hundred or more waiting. but only the last one will have the happy ending everybody wanted for this book. So, be careful what you wish for.”
Ok how about this: you time all these hundred books so that you are able publish the last one about 2 weeks before you “Shuffle off this mortal coil”. Thank way you can bask in all of feel good comments but escape before the “But I want more stories, why did you do that” comments can build up TOO much! Sounds reasonable to me. :)
Thanks again, stay true to your vision, it is remarkable clear.
I agree with a previous poster who suggested that a series about the E&D Division would be most welcome. Well done indeed Nate and thanks again.
Joe
Well, I can finally comment a bit. I needed to wallow a bit with article 37 and so on, but have come to terms with it. It was so unexpected. I am glad you plan to continue with Ish. He so deserves it. Anyone who says he is not a real person is oh so wrong. He is very real to all of us who truly love him. We just want more for him and it sounds like he is going to looking for it. He has so many talents, the ability to care for and bring out the talents of his crews, even his officers in the earlier books. He inspired and helped many, many people both up and down the chain. Brill and Frances and Lee and Pip and Bev and, well, all the folks in the books. He needs to reconnect to the world because his strengths are connected to his caring for the people he comes in contact with. Right now he has lost that. Don’t blame him. I think he has to learn to trust himself again. Keep thinking Nate, ’cause we want to know where you go with Ish. We will wait until YOU catch your breath. I should think you are exhausted right now. You probably need a hot tub.
WTF Article 37??? Please Nate. How about a couple of extra chapters to get us Ish junkies through until your next (sure to be amazing) book. Pretty please with sugar and cherries on top? It wouldn’t matter which Share book the extra chapers were added to…perhaps Ishmael visited the South Coast? Did he run into Otto and have an adventure?
@memline – yes i do! but can’t rest on my laurels and hardies. Got more audio due for other projects and need to move it move it.
@alice – heh – nothing on the horizon but did you listen to Crown Conspiracy? Or my other two books? They’ll get you through a couple of weeks if you don’t main line them :)
Let’s learn a rule of writing “successful” stories.
The character who the reader imagines him or herself as. When this character is hurt the readers feel the pain. However, since a character is intimately (not sexually) involved with the protagonist, they care about him or her. So they mind if this character is hurt or dies.
Readers care about the protagonist. However, if he or she does not have a point of view, they do not feel the pain that the protagonist feels. If you have a protagonist who is the point of view for the story, your putting your readers in the mind of a character they care about. If this character is hurt, the readers are hurt. If he or she dies, the readers die. Or at least they might get so upset they’ll never think about your book again.
Now, do you see why you should not kill off a protagonist with a point of view or their intimate yet?
@Memilne – No, I’m not wrong. Let alone am I “Oh so wrong”…
Look, you love the character, I love the character. We agree that it’s a great character. We agree that Nate is a good writer, and we’re both happy to see him have success.
My beef is that when faced with a tragic event, Ish truly did not mourn. Mourning IS a process. Ish was more upset about his divorce than Episode 28’s events. Ish was more upset about his mother’s death than Episode 28’s events. Even then he skips steps 2-4 in the 5 step grieving process. He goes from isolation to numb. He doesn’t ever hit denial, anger, or bargaining. EVER. At least, not that is written down.
That isn’t human. You may sometimes skip a step, or a couple of steps, but you never always do it without fail.
Then there’s that whole ships passing in the night theme that gets hammered home over and over again. Most of the people Ish has met that have been Captains long-term have a close friend nearby. Either as a spouse, or a first mate. But they’ve been there a good long while and act as an emotional anchor. Ish keeps sheering his anchors off in 2 years or less.
I love the story, I even love the ending. I just don’t like the build-up to the end. It feels hollow. Great end, great beginning, great middle, great climax in the last book… And then… Ish fails to be human. Not predictably human, just human.
I admit that I am obviously projecting here but I wanted to see him snap. Truly snap his keel off, foul his rudder, and hit doldrums. To lose his sense of what way is up. Then I could understand the need to go find himself and do some soul-searching. It’s all there, but it isn’t expressed. It’s muted like he’s doped up on Prozac. His emotional range feels compressed to me, and with events like this how can he not come unhinged.
Yes, people love Ish. He’s dependable, he doesn’t really judge, and he does right by people. He gives, and gives, and gives… But very very few people give back to him long-term. He keeps cutting himself off from anyone who would be an anchor.
@ashawyer – Personally I’d rather see Nate get the chance to move on and work with his other ideas for a while.
Yes, we love Ish, we want to know what happens, and the wound of the series wrapping up is still fresh.
I would really rather not see Ish’s story (his story, not his interactions with others during their story…) hacked together to keep people happy until Nathan has had a break and time to decide what he wants Ish to do, if he even decides to ever pick up the Ish torch again. Lest he have to retcon his own universe’s history to make things fit better in the future.
I think, and this is just me and I’ll let Nate decide whatever he wants to do (I’ll still keep buying his books, even the ones not about Ish most likely.) really…
I’d like to see Nate do some sort of yearly or bi-annual “Trader’s tales: Tales From the Dockside” where he takes one of the characters from the Ishyverse and re-tells an in-port experience from their view. What is Brill thinking when she marches Ish to Chez Henri? How did her shore-leave shape up including her evening with the Midget? He can flesh out other characters without feeling truly boxed in or typecast as a writer (success-wise) by Ish.
It’s a chance to expand upon the other characters without altering Ish’s story to fit someone else, and he doesn’t have to worry about short term doses of Captain Wang interfering with a long-term vision of Ish’s tale that may not be complete, let alone started.
Who knows. Maybe he could hold some sort of book-release contest where readers toss in what character and which port of call (Podiobook Episode & Book…He could specifically exclude events that he may think may be key to him in the future pre-emptively, or simply ones he doesn’t feel he wants to revisit.) to write about. He could then write-up that story, release it on Podio-book, and later release them post Owner’s Share as a collection of short stories.
Personally I could see a “Tales of the Dutchman” series starring Sarah as she uses “The Ghost of Lois” to inspire the lazy to shape-up, and the dangerous to ship-out. Maybe it could be a pop-up book for children ala the Grimm’s Tales of old (Titty Mouse & Tatty Mouse anyone?).
But, like I’ve said repeatedly. It’s Nate’s story to tell, and I do fear that him using our input (…including mine even though I’m obviously being a self-important blow-hard here… Just because I have a strongly held opinion doesn’t make it right.) to alter his tale of Ish into something that isn’t truly Ish.
I suppose one of these days I’ll have to get over my own self-criticism and see if I can’t bring myself to release it to the public to dig into, let alone have a publisher see it. Then maybe I’ll better understand what it is like to be in Nate’s shoes, and have people telling me off about my story and how it wasn’t “right”. :|
@Jamming – I disagree. Killing off a character is the best way to say that you are done with this theme and story. It isn’t about what your readership wants. The only real way to anger your readership is to kill a character in a way that is not befitting their stature. Someone like Chewbacca, you drop a damn moon on them from orbit. Someone like [Article 37] you use them to further the story of the protagonist. If they were co-protagonists, I could see agreeing with you, maybe. Unless you’re looking to explore a sense of loss as a part of enabling one of the two to grow beyond the other.
@jamming – i’m never going to convince you about this story. i can’t imagine you’re going to change my mind. i have no argument with the idea that i could have told this story differently or better. i think that’s a necessary condition–the sense that I could have done it better. i feel that way about every book. if i didn’t think i could do better next time, i’d have to stop writing. At some point, I’m going to fail at doing it better and I’ll need to decide what to do about that, but I don’t think I’m there yet with Owner’s Share.
Your comments here, over on Podiobooker, and on the fan forums have made it quite clear that you believe that I’ve wronged you. I’m sorry you feel that way. There are two or three people out of the almost 7,000 who’ve listened to this story so far who are so upset over this that they’re writing me off and told me so in no uncertain terms — there are a couple more who believe that the whole series is somehow reduced because of it. There may be hundreds who are upset and just don’t comment, who have decided that they’re done listening to my stories.
I’m ok with that. It’s not that I’m callous or insensitive to your pain. It’s that I see it as inevitable that *somebody* is going to be upset by what I write, regardless of what it might be. I’ve got a whole religious contingent *still* after me because of Half Share.
At this point, I’m not sure what it is you want from me. I’m not going to re-write this book. It might get edited for text release based on Ridan’s take on the story. If it’s significant, I may consider redoing the podcast. I’ll have to deal with that in mid-2012 when we get this into the pipeline for text release. Personally, I think my time is better spent in creating new content, but I may change my mind when I see what the text version looks like.
In the meantime, you’re more than welcome to come here and throw rocks, to lecture me on what I must do in order to be a successful writer. I’m very pleased that you feel comfortable enough with me to come into my house and scold me. I’m sorry you feel the need to do so, but I’m not going to gainsay your welcome here simply because I disagree with you.
When it comes to the issue of this book, I’ve heard you. I understand what you’re saying. I don’t agree. I’ve heard your arguments and read your comments. I’ve responded to many of them the best way I can. You’re not convincing me. The arguments based on “you have to agree with me or I’ll stop listening to you forever” threats are particularly unconvincing.
If you’re not happy with the direction, or the story, or audio quality or anything else–including my attitude–there’s nothing in the world keeping you from turning off the stream and walking away. That’s really up to you. You wouldn’t be the first. You certainly won’t be the last. If I’ve offended you, I apologize. I hope I treat my guests with respect, especially if I don’t agree with them. If I’ve failed in that regard, please accept my heartfelt apology.
But let’s be clear.
The only listener I owe anything to is the one I shave in the morning. Everybody else is a volunteer who comes along for the ride because they’re interested in where it’s going. That probably makes me sound arrogant, but it’s how I see it.
@memline@jason randolph – the stages of grief thing is an interesting point and one I’m probably going to take up with Ridan. As I see it, the problem is first person point of view. He only tells you part of the story — the part he wants to share. That may be a problem in terms of making him an unreliable witness but it’s been like that from day one. The “At least, not that is written down” part is the key. I don’t disagree with you on the stages, but I’m not sure that stepping through them would be something he’d do. I realize that’s a bit of a dodge and you’re making a valid point that will definitely be taken up when we get this thing in the text processing queue.And you’re right about his cutting off his own anchors. There’s some pretty meaty stuff there that could be very interesting to explore in the next series.
@Jason Randolph – that “Tale from the Dockside” is an interesting one. I may use that — but you need to understand that i don’t like short stories. I don’t read them much. I don’t write them much. By the time you get invested in the story, it’s over. The good ones are like eating a single potato chip.
I have done a few. I know the principles. But short stories are like bonsai. It requires a very different time scale and pace of narrative. It requires carving the narrative down so a word stands for a paragraph and each sentence is a chapter. Doing it well may be beyond me.
Ok i am back now Sar.Sorry to say but i had to take a few days off owners share after it ended but thats just how it is sometimes *shrug*.I had to do the same thing after i finished alexander dumas book *the black tulip* for the same reason *article 37 etc etc* but it is only a book after all.I wont stop listening to your stories because of it though because is this really the end of Ismael?i dont think so.Even if it is i have my own mind and i can create another story how it will end up there if i have to (In my mind it is).You may take a break from Ish but he wont take a break from you lol.Will be looking forward to the next book[serie] from you.Maybe a story about Pip or Brill who knows what you have in store for us?With your evil mind (heheh) i have to expect anything but i love surprises (good ones anyway).Have to agree with you though…its only one (or maybe 3 if your including your siblings and wife) person you really have to satisfy and you did say who that was.Well guess back to doing nothing for a while.Ordered quarter share a week or so back but i think i missunderstood the dedicated part when i just wrote my name…ohh well just have to see what it will say when i do get the book wont i? lol safe voyage until next time captain
@lars. No. Not the end of Ishmael. That was kinda the point. :D
I’m trying to remember what I wrote but I’ve shipped so many in the last couple of weeks … :/ … sorry man. :)
The only point that is left to make is that, the ones left here are the ones that forgive you or trying to forgive you. You need to know that there are others who don’t and maybe never will. I include myself in the don’t, but not the never will. Maybe it was because of my own pain or that I identified with Ish success and pain too much, it was like you kicked me in the stomach. I am sorry about coming into your house, but you need to at least hear that not everyone is satisfied and why, even if you don’t agree. It is easy to write us off as not one of the thousand true fans, but we were true fans through Five Books and 90% of the Sixth and that ought to count for something.
@Jamming. Not so. There is still one comment left to make. Nathan Lowell is not your bitch. http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/entitlement-issues.html
@Brand Gamblin …what an interesting and timely argument you found. Thank you.
Hey, Nate, the stages of grief were Mr. Randolph, not me. I agree with you. I know the stages of grief and they are not neat little thingies you go through and out the other end. You can work through one, go on and then backtrack. You can be doing ok here and there until reminded and start over again, even years later, hoping it is a little better each time, etc,etc. Numbness at first is very common. It is a part of disbelief (denial). Besides, poor Ish keeps having the scene he “watched” going over and over again in his mind. He is also in PTSD. He is having a hard time getting up in the morning and getting his job done without connecting with passengers or crew. Hence, he totally missed Miss Arellone’s pain. All of this is to say I thought long and hard about Article 37 and chapters 29 and 30 and am completely on your side as to Ish and what he is trying to accomplish for himself. Right now he needs to go heal himself and find out what and where his place in the universe is to be. Go Ish! PS You know, we don’t really know that he has lost track of his friends. He could have a “Christmas card” type of communication with these folks, but it didn’t make it into the books.
[nate note: oops .. sorry. too many comments and i’m blurring them all together.]
Well, I finally finished the last episode of Owner’s Share. It took a level of self-control that I didn’t even know I had to limit myself to one episode per day, listening during my morning walk. When some negative comments from other fans about the ending of the book starting surfacing, I began to feel a lot of apprehension as I slowly but steadily approached the final episodes. I had been enjoying the books and story tremendously – why ruin it all with a bad ending?
I’m relieved and happy to report that I have no criticism and no regrets about how the book ended. To me, it was very consistent with the whole rest of the six-volume story. Imagine how boring the story would be if Ishmael had always stayed in the same circumstances. There wouldn’t be much to say after a while. It’s the fact that he is regularly facing major life changes, and how he deals with those changes, that makes the story so fascinating.
It’s hard to explain how and why these books have touched me so deeply. Somehow I really connected with them, like many other fans. These books have made my life richer. Now that the stories are over, it will leave a big hole in my life. It is definitely going to be much harder to motivate myself to take my daily walks! Listening to Les Miserables or War and Peace will just not be the same as these books! With any luck, Mr. Lowell’s decision to NOT tie up all the loose ends will result in more wonderful Solar Clipper books in the not-to-distant future. Keep up the AWESOME work!
@Nate – It isn’t that I expect the narrative to always be 100% truthful. It’s just that I expect it to occasionally seep in. You can’t always managed to self-edit pain out of one’s own narrative. It just seems like he lives, or narrates anyway, within a very strict and limited bound of emotion.
I think perhaps my disconnect on why that is may be because the book is written as an on-going first hand narrative rather than a first person narrative of things past, and it doesn’t really journal like a diary either. So it’s hard to not look at it from the viewpoint of you’re experiencing his life through his eyes real time. When you’re doing real-time narrative you get real-time emotion, and as such the narrative I would expect it should be as appropriately raw. Anyway, something to think about.
Yeah, I’m not hugely keen on short stories either. Which is why I suggested that they all be an alternate narrative of an event that has already been covered in the books. That way you don’t have to worry about what comes next. We already know. In the meantime you can explore the depths of the non-major characters in a way that increases your intimacy with them. It’s like playing D&D. Characters you play out as a personality are not as developed as the supporting cast. Non-player characters, the supporting roles, always have a pseudo personality. You never truly put yourself into their mindset when writing them. Well, I don’t anyway. I don’t know how much you love the supporting cast, or how much you do or do not .
Anyway, it was just a thought. What you feel you want or can do (or Need to do if you feel driven enough) is really up to you. :)
@Jamming – I made a careful point of not criticizing the events themselves in the book. I criticized things that were missing or didn’t make sense from an emotional standpoint, but I did not suggest that the book ended in a way that wasn’t appropriate to Nate and it was not disrespectful to his readers either.
So repeat after me: “YOU DO NOT RIGHT THE STORY” If you want your own story, write it. Create it. Just don’t use Nate’s characters as that’s you imposing your will upon his story (Which is why I REALLY hate Fanfic) using your view of the characters, and your desire for a happier ending. Life isn’t all happy, and if Art imitates life, then characters have to die.
Owner’s Share was very good. I think it might have been the best in the series. I found Ishmael more grounded and candid about his maturity and as a result I was better able to relate. I also liked the discussion in chapter (one / two?) about Ishmael’s Martyr pattern and that his related choices were not leadership or generosity but a feature of “being a mess.â€
I like the character but I also see him as a young guy weighted down and struggling with a lack of emotional resources that influence his circumstances. Yes, he is a nice guy and good guy but still young.
I had no problem with the ending. It seemed coherent. I am not sure that Ishmael fully knows how to take care of himself. Although that seems to be changing but until that happens there may be a lot of ups and downs in the stories to come.
Thanks for the great read. I especially enjoyed the book while trapped in JFK by the storm last week.
@ Jason Randolph and Brand Gamblin
Neil Gaiman is a hack and I despise his writing, he isn’t half the writer Lowell is and that’s when I am upset with Nathan. I Do Not “Write†The Story either and have no desire to write Nathan’s Story. Nathan should realize that his story is not received by all in the glad handing-back patting-celebration you give him without real criticism. Utilized in my commentary are two other Authors essays on good plot methodology for the sources. There is no reason to name drop them or myself. I am writing my third to be published novel after my two previously not-self but publishing house published. Most of what I have written is several other fiction short stories; much of my writing has been non-fiction. There are reasons that I felt and feel that I have learned much from Nathan’s Ability in certain areas. Individuals have the right to their opinion and I am only expressing it in a cogent method. As you try to marginalize my criticism you should be prepared to receive in kind.Â
There are reasons that I had preferred this to be a fan written criticism, rather than one professional to another. I have received a number of emails through my publisher and written letters in my time writing and feel those criticisms are much more useful than the ones that encourage me blindly.  There is also that my critique could be considered jealously.  I am not planning on writing any fan fiction because I prefer to get paid for it. Nathan’s work is the first to engender a real emotional interest to me in a very long period, partly due to his guileless and heartfelt use of his abilities. The last three chapters seems like he took advice from some other hack like Gaiman.
@Jamming – Yeah… There’s a reason why I used the word RIGHT instead of WRITE. It’s not your job to correct perceived flaws in the story. I gave an opinion about something I felt was missing, but I cannot argue that the tone was anything but right.
But, I’m not a published Author so what the hell would I know? I’ve only read thousands upon thousands of books in my life. Obviously your OPINION must be far more correct than mine. And, when faced with criticisms and even referencing the opinion of a very well regarded and successful writer that dissents you call him a hack. You lack the ability to even humbly disagree with those around you. Instead of stopping to consider why some of us disagree with you and your opinion, you go right back on the offensive. Who are you, Sarah Palin? You don’t retreat, you reload?
Jamming, Jason Randolph and Brand Gamblin while an interesting “discussion”, this may not be the best forum to pursue it. Personal attacks on each other is straying from discussing the merits of Owner’s Share and how the series was ended.