Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Leon_Lionheart 09-28-07, 06:17 AM	Not just The Orc King, either--when I went to the mall to pick up my copy yesterday, I also checked the hardcover copies of Promise of the Witch-King and Road of the Patriarch, and saw that they too were rough around the edges. It's really annoying. Not only am I a bit **** about my bookshelf, but it makes turning pages a chore unless I do it from the top or bottom. The pages along the outer edge don't line up, and are roughed up and ever-so-slightly bent in places where they don't. It's really unforgivable--I know they can do better than this, I have the single-volume hardcover collection of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy to prove it! So why is my beloved copy of The Orc King so sloppily made? And with its nothing-short-of-awe-inspiring cover art and all... :( Well, you can't see it from spineside, at least...
msatran 09-28-07, 11:28 AM	Sloppy production equals a rush to get the book into the stores. Perhaps they thought that by doing this, they could quell player hate.
Stoyrm 09-28-07, 03:14 PM	Your hard cover is messed up along the edges? (The paper or the cover)? Cuz my Exile has a strange paper thing. It's not lined up together around the edges, was this not intentional? I saw 3 books and they all had it (hardcover versions). I thought it was awesome ^^
WotC_RichBaker 09-28-07, 04:28 PM	It's called a deckle edge, or deckled, or deckling. It's intentional. In fact, we pay extra for it, or so I understand.
Thinblade 09-28-07, 06:35 PM	It's often used for books wanting an "older" feel (I had a King Arthur hardcover with deckled edges), which is somewhat odd. I've worked with centuries old books made of both parchment and paper and overwhelmingly they have the same kinds of straight edges that most modern books do. Occasionally you'll get one where the edge of the book block isn't very straight, but that's caused by poor craftsmanship (the tool used to trim off excess edge was bulky, somewhat hard to use, and dulled quickly), generally not intentionally.
MarkusTay63 09-28-07, 07:02 PM	It's called a deckle edge, or deckled, or deckling. It's intentional. In fact, we pay extra for it, or so I understand.More bad decisions. :rofl: So, are we to surmise that this 'aged' look indicates that all of the events have now happened in the past... the DISTANT past? :(
GothicDan 09-28-07, 07:04 PM	It's often used for books wanting an "older" feel (I had a King Arthur hardcover with deckled edges), which is somewhat odd. I've worked with centuries old books made of both parchment and paper and overwhelmingly they have the same kinds of straight edges that most modern books do. Occasionally you'll get one where the edge of the book block isn't very straight, but that's caused by poor craftsmanship (the tool used to trim off excess edge was bulky, somewhat hard to use, and dulled quickly), generally not intentionally. We had a tangent today in "Historical Writers of Rome" class concerning old book binding and such.... ... Yeah. Why would anyone PAY EXTRA to represent old, POOR bindings?
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 09-28-07, 07:06 PM	... Yeah. Why would anyone PAY EXTRA to represent old, POOR bindings? *chuckles* For the same reason people shell out hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars for designer "peasant tops"? Or deliberately ripped up jeans?
GothicDan 09-28-07, 07:10 PM	Oh, you mean stupidity? ;)
Thinblade 09-28-07, 07:14 PM	And a complete lack of understanding of what old books actually looked like. That said, I sometimes like a deckled edge on my books. Sometimes it works with the overall feel of the book. The King Arthur I mentioned, for instance. Other times, not so much. Not having seen The Orc King yet, I can't comment on this particular instance.
Stoyrm 09-28-07, 07:29 PM	i love the deckled paper, it loook epically awesome (i know that epically is not a real word)
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 09-28-07, 08:51 PM	Also, how can a book truly look "old" when it has a fresh, shiny, glossy cover?
MarkusTay63 09-28-07, 09:41 PM	Good point - it kind of defeats the whole purpose. Oh, you mean stupidity? ;)We prefer to call it 'Vintage'. :P There goes one of those 'Buzzwords' again. :rolleyes:
GothicDan 09-28-07, 09:43 PM	What about the buzzcocks?
Dark Wizard 09-28-07, 10:28 PM	I like those edges just for the texture, just like I like paperbacks with matte covers. Though it only works for certain books/stories and if the entire book is design with a texture heavy mindset. The Orc King does not seem like such a novel.
Thinblade 09-29-07, 12:16 AM	Rin: I never said it had to make sense. We are talking about marketing people, here. And Dark Wizard, that's pretty much my feelings too.
Leon_Lionheart 09-29-07, 04:48 AM	Oh, well now I know. But deckled edging just looks so flipping out of place when you combine it with this beautiful, beautiful cover art... I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a more realistic picture of Drizzt, even from Todd Lockwood! (And paying such close attention to the swords, to make them match the designs for the in-store replicas, was a nice touch, too.) And the overall styling of the cover is nice, but modern. Nix the dust jacket, and you can achieve an "antique" look, though... somewhat antique, anyway. Well, now that I know it's not some production flub, I can be somewhat satisfied. I would rather it not be done, though. As much as the "deckled edging" might seem like a good idea given the Forgotten Realms setting and stories, it just doesn't seem to mesh all that well in practice. (And jeez, paying extra for a touch I neither like nor care about! And at my present budget! Man, am I angry at WotC now! :mad: )
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 09-29-07, 08:50 PM	Rin: I never said it had to make sense. We are talking about marketing people, here. I know. :D
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 09-29-07, 08:51 PM	Oh, well now I know. But deckled edging just looks so flipping out of place when you combine it with this beautiful, beautiful cover art... I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a more realistic picture of Drizzt, even from Todd Lockwood! While the quality of the art is good, Drizzt actually looks kinda fugly on this particular cover.
Stoyrm 09-30-07, 08:24 AM	Wah, my Homeland HC is gone :'( *cries* Is it still in print btw? Most shops i've been to doesn't sell it anymore. :(
Leon_Lionheart 09-30-07, 08:53 AM	While the quality of the art is good, Drizzt actually looks kinda fugly on this particular cover. I don't think so. He has a very intense face, as if screaming a battle cry or something, but that's not ugly, that just expression...
Leon_Lionheart 09-30-07, 08:54 AM	Wah, my Homeland HC is gone :'( *cries* Is it still in print btw? Most shops i've been to doesn't sell it anymore. :( You'd probably have to go on Amazon to get it...
MarkusTay63 09-30-07, 01:05 PM	While the quality of the art is good, Drizzt actually looks kinda fugly on this particular cover.He was pretty ugly to begin with (that's him on the cover of the 2e DotU). After his 'rejuv' in 3e, he became younger and prettier. The only good thing about a century-time jump would be that Drizzt continues to reverse-age, and becomes 'unborn' in 4e. :P
Dark Wizard 09-30-07, 04:16 PM	ZOMG, Drizzt is such a ripoff of Merlin! :P
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 10-01-07, 03:01 PM	I don't think so. He has a very intense face, as if screaming a battle cry or something, but that's not ugly, that just expression... It still doesn't look nice.:)
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 10-01-07, 03:02 PM	He was pretty ugly to begin with (that's him on the cover of the 2e DotU). After his 'rejuv' in 3e, he became younger and prettier. The only good thing about a century-time jump would be that Drizzt continues to reverse-age, and becomes 'unborn' in 4e. :P rofl Drizzt is supposed to be pretty handsome, but he has rarely ever been drawn that way.
Leon_Lionheart 10-01-07, 05:29 PM	He was pretty ugly to begin with (that's him on the cover of the 2e DotU). After his 'rejuv' in 3e, he became younger and prettier. The only good thing about a century-time jump would be that Drizzt continues to reverse-age, and becomes 'unborn' in 4e. :P Indeed. Drizzt looks like an old man on the old cover of Starless Night, and that's my first image of him. At the time, I didn't even know that was him. I was under the impression that the book would include some kind of evil, elderly wizard or something. That Drizzt was U G L Y, and I don't know where they got that golden hat-thing from. The current image of Drizzt is awesome, though. Whether his facial expression is or not. (And when one is screaming a battle cry, leaping down from on high with both blades drawn, one does not look remotely handsome, whether one wants to or not.)
GothicDan 10-01-07, 06:44 PM	... I think you can look handsome while screaming. In a sort of tortured/enraged sort of way.
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 10-01-07, 09:27 PM	... I think you can look handsome while screaming. In a sort of tortured/enraged sort of way. *snickers* I agree! Drizzt doesn't even look recognizable, LOL.
Leon_Lionheart 10-02-07, 09:20 AM	... I think you can look handsome while screaming. In a sort of tortured/enraged sort of way. How?
GothicDan 10-02-07, 02:15 PM	What do you mean 'how' exactly? It's not a mechanical process to describe... I sure did find Brad Pitt hot in ALL of Troy, even when he was screaming.
MarkusTay63 10-02-07, 02:59 PM	So Danial, have you been having fantasies about tying up Brad Pitt, again? ;) Your doctor already told you how unhealthy that was... :P
Leon_Lionheart 10-02-07, 04:48 PM	What do you mean 'how' exactly? It's not a mechanical process to describe... I sure did find Brad Pitt hot in ALL of Troy, even when he was screaming. How can one look simultaneously handsome and tortured/anguished/enraged, while screaming a battle cry and plummeting down atop an enemy with blades of death drawn and swinging? That by its very natured is an ugly image, especially when it's you that's being leapt upon. When one's face is contorted with battle-fury, it tends to eclipse any present handsomeness that might have been there. BTW, we're just talking facial expressions, here...
GothicDan 10-02-07, 05:13 PM	You hush up about my doctors, Markus! :p And, personally, I find handsome males to be just as good looking, if not moreso, when showing extreme levels of emotion... Ever hear of the phrase, "You're hot when you're angry", regarding women? Similar thing. It's not something that one can explain logically, really - it's a preference thing. But it's certainly possible to be attractive and tortured at the same time. Then again, maybe I'm just 'off.'
Leon_Lionheart 10-02-07, 06:50 PM	You hush up about my doctors, Markus! :p And, personally, I find handsome males to be just as good looking, if not moreso, when showing extreme levels of emotion... Ever hear of the phrase, "You're hot when you're angry", regarding women? Similar thing. It's not something that one can explain logically, really - it's a preference thing. But it's certainly possible to be attractive and tortured at the same time. Then again, maybe I'm just 'off.' I don't really think women are hot when they're angry. But maybe that's because I'm too busy ducking for cover to notice the attractiveness of it...
Thinblade 10-02-07, 07:35 PM	Going back to the orignal point of the thread (though the derailment is fun too), I was working today with a couple of books owned by a famous person who died a while back (yes, I'm being vague. Deal with it. Comes with the territory of the archivist), and discovered a whole set of books with deckled edges. In this case, they were obviously a special binding (leather, with plenty of tooling, and her initials on the spine), with high quality paper and large margins. I bring this up simply as an illustration that the deckling process has been around for a number of decades, and may have emerged from the custom/high end binding industry.
Wardden 10-02-07, 07:51 PM	I agree both with the OP, my copy was likewise in a sad condition, and with the discussion about drizzt's change in appearance. LOL he looks much better now, the elderly appearance you speak of was a horrible interpretation especially considering how old a drow would have to be to actually look that old.