+- RepairmanJack.com Forums (https://repairmanjack.com/forum)
+-- Forum: F. Paul Wilson Related (https://repairmanjack.com/forum/forum-8.html)
+--- Forum: F. Paul Wilson Main Forum (https://repairmanjack.com/forum/forum-3.html)
+--- Thread: Some questions about The Secret History of the World. (/thread-4439.html)
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - madh0us3 - 09-11-2011
Really sorry, as I have some questions that I'm sure have probably been discussed here before. I'm going to ask them anyway.
I'm working my way through the RJ series and I want to also pick up The Adversary cycle before I read Nightworld.
It's my understanding that the revisions to Reborn and Reprisal are pretty much just related to updating technology and don't affect the story? I already have Reborn and it's an older copy.
It is also my understanding that Nightworld has been heavily revised and is still due for another revision. That's fine by me as I don't yet have a copy of this - my personal tribute to such a pair of great book series will be to own the final book as a nice first edition hardcover. (assuming that it's released like that - I read something from The Man that seemed to indicate he wasn't sure if it would be released in hardcover)
Am I pretty much getting this right so far?
Now for the questions that I'm a little fuzzier on: I've seen the list on this very website for The Secret History of the World, and I see that "Sibs" is on the list. It's not on either of the lists for Adversary or RJ. Is this book pretty closely tied in with the whole thing? Are there events in this book that are key for future books? I've already read past it on the timeline but I can (will) pick it up. Is there a point in RJ or Adversary where I should stop reading until I've read Sibs?
Are there other full books heavily tied into the whole thing that don't fall into RJ or Adversary?
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - rjack_fan - 09-11-2011
You can ask anything you want, don't feel bad about recovering things already discussed as there are a lot of new members that probably have the same questions you do.
I'll take a stab at this to get you started, and i'm sure someone else will be able to come along and add to this or correct me if i'm wrong.
I have read Reborn, and I believe that was mostly corrected for time reference, not plot. I have not read Reprisal (waiting for the updated version in a few months instead of reading the original version I have), but I believe that was also for references, not plot.
Nightworld has been heavily revised to account for the RJ series, which did not exist and was not even thought of when the original was written. The Jack in the original does not know a lot of things that the current Jack does, so the story had to be updated to reflect that. The heavily revised version was released as a limited edition from Borderlands press. The edition due out next year has only been very slightly revised from the Borderland one, and FPW has posted about those slight changes and said they would be hard to notice unless you were looking for them (or something similar). I plan to read the final version when it comes out, and then the Borderlands and original. There are members here that have already read the versions that are out, and i'm sure they can add more to the discussion.
I have read Sibs. It does tie in with the series, but it is not critical to understanding the RJ books. Some of the characters and events provide some background information that relates to one of the Jack books, but if you have read past it you would not have missed anything important. Reading it after the fact you can see the connection.
Black Wind is a book that should be read before By The Sword (if I remember correctly, I read so many in a row the books are blurring at this point). While not absolutely critical, it will add greatly to the experience, it is most meaningful if read at that point, and it is a great book it's own right.
The short story collections also have many stories that tie in to The Secret History, but you do not necessarily have to read them at any particular point other than before Nightworld (I do not think they have anything in them that ties in to the plot, but since the History ends there they would it would make sense to read them before).
Hope this helps, and feel free to post any remaining questions!
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - Alaric88 - 09-11-2011
I've read the originals of the adversary cycle and the RJ series. I didn't read Sibs and understood everything so i don't think you'll be missing out on the series. The Black Wind was an incredible read and By The Sword does make a lot of references.
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - rjack_fan - 09-11-2011
Alaric88 Wrote:I've read the originals of the adversary cycle and the RJ series. I didn't read Sibs and understood everything so i don't think you'll be missing out on the series. The Black Wind was an incredible read and By The Sword does make a lot of references.
:welcome:
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - Alaric88 - 09-11-2011
rjack_fan Wrote::welcome:
Thank you I've been reading these for a while and figured I should quit boring my fiance talking about the otherness and Rasalom
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - rjack_fan - 09-11-2011
Alaric88 Wrote:Thank you I've been reading these for a while and figured I should quit boring my fiance talking about the otherness and Rasalom
You've come to the right place then. We never get bored with those topics around here. And as a bonus, you don't have to convince us your still sane after the discussion :-)
I stopped in here after I got one too many of these o_O from my spouse.
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - madh0us3 - 09-12-2011
Ahh, Black Wind, thank you. I thought I'd heard something about its relevance to the storyline, I'll add it to the list.
I'm going to wait until I've read Reborn (again) and Sibs before I continue reading after The Haunted Air. Thinking about The Adversary cycle yesterday, I FINALLY had the "a-ha" moment about the Sal Roma anagram. Yeah, I'm kind of dense sometimes.
As for MY wife, I generally just leave the statement.. "It doesn't have sexy vampires in it, you wouldn't like it". I agreed to read Twilight if she read one of my favorites (Bishop's Landing by Richard Forsythe) and I'm thinking when she wants to bargain to make me read New Moon, I'll give her Midnight Mass. I absolutely love the shots The Man takes at the whole "glampire" thing. Maybe I can reform her somewhat.
Some questions about The Secret History of the World. - Bluesman Mike Lindner - 09-14-2011
Mad--"reform" her?
She is thinking =exactly= the same thing about you.
