Isobelle Carmody

[Kookamoor]

Isobelle Carmody is an Australian author, and perhaps not too well known beyond the Australia/NZ shores. She began writing the Obernewtyn series in 1987, and is still yet to finish the series almost 20 years later. This series was primarily aimed at teenagers, however it was very popular among adults as well at the time it came out. To summurise the plot, I refer you to Amazon.com

Originally Posted by Amazon.com

In the tradition of Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley, Carmody embarks on a promising new series featuring telepathy, empathy and other psychic talents. On an Earth nearly wiped out by radiation and chemicals that have whitened the sky and poisoned the land, surviving humans have built a semi-agrarian culture. Though their own religious leaders, the Herders, have paranormal powers, they persecute the mutated Misfits, whose psychic abilities they view as a form of subversion. Thus, Elspeth Gordie, an orphan, conceals her exceptional abilities (prophetic visions, the ability to communicate with animals) from the other workers around her. Nonetheless, she is discovered and taken to the legendary Obernewtyn, an isolated town reputedly full of horrors. But instead of the tortures she expects, Elspeth finds friends and learns of the harmful experiments performed elsewhere upon talented Misfits and of the destructive powers that may have survived the Age of Chaos that ruined Earth. Though most of Carmody's characters are clearly bad or good, she avoids blatant stereotyping by imbuing many with conflicting interests. She also presents the Herders' primitive culture in considerable and vivid detail, from Elspeth's arduous ride through the Western Mountains to a farmer's daily life of toil and gossip. Despite their abilities, the Misfits are at the mercy of their superstitious culture and those who run ObernewtynAa plight that generates convincing plot turns. This is the first novel by Carmody, an Australian children's writer, to appear in the States. Readers will look forward to more.

Indeed readers did expect more, and since the initial publication her books have been published every 3 to, possibly, 7 years:

1. Obernewtyn (1987)
2. The Farseekers (1990)
3. Ashling (1995)
4. The Keeping Place (1999)
5. The Sending (rumoured for release 2006/2007)

I recall meeting her both when I was in primary school and high school, the latter after The Farseekers came out. Someone asked her when she would finish the series. Her response was that she wasn't sure, but that she liked to write other books at the same time to prevent herself from getting bored.

Granted, she has written a lot of books (see below, thanks to obernewtyn.net), but she lost me as a reader when she failed to provide an ending to the Obernewtyn series. I'm certainly no longer in the demographic it was designed to reach. This could certainly be seen as poor marketting, but is it also betraying the reader in some way? I invest time to read these books she has written. Does she have an obligation as an author to complete this series? Or is that selfish of me to expect? I think it's a little selfish, but I also think that an author embarking upon a series should bear in mind that their reader loyalty is likely to suffer if they do not produce a conclusion to their work in a timely fashion. If I was her publisher, I certainly would not be impressed.

So is anyone else familiar with Carmody? If so, what do you think of this? If not, have you had similar experiences with authors not completing series' in a timely fashion?

-----------------
Her other books include:

- The Legendsong (series)
1. Darkfall (1997)
2. Darksong (2002)
3. Darkbane (release set for one year after The Sending)

- The Gateway Trilogy (series)
1. Billy Thunder and The Night Gate (Puffin - Penguin 2000)
2. The Winter's Door (Viking - Penguin 2003)
3. The Firecat's Dream (speculated release date 2006)

- Little Fur (series)
1. Little Fur: the Legend Of Little Fur Book 1 (Viking - Penguin 2005)
2. Little Fur: A Fox Called Sorrow (yet to be released)

- Quentaris (shared world)
1. Angel Fever (2000)
2. The Cat Dreamer (yet to be released)

- Scatterlings (1991)
- The Gathering (1993)
- Green Monkey Dreams (1996)
- The Red Shoes {illustrated by Anne Spudvilas} (Lothian 1996) - story also found in Green Monkey Dreams
- Greylands (1997)
- This Way Out: Five Plays {with Steve Taylor} (1998)
- Bear Flower (a short story - published in a Canadian anthology)
- The Landlord {illustrated by Ken Carmody} (Lothian 1999)
- The Man Who Lost His Shadow (HarperCollins 1999) a short story - published in the anthology Dreaming Down-Under Book 1
- Dreamwalker {illustrated by Steven Woolman} (Lothian 2001)
- Wildheart (Omnibus 2002)
- Journey From the Centre of the Earth (2003)
- Alyzon Whitestarr (Penguin 2005)

[muggle]

I think it was a mistake not to finish the series in a reasonable lenght of time since it was targeted to children.

On the other hand what about Stephen King and the Darktower Series. It took him well over 30 years to finish the Series and he probably still would not be finished if not for his near death accident.

And lets not forget Robert Jordan. I will probably be "Six Feet Under" before he finishes the Wheel Of time Series.

Now I will have to go and checxk the reviews on some of Carmody's books as the titles at least look interesting.

[MonkeyCatcher]

I am extremely annoyed with Carmody, to be honest. I thought that she was taking so much time to finish the Legendsong series because she was busy with the Obernewtyn one, but apparently not so. She currently has /five/ unfinshed series! Two I can handle, but five? The downtime between each book is just too much, in my opinion. I'm sure that she is losing followers over this. She's lucky that her books are good, otherwise I'm sure that she would be losing popularity a lot faster.

If anyone happens to meet her, tell her to hurry up with Darkbane! I'm dying to read it!

[muggle]

Hmmm, her Legendsong books looked familiar. You may have seen some of my posts on one of my favorite Sci-fi/Fantasy writers, L.E. Modesitt, jr. His "Saga Of Recluse" series I especially enjoy. He also has written a Series called "The Spellsong Cycle" that looks similar to the above mentioned Legendsong books by Carmody.

The Spellsong Cycle:

The Soprano Sorceress - book 1 - 1998
The Spellsong War - book 2 - 1999
Darksong Rising - book 3 - 2001
The Shadow Sorceress - book 4 - 2002
The Shadowsinger - book 5 and final in series - 2002

[Kookamoor]

Originally Posted by MonkeyCatcher

She currently has /five/ unfinshed series! Two I can handle, but five? The downtime between each book is just too much, in my opinion.

I just got this info from Obernewtyn.net, which, being the fan-boys that they are over there (more likely fan-girls, actually) I assume that they are correct. Five series' is a trifle excessive, I agree.

Originally Posted by MonkeyCatcher

I'm sure that she is losing followers over this. She's lucky that her books are good, otherwise I'm sure that she would be losing popularity a lot faster.

Yeah, she's a good writer, and very prolific. But honestly I question the merits of having so many series' on-the-go.

muggle - what was King's 'near death' experience??

[muggle]

Originally Posted by Kookamoor

muggle - what was King's 'near death' experience??

I was referring to his accident in 1999:

Hospital officials say author Stephen King is in good spirits after several hours of surgery early Sunday for injuries suffered when he was hit by a car while walking near his Maine home.

King was in serious but stable condition after suffering a collapsed lung, multiple fractures of his right leg and hip and a scalp laceration in the accident.

The accident made King realize that he should finish the Dark Tower Series as he did not want to leave the work unfinished.

[Kookamoor]

Cheers, muggle! I found some neat links at wikipedia after I read your description. Interesting stuff. Makes me want to read the Dark Tower series even more now.

[muggle]

Originally Posted by Kookamoor

Cheers, muggle! I found some neat links at wikipedia after I read your description. Interesting stuff. Makes me want to read the Dark Tower series even more now.

Hey shorttimer. Are you telling me that you have not read the Dark Tower Series. You have some great reading to look forward to.

[Kookamoor]

Originally Posted by muggle

Hey shorttimer. Are you telling me that you have not read the Dark Tower Series. You have some great reading to look forward to.

Shorttimer?

I picked up 'The Gunslinger' from the library, but just couldn't get into it, unfortunately. I do intend to try it again, though; I've heard such great things about this series. I've also heard the first book is a little hard to get into as it's written differently to the rest. I'd just come off reading something very light before I picked it up, and I think it was a contrast that didn't work so well.

[muggle]

Originally Posted by Kookamoor

Shorttimer?

I picked up 'The Gunslinger' from the library, but just couldn't get into it, unfortunately. I do intend to try it again, though; I've heard such great things about this series. I've also heard the first book is a little hard to get into as it's written differently to the rest. I'd just come off reading something very light before I picked it up, and I think it was a contrast that didn't work so well.

Shorttimer in the sense that you will soon be leaving Canada for your home Country. No question that The Gunslinger was probably the most difficult of all the Dark Tower books to get into but the pace really picks up and reading each book makes you want to immediately read the next. It is nice though to permit a little time between books to reflect some on what you have read.

I have decided against reading Carmody as, at my age, I don't want to start something that may not be finished before me.

[MonkeyCatcher]

Originally Posted by Kookamoor

I picked up 'The Gunslinger' from the library, but just couldn't get into it, unfortunately. I do intend to try it again, though; I've heard such great things about this series. I've also heard the first book is a little hard to get into as it's written differently to the rest. I'd just come off reading something very light before I picked it up, and I think it was a contrast that didn't work so well.

The Gunslinger was quite slow and a little hard to get into, but the second is just brilliant. Havn't got any further than that, though

[chris_2005]

i've read "Obernewtyn" its a really wonderfull book

[alfinge]

Do you know where i can locate the e-books of this series "Obernewtyn" People are talking about it and they are saying that it is a good series, but i can`t find any of the books in Norway, not even in Inglish!

[MonkeyCatcher]

Originally Posted by alfinge

Do you know where i can locate the e-books of this series "Obernewtyn" People are talking about it and they are saying that it is a good series, but i can`t find any of the books in Norway, not even in Inglish!

I'm not sure if they will be available on ebook format, as Carmody is an Australian author and I think that her popularity is based mainly Down Under. I'll give you a yell if I hear anything, though

[Halo]

I'd heard good things about the Obernewtyn series, so I read the first book a few months ago. It was okay, but I don't think it lived up to the hype. It just seemed like everything took a very long time to happen. I also found that I couldn't really take to the main character for some reason. I don't think I'll be reading the next ones.