Talk:Assail (novel)

Latest comment: 10 months ago by Cunard in topic Notability, again

Notability edit

The notability of book in this article has been called into question several times. I have included a citation for an interview with the author by Clarkesworld Magazine discussing the novels, which I believe to be reputable enough to satisfy the "non-trivial published work" criterion for establishing notability. The other two citations I have added are blogs, but not personal blogs as advised against in the Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources. They are mainly supplementary for providing information on the number of novels in this series, the sequence, etc. Knmorgan08 (talk) 18:46, 11 November 2014 (UTC)Reply

I'd have to say that -
  • Yes, Clarkesworld Magazine is a reputable source.
  • The citation you've included does not demonstrate any notability for this particular novel, although it may do for the author and for the series as a whole. In fact, it sounds like he had not even written the novel at this point - all we have is the title. Deb (talk) 15:51, 12 November 2014 (UTC)Reply
The interview in this citation is a few years old and does not mention this novel because it was just released in August. The fact that a brand new novel cannot have its own page, even though ones earlier in the series do, because an independent source has not yet published anything about it seems like an unfortunately gray-area. I was hoping that establishing notability for the entire series and/or earlier novels in the same series would extend notability to this novel. If you disagree, I will continue to search for something published in the past few months. Knmorgan08 (talk) 16:24, 12 November 2014 (UTC)Reply
I don't think it does - see WP:INHERITED, which says that "three of the notability guidelines, for books, films and music, do allow for inherited notability in certain circumstances", which I assume refers to criterion 5. However, it would be difficult to argue, on present evidence, that this book's author is so well-known that all his books are automatically notable, or even that the series is so well-known that the books in it are therefore notable. However, if you could find an article from an independent and reliable source saying that everyone can't wait to find out what's in it - or words to that effect - that would make it possible to write about the book without it having been published yet. See also WP:CRYSTAL. Deb (talk) 10:03, 13 November 2014 (UTC)Reply

Notability, again edit

Notability issues were raised before. So far we (not counting mentions in passing in interviews and like) have tor.com (not WP:INDEPENDENT), The Wertzone (a blog, so not reliable), The New York Review of Science Fiction (reliable) and Fantasy Book Review (not seeing what makes this website reliable, it seems to even not have an 'about us' section). Ping User:Cunard - can you find anything to rescue this? TNYRoSF is getting us halfway there... Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus| reply here 15:24, 9 June 2023 (UTC)Reply

Hi Piotrus (talk · contribs). Here are some sources about the book Assail:

  1. Canavan, A.P. (October 2014). "Assail". The New York Review of Science Fiction. No. 314. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-06-08. {{cite magazine}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2023-06-10 suggested (help)
  2. Burt, Daniel S.; D'Ammassa, Don; Hibner, Holly; Kelly, Mary; Lamb, Clair; Ramsdell, Kristin; Schab, Lynda Lee (2015). Constantakis, Sara; Kazensky, Michelle (eds.). What Do I Read Next? A Reader's Guide to Current Genre Fiction. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-4144-9528-6. ISSN 1052-2212. Retrieved 2023-06-08 – via Internet Archive.

    The book notes: "In the sixth novel in the Malazan Empire series, glacial melting brings great changes to the northern region known as Assail According to rumors spreading southward, the retreating ice has revealed long-hidden treasures. But the dangers that have kept travelers out of Assail remain. The residents are hostile and use deadly weapons to guard their territory. Shimmer, a commander of the mercenary contingent known as the Crimson Guard, leads his men into the territory cautiously. Other opportunists and adventurers also make their way to Assail, including the bard Fisher kel Tath. Whether they are seeking treasure or adventure, all of the travelers must face Assail's beasts and unwelcoming residents. Meanwhile, in the south, a woman known as Silverfox tries to prevent a tragedy that is about to unfold."

  3. McArdle, Megan M. (2014-08-01). "Science fiction/fantasy". Library Journal. Vol. 139, no. 13. p. 68+. Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-06-08 – via Gale. {{cite magazine}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2023-06-10 suggested (help)

    The short article notes: "As the northern ice melts, the long inaccessible region of Assail is luring fortune seekers who hope to find gold but instead encounter fierce northmen with swords. Esslemont here completes (after Blood and Bone) the series set in Malazan, the world he cocreated with Steven Erikson."

Cunard (talk) 09:19, 10 June 2023 (UTC)Reply