About
I write under the name R. Scott Bakker. I strive to be a cynic in the ancient sense, wandering through agora, crying out hypocrisy wherever I think I see it. My great enemy is Moral Certainty, the intuition that we have won the Magical Belief Lottery. History is littered with these so-called truths, and the suffering that it inevitably causes. Psychology is sketching all the troubling, unconscious ways we turn reason upside down to defend them. And neuroscience is beginning to unearth the hardware responsible.
Your whole universe only weighs three pounds–and it shows.
Outside cynicism, my other loves are pulp and philosophy. I’m best known for a now immense epic fantasy series called The Second Apocalypse. The first trilogy, The Prince of Nothing, is complete. And I’m presently completing the final volume of the second trilogy, The Aspect-Emperor. As with all my fiction, my goal is to embrace the genre, to genuinely celebrate what it is that readers love. The only thing I’m interested in subverting is simplicity, so I offer complicated worlds filled with complicated characters–places deep enough for archaeological digs and people as moody and hard-to-figure as your family and friends.
They’ve caused more than a little controversy over the years–the way I think good books are supposed to. I invite you to give them a try.
THREE POUND BRAIN, meanwhile, is simply a place where all these things can be discussed and challenged, everything from barbarians and their loincloths to brain science and the metaphysics of morality. Weigh in… We’re all lightweights around here.
A quick disclaimer: I am no exception to all the conceits and vanities I lampoon on this site. Whenever I call humans stupid, I am calling myself stupid as well. No matter how grandiose the claim, no matter how apparently declarative the tone, I see all my speculations as cartoons and caricatures, as potentially important possibilities, and nothing more. Some of it, I actually refuse to believe.
If I thought I was some kind of magical exception, I would have called this blog the Thirty Pound Brain. My head is nowhere near so fat…
Yet.
Well, I just came here to actually rant a little bit! I just don’t understand why I can’t find people talking about this book! I mean I’ve seen a few sites where people post a bit about the book, and I tried to register for the three seas forum and no response! I love reading and I would loovvee to discuss the complexities of these series, and like seriously, its the best series I’ve ever read! Ok, I’m not going to lie, I bought the first book and I was like… this isn’t for me..but a year later I finished reading it and I’ve been in it’s grasp ever since. I’m currently almost finished rereading the entire series again and I’m halfway through the JE… and let me tell you…I DO NOT usually reread books…but its almost like I’m reading it all again for the first time and I’m catching so much more! I’m personally enjoying it 10x more the second time around. So mainly my rant is why aren’t more people talking about these books!!! At first I was thinking that people just don’t like to have to think this much when they read a novel…but I guess you proved that to be wrong.. then where are all of your readers! I need help!! I still havent decided if I like Kellus or not, or whether he’s psycho like his dad believed he was or he’s just doing what he believes is right which still doesnt seem like it is something he would do. And my fav character it Drusas of course (****spolier: and I found it ironic how people would say how weak he was but he was the only one to turn his back on the world) I know you, the author made these characters super 3d and there isn’t a complete wrong or right answer, but all I’m saying, is that it would be interesting to get a better feel of other people’s, or even your thoughts on these brilliant characters…I also think I’m going half crazy living in Austria until the middle of this new year, its beautiful, I’m just cut off from others I guess and theres only like 6 hrs of daylight, I’m orignally from Texas so I’m pretty much dying. I know this sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but I can’t get this book out of my mind.. and don’t judge me, but I can’t fall asleep if I’m not hugging the book when I travel, my favorite one to hold is TWP…I’m lame…
Cool beans, JD! Like I mentioned to Kurt, the best place to go is George Martin’s official board. Lot of big brains there!
Some of us old three seas forumers are trying to get a fan forum going over at http://secondapocalypse.forumer.com/index.php.
Please drop in and say hi JD, we’d love your input.
Looks very cool. I’m going to do up a post pimping it right now.
I’ve reread the series too. I love it very much also! I have my favorite pages dog-eared and highlighted. My favorite part is when Drusas explains to Proyas the value of doubt (Doubt, not truth, will set you free- Warrior Prophet, P 374). Warrior Prophet is the best book in the series.
I feel almost exactly how you feel about Drusas and Kellhus. I don’t think Kellhus is evil or good. I think he’s amoral in his quest, overcoming the fragments of the gods in people and the consult to become one with God.
What do you think?
I haven’t found this forum to be the place to hash the series over. Most people seem to have an ax to grind. screw’em! Let them eat Sranc!
I aim to please, Kurt! Most of the discussion has migrated to the GRRM’s Westeros board, actually.
Hi Scott,
Not sure where exactly to drop in a book recommendation so i thought i would do it here. I did a search on this blog for Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman and did not come up with a hit. The auther is a psychologist and this book is in your sphere of direct interest i would say. Im 6+ chapters in and this reminds of A Mind of Its Own by Cordelia Fine that i read due to your on-point recommendation.
Anywho, Happy New Year and cheers!
Thanks Charles. Boy, Kahneman gets around!
Hi Scott,
Happy new year to you (and to all the other readers of your blog)!
I was wondering, is there a possibility to contact you directly? Maybe you can see the email-adress i have to add to post a reply here? If so, i have a question for you which I don’t think belongs in a public blog-post.
Anyway, always wanted to say thank you for writing one of the best fantasy series out there (well, at least imho and YMMV etc. etc. ). Looking very much forward to the next book in The Aspect Emperor trilogy.
Just discovered your writing. Someone bought my husband “Disciple of the Dog” for xmas and I was really drawn to it so I stole it. Within a few pages I began searching for everything else that you’d written. Happily, I have a list now.
Thanks.
Awesome, Maria. Be warned though: my other stuff is a whole lot darker.
Greetings Scott
I’m thankful to stumble upon what looks to be your blog. I’m a bit at loss of words right now as to what to say to a favorite author (most underrated suits you I guess though it doesn’t help).
First I’d like to thank you. I’ve read your first trilogy of the prince of nothing (in french which explains why I haven’t read the sequel yet, I’ll. I’m training my english so I could read you and buy the first trilogy again in english this time around) and I’ve been amazed. At least the translation looked good enough to me.
Amazed by the atmosphear, after the first hundred pages where I did not understand much (well I have no memory and you’re not nice to the readers, which is something I like actually) I’ve been thrown into the street of Mommem and Summa. Esmenet at her window was a delight.
Amazed by your intelligence, not about everything, sometimes you try to explain things that are obvious (to the reader, not the characters) but you have a way to associate words and better, put words on people’s mind. I love this, I actually think that I learned something about myself while reading the book which is maybe what any good book should do.
And the sequel fascinated me by the despair and pugnacity in them. Keep going toward your death because you don’t have the choice and even if you don’t die now the apocalypse is looming. Is there any book around that is so…laid back and thoughtful as yours. By laid back I mean: sit down and look at the world around, at the sense we give to things, at what we hope and see really mean.
Yes I’ve been frustrated sometimes, I didn’t really care about the condition of women in your world (my fault not yours), I’ve been disapointed by the disapearance of your most pedantic character who brought the light touch of irony in the mix of sweat and hot sand scents of your story.
And I’ve been awfully torn, frustrated by some of the scenes, by the ending of the first trilogy as well. Yes it’s complex, sure I don’t grasp everything (names and cultures mostly but I strongly believe that although important it’s the people who matters).
In a few words, I’ve been transported elsewhere and yet in a world with people who live, could have lived, are living as we speak. In your mind mostly but in mine now as well.
Esmenet and Akka story was a delight to read.
I’ve read Neuropath as well but I found it lacking a conclusion, the premises are interesting but I thought you could have digged deeper in the “where it could lead to have a brain who doesn’t see things centered on you, who lies less to you” but still it was a good read. I’m fascinated by some of your ideas I could glimpse in interviews, the possibility of one true religion which would mean all the others are doomed is just delightfull when transposed in this world (even for an “atheist” or whatever I’m supposed to be).
So in short I sure hope to read you again in the future (I definitely will) and wish you the best both in life and work (selfish me would just hope that you keep writing, I’ve given up reading most fantasy because of you and grrmartin). I’ll try to gather some time to read what you have posted here and hopefully will comment once in a while when powers above abides.
Regards
SA_Avenger/Julien
Thanks, Julien. I actually think Neuropath is my single best conclusion, by the way! But then that’s the point: books are just catalysts for readings. For me the idea is to write something that will catalyze as many divergent, incompatible readings as possible – including my own reading of the text.
Haha I would have problems judging your conclusions, Neuropath being the only one I reached so far book wise
. (and anyway judging is not the right word to use here). Let’s say that I’m so amazed by your ability to put thoughts and behavior into words that I was maybe expecting a bigger revelation. 
But it’s been a while I read it and thing is I would need a reread to be able to elaborate more (read the premisces of your latest book and it’s a bit daunting to read about someone who would remember everything when your own memory is so whimsical) but I’d maybe have liked to discover more what it could change in the world, what a “brain-detached” (or realistic) society would bring, would it be closer to the insect world (thinking ants) or some sort of organised chaos, would it be more just (afterall if you don’t think of yourself and those who do you good first you could think to people who are the best in what they do), more educated (aware of your own downfalls) or more violent (ignorance being a motive for your own acts) though I guess it fits the thriller category less hehe.
I love your comment to Maria above, yes your writing is a whole lot darker (well haven’t read disciple yet but I consider your writing is indeed quite dark) and that’s part of what makes it great imho, what brings the suspense, what brings the reflection. When thinks are hopeless you take more time to wonder why you do things at all and you see your own motives, what drives you better.
Anyway thanks for your reply. (btw is writing to your agent any possible in order to hope for an autograph ? )
Regards
Julien
Judging is always the right word to use!
I wish I had the organizational werewithal to handle autographs and signed books, but I’m too much a squadron of nuts and bolts flying in loose formation. I should be doing a signing at the next World Fantasy Conventions…
Judging might be the right word to use but not the right thing to do (hence we do it all the time, oh well I was just trying not to sound too harsh). I’m kinda “square” and “talk” without much thought processing before. (no turning tongue 7 times in the mouth).
Haha ok I kinda had guessed but had to try. Already great to read you “live” for once, thank you for time and answer.
WFC would be alas too far from me but if you get anywhere close to Belgium make sure to shout it loud and clear, would love to listen to you live and share a drink, must be an enlighting experience.
Ok, Mr Bakker, so ive been interested in Transhumanism for a while now but the more I read about it the more I get lost in its ideologies and philosophies (as there seems to be a few different strands).
Having heard a few things about people like Kurzweil (apparently being not very enlightened on some things like biology and society or something) ive almost just given up.
Can you outline or give a run down of basically what the different people and threads of Trans/Post humanism is for me please?
If I remember, the Wikipedia entry is pretty good. But as a field of scholarly research it’s growing so fast I’m not sure anyone is up to speed.
I read the page, it was still a little confusing. I also put it down to it growing fast. Thanks anyway, ill keep reading around.
As this seems to be the best place to drop a generic comment mixed with a touch of obsessive groveling, let the dropping commence!
I am an avid fan of ‘The Prince of Nothing’ and ‘The Second Apocalypse’. I’m currently on my fourth read of TDTCB, and each time I discover something else hidden within the words. Your writing never ceases to become boring or repetitive, tiresome or difficult to read. It is thought-provoking on a profound level and transcends any fiction I’ve read.
The way you are able to maintain certain mysteries and shrouded topics throughout your novels without allowing the reader to become frustrated (myself at least) requires an amazing level of literary skill; I can’t begin to comprehend how you do it.
When I used to travel for work I would always will pack “The Thousandfold Thought” simply to read through the Encyclopaedic Glossary. The level to which you have developed the world and history of Eärwa is nothing short of magnificent, and certain entries such as those about the Apocalypse or the Cûno-Inchoroi Wars are complete stories in themselves.
In short, I simply wish to convey my utmost gratitude and praise for your work, and my hope that you will continue working in the world of Eärwa (or perhaps beyond?).
And the fact that we’re both from Ontario is awesome too! lol
All the best!
And next time I’ll re-read what I post!
Bad: “Your writing never ceases to become boring or repetitive, tiresome or difficult to read.”
Good: “Your writing never ceases amaze, and never becomes boring or repetitive, tiresome or difficult to read.”
I never cease to stick my foot in my mouth!
Thanks Jason. The funny thing is that my brain edited what you wrote to mean what you meant – I’m not sure what that means though…
Scott, do you do interviews for College students?
Depends on what you were thinking, Sharon. Email interviews can become labourious.
Scott, do you ever do book signings? Or even one-off requests? Because I’m in the process of acquiring the hardcover editions of your Prince of Nothing trilogy and would be extremely grateful if I could somehow con you into signing them.
He’s not very organised on those fronts. Best bet is to find him at a convention or something.
That’s too bad, but thanks for the reply, Callan. =)
Hello Scott,
Big, big fan. I discovered The Prince of Nothing trilogy about a year or two ago and I’ve fallen in love with the horrors unveiled there ever since. What do you see indeed. It’s perhaps the most refreshing piece of fantasy work I’ve read in years ever since I came across Martin and Simmons before that. I remember being unsure when I first started, I’d not really seen such a challenge read in the fantasy genre before. The philosophy and musings inherent in all of it. But I kept at it and I’ve just finished my third read through of the opening trilogy; I hope that speaks for itself.
Also hoping that my new copy of Judging Eye comes in the mail by the middle of the week.
I’m thrilled you’ve got a blog. I’ve been burning through old articles and essays. And my god, those short stories. Good times. I remember reading somewhere recently that you were possibly looking at printing the next updated encyclopedic entries for Earwa separately? Well, if so, that’s one sold right here. I eat that sort of world-building up almost more than novels themselves. I’m hoping for a Titirga entry!
If you don’t mind, I may soon try my hand at an entry for your fan fiction page, because why not? I have thoughts, ideas for little tales outside the depths of your plots, I think. Something to while away the time.
Enough of my babbling. Here’s to your success and my further enjoyments of your works. Looking forward to the Aspect-Emperor trilogy and the final books of the Second Apocalypse whenever they leap from your brain to the page. Cheers!
Hi Scott
Love the series, amazing, looking forward to Unholy consult.
By way of introduction, I am a Psycologist, psycotherapist, nuero-scientist, Rabbi etc.
Would love to talk to you about some of your characters especially Kellhus.
How you deal with them is so accurate in some areas and not in others.
E.g. V clever perceptive people that are trained can read others and if they get out of their own way hold great power over others, especially if religion is involved, Kellhus. Guilt and shame destroys people of great intelligence and ability Esmet and Achimian. However constant truma on the level of the mandate school would likely have different effects then expressed unless some magic was involved.
Thanks again amazing books.
Sholom
PS I think Kellhus is going to sacriface the entire host to the consult for some agreement & then destroy the consult but achieve there aims. This anyway would be his psycological profile as you have written him up.
Thanks, Sholom. I entirely agree with you regarding Achamian and the Mandate – I also think they would be far more traumatized. But then character ‘realism’ is a tricky thing, especially when it comes to character identification. But by way of post-hoc rationalization, what would you make of the power of some fanatical narrative to overcome things like depression, anxiety, PTSD? I’ve always wondered about terrorists for instance: not their ‘psychological profile,’ but the way their belief impacts the symptoms of the other kinds of psychological maladies they suffer.
Thanks for your reply Scott
To answer your question, (if I understood it correctly) by something I Tweeted about:
Reality is created by your experience of it.
The development of your brain decides the experience of reality you have.
So if I understand correctly by what you mean by “fanatical narrative’ they are actually the defences against the the depression, anxiety etc. People can use religion just as a drug. In fact the parts of the brain that get triggered by religious estacy are the same that gets triggered by sex and cocaine. Kellhus knows this well and uses that sense of oneness as a proof and tool of his religion.
We all need to find some defences against the pain of reality. The idea that there is no purpose to my life and it is meaningless and that the pain and privation is all for nothing is an incredibly painful experience. Depression, anxiety, addiction etc are all ways dealing with this pain. As are sex, drink, meditation, prayer, talking with friends, reading great literature etc etc. Some are healthier than others.
In essence at the beginning of their addiction, (like all addicts) the religious addict uses his belief system as a defence against whatever is hurting him and it works really well. So they do not experience depression, anxiety etc.
Unfortunately like all addiction it works less and less well as time goes on so people normally either: become more fanatical or turn to multiply addiction or other defence mechanisms.
So fanatics use their understanding of reality to deal with the difficult bits, unfortunately at the expense of others who do not agree with them.
I always thought that maybe Seswatha created a way of magically protecting the dreamer from the total emotional experience of the dreams so they do not get PTSD to the full extent?
Have you ever read Ken Wilber, Habermas, Fowler or Plotinus? Kellhus seems to draw on what Wilber would call higher fulcum personalities. Developmentally regular humans would be like children in so many ways to someone like Kellhus, would he destroy them all to save himself a higher being or is compassion part of his makeup. If it was it was it would be unlikely to be understood by the average person as in Machevillia’s ‘The prince”. Was just wondering where you got your inspiration from?
Thanks for responding, the time we have is precious.
Sholom
Anything to minimize the anxiety of uncertainty. This is why I don’t think religion is the culprit so much as the carrier. Politics often does the same.
The idea came to me (I think) reading about memes for the first time in Doug Hofstatder’s Metamagical Themas. What would a kung fu master of memes look like?
I’ve read some Habermas and Plotinus, of course, but years back. I’m not familiar with Wilber or Fowler.
I have just devoured your Prince of Nothing trilogy and I must say THANK YOU. Tis the most though provoking literature I’ve read in quite some time and I’ve been reading voraciously for damn near half a century. Heading down to the public library in search of more.
Thank you, Kathleen. High praise indeed.
I love your books. As each one is released, I reread the previous books. However, sometime last year I converted to an e-reader. I commute to work and the ability to purchase books quickly at my desk allows me to consume books at a much faster rate than before (I think my total book spend is about 3 times what it was before).
I notice that your books are not available anywhere electronically. Is that your conscious decision or one of your publisher? I had been looking forward to your next installment and am a bit disappointed that I can’t buy it electronically (at first I thought I would just have to wait a bit…but…)
Still a big fan,
Adam
They actually are available, all with the exception of WLW (which should be coming out soon). I know the amazon page goes rogue for some reason from time to time. But it if you click on the ‘Kindle’ in the literal versions box on the book’s physical page, you should find your way to it.
Okay great… guess I just have to wait a bit longer. I was looking for WLW because I already have hard copies of the others.
I was wondering two things,
First: Are you making any appearances this summer? I would really like to attend if you are.
Second: What are your views on the differences between certain theism, possibly what you called literal theism in your 2006 essay, and certain atheism. When I was reading the section when Akka tells Proyas the differences between faith that recognizes it is faith and faith that does not, I instantly started thinking about beliefs I personally have that were based on faith and whether or not I recognized that. I first thought of my previous certain atheism. I was just curious on what your thoughts were on this “belief” and whether or not you think atheism can fall into the category of a faith that does not recognize itself as such.
Much Obliged Sir
Nothing that I’ve committed to. I’ve really fallen out of the con routine: I only really do things where others pick up the tab for me anymore!
With ‘atheism,’ or literally ‘no-god-ism,’ one big problem is the definition of ‘god’ – a concept that has so many meanings to so many people as to make atheism ambiguous! I’m a fan of agnostism (me-no-know-ism) myself, but one that I’m sure would strike most believers as atheistic in many respects. Believing in good is as much faith as I can muster. And I refuse to foreclose on the possibility of some ‘cosmic meaning,’ particularly because I think things get strange enough at the macro and micro extremes of science to make ruling anything out impossible. To the extent that atheists foreclose on this possibility, I think they have faith.
Dear Mr. Bakker,
Loved your first trilogy, and would love to read the second on my Kindle. Do you have any plans to make the Aspect-Emperor ebooks available for Kindle in Canada (they currently are not)?
Thank you fro your great stories!
Best regards
i was recently reading Siddhartha and couldn’t help but notice several similarities to the Prince of Nothing (specifically, Kelhus’ character, albeit with certain differences). I was curious as to whether you intended a connection.
Incidentally, i have read and love everything you wrote. So, thanks for that.
Huge Fan. Please put your books on Kindle.
You’ve said cool beans.
Obviously this means that you and I are cool people, Mr. Bakker.
On a more serious note, let me tell you, I find your books to be the best fantasy available. Hell, the best fiction I’ve read period. Your prose and passion are very compelling, and I look forward to more stories set in the Three Seas.
Cool beans indeedy, Jordan! Welcome to TPB.
Oh, and I was wondering in what way the Three Seas stories you have posted on here are spoilers.
As in, are they spoilers for the between of certain books or spoilers for things ahead? And is there a chronological order? I am so damned particular about these kinds of things, and I know they don’t matter, but I cannot -not- know and this stops me from reading them.
Thanks for any response.
“The False Sun” just gives a couple of world-related revelations ahead of the narrative schedule – plot-wise you’re safe.
Fantastic! Thank you, Mr. Bakker.
Hi!
I found your books completely by chance in my little village library. My English is too bad to say how much I love them.
And that’s my problem. I’m French, and even if I may understand your last book in English, I will not appreciate it.
So my question is simple: can I hope for a translation of your last book?
This is pretty mundane so perhaps not right for this blog, but almost none of your books are available for Kindle in Canada. Amazon says it’s for copyright reasons. Does that sound correct?
You must make your agent crazy. What is this blog? You’re a spectacle worth the time, but this blog is all you give your readers. Is it a plea to an in-group? You yourself have stated the danger of that.
I don’t get it. It sounds like you are reluctantly dragging yourself back to the day job. Well, people who want full-time writing careers know how to shake their moneymakers: Peter V Brett, Mary Robinette, Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, Patrick Rothfuss… even mainstream literary authors know how to dance for their money: Chuck Palahniuk, Barabara Kingsolver, John Irving, even Philip Roth and Cormac McCarthy have sites that fans can visit.
WTF, Scott? You’re so fucking great (YOU REALLY ARE, DAMMIT), yet sometimes it doesn’t feel like you really want fans. It is not hard to do a little jig for your fans, but all you give us is this? Where is the fan site? Three Seas is mothballed. Wikipedia doesn’t count. You should have a site with a big opening splash featuring that gorgeous, Tolkienesque map of the Three Seas from the book, links to Amazon, a weekly update on progress on TUC.
From being a longtime reader of TPB, I know you know you’re not playing the game. I just don’t know WHY you’re not playing the game. If you want to speak to your fans, to give us a peg on which to hang our thinking caps (using the genre to speak to those outside of the in-group), how about a fan site?
You wouldn’t even have to abandon TPB. No one is going to ding you for being a tiny bit commercial.
Not sure if this is a new about page that was somewhat recently updated, or if I just incorrectly remember what used to be here. In any case, it seems you’ve grown quite a bit more cynical over the past year, since I started following this site. I wonder what caused the change?
Hey R. I’m deadly in love with your books. I’ve burned many bridges accidentally forcing them onto people. I know you’ll deny it, but you and I both know your series is Godsend (meaning: from deep understanding). Thank you. My consciousness and heart have opened thanks to many things, but your books gathered the beginnings of the nuances I needed to truly be. I ask just one question: what would Kellhus do in this earth, starting today?
I came by the blog to simply say “thank you” for a wonderful read. Although the more learned points of philosophy only slightly dent my particular three pounds, the story is so very worthwhile and entertaining. I find myself wanting to draw these characters, to set my own mind’s eye view of them out on paper. I was recommended the series by my friend, and devoured the first trilogy in a week! I’m on to the second and loving every minute. So, one more time, thank you!