I've never tried heroin.
But the reason it's addicting is because users are always chasing after that first, and best, high. The problem is they're working with the same substance over and over again. For book-lovers, we are fortunate enough to have a different substance each time. In each read, there's always the chance that we'll get lost in the pages, have an experience we've never had before, and won't be able to put the book down. And for life-long readers, this is always what we're hoping for when we buy our next book.
For me, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was one of those experiences.
While I read widely now, I grew up on a steady diet of fantasy novels by authors like Tolkien and Lewis to Terry Brooks and Robert Jordan. And like any fan, I have enjoyed George R.R. Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire. Now, with Martin's novels launching fantasy epics into mainstream popularity with the HBO series Game of Thrones, Martin has paved ground for more to rise up just like it. But nothing has quite been able to follow.
Enter Patrick Rothfuss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the next big thing in fantasy. With a forthcoming movie, TV series, and video game produced by Lionsgate, here are three reasons I think The Name of the Wind is primed to take the throne after Game of Thrones.
A Unique and Excellent Fantasy Epic
First and foremost is the quality of the story and the characters. If you're a fiction reader, you've probably heard of The Name of the Wind; if you're a fantasy enthusiast, then you definitely have. It's a first-person account of one young man's journey of revenge. OK, there's a lot more to it than that. It's an excellently written story with characters that you just want to hang out with in a fantastical world that is - and isn't at all - similar to Westeros. In the fantasy genre, this series stands out for its style, characters, magic system, and world-building. If you haven't read it yet, get on it!
An Avid Fan Base
Like Martin's books, Rothfuss has built for himself legions of fans. According to a 2015 article in Forbes, his novels have sold more than 10 million copies. His events are frequently packed, with hour-long book-signing lines. There's been countless cosplaying, fan art, and fan fiction, and this year he released a 10th-anniversary edition of The Name of the Wind. All this to say: fantasy fans are some of the most enthusiastic fans in the world, and there's no doubt they're primed for a Name of the Wind takeover.
The @PatrickRothfuss came through and it was as glorious as I'd hoped. Earned my pipes. http://pic.twitter.com/uVpYMR7mcy
- Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) June 25, 2016
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Excellent novels; a drooling fan base; a movie, TV, and video game deal - this story is only missing one thing. And you're all thinking it: Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lately, everything the writer/actor/singer touches seems to turn to gold, from Disney's Moana to his Pulitzer Prize-winning Hamilton. Fans worried about an adaptation of The Name of the Wind must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Lin-Manuel Miranda stepped in as "chairman of the Don't F*ck It Up Committee." According to Variety, he'll "serve as producer of the franchise and is expected to compose the original music and write the songs."
Don't get me wrong here: I don't want to claim that The Name of the Wind adaptations will attempt to copy or be anything like Game of Thrones. The story and characters and style are vastly different. Each has its own unique qualities. The Name of the Wind will be a completely new experience. But with the growing excitement for the fantasy genre stirred up by Martin and HBO, it seems like the perfect time for the next big fantasy obsession to take the media by storm. And I say "storm" because with wonderfully imaginative stories, with fans that will show up and dress up, and with a creative (Pulitzer Prize-winning) team, The Name of the Wind has all the ingredients for a perfect fantasy hurricane. So hold your breath, keep an eye on the news, and, in the meantime, go read the series!