[Thundasnowz]

I've read all of The Black Company Books twice and all of Erikson's Malazan Books of the Fallen once. I love them both and certainly see Cook opening the gates for Erikson but do not see him as derivative.

Although the military angle and from the tench view likely comes to Erikson via Cook they also differ significantly. Cook's plots are fast moving and bare bones. Sure there are twists but it never seems like Erikson's writing that offers you a glacier of information ladled out in little incomplete bits and leaving you wondering what will come into play or not. Also Cook gives a pithy paragraph here and there examining a theme while Erikson infuses the theme into the story until it is oozing out the cracks.

Erikson can be a bit obtuse in his world building, culture building and such while Cook tells the story just letting you know what you need to know.

I love them both but find Erikson's robust style much more to my liking and very robust relative to Cook's.

No, Erikson is not a hack and I see as much anthropology, archaeology, modern liberalism, colonial guilt, environmentalism, etc. etc. as I see Cook in his work.