Sunday wtf

[erastes]

1. How gay is Marlon Brando portraying Christian Fletcher in Mutiny on the Bounty?  *peers worriedly at the screen*  Writing historical fiction and slash has completely spoiled me for these old films.

2. I read a book review today.  About a 15 year old girl who suddenly finds out that everything she thought was true is really a lie and that underneath the  clean streets was a world of demons and vampires has the power to fight the darkness....

The reviewer said and I quote: Clare has riffed off the slayers in the Buffyverse rather nicely.

Hmm. are those f's supposed to be p's do you think? And flying motorbikes?  O RLY?  The reviewer calls it "original."  I'm afraid I can't agree.  However I'll reserve judgement until I've actually read the thing.  Perhaps I can nick one from somewhere.

3. James Lear is planning another "Mitch" book.  I'm very happy about this.

4.  I've set up an account at myspace.com.  www.myspace.com/erastesdotcom I don't like it. There are lots of writers over there but why aren't they over here?  It's SO confusing and hard work and I just don't know what I'm doing. I can't work out how to read my flist, I can't work out what the difference between "add friend" and "subscribe" means, I don't know how to set up my profile properly - it's all so bloody complicated!!!!

Comments

[angrboda]

I find it a little disturbing that her main character is called the same as herself, nearly, except for that last vowel. I found it rather mysterious though how the reviewer could point out that the premise was a ripoff of Buffy and then go on to say good work?!?!!

(I am less than surprised as to the author though. Was expecting it as soon as I saw the quote.)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Not at all. What's wrong with Clary? My next book's main protag is called Abit Erastesy.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Well, considering how much the publisher is backing the book, and the fact that blackholly recommends it, I feel pretty confident it will be a good read.

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

I will not say how I know it, but I can definitely tell you that it's not.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

::shrugs:: I have to admit, I trust Holly's sense. I wouldn't be surprised if the book gets nominated for the Andre Norton Award.

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

I guess it depends on what one considers quality, and heaven knows there are some really horrible writers out there who get something out of it. But my opinion says that Dan Brown is better.

And I can't believe I just wrote that.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Well, everyone is entitled to opinion, certainly. I just think it's all very funny the responses she receives consider that she'll sell a ton of the book. She's embraced by the literate fantasy circle already.

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't doubt she'll sell some of the books to some pre-teens interested in the Mary Sue adventure, but I'm not really out much out of their targeted demographic, and...it doesn't work.

[rwday.livejournal.com]

She's embraced by the literate fantasy circle already

Setting aside any discussion of CC's book, I'm curious as to what you mean by "literate fantasy circle." This is a genuine question, not trying to be argumentative, btw.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

:) No harm in asking. People like Kelly Link and Libba Bray.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

That's good. I'm actually impressed that it's made a good impression on other fantasy writers. However, although I've never heard of any of the three people you name, (unsurprising as I don't frequent the fantasy genre at all) I don't take opinions of critics/so-called-experts when deciding what to read. I'll take the advice of my peers (and even that goes wrong when someone I respect mightily recced me Wraethlu and my eyes nearly melted reading it) and friends, which I know that a lot of people do. I will read this book, if I can get hold of a copy (I'm not paying £22 - the UK price - for it) and when I do, I hope I'll give as fair a review of it as I can do.

I think that one shouldn't really spork books such as Dan Brown/Jeffrey Archer/Half Blood Price unless you've read them. All I was commenting on was the originality that the reviewer mentioned, which is obviously not really true, as so many of the themes have been taken from many other sources with little attempt to disguise them - even names, although Kenyon did object to Darkhunter I understand. She's even taken large portions of her own fanfic verbatim, and although that might be legal, watered down like that, it still has been published on the internet.

The book will be successful, I have no doubt of it, and good on her. She's targetted a demographic very well and it's a skill I cam appreciate.

[rwday.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I figured it referred to some group of authors, though my idea of literate or literary fantasy is more John Crowley's Little, Big, Elizabeth Hand, Tim Powers, Hal Duncan's spectacular debut novel, Vellum - that sort of thing. Don't know Bray's work, but I've read some of Kelly Link's short stories and while I can appreciate them as craft, they're not my cuppa.

I suspect that will be the case for City of Bones, as the first chapter reminded me most of Mercedes Lackey's Bedlam's Bard books, which I don't care for. But then, I also don't care much for Holly Black's work - thought Tithe as a retelling of Tam Lin fell well short of both Pamela Dean's version and Pope's Perilous Gard, so I guess it's just a matter of different tastes. I like the genre - Neverwhere and Lisa Goldstein's contemporaries and Finder are among some of my favorite books, just not that particular style and manner of expressing it.

[aperfectscar.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I'd quite like to read City of Bones (though not enough to buy it) because I really don't like looking down on books I haven't read, and also I did at one point like the Draco Trilogy (some 5 or 6 years ago)

And myspace is hideous. I don't really understand it and I only log in if I get an email from them telling me something.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh absolutely. As I said - I'll reserve judgement. But the themes/characters/ideas don't bode well.

It's just so complicated. I'll cross post my thoughts over there, but just adding friends is a disaster. What a time waster!!

[rmanley.livejournal.com]

I hate myspace. I have an account there, too, for the manloveromance thing, but I never bothered to update, neither did I bother to go out on a friending spree. Livejournal's much more user friendly, I think.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, I knew I'd made an account for a reason! I couldn't work out why I had!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I know about myspace, but sincerely don't like it. Everytime I have to find some info about an author, and he has a myspace, instead of a website or a journal, my first thought is "oh no...". Then if I really want to find the info I apply myself to understand it, otherwise I close the page. ciao, elisa

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It's horrible. The most I can do over there is to convince people to come over to LJ!!

:)

[leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com]

I hate myspace as well, though I've added you, if that's okay.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Of course! Never have to ask!

*smooch*

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I have learned to stop hating MySpace, but LJ is much easier.

ping me on AIM and I'll talk you through anything you need help with.

Adding a friend means they're in your list and you get bulletins and comments from them.
Subscribing to their blog means you get updates on their blogs.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I just.... GAH!

Don't have AIM but I will get in touch when I'm in danger of imploding. Thank you!

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

It is ridiculously bad. It's like a horrid mishmash of deus ex machina, HP rip off, Buffy rip off, and Star Wars rip off. It just tries too hard to be witty and "sound like what those crazy teens are doing" that it really falls flat.

I'm not going to say anymore here but if you're at all interested in it, shoot me an email.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

::laughs:: Since so many big names in fantasy think her writing is terrific, I would have to say the book will do very well.

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

If she's what is considered terrific, you know why fantasy is such a ridiculed genre. And I really don't want to start wank in Erastes' journal, so perhaps we could just part ways now.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you, both. No wank, please just differing opinions. I don't like most of her fanfic, I don't like her plagiarism within fanfic and I don't like her overly agressive fanbrats who once trounced me solidly for attempting to explain why I didn't like the Draco thing.

Don't get me wrong, I actually liked one of her stories, and actually recced it - long before I knew who she was, so that wasn't fangirling. However none of those reasons is going to endear her to me - but I will read the book, because I did the same to Dan Brown - I had to read them, as I'm now doing to Eragon - to see what the fuss is about.

We all three of us know that popularity and success mean nothing and don't necessarily go hand in hand with talent - and if she does well, good on her, actually.

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

You can actually read the first chapter here. It's what I'm going by.

http://www.mortalinstruments.com/COBchapter1.html

[erastes.livejournal.com]

OMG - that's not good. Not good. Criminal that something this ... not good ... is going to get a lot of fawning attention when A Strong & Sudden Thaw - which is fantasy high literature in comparison, does not get the attention it deserves.

Just as well just it's for teens, I guess. MUNDIES? ...

Am saying no more about it!

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

It just goes downhill from there too, I've heard from people with connections. So yeah.

I'd also appreciate it if you either froze the thread or something because I really do not want to get into an arguing match with Cassandra Claire's fanboy. Wank seems to follow him everywhere.

[faithfulreader.livejournal.com]

I wonder what you would have said about the book if you hadn’t known the author. :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I don't think that's fair. After all, I dislike Dan Brown's books immensely, having read three of them just to confirm that he's a dreadful (although immensely rich) writer - and if he were to release another I would be entirely within my rights (and my own opinion) to say that his book will be crap (to me)

Similarly for CC - I don't like her writing, and unless it's a lot better than that first chapter - which is of a very similar ilk to her fanfic - the book isn't going to impress me, and wouldn't do, even if Gaiman had his name on the front of it.

[faithfulreader.livejournal.com]

Well, I very much doubt that Cassie *wants* her book to be good. She wants it become popular. :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

very good point!! ;)

[faithfulreader.livejournal.com]

You prompted me to read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. I think you will like my review (http://faithfulreader.livejournal.com/22400.html). *wink*

[rwday.livejournal.com]

Just read the first chapter and I agree with you. It tries too hard. It feels to me like she analyzed what it is that attracts teens to a story (TV, film, books, whatever) and then put as many of those elements together as she could.

Of course, I'm so far from being the intended demographic as to be on Mars.

[divinereverie.livejournal.com]

The really annoying thing is that because she's basically sucked up to everyone she has to, she'll get more attention than *YOUR* book, which definitely deserves it.

Congrats on your nomination, by the way!

[rwday.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I don't necessarily think I deserve more attention - she's done well in understanding her market and promoting her book, I have to give her credit for that, but I don't see anything in that first chapter to warrant the kind of attention she's getting. It feels to me like the YA/fantasy version of the parade of Dan Brown clones that we see in our library - a bandwagon book.

Now I could be completely wrong - it's a long book, and I've only read the first chapter, so it might improve. But I don't think so.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes, she's very much aiming it at the motorcycle book wearing goth NY teen (or rather the teen who wish they could wear motorcycle boots and go to an all-age club (which sounds mildly sinister, does that mean that 40 year olds can rub shoulders with 13 year olds?) with blue hair. The teens, not the clubs, obviously.

:)

I loved the "startled octopus" image though. *squirts ink*

[faithfulreader.livejournal.com]

I don't think *anyone* can be original these days. :) Everyone is a plagiarist to this or that degree. Cassie's book, I am sure, will be highly entertaining. Oh, and there will be gay subtext! ;)

[cheshyre]

Hmm. are those f's supposed to be p's do you think?

I've now got the word "Buppyverse" going thru my head. :D

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*giggling madly*

Considering that "buppy" means sandwich ... a buppyverse is certainly something I can get behind.

:)

[lizardspots.livejournal.com]

Ok, I tried to read the first chapter of CC's book.

...I couldn't do it. :( I just think it's poorly written with random similes that only hinder the story telling. Perhaps the story will carry it through, but from what I've read I wasn't impressed.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

and hating to state The Bleeding Obvious, the first chapter is something to want to make you read on. I agree with rwday where she says that she has understood her demographic and is pandering to it. Wanabee cutters her own fanbrats and goth teens in particular. Nothing wrong with that, my own demographic is rather tiny. I do object to it being called original and great writing though, in the same way that Mr Brown is thusly called!

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

Oh, "City of Bones". I'll say no more about how I came to reading it, but let me assure you that it was purulent filth of the most asinine sort - written by the sort of socially inept hermit who would think that fifteen year olds wearing leather pants at an all-ages nightclub are the height of cool - much less assume that cool teenagers would be so lame to visit an all-ages nightclub in NYC rather than sneak their way into a much better one. Don't bother reading it if you have a particular distaste for being spoken down to.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No really, Gun. Tell me what you think. :)

The first chapter was enough to make me gag, whatever these literary luminaries who I've never heard of have to say.

Completely notwithstanding who she is/was it's far worse that Eragon, which I'm actually enjoying (assessing it in the light of the age of the person who wrote it) it's far far better written than what I've read of this horror.

What made me laugh (reading the discussion thread on Amazon) is that she has copied large chunks of the Draco Trilogy and put them in the book! I'm sure she'll say that it is "another literary treasure hunt" like dropping all those Buffy quotes into TDTrilogy was...

But what do I know. I'm too old.

[lyras.livejournal.com]

Oh, Gun. I think I love you!

[schmoo999.livejournal.com]

I have a Myspace account and I have love/hate thing with it. I update it once in a blue moon.

I have never figured out how groups work over there. I do like to read comic book writers blogs and Rob Zombie's...and different writers but that is about it.

:)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I can't see me bothering with it, after a while I think. It's far too complicated!

[lyras.livejournal.com]

Bah, myspace. I keep thinking I should set up an account to keep up with various musicians that I keep discovering (didn't know writers used it as well - must investigate), but the interface is awful.

(Icon aimed at various parts of your post, and not at you!)