Keith vs. "one guy"

[DuneFishUK]

JOIII: Your Dune novels have often been vilified by Frank Herbert purists. As a result, I’m sure you have had a number of irate emails, letters, or blog comments. How do you handle such negative reactions, and what advice do you have for writers who encounter the same?

KJA: Frank Herbert was a genius, one of the most brilliant writers ever to work in science fiction, and Dune is (in my opinion) the greatest SF novel ever. Those are awfully big shoes to fill, and even though Brian and I are putting forth all of our effort to make our novels worthy of the label, it’s not surprising that we can’t meet every reader’s expectations. A bit of a reality check is in order, however. Don’t misconstrue a lot of negative postings to mean there are hordes of angry purists. For example, for Paul of Dune, one guy posted attacking comments to 40 out of 42 five-star reviews on amazon, the same guy attacked 24 out of 24 four-star reviews, the same guy runs a hate site, and the *same guy* maintains a Twitter feed devoted solely to bashing our stuff. And when somebody posts with great vehemence how much they hated book after book after book, how can you take them seriously? Anyone who keeps reading the novels for the sole purpose of attacking them just has an axe to grind and is clearly biased.

In reality, our Dune books have garnered a great deal of critical acclaim, nominated or won many awards, received starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly, were included on numerous Best of the Year lists, one was named as a New York Times notable book, another was picked as the Favorite Book of the Year by the members of the Science Fiction Book Club by the largest margin in the history of the award. We have received thousands of fan letters since we’ve begun writing them, and we get 24 positive letters for every negative one—I can live with a 96% approval rating.

My advice to other writers who face similar situations (and many of them have spoken to me) is not to let a couple of sour notes detract from the vast majority of satisfied readers.

Full interview @ http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com ... g&id=31745

[trang]

VIVA LA Chig!!!

[Omphalos]

Posted a comment there - something that has bothered me for a long time.

You know, I have heard an awful lot of this author's take on character, plot setting and all the other traditional mainstream critical points, but despite all the interviews I have read I have yet to hear him talk about SF influence in his books, or, more importantly, how he approaches SF themes. I even asked him and Brian Herbert questions about both of these issues at two different stopps on the PoD tour, and they kind of blew the questions off and went back into salesman mode. I cant fault them for that too much, since it was a promotional tour, but I would really like to hear what Anderson and Herbert both have to say about more SF oriented things, like influences and themes. Until I hear that I cant consider them real SF authors (saying that despite the fact that I cannot stand their Dune works) - but still it would be nice to hear something about SF stuff. Its like they sell these books as romances, not SF.

Edit: BTW, I think its interesting that KJA is talking more about Chig these days.

[Eyes High]

and did anyone notice how he kept saying: one guy did this, one guy did that, one guy has....

but at the end of the quote provide KJA's advice was:

....not to let a couple of sour notes detract from the vast majority of satisfied readers.

so is it one guy or a couple?

[SandRider]

it is a horde of angry purists











sounds like TheKeith has a sandchigger under his skin.

scratch, monkey, scratch ....

[A Thing of Eternity]

ALL HAIL SANDCHIGGER!!!!

[SandChigger]

Damn ... you mean I missed two five-star reviews on Amazon?!

Be back in a minute!

Edit: Hey, TEG!!! Look what I found on the page when I went there!



Isn't that just TOO perfect?!

[SandChigger]

From Comment #5, by David "dizzyjam" James:

And I sure think it would be ironic if the fellow mentioned in the interview that has such a bias against Kevin would show up here and have something to say. Probably wouldn't even notice that he was talked about in the interview.

Since I normally don't frequent the TOR website, if Da Feesh hadn't posted this, he's probably right.

But I was happy to tweak his irony bone:

7. "One Guy" (SandChigger)

Well ... for an inveterate name-dropper like Kevin not to mention *me* or my Hairy Ticks of Dune site by name, especially after going on so, is just ... well ... hurtful. And it deprives me of the attention I crave!

Or did he mean someone else?!

Wait ... that would mean that there are *two* disgruntled "biased" attention-seeking website-running hater "Talifans" out here, right? OH NO!!!

Yeah, it's always easier to dismiss your critics than to consider the possibility you might not be as good as you think you are.


Btw, John, you do realize that some of Kevin's answers are just regurgitated text from the interview included in the "Extras" section at the end of The Edge of the World, right?

Let's see how long that lasts.

[Rakis]

Posted a comment there - something that has bothered me for a long time.

You know, I have heard an awful lot of this author's take on character, plot setting and all the other traditional mainstream critical points, but despite all the interviews I have read I have yet to hear him talk about SF influence in his books, or, more importantly, how he approaches SF themes. I even asked him and Brian Herbert questions about both of these issues at two different stopps on the PoD tour, and they kind of blew the questions off and went back into salesman mode. I cant fault them for that too much, since it was a promotional tour, but I would really like to hear what Anderson and Herbert both have to say about more SF oriented things, like influences and themes. Until I hear that I cant consider them real SF authors (saying that despite the fact that I cannot stand their Dune works) - but still it would be nice to hear something about SF stuff. Its like they sell these books as romances, not SF.

Yeah, i remember one of those story at T(A)U...

You should have said fast-food, not romance, you inglorious basterd...

[Omphalos]

You should have said fast-food, not romance, you inglorious basterd...

I corrected Tarantino's spelling error.

[SandChigger]

Kevin doesn't write SF if by that you mean "Science Fiction". He writes Science Fantasy.

As for the setting of this new fantasy, it's late medieval southern Europe ("Tierra" = Spanish) and Muslim Africa ("Uraba" < Arabia?) cooked à la Shake 'n Bake and lightly rewarmed before serving. There's a "Middlesea" = Mediterranean to the east and an "Oceansea" to the west. The capital of Tierra is "Calay" (< Calais?) and there's an "Iboria" peninsula (< Iberia = Spain?) and a group of "Soeland" (< Shetland) islands, one of the main products of which is gull guano.

There's a silly mythology about a father god ("Ondun", maybe < Chinese Hundun?) with three sons, two of whose descendents/followers become the two religious factions that stand in this thing for Christianity and Islam. The character names are a mishmash of the straight European (e.g., Mateo, Tomas), the slightly morphed (Omra < Omar?), and those actually created by KJA. I'm not sure what he thought to accomplish with the addition of things like "Terravitae" (Latin for "Land of Life" ... think aqua vitae ... or maybe Aqua Velva? ). If there were no Romans in the history of his world, why the Latin and Spanish?

I've also already found one scene reminiscent of the "Gilbertus' bum" bit in the Dune Legends, and an incident which was obviously inspired in part by the skeleton soldiers from Jason and the Argonauts (1963).

Yet ANOTHER delicious poo-poo platter from the fecund fecal imagination of our GREATEST LIVING HACK!!!

[Rakis]

I've also already found one scene reminiscent of the "Gilbertus' bum" bit in the Dune Legends

Not another man-to-man...er...crossdressingbot-to-man shower scene?

[Omphalos]

Kevin doesn't write SF if by that you mean "Science Fiction". He writes Science Fantasy.

Actually, its not science fantasy that he writes either. Its scientific romance.

[GamePlayer]

Scientific romance. That's like labeling Keith's "creative work" as paint-by-number. Highly appropriate

I must say, I'm jealous of SC's infamy. All my many photoshops and Kieth can't even muster a kiss blown my way.

[SandChigger]

A sour note from another "sour note"?

[W]hen somebody posts with great vehemence how much they hated book after book after book, how can you take them seriously?

Think he realizes that he needs to first answer his own question?

I mean, he takes ... whoever he's talking about ... seriously enough to go on about it, no?

Tool.

[Mr. Teg]

Damn ... you mean I missed two five-star reviews on Amazon?!

Be back in a minute!

Edit: Hey, TEG!!! Look what I found on the page when I went there!



Isn't that just TOO perfect?!

Hehe...

The dark background seems to be covering more of his "missing" hair.

[SandChigger]

ZING!!!

Yeah, he's getting a lot of mileage out of that old head shot, isn't he? It's on the back cover of Terruh Incogitant: The Wedgie of the Oiled, too.

Whoa, HANG ON, KEVIN! IT'S A BUCKING BRONCO! A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE FROM HELLLLLLLLLLLLL!

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #61,513 in Books > #88,123 > #35,364. Whoo-hooooooo!

[Freakzilla]

I find it significant that this was even an interview question.

Great press!
Big cookie for The Bug:



Long live the fighters!

...inveterate...

I learned a new word!

[Freakzilla]

What makes me ill is that the interviewer asks how he handles the numerous complains from purist as if it is common knowledge and Keith only shrugs it off as just being SC's hate-mania. He can't just say he understand how purists could disagree with some of the "creative liberties" he's taken and tell us how he cries naked balled up in the fetal position on the bathroom tile at night.

[Mandy]

I bet all those gushy posts were made by Kevie's special forces.

[Nekhrun]

I left a comment as well. I wonder if we're all just different SandChigger accounts.

[SandChigger]

Well, I've always thought so.

But then, I'm psychotic.

According to Shawn Gordon, President of ProgRock Records, at least.

THAT'S RIGHT! USUL, WE HAVE NEW PRIMA-DONNA SIGN!!!

[Tleszer]

Well, I've always thought so.

But then, I'm psychotic.

According to Shawn Gordon, President of ProgRock Records, at least.

THAT'S RIGHT! USUL, WE HAVE NEW PRIMA-DONNA SIGN!!!

[TheDukester]

According to Shawn Gordon, President of ProgRock Records, at least.

I'm rarely speechless, but ...

I guess I'm just continually amazed by the inability of people who should know better to remain above the fray. What did that fucking douchebag hope to gain by going on the attack? On a random blog, no less? And this clown is in charge of something?

New mission in life: bad-mouth his company and every one of their artists, every chance I get.

[SandChigger]

Actually, it just occurred to me that this could be a KJASF ruse. I didn't email him to make sure it's really him. Think I should?

Add: Of course, he may have come to his senses and deny it all. Hmmm. If it's not really him, I'll eventually hear about it and be asked to remove it.

Or not.