Interesting review of KJA's work

[Hunchback Jack]

I think by "reading Dune once a year", he actually means "watch the Lynch film once a year". After all, he was first inspired to write SF after seeing the War of the Worlds movie, so he clearly finds it hard to grasp that whole movie/book distinction.

He really is.

HBJ

[lotek]

I think only Becca can quite grasp how much of a knob he is...

[Tleszer]

[Ampoliros]

Wasn't there a post or blog somewhere where KJA said he had sent some of his early writing to Frank to be critiqued?

[Robspierre]

Wasn't there a post or blog somewhere where KJA said he had sent some of his early writing to Frank to be critiqued?

I believe you are referring to the little thing he wrote in House Atriedes where he stated that when he finally had enough cred to be rated a pro for the SFWA. He wanted to send Frank his first novel but learned to late that Frank had passed away before Keith had become a "Pro."

Rob

[lotek]

Wasn't there a post or blog somewhere where KJA said he had sent some of his early writing to Frank to be critiqued?

I believe you are referring to the little thing he wrote in House Atriedes where he stated that when he finally had enough cred to be rated a pro for the SFWA. He wanted to send Frank his first novel but learned to late that Frank had passed away before Keith had become a "Pro."

Rob

yeah how fucking convenient... "I swear I would have done it, and he would have told me I was the best suited to carry on his work, in fact he told me(if I had sent my dri.. novel)that only I... I! Keith Anderson; who encompasses his Doon... yeah I am pretty sure he said that had I not waited until he was dead not to send him my story."

or something that makes even less sense...

[merkin muffley]

He wanted to send Frank his first novel but learned to late that Frank had passed away before Keith had become a "Pro."

Rob

yeah how fucking convenient... "I swear I would have done it, and he would have told me I was the best suited to carry on his work, in fact he told me(if I had sent my dri.. novel)that only I... I! Keith Anderson; who encompasses his Doon... yeah I am pretty sure he said that had I not waited until he was dead not to send him my story."

or something that makes even less sense...

Yeah, KJA sounds a little bit like Harwood there. I think they share a low regard for the truth. No wonder they got along so well, until the Great Schism that shook the internet to its very foundation. Twitter will never be the same again...

[Tleszer]

Wasn't there a post or blog somewhere where KJA said he had sent some of his early writing to Frank to be critiqued?

I believe you are referring to the little thing he wrote in House Atriedes where he stated that when he finally had enough cred to be rated a pro for the SFWA. He wanted to send Frank his first novel but learned to late that Frank had passed away before Keith had become a "Pro."

Rob

But... he is a "Pro." He and his "pimp" earn lots of money for the "work" he "does."

[Lundse]

Wasn't there a post or blog somewhere where KJA said he had sent some of his early writing to Frank to be critiqued?

Couldn't you just imagine this? Frank having read KJA and all the purple-prose, repetitive repetitions and plots going nowhere for no reason? He would have had a fit...

But... he is a "Pro." He and his "pimp" earn lots of money for the "work" he "does."

This, I realize, is the argument against the "KJA is a bestselling author so obviously he is doing something right..."-line of... I hesitate to call it argument. If financial succes is the measure of any endeavour, then a whore, and her pimp, must be applauded too. And the drug-dealer, software patent lawyer, hit man, etc...

[SandChigger]

If financial succes is the measure of any endeavour, then a whore, and her pimp, must be applauded too. And the drug-dealer, software patent lawyer, hit man, etc...

Now THERE's a quotable quote.

[Omphalos]

Stop pickin' on lawyers, you bunch of ungrateful, miscreant bastages.

[SandChigger]

I removed the lawyer reference when I reposted it on Twitter.

I think.

[Mr. Teg]

Stop pickin' on lawyers, you bunch of ungrateful, miscreant bastages.

Or he'll sue your ass

[Robspierre]

Found it! Here is the entire little blurb from the back of House Atreides.
Bolding done by me.

I never met Frank Herbert, but I knew him well through the words he wrote. I read DUNE when I was ten years old, and reread it several times over the years; then I read and enjoyed all of the sequels. GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE, hot off the presses, was the very first hardcover novel I ever purchased (I was a freshman in college). Then I worked my way through every single one of his other novels, diligently checking off the titles on the "Other Books By" page in each new novel. THE GREEN BRAIN, HELLSTROM'S HIVE, THE SANTAROGA BARRIER, THE EYES OF HEISENBERG, DESTINATION: VOID, THE JESUS INCIDENT, and more and more and more.
To me, Frank Herbert was the pinnacle of what science fiction could be -- thought-provoking, ambitious, epic in scope, well-researched, and entertaining - - all in the same book. Other science fiction novels succeed in one or more of these areas, but DUNE did it all. By the time I was five years old, I had decided I wanted to be a writer. By the time I was twelve, I knew I wanted to write books like the ones Frank Herbert wrote.
Throughout college, I published a handful of short stories, then began to write my first novel, RESURRECTION, INC., a complex tale set in a future world where the dead are reanimated to serve the living. The novel was full of social commentary, religious threads, a large cast of characters, and (yes) a wheels- within-wheels plot. By this time, I had enough writing credits to join the Science Fiction Writers of America . . . and one of the main benefits was the Membership Directory. There, before my eyes, was the home address of Frank Herbert. I promised myself that I would send him the very first signed copy.
The novel sold almost immediately to Signet Books . . . but before its publication date, Frank Herbert died.

I had avidly read the last two Dune books, HERETICS and CHAPTERHOUSE, in which Herbert had launched a vast new saga that built to a fever pitch, literally destroyed all life on the planet Arrakis, and left the human race on the brink of extinction -- that's where Frank Herbert left the story upon his death. I knew that his son Brian was also a professional writer with several science fiction novels under his belt. I waited, and hoped, that Brian would complete a draft manuscript, or at least flesh out an outline his father had left behind. Someday soon, I hoped, faithful DUNE readers would have a resolution to this cliffhanger.

Meanwhile, my own writing career flourished. I was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award and the Nebula Award; two of my thrillers were bought or optioned by major studios in Hollywood. While I continued to write original novels, I also found a great deal of success in dipping my toes into established universes, such as Star Wars and X-Files (both of which I love). I learned how to study the rules and the characters, wrap my imagination around them, and tell my own stories within the boundaries and expectations of the readers.
Then in the spring of 1996 I spent a week in Death Valley, California, which has always been one of my favorite places to write. I went hiking for an afternoon in an isolated and distant canyon, wrapped up in my plotting and dictating. After an hour or so I discovered that I had wandered off on the wrong trail and had several extra miles to hike back to my car. During that unexpectedly long walk, out in the stark and beautiful desert scenery, my thoughts rambled over to DUNE.

It had been ten years since Frank Herbert's death, and by now I had pretty much decided that DUNE was always going to end on a cliffhanger. I still very much wanted to know how the story wrapped up . . . even if I had to make it up myself.
I had never met Brian Herbert before, had no reason to expect he would even consider my suggestion. But DUNE was my favorite science fiction novel of all time, and I could think of nothing I would rather work on. I decided it would do no harm to ask . . . .
We hope you have enjoyed revisiting the Dune universe through our eyes. It has been an immense honor to sift through thousands of pages of Frank Herbert's original notes, so that we might re-create some of the vivid realms that sprang from his research, his imagination, and his life. I still find DUNE as exciting and thought-provoking as I did when I first encountered it many years ago.
-Kevin J. Anderson

Rob

[MrFlibble]

The text doesn't feel like KJA's usual style. Either there was heavy editing, or someone else wrote it?

[TheDukester]

It feels like it to me.

Here's how I can tell: I see lots of "I" ... "me" ... "my" ... "mine."

How I can tell, part II: Ander-asshole turns a tribute to Frank Herbert into a tribute to Ander-asshole.

[SandChigger]

He planned to send Frank Herbert a signed copy of his first book.

Then later he planned to ask for a blurb quote!

You KNOW that was the plan! Plans within plans within plans! I bet he even dreamed of co-authoring something with FH!

Then FH up and died on him and ruined it all!

[Omphalos]

He planned to send Frank Herbert a signed copy of his first book.

Then later he planned to ask for a blurb quote!

You KNOW that was the plan! Plans within plans within plans! I bet he even dreamed of co-authoring something with FH!

Then FH up and died on him and ruined it all!

Sounds like Frank knew what he was doing.

[SandChigger]

Eeew.

Kevin J. Anderson: The "writer" Frank Herbert died to avoid knowing.

OK, I'm off to Twitter now!

[Hunchback Jack]

How I can tell, part II: Ander-asshole turns a tribute to Frank Herbert into a tribute to Ander-asshole.

Ain't it the truth. And remember, this is KJA on his best behaviour, not the unfiltered version we see on Twitter, who types in the first thing that comes into his mind.

HBJ

[Serkanner]

I had avidly read the last two Dune books, HERETICS and CHAPTERHOUSE, in which Herbert had launched a vast new saga that built to a fever pitch, literally destroyed all life on the planet Arrakis, and left the human race on the brink of extinction -- that's where Frank Herbert left the story upon his death.
-Kevin J. Anderson

Using his own words it is now safe to say: he indeed doesn't even understand the core idea of Dune.

[SandChigger]

At the very least it shows that he has never understood the point of The Scattering.

[Robspierre]

I had avidly read the last two Dune books, HERETICS and CHAPTERHOUSE, in which Herbert had launched a vast new saga that built to a fever pitch, literally destroyed all life on the planet Arrakis, and left the human race on the brink of extinction -- that's where Frank Herbert left the story upon his death.
-Kevin J. Anderson

Using his own words it is now safe to say: he indeed doesn't even understand the core idea of Dune.

Or, he and Brian at this point had already decided to introduce their own creations into the Dune Universe. They didn't care about what came before, just what they introduced and rewrote. Why else start out with rewriting the the story right before Frank's work began? And now we see them rewriting more of Frank's work with this Heroes of Dune shit.

Rob

[MrFlibble]

I had avidly read the last two Dune books, HERETICS and CHAPTERHOUSE, in which Herbert had launched a vast new saga that built to a fever pitch, literally destroyed all life on the planet Arrakis, and left the human race on the brink of extinction -- that's where Frank Herbert left the story upon his death.
-Kevin J. Anderson

Using his own words it is now safe to say: he indeed doesn't even understand the core idea of Dune.

Agreed. "Teh Dune needz moar robotz!"

How I can tell, part II: Ander-asshole turns a tribute to Frank Herbert into a tribute to Ander-asshole.

Ain't it the truth. And remember, this is KJA on his best behaviour, not the unfiltered version we see on Twitter, who types in the first thing that comes into his mind.

HBJ

Hmm, I guess you guys are right.

[Superdog]

I recently discovered one of the worst star wars stories I ever read was written by KJA. I pretty much absorbed un-critically any Star Wars fiction I could find as a kid. There was one story that always stuck out as being completely off the wall. A quick search of wikipedia finds that it was written by KJA.

The story involves IG-88, robot bounty hunter, as has his soul transferd into the core of the second Death Star as part of a plot to take over the galaxy. He is of course foiled by Wedge and Lando blowing up the Death Star. Even as a kid I thought this was a bit much.

"Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88" by Kevin J. Anderson