tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post5168699664419182658..comments2023-10-06T08:10:05.853-04:00Comments on Necromancy Never Pays: Co-authored BooksJeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-58768343514154960062008-04-05T11:43:00.000-04:002008-04-05T11:43:00.000-04:00While blog writers may well have room to criticize...<I>While blog writers may well have room to criticize the way modern publishing works, it is certainly a doorway through which the worst crud does not pass...</I><BR/><BR/>A highly debatable position... or perhaps I'm with Ted Sturgeon on the definition of crud. (90% of everything.)<BR/><BR/>Put another way, crud is crud; once you pass that bar, I have no distinction for a "worst sort". I do not believe it is possible for you to present me with a compilation of fanfic which would be worse than Michael Crichton's "Sphere."<BR/><BR/>Back to your original question, I really must second Alison's commendation of <I>Good Omens</I>, even as the exception which proves the rule. <BR/><BR/>Looking over my library, I notice that the only other co-authored fiction I can recommend are illustrated books. I'd argue that they're "co-authored", but in a very different way than we're talking about.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05385463369182392891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-12959828132527608822008-04-04T13:21:00.000-04:002008-04-04T13:21:00.000-04:00Yes, I meant fiction. Co-authored fiction seems t...Yes, I meant fiction. Co-authored fiction seems to me to be quite distinct from the kind of fiction that explores some aspect of a character or a place already written about (I talked about this in a previous post). How is that different from fanfic? Well, it's published. While blog writers may well have room to criticize the way modern publishing works, it is certainly a doorway through which the worst crud does not pass...Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-824957977640734322008-04-04T12:50:00.000-04:002008-04-04T12:50:00.000-04:00I assume that you mean co-authored fiction specifi...I assume that you mean co-authored fiction specifically. I agree, as with many things done by committee (the Left Behind series, anyone) the results are often quite disappointing. Though, there is a slippery slope from obviously co-written books, through fanfic, and ending up with something like The Wide Sargasso Sea.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-20078009992570761882008-04-03T20:33:00.000-04:002008-04-03T20:33:00.000-04:00There is an unfortunate tendency for older science...There is an unfortunate tendency for older science fiction writers to "co-author" a book with a younger unknown, usually with execrable results. Arthur C. Clarke and Anne McCaffrey come to mind, here, sadly. So I am particularly skeptical of sci-fi collaborations.<BR/><BR/>That said, one of the best science fiction novels of all time is <I>The Mote in God's Eye</I>by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. In this case, two writers of equal stature at the height of their powers produced a fabulous book.Ron Griggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766380813507215810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-25520038581707885772008-04-03T14:14:00.000-04:002008-04-03T14:14:00.000-04:00John Bellairs had the audacity to suffer a heart a...John Bellairs had the audacity to suffer a heart attack at a terribly young age. Brad Strickland took the notes and scraps Bellairs left and completed the remaining four novels and has since written his own, using bellairs' ideas. They are brilliant.<BR/><BR/>So, I guess the answer would be yes... but I agree that one should be dubious. Dubious, but prepared for wonderful surprises.lemminghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06767103318863906140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-28667817473817109262008-04-03T10:07:00.000-04:002008-04-03T10:07:00.000-04:00Like you, I am often skeptical of co-authored book...Like you, I am often skeptical of co-authored books (rather like movies with a mile-long list of screenwriters). I did, however, read the Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett collaboration <I>Good Omens</I> a few years back. Hilarious. Laugh-out-loud-get-a-seat-to-yourself-on-the-Metro funny. It makes me wonder if I should rethink my usual stance against co-authorship, or if that novel is the exception that proves the rule.Alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09264228750184271133noreply@blogger.com