Comments on: These Dragons be Draggin’ http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/ Reading...Writing...Life Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:59:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: nessili http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-837 nessili Sun, 01 Oct 2006 04:34:20 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-837 I like dragons. I like military history. The Teremaire series is a lovely combination of the two. I like dragons. I like science fiction. The Pern books used to be a great way to get both, though I think I shall be following Velvet's advice and move on. Alas. In general though, I prefer wolves. I just don't read too many fantasy books about them because I'm trying to write one myself and don't want to accidentally grab thoughts from other places (or get too depressed that every wolf-related plotline is already been used. That whole "fresh twist" thing is a real pain in the boohickey). I like dragons. I like military history. The Teremaire series is a lovely combination of the two.
I like dragons. I like science fiction. The Pern books used to be a great way to get both, though I think I shall be following Velvet’s advice and move on. Alas.

In general though, I prefer wolves. I just don’t read too many fantasy books about them because I’m trying to write one myself and don’t want to accidentally grab thoughts from other places (or get too depressed that every wolf-related plotline is already been used. That whole “fresh twist” thing is a real pain in the boohickey).

]]> By: velvet http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-835 velvet Sun, 01 Oct 2006 02:57:00 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-835 yeah, i have necountered a "big named" author with the same mistake.. of repeating herself in a novel. after a few pages the same thought and words was there mixed up in another pharagraph. sometimes she even repeat character names.. but it wasn't a series. oh well i wont bother to name her tho. best is just move on to explore other books or genre.. that worked for me. yeah, i have necountered a “big named” author with the same mistake.. of repeating herself in a novel. after a few pages the same thought and words was there mixed up in another pharagraph. sometimes she even repeat character names.. but it wasn’t a series. oh well i wont bother to name her tho. best is just move on to explore other books or genre.. that worked for me.

]]> By: Ryan Mc. http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-834 Ryan Mc. Sun, 01 Oct 2006 01:27:46 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-834 You really like dragons huh? You really like dragons huh?

]]> By: Carla http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-816 Carla Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:53:15 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-816 "Part of their charm was their sameness" I think that may be one of the appealing features of series in general. Readers know pretty much what they're going to get, so it's a safe bet when faced with a gazillion books to choose from. But at some point knowing what you're going to get becomes a boring rather than a comforting prospect - and if I could define what made that happen, I'd be shopping for a private island :-) “Part of their charm was their sameness”
I think that may be one of the appealing features of series in general. Readers know pretty much what they’re going to get, so it’s a safe bet when faced with a gazillion books to choose from. But at some point knowing what you’re going to get becomes a boring rather than a comforting prospect - and if I could define what made that happen, I’d be shopping for a private island :-)

]]> By: nessili http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-813 nessili Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:58:13 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-813 My copy of Dragonsdawn was falling apart. The same thing with Dragonriders (the first three in one book) and the Harper series. I finally got rid of them because 1. I didn't have space on my shelves anymore (I needed the space for the HTF and Out-of-Print books I was scouring eBay and Amazon for), and I knew I could easily find those sets at the library. 2. I had them completely memorized :-) Those were wonderful books. I'm sure I'll go back and check them out at some time. Especially Dragonsdawn--I love colonization books. But the later ones? Bah. Can't even remember them enough to bother keeping them straight. Same thing happened with The Rowan series. I've read and reread The Rowan and Damia...after those two, the books started to sound the same. Maybe I have a problem with series in general. The Amelia Peabody series got to be repetetive too. (I won't comment on my beloved Trixie Belden, as part of their charm was their sameness) My copy of Dragonsdawn was falling apart. The same thing with Dragonriders (the first three in one book) and the Harper series. I finally got rid of them because 1. I didn’t have space on my shelves anymore (I needed the space for the HTF and Out-of-Print books I was scouring eBay and Amazon for), and I knew I could easily find those sets at the library. 2. I had them completely memorized :-)

Those were wonderful books. I’m sure I’ll go back and check them out at some time. Especially Dragonsdawn–I love colonization books.

But the later ones? Bah. Can’t even remember them enough to bother keeping them straight.

Same thing happened with The Rowan series. I’ve read and reread The Rowan and Damia…after those two, the books started to sound the same.

Maybe I have a problem with series in general. The Amelia Peabody series got to be repetetive too. (I won’t comment on my beloved Trixie Belden, as part of their charm was their sameness)

]]> By: omninaif http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-811 omninaif Wed, 27 Sep 2006 17:31:44 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-811 "If they still seem fresh and sparkling even now you know what happens, it’s likely to be the series that’s changed rather than you." - Carla I totally agree with this comment. Anne McCaffrey is a borderline juggernaut when it comes to fan loyality. I would hate to think she's lost so many of them with the help of her son. Nice post/review. “If they still seem fresh and sparkling even now you know what happens, it’s likely to be the series that’s changed rather than you.”
- Carla

I totally agree with this comment. Anne McCaffrey is a borderline juggernaut when it comes to fan loyality. I would hate to think she’s lost so many of them with the help of her son.

Nice post/review.

]]> By: Toni Lea Andrews http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-803 Toni Lea Andrews Tue, 26 Sep 2006 17:40:17 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-803 As a newbie author at a big publishing house, my stuff is edited to bits. Which is good, I need the input. They've done this before. Well. I know certain other authors (whom I am waaaay to diplomatic to name) who have become big enough names that they can insist their stuff does not require anything other than line (typos, etc.) editing. I read their books, and I find things that would not get through a first perusal by my critique partners. Recent example: starting three sentences with the same phrase within four paragraphs. I aspire to a)being a big enough fish in the pond that I would be able to demand my stuff not be edited and b)being smart/humble enough to never take advantage of that status. As a newbie author at a big publishing house, my stuff is edited to bits. Which is good, I need the input. They’ve done this before. Well.

I know certain other authors (whom I am waaaay to diplomatic to name) who have become big enough names that they can insist their stuff does not require anything other than line (typos, etc.) editing. I read their books, and I find things that would not get through a first perusal by my critique partners. Recent example: starting three sentences with the same phrase within four paragraphs.

I aspire to a)being a big enough fish in the pond that I would be able to demand my stuff not be edited and b)being smart/humble enough to never take advantage of that status.

]]> By: Carla http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-796 Carla Sat, 23 Sep 2006 16:04:16 +0000 http://www.hittingthebooks.com/2006/09/22/these-dragons-be-draggin/#comment-796 A cynic would say there's no need for the publisher to care about the writing now, since the series is so well established that it will continue to sell through quite a number of poor books until significant numbers of fans give up and go elsewhere. But it seems sad if the writers have given up caring too. One way of telling if you've become too critical is to reread the earlier stories in the series that you used to love. If they still seem fresh and sparkling even now you know what happens, it's likely to be the series that's changed rather than you. If you now see all sorts of flaws and no longer enjoy them, then maybe you've got more critical. A cynic would say there’s no need for the publisher to care about the writing now, since the series is so well established that it will continue to sell through quite a number of poor books until significant numbers of fans give up and go elsewhere. But it seems sad if the writers have given up caring too.

One way of telling if you’ve become too critical is to reread the earlier stories in the series that you used to love. If they still seem fresh and sparkling even now you know what happens, it’s likely to be the series that’s changed rather than you. If you now see all sorts of flaws and no longer enjoy them, then maybe you’ve got more critical.

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