What is more, you may like a person very much and think their writing is crap. I had this problem with Ken Bulmer, who was one of my favourite fannish people, and whose work was pure hack.
You can think the book is brilliant, but dislike its message. After reading any of Allen Drury's political novels I have to go around muttering that "the Russians aren't that bad" but Advise and Consent deserved its Pulitzer.
However, if the book and the message and both crap, for particular reasons, then I'm out, however good other books by the author might be. I have several real problems with Heinlien's I Will Fear No Evil, not least that the author can't write convincingly from a female point of view. If it had been well written, I could have ignored some of the more dislikeable messages.
I'm a militant atheist, but George MacDonald's Lilith stands high on my list of favourite fantasies.
Also, there is something very cathartic about reading about someone who expresses what might be considered outrageous views with a real sense of humour. I commend the later books by Ruth Dudley Edwards, particularly Murdering Americans and The Anglo-Irish Murders. (The first of which would have made the race!fail police foam at the mouth, while not being in the least bit racist.)
Furthermore, one of the reasons I can't stand most history-based fiction is that most authors impose modern morality on people who'd never understand it. I like my history un-processed, thanks.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-07-31 11:35 am (UTC)What is more, you may like a person very much and think their writing is crap. I had this problem with Ken Bulmer, who was one of my favourite fannish people, and whose work was pure hack.
You can think the book is brilliant, but dislike its message. After reading any of Allen Drury's political novels I have to go around muttering that "the Russians aren't that bad" but Advise and Consent deserved its Pulitzer.
However, if the book and the message and both crap, for particular reasons, then I'm out, however good other books by the author might be. I have several real problems with Heinlien's I Will Fear No Evil, not least that the author can't write convincingly from a female point of view. If it had been well written, I could have ignored some of the more dislikeable messages.
I'm a militant atheist, but George MacDonald's Lilith stands high on my list of favourite fantasies.
Also, there is something very cathartic about reading about someone who expresses what might be considered outrageous views with a real sense of humour. I commend the later books by Ruth Dudley Edwards, particularly Murdering Americans and The Anglo-Irish Murders. (The first of which would have made the race!fail police foam at the mouth, while not being in the least bit racist.)
Furthermore, one of the reasons I can't stand most history-based fiction is that most authors impose modern morality on people who'd never understand it. I like my history un-processed, thanks.