when writers lose their clue....

[lagilman]

Wow. Talk about not only biting the hand that feeds you, but taking it off at the elbow...

TERRY GOODKIND has been cruelly misjudged: 'First of all, I don't write fantasy. I write stories that have important human themes. They have elements of romance, history, adventure, mystery and philosophy. Most
fantasy is one-dimensional. It's either about magic or a world-building. I don't do either.' (_USA Today_ interview, August 03)

(via Ansible)



Comments?


EtA: yes. See date on quote. Not new. We know. But being discussed today because it came up in Ansible for the mocking.

Comments

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is going to have fallout.

*pops corn*

[lagilman]

I doubt his die-hard readers cared, since they continued reading him after the quote was made (see date on quote). But Atwooding the genre that made you is...tacky, at the least, and worth mocking.

[havocthecat]

Wow. That's just something else, now, isn't it? Amazingly enough, I have less urge to buy novels from someone who feels he's too good to write fantasy.

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. And I thought Romancelandia had the fires. This one should outburn them all...

[shadowhwk.livejournal.com]

Wow. Wow.

Maybe we should just take him out of the fantasy section at the bookstore and stop doing all the fantasy promo spotlights for him, then.

[shadowhwk.livejournal.com]

Hrm. In looking at the USA Today interview that came from, it's from 2003. Very old.

Still makes Goodkind out to be an ass, but it's curious that it just got picked up in Ansible now.

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

My goodness! We're all full of our lit'ry presumptions, aren't we? I guess it's okay for hacks like J.K. Rowling to write fantasy, but not Mr. #1 New York Times Bestselling... oh, wait.

Have you seen his Web site? It's actually little scary in the way it YELLS at the reader so you know just how important he really is.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Um. . . what?

Oh, I get it. He's writing Lit'rachur.

That's a relief, actually.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

If that's what he's writing, he's doing it badly.

[booraven22.livejournal.com]

::facepalm::
::headdesk::

This falls under the "Andrew Eldritch 'not that category' Corollary"

For which application of clue bat is required.

[undeadbydawn.livejournal.com]

in all fairness to the Gothfather, he considered the Sisters to be an electro-punk band. He himself had, and has zero interest in 'Goth' culture. On creating the standard Goth look, he commented that it amused him that so many people had decided to keep wearing the stupid outfit he chose that week. He preferred the white suit.


Fields of the Nephilim, while somewhat less recognised or remembered, are far more *deliberately* responsible for Goth. Especially in the classic sense.

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

I went back to read the original USA Today interview ... or as much of it as I could stand. Wow. That just ... wow.

If I ever reach the point where I'm spouting that sort of ignorant, condescending crap, I dearly hope someone will club me with a two-by-four.

[rflong.livejournal.com]

I had to close it after the first answer... *sigh*

[rflong.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. Oh dearie dearie me...

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

::shrug::

I'll be honest in that I never cared for Terry Goodkind's books, so it's no big loss if he thinks he can up his standing by making statements like this.

[ilvack.livejournal.com]

He doesn't write fantasy? Really? *looks back to his bookcase, at the massive Sword of Truth novels*. Hm.

Most fantasy is one-dimensional? *looks once more to his bookcase, at the Robert Jordan books, the David Eddings books, the Robin Hobbs, and the Stephen Kings.* Ah.

Most are either about magic or world building? *looks back once again to the Sword of Truth novels. Stares hard at the first book, which goes into explicit detail over the magic system. Then peers at the detailed discussions of how one faction of people treat another, and the McGuffins in the series, all of which are heavy in magic. Even goes as far as to examine the name of the series, THE SWORD OF TRUTH, which, in itself, is a wholly magical item. Then examines the titles of the books, and notes very carefully that all of the titles are related to Magic of some form or fashion.* I see now.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

But he's got Moral Clarity, just like Richard does.

When he mentions that the most cutting edge author out today (interview was conducted in 2003) is Ayn Rand, that explains a lot.

[kriz1818.livejournal.com]

This is really, really funny, because my spouse & I stopped reading the Sword of Truth series partway through the third one (I think) ... because that one struck us as so *derivative.*

We were sad about that, because we actually quite like his first book.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

"No comment."

(He used to seem sensible back when he lived in Maine . . .)

[threeoutside.livejournal.com]

*clears throat, scuffs toe in dirt* Ahem. I, uh, feel compelled as an Omaha native and current citizen to make some sort of apology to the spec fiction - specifically fantasy - world for producing this Embarassment...I didn't have anything to do with it, of course, but still, one hurts for one's hometown.

[michael-b-lee.livejournal.com]

I don't know if he lost his clue, so much as his raging ego eclipsed what little clue he had.

Interestingly, his new book (of which Janet brought home an ARC; it's around the house somewhere) is a Dean Koontz-style thriller.

[katatomic.livejournal.com]

*goggle* Umm... Earth to Mr. Goodkind... paging Mr. Goodkind.... Your clue is unglued.

[dqg-neal.livejournal.com]

I've read his work and I agree with him. He doesn't do world-building. :)

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

This looks like the interview in question: 'Naked Empire': Author Terry Goodkind

That interview's from 2003. How'd it take the community so long to pick up on that?

[lagilman]

Because it was originally done in a newspaper not many people in fandom read, and only now requoted in Ansible, which many of us do.

It's easy and safe to diss your fanbase out of their hearing. Ballsless, but easy. I note that he continued to take "fantasy" advertising and promotion even after the interview came out, however.

[mt-yvr.livejournal.com]

I find it funny that not only is this statement one that was made a while ago... it's also one he's repeated from time to time since. And only now people are catching it?

Ah well.

Karma... it's a pain. He's got that.. that... thing of a tv show to deal with.

[lagilman]

see above response. Me, I wonder why people seem to feel there's an allowable period of disgust to Atwooding. I don't care if he said it twenty years ago, or yesterday.

I also don't care if he's a mystery writer refusing to accept that genre label, or a romance writer dissing the field, or a horror writer claiming s/he's actually writing Literature of the Mind, it's tacky and disresepctful to his fanbase, and IMO deserves to be made note of.

[terri-osborne.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying there's an allowable period of discuss to Atwooding. I can just see the "you mean, you guys were too stupid to catch this the first 15 interviews he said it in?" coming back against the community realdamnfast.

[lagilman]

*shrug* Let 'em. I don't care.

[desuvan.livejournal.com]

While I'd argue the point about whether or not he writes about magic, I agree whole heartedly that he doesn't bother with world-building.

Actually, this is kind of funny because I stopped reading Goodkind after the first book, though I think a friend foisted on me the second. And "Wizard's First Rule" was actually the first book that I put down, shook my head, and had the "I can write something better than this garbage" realization. Not that, in reflection, that's saying a whole lot.

There's just no logical progression to his plots and his dialogue was painfully cheesy, even compared to badly translated anime.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

He doesn't do world-building? No wonder I lost interest in the Sword of Truth series early on. (And I was in high school then, and a lot easier to please than I am now.)

More seriously, I vaguely remember his work as being boring and doorstoppy after a while ... but anyway.

[ilvack.livejournal.com]

I have to say that Faith of the Fallen is probably one of my favorite books. I think it's probably the best book he's ever written. Too bad it's 5th in the series that many people just can't get into

[rovanda.livejournal.com]

I stopped reading after his third book because I just didn't think they were going anywhere interesting - unless pointlessly tormenting your characters counts as interesting.

These days I pretend that "Wizard's First Rule" is the only book in the series.

[corvidophile.livejournal.com]

never understood authors who did this. refusing to believe that their works are part of a certain genre. like admitting to it makes them the scum of the literary world.

everyone has their opinion of what is great literature and i believe the author should be proud that they write "X" genre for the many many fans of each out there. if the author has a talent for writing fantasy then hell stand up and be proud of it.

thats one of the reasons i love Robert Sawyer. he is not only a scifi author, but proclaims it from every rooftop. he does readings and introduces not only his latest book but touts the organization and website SFWRITER.COM. he proudly names new and upcoming scifi (and known) authors to let everyone know.

authors who are embarrased to be put in a class of books, makes me want to not read THEIR books, it doesn't make me want to not read that genre.

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

My dear Mr Goodkind- may I call you dear?

Well, too bad.

You, sir, are sadly mistaken.

I know this because, gee, looky there, on the spine of YOUR books, it says, FANTASY.

And sorry, but I know of NO REAL history in which Confessors really exist as described in your books, let alone a magical wall that bars magic, wizards such as Zed, a sword that teaches the wielder how to fight, books that are so joined that when one writes in one, a person can see that writing in the other clear across the country, etc, so on and so forth.

So, yes, my dear misguided sir, you do indeed write fantasy.

And world building? Then, pray tell, exactly WHAT did you do in your Sword of Truth series? Those lands do NOT exist in REAL LIFE, so therefore, you HAD to have built them from the recesses of your imagination.

Therefore, I say unto you, yes, indeed, you do, in fact, write fantasy.

So sorry to burst that misguided bubble of yours.

Sincerly,

Someone who's really getting bored by the later books in the series, can you please just finish it now? Don't be Robert Jordan, ok?

[ilvack.livejournal.com]

Agreed there. Though, Jordan wasn't able to finish his series before his death, and I doubt anyone wants to see Mr. Goodkind die