| Author | Message | ||
     Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
I hope you haven't criticised your fellow Dark Scribe's tale "The Portico Angel", Gary! Otherwise terrible communications may follow. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.159.152.164 |
Coincidentally I've just been reading Poppy's blog about this writer. Hmmm... | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.70.53.160 |
.....and I read Poppy's blog. Unbelievable about the postings to a man already depressed. And a earlier blog about the church. I'm reminded of all the stories where you could claim sanctuary in a church...in reality very strange and quite sad. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.242.126 |
Ha! Indeed, I caught up with all this last night. Most peculiar. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.4.250.129 |
A writer should recognize "sour grapes" when s/he sees them, and simply move along - not wax bonkers. | ||
| Michael_kelly (Michael_kelly) Username: Michael_kelly Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 207.188.67.171 |
Hal Duncan has an excellent write-up of the whole sad affair here: http://notesfromthegeekshow.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-not-to-be-writer.html | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
In my experience, being wished dead by an embittered writer simply makes one more determined to carry on living. | ||
| Chris_morris (Chris_morris) Username: Chris_morris Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 98.220.71.248 |
A sad affair. But I wonder if Reardon won't benefit from the attention. This may test the age-old wisdom of "there's no such thing as bad publicity." I suspect Reardon may get a couple of sales from all this. (After all, James Frey seems only to have benefited from his well-known bad behavior. He's still publishing books, apparently -- and selling them, too.) | ||
| Alansjf (Alansjf) Username: Alansjf Registered: 09-2008 Posted From: 94.194.134.45 |
^^ In which case, I don't know which is more reprehensible - saying what he did because he's an arsehole, or saying it because he thinks the attention will help him shift more books. | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.110.178.252 |
Craig, I don't know if you have good evidence for describing the review as 'sour grapes' – that's not my impression at all. Regardless, we're all agreed that this is an appalling way to react to criticism. Poppy Z. Brite summed it up well when she said that every author is allowed to fantasise about visiting dire vengeance on unkind reviewers – but that's as far as it should go. Occasionally some polite and considered response may be appropriate. Usually it's better not to. Hal Duncan's blog is funny, angry and worth reading for its own merit. With some editing, it could be a review of THEATRE OF BLOOD. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
I've seen the review, and it's basically just a bit dismissive of every story - it actually amused me. Certainly no reason at all to start wishing people dead. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.170.88.98 |
Writers are so sensitive. It's in their nature, surely? To have such huge feelings and be able to conjure them for each character it's no surprise it can go wrong, no wonder in real life they feel so much pain, like Roderick Usher with his dread of rough cloth and funny noises (was he an autistic character? Maybe...). | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 129.11.76.230 |
Sensitive? Didn't he suggest someone should go kill himself? | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.170.88.98 |
Yes - but he said it because he was hurting and not dealing with it properly, yeah? They say Hitler was overly sensitive, too. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
Sensitive isn't the word I'd use, Tony. Surely you can't sympathise with that kind of behaviour? Some people need a reality check (not you, Tony; just some of these "sensitive" writers). | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
If you are writing to be published, then you have to let go and allow the work to be judged, to stand and fall on its own. Otherwise, there's no point sending it out. Good reviews...bad reviews...they're all meaningless. All that counts IMHO is that you, as an artist, are happy with what you've produced. | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 129.11.77.198 |
>>>They say Hitler was overly sensitive, too. ??? | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
 | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
Poor old Adolf - if only he'd had some tough love as a child, everything would've been fine.  | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 129.11.76.229 |
I'm not sure using Hitler as a benchmarking device in this particular case is very useful. :<0 | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.170.88.98 |
It's true! Hitler was a romantic. I'm not suggesting he was sensitive to others...or that this writer chap is. I'm saying they feel things deeply, and hurt too much. Like Grendel in that film, with his bubble lugs. | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.74 |
Reardon's behaviour was indefensible and should be deplored. Yes, we all feel wounded by our bad reviews, no doubt. Tough. If we can't deal with it, best get out of writing (or continue writing but avoid publication for fear that anyone might dare to criticise our precious work). | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.170.88.98 |
Ha! You guys are so old testament. I was just saying how a gift like this tool for percepetion and observation can become twisted. I think it's actually pretty sad because these people are ultimately harming themselves more than anyone else. If only they realised what they did was good, and realised how much criticism can help. Me, I take criticism badly, but I think I'm getting better at it. A couple of bits of praise can go a long way. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.170.88.98 |
Um...actually, this guy does seem a bit of a tit. It's one thing to be sensitive, another entirely to encourage death. | ||
| Craig (Craig) Username: Craig Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 75.5.6.54 |
Joel - sorry, first impression I get, was that Steve Berman was being a little snarky. He states he read most of this now notorious anthology, but for two writers, his "faves" he's going to save ("savor") for later; he then does indeed dish out one-line caustic remarks about every story remaining (including a rather nasty side-hand to our Gary here); later, Berman says, indeed, he tried submitting a story to this anthology, but was himself rejected. ... Gee, sure sounds like sour grapes to me. Now what Reardon should have done, is not gone ape-shit, and made an ass of himself, threatening another human being's life. What the hell was HE thinking?!? Take the stupid remarks of your critics and move on, or maybe respond snark-for-snark (like responding to Berman that, indeed, it sounded like "sour grapes"). The Reardon approach?... Highly unacceptable. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.170.88.98 |
If you must tick someone off do it in a way that makes it look like you have the upper hand, are the sensible one. The human one. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 213.219.8.243 |
Craig, I thought the same as you. As for his comments regarding my tale, I didn't think he was nasty. He didn't get the story at all - that much was clear - but I didn't think he came across as nasty. Just stupid.  | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
>>Good reviews...bad reviews...they're all meaningless. All that counts IMHO is that you, as an artist, are happy with what you've produced. I agree. Do your own work and do it as well as you can. If you're happy with it it's a bonus. You can't dictate who likes your stuff and who doesn't. Apparently this guy gave Zed a duff review too, but if he'd given him a brilliant one it wouldn't have changed the piece Zed wrote. Zed was happy with it. Shrug of shoulders, move on. Replying's always a mistake. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.242.126 |
Exactly. Personally, I approach all reviews armed with a sense of irony. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 06-2008 Posted From: 86.166.188.81 |
Or a sense of constructive absurdity. |