I couldn't agree more. While I'm sure it's fabulous fun to
publicly accuse
people of theft, my suspicion is that the accused may not be
as amused.
As a genre is defined by it's conventions, what exactly is
theft? Is it
theft to write a Shakespearean sonnet?
As most good stories reflect deeply felt cultural myths, and
there are only
so many of these myths, who is stealing what?
Are there any new stories?
For those interested in these and other recent developments
in the fabulous
art of story telling I'd suggest a read of _The Writer's
Journey_ by
Christopher Vogler, which is "based on" the work of Joseph
Campbell.
Also two essays shed further light on this as it applies to
hard boiled
fiction. The first is the oft cited "Simple Art of Murder" by
Raymond
Chandler. The second is actually about the British mystery
story, "The
Guilty Vicarage," by W.H. Auden. (It's been ages since I read
this one, but
I think I have the particulars right).
The Auden essay is most interesting because it isn't about
hard boiled, but
illustrates very clearly how a different cultural mythical
structure can
result in a very different crime fiction.
Might I also suggest that if we are going to write really
tough criticism
of contemporary books whose authors may be subscribers to the
list, that we
all buy a nice collection of protective clothing -- OR -- At
the very
least, it might be considerate to those who don't bask in
negative reviews,
to warn via the subject line that a negative review is
enclosed.
This small courtesy may seem a bit silly, but take it from
one who knows.
Seeing a book you spent a year working on having the hell
beat out of it is
not a lot of fun.
Particularly, in a place where you like to hang out and
relax.
True, some of us do promote our books in less than subtle
ways, but I would
ask all to consider that in doing so we aren't trying to get
rich in the
widget business. Most of us are hanging on, trying to write
books that
others on the list can enjoy. Missing the mark shouldn't be
treated as a
war crime.
Fred
----
Down on Ponce a novel by Fred Willard
http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/~fwillard
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