Kevin Burton Smith (kvnsmith@colba.net)
Thu, 23 Dec 1999 08:44:32 -0400
>- --- James Rogers <jetan@ionet.net>
wrote:
>
>> For Malzberg in a really vicious mode, all
pulp
>> and sf fans must read
>> _Herovit's World_, where a pulp hack
(Herovit)
>> slowly descends into
>> alcoholism and madness, his personalitly first
being
>> replaced by his
>> pen-name and finally by his series hero....both
of
>> whom turn out to be just
>> as alcoholic and ineffectual as he
is.
And Etienne wrote:
>Gosh!
>...this sounds exactly like the second half of
Robert
>Parker's life and Spenser taking over!!
>
>(Sorry, I couldn't resit!)
Why? Someone steal your chair? Anyway, I digress....
Sounds exactly like? If you wanna talk about writers who
eventually grew alcoholic and ineffectual, Hammett might be a
far better example than Parker. And Chandler had the hots for
Marlowe in a way that probably outshines Parker's affection
for his own hero.
Granted, I know less than Etienne seems to know about the
second half of Parker's life (alcoholism?), but still....
Like it or not, Parker's still kicking, and still producing
honest work, even if it doesn't meet everybody's high
standards. A pulp hack? Sheesh!
But Etienne raises a valid point about series characters.
There's always the danger, particularly in first
person-narrated series, with the hero's identity meshing with
that of the writer, a deception encouraged by the authors
themselves. And it's certainly nothing new. Check out the
author photos of Ken Millar sporting a fedora on the backs of
his paperbacks, or Spillane starring as Hammer in a flick.
Or, yes, Parker posing in baseball cap and sneakers, with
dog, about the time a dog was introduced into the
series.
Certainly, the public persona of several authors and their
series detectives have blurred, and more than one writer
could be accused of falling in love with their heroes. Think
of the long valentine to Marlowe that Chandler passed off as
part of the essay THE SIMPLE ART OF MURDER.
Most series, after a while, lose their steam because the
author has grown enamored of their hero, and started to gloss
over the rough bits that made the character so appealing in
the first place. And, of course, when a series becomes
commercially successful, there's far less room to maneuver.
Which is what makes Crais' L.A. REQUIEM or Block's EVERYBODY
DIES such brave works, from a monetary standpoint. The
dilemma of series characters, and the traps of success, are
favorite themes of Stephen King's, by the way. Think MISERY
or THE DARK HALF.
Writers grow older, want to settle down. If they've
identified with their characters, those characters will start
to grow older and settle down, too. It's natural. But it's
one reason many readers prefer non-series characters.
Kevin Burton Smith The Thrilling Detective Web Site http://www.colba.net/~kvnsmith/thrillingdetective/
It's Time for the 1999 Cheap Thrills P.I. Poll! Vote now!
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