Pratchett Gives Rowling a Verbal Slap

[cantdog]

I thank you missed my point that an author doesn't see their work in the same light -- or genre -- as critics and fans assign them to.

JKR is not the only F/SF author to deny they write fantasy or science fiction.

Anne McCaffrey has said she doen't write science fiction or fantasy, she write about people who just happen to live in a future or fantastic setting.

I think it is Tom Clancy -- one of the authors in the "Techno-Thriller" genre, anyway -- who refuses to allow his books to be categorized or shelved as "Science Fiction" despite the prominance of advanced technology central to the basic concept of a "techno-thriller."

In fact the whole "techno-thriller" genre is an arbitary distinction that is the result of authors rejecting the idea that extrapolating new technologies and writing about the future is somehow not "science fiction" or "speculative fiction" becuse they're ony writing about small advances in technology and only a "few years" into the future -- because they perceive the "F/SF genre" to be limiting their potential fan base.

Some authors have the determination and commercial success necessary to create a genre from their view that they don't write in an existing one. Most authors don't care that much how the publisher's and fans define their genre as long as they read the books.

But the Time magazine people, who seem pretty ignorant, really, sling the genre terms around as though they meant something. To the extent that they do mean something, it seems to me that the statements they made were wrong, as Luc pointed out, as well as Pratchett and others here.

I think Time wanted a HP piece, on the premise that HP will help sell the magazine. They had to play catchup ball to get oriented, and it showed in the article.

By the way, Stella, I agree with you about Anthony and sexual references. You say it so well that I have nothing to add. I have to agree with Sarahh about HP, too, and Liar. They are not great Fantasy books, but they are pretty good kid books. Kids like 'em fine, and Fantasy people won't be as pleased, since the magic is just special effects.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I'm not saying I'm a great writter and I know very well my spelling sucks, thank you for pointing that out Kassiana. If this site had a spell check it would help. But the point I was trying to make is the world has gone Ga-Ga over a series of novels written for a teen audience. shall we say a very conservative 1/2 of her novels sold are read by teen.
I've read all of Her work (except for the latest it is due to be delivered this week)and all of Prachetts works, and Pratchett still gets my vote as the better author of the two.

Now I will admit that they both write lite-fluff-novels all easy reads. Their are many other authors out there that are so much better than the two of them combined, for example, staying within the genre, Anne McCathrey and her Pern series.

So my appologies to any one I insulted about their reading level. But if you took insult then

Pern is a combination of Fantasy and SF. I don't really care for SF, particularly in my Fantasy.

Anne McCaffry and many others listed here have all had there share of hype- at least amoung fans and readers.

People have different tastes, and I'm not saying that Pern books aren't *good* -- or that they don't live up to the hype, they just aren't for me.

Hype can't do everything. Ever hear of a movie called Gigli?

If the books didn't offer something more than hype, we (the fans) would have figured it out by now (3 movies, 6 books).

Maybe the books aren't *fantasy* maybe they are just *magic*- if so, I'd like more magic and less fantasy thank you. I'm smart enough, but I don't want my fantasy to be all acedemic.

It seems to me that an *awful* lot of people who critisise haven't even read the books. Or maybe have only read 1 (the books 'grow' as they go btw)- but mainly critisize the hype as somehow underserved. The hype comes mainly from the kids themselves who hunger for more harry. Everything else is just meeting the demand. Perhaps the brilliance of HP was targeting an audience that *ahem* "real authors" don't consider- kids. Kids are enthusastic, they create and follow trends. They are savvy. they know how much a mint condition charazard card is worth today as apposed to last week.

They are a lot smarter than we give them credit for, and they spend a hell of a lot more money than we think.

Yes adults love the books too- but I think kids push the hype. (and adults join in). I think that HP sort of fills a void of fantasy for people with the personality type to be 'treckies' or 'star wars fanatics' -besides, those things are of the past, and HP is now. Not every Ren Fair buff enbraces HP, but HP does push us up a bit into the spotlight, and even makes us in some ways a bit more socially acceptable. But we've always been around, HP didn't create us and it won't destroy fantasy or anything else

 

[sweetnpetite]

On the topic of tweaking and innovating- I don't think JKR has done much of that at all. her work (so far) is fairly classic for fantasy. For myself, I don't mind a bit of tweaking now and then, but what it wrong with simple unmessed with Fantasy? Personally, it's my favorite genre and tweaking it too much makes it something else that I like less. JMO.

 

[LLs Man]

Anne McCaffrey has said many times (to me and others) that she considers her work (apart from the romances & historical stuff) to be SF, she hates it when people call Pern fantasy just because it has dragons in it. Personally I don't agree with her entirely, at least not about Pern (in the earlier novels anyway), though I do about the others. (I was a mod on her official site when it had forums & chat, & am still a mod on its unofficial successor; she still has the site, but now we have the forums & chat.)

Fantasy is my favourite genre too

 

[sweetnpetite]

Anne McCaffrey has said many times (to me and others) that she considers her work (apart from the romances & historical stuff) to be SF, she hates it when people call Pern fantasy just because it has dragons in it. Personally I don't agree with her entirely, at least not about Pern (in the earlier novels anyway), though I do about the others. (I was a mod on her official site when it had forums & chat, & am still a mod on its unofficial successor; she still has the site, but now we have the forums & chat.)

Fantasy is my favourite genre too

That's good to know. I totally agree with her.

To a writer and to a fan, what makes a book or story a certain genre is quite a bit more than the presence or absence of elves, dragons, magic ect. In the same way a book that takes place in Texas and features saloons, guns and horses isn't automatically a Western now is it?