Chummy writers?

[SandChigger]

(Wasn't sure if this would fit in the Genre Books forum, so I'm posting it here in General Chat.)

Who do we know is chummy with whom among authors in the field?

I got to wondering after seeing that pic of KJA with Orson Scott Card practically in his lap again yesterday. I haven't really paid much attention to this sort of thing in the past, wasn't all that interested. Mention of Dan Simmons in the other thread reminded me of when I tried contacting him twice a few months back (once by PM through the board on his site, and once by direct email) to see if he would confirm that rumor (which I think I heard from Byron) that he was one of the authors who had been approached about writing something set in the Duniverse before Brian and Kevin got hitched. From his complete lack of response, I started wondering if he and Kevin might not be friends. (They're both in Colorado, after all.)

Anybody know anything?

[Robspierre]

Pournelle and Niven are pretty chummy, Scalzi seems chums with several writers, more mid-west nd east coast as I recall from his website. I find it interesting that the hack doesn't name drop much when it comes to other writers.

Rob

[SandChigger]

Scalzi's actually living in a small town in Ohio, now, I believe.

Doesn't that drummer Neil Peirt (sp?) count as a writer?

[Omphalos]

Scalzi's actually living in a small town in Ohio, now, I believe.

Doesn't that drummer Neil Peirt (sp?) count as a writer?

Does KJA? I think of him as a "dictator." (And I'll bet Brian does too! )

[Mandy]

I bet KJA is pals with Dean Koontz. I just read Koontz's latest "bestseller" and it sucked so bad, I wouldn't be surprised if KJA wrote it for him. After a quick search of their names together, I see they have teamed up.

[SandChigger]

Some Frankenstein thing, right?

That's one of the reasons I asked about Koontz in another thread.

[Mandy]

Sorry, I don't follow all the KJA threads. I try to remain KJA free

Read this pompous review of that Frankenstein book they collaborated on.. then read the first comment http://calitreview.com/195

I used to like to read Koontz when I needed something light and quick. I was pleasantly surprised by a couple of them. This last one "The Darkest Evening of the Year" was so bad, I checked the cover to make sure it was written by Koontz. He used metaphors, then immediately explained them! lol.. what is the point of using a metaphor if you're going to spell it out? There are several short blurbs by professional reviewers inside the first few pages, and they are all raves.. of course. Makes me suspect all professional reviews.

[The Phantom]

"professional" just means they're getting paid for it. the question, of course, is who's writing the cheques

[SandChigger]

RAISE UP YE ANCIENT LORE!

I noticed among yesterday morning's Twitterage that John Scalzi has been elected president of the SFWA and that he had blogged about it:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/05/17/s ... t-of-sfwa/

So I popped by and left a comment:

21. # SandChigger on 17 May 2010 at 8:58 pm
Congratulations, since it seems it’s something you wanted, and good luck with implementing the changes.

Just make sure Anderson doesn’t get that Nebula he’s gagging for and you’ll do fine. LOL.

Got a rather humorless response:

26. # John Scalzi on 17 May 2010 at 9:31 pm
...

SandChigger:

You’re aware Anderson and I are friends, right?

In any event the president of SFWA doesn’t select the Nebula nominees, the members do.

Oh well, no accounting for tastes.

[SandRider]

send him a reply:

you're aware TheKJA is talentless hack,
and I've devoted my entire life to mocking
him on the internet, right ?

[TheDukester]

That right there is why I have to stop visiting authors' sites.

I used to like Scalzi, but on teh internets he comes across like a complete dick. I thought OS Card was halfway decent until I ran into his hate-filled ramblings; now I can't look at his books the same way. There's other examples, too.

Or ... it's possible that part of being an author is to be sort of a dick. I'm already convinced they are the most selfish people on earth, so that wouldn't be too big of a stretch.

[Serkanner]

63. # Serkanner on 19 May 2010 at 3:40 pm

Congrats on your election.

If you, however, can’t stop the SFWA members from offering Anderson the “pity” award he has been craving for his entire dicta(wri)ting life it will mean the final end of the Nebula award as an award of any true value for the genre.

[SandChigger]

Well, I've liked everything of Scalzi's I've read so far, and my opinion of him as a writer isn't going to change just because he (possibly) has shit taste in friends. I also don't want to be a dick on his blog because he has commented on my blog without being a dick when he could easily have done. Like that asshat Resnick. Who probably wants to gift KJA with a Nebula as soon as possible.

Was talking to Teg the other night and this came up; I kinda concluded being a dick's more acceptable if you're a good writer. If you're a hack, though, it's a deal breaker.

Besides, Scalzi was hobnobbing with "critical darling" China Miéville, so he can't be all bad.


Edit: This might be an interesting reread for others; was for me.

http://chiggerblog.hairyticksofdune.net/blog/?p=527