Have you read any good books lately?

[uthas]

I have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnbYcB9c ... r_embedded

[Israia]

I haven't, but I read a fantastic synopsis of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2T7d8j6I5I

Edit2: Edited out! If you want to actually read it, contact me and I can link you. But I figure I'd rather not get on people's bad side for being completely careless.

[Threnn]

...

I... have some comments on this, but I need to get on a train to get to work.

[Threnn]

Right. Uh, so. I'm having some trouble finding the humor in this piece.

(And I know, Izzy, you're quoting from the SA forums, so when I say "you" I'm mostly referring to the person who originally wrote the post, just as a bit of forewarning. But I can't tell -- are you agreeing with the sentiment here? I really hope not.)

Say what you want about the writing in the books. Chances are I probably agree with it. The dialogue tags make baby zombie Jesus cry. The main character is a classic Mary-Sue, the love-interest a creepy, controlling, obsessive stalker. Hell, Bella spends three months staring out a window in New Moon and they call it plot.

I'll even argue whether or not it's Anne Rice fanfiction (hint: it's not. I read the first... six? books of the Vampire Chronicles. There is no resemblance aside from both series having vampires that are pale. And Louis lives on animals for a little while because he's emo. Oh, and Anne Rice's vampires probably went to Rome at some point, somewhere in there. But... that's it. I'm pretty sure this guy hasn't read any Anne Rice himself, has he?)

But going after Stephenie Meyer personally? Because she wrote a book this dude didn't like? Not okay.

Has she acted like a bit of a diva since the first book skyrocketed to the bestseller list? Yup. But that doesn't make her a bad person, and honestly, I'm pretty sure that (aside from her flouncing away from Midnight Sun when the chapters got leaked), none of the diva behaviors have been directed at the fans. They're things that are on the business side, and really, compared to things other writers have done, they're not so bad.

She's someone who went from obscurity to fame overnight. I don't think anyone can teach you how to handle that. Maybe in Hollywood, but certainly not in publishing. Success stories like hers are few and far between.

Her website, by the way, is run by one of her relatives. A brother-in-law or a cousin or something. Most of the posts on the front page are from him (Seth) or other people that help him run it. She occasionally posts there, usually about a book or a movie she's really liked. I... don't see why that's so terrible. In her most recent post, she's thanking her fans for the things they've done to help relief efforts in Haiti. OH NOES STRING HER UP.

Also, a lot of writers have playlists that they have playing while they write. It helps set the mood while they're writing a scene, helps evoke a character. I have playlists for Threnn and Anna. /shrug. I'm not sure why this is such a horrible thing. Oh, right. Dude doesn't like the bands on her playlist, so therefore, she's worthy of even more scorn. Except for the bands he does like, in which case he's sorry for them. I bet they sold a few extra albums when she released those playlists, though, don't you think? They're probably not so very upset about it after all. Also, Justin Furstenfeld from Blue October, who is on her playlist, did a 4-city concert series with her when Breaking Dawn came out. So, uh, yeah. I doubt the bands are all that devastated.

[...] and more importantly no one as fucking stupid as her should've procreated. I am disgusted that she has three children. Really? You felt the need to pass on your genetic predisposition to suck at everything onto three unsuspecting Womb Lice?! I hope those boys grow up outside of your influence and go on to have successful lives where they pay to have you put in a home because lady, you are deranged.

Is this supposed to be funny? Edgy? Going after her qualifications as a mom because you don't like her books? This isn't a pwning. This is just some dude on the internet being an asshole because he/she has an audience. John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory at work, ladies and gentlemen.

Is she the next JK Rowling? No, I don't think so. But their success stories had similar arcs, and aside from The Inheritance Trilogy (shut up, Uthas), Harry Potter was the last thing that took off the way Twilight did, so people are going to throw out the comparison. Note that it's not Meyer who suggested it, but someone else in the industry. They're different genres. They speak to different audiences, though there will always be overlap. She hasn't outsold Rowling, but she's only published four books to Rowling's seven, and the Potter series has been around for thirteen years now, where Twilight's only been out for five. (How many of you just got a wave of "holy shit, I'm old"? You're welcome.) Could she, in the long run, outsell JK Rowling? Maybe. Probably not, but both women also have more books in them, so maybe we'll see..

The books get people reading. Say whatever you like about them, but people are reading. And when they're done with Twilight, they look for other books to read that are like it. There's nowhere to go but up.

Also, I had several calls from bookstores in January 2009. The movie came out in November of '08, and the books sold and sold and sold, all through the holiday season. Several of my buyers let me know that, if it hadn't been for Twilight, their stores would have closed in January because otherwise, sales were pretty dismal that Christmas. So, I dunno. Something that kept bookstores open for another season, giving them the chance to get back on their feet after the economy tanked is a pretty damned good thing in my estimation.

Another thing to consider: the money publishers make on bestsellers is money they get to spend on other authors. We've had a fuckton of excellent debut novels coming out the last few years. Why? Because the success of Twilight has given us the wriggle room to take chances on writers who we otherwise might not have been able to. It's also helped us get other amazing established authors on our list.

So knock the writing in the books and the acting in the movies all you want. Go nuts. That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

But attacking the author and her personal life for writing something you don't like? That's an asshole move.

[Itanya_blade]

Treating someone like shit because you don't like the way they write is a dick move.

Pure and simple.

Don't read her books, fine. Want to take apart her writing style, fine. Treat her like some horrible human being because she writes fiction you considering horrible, not cool.

I have strong personal reasons to dislike Piers Anthony, but I never went to his house and shoved it in his face. Cause that's just shitty.

[Israia]

I can definitely understand those thoughts. I take it all with a grain of salt for comedy value, probably 'cause I just have a different mind set of what is expected out of the SomethingAwful boards and just in general.

I think I'm going to remove it, if it's offending people so much. Didn't mean to, just thought it was funny(once again, perspective of having been in that community as long as I have).

I apologize for posting it.

Edit: And to be clear, I don't really have an opinion on the work, or her. I've never read her work or really seen anything with her. I just know the first movie was one of the most grating experiences I've ever had, because of all the awkward staring. I was a pretty awkward teenager, but man I never had that much in a day.

Was more just for comedic value ><

[Denne]

I want to know how her books have affected sales of Count Chocula.

[Threnn]

I'm not upset with you, Izzy. I know what to expect from SA. I used to read it when it first started up (which, I'll refrain from two "holy shit, I'm old" moments in the same thread, but go ahead and wiki it.) I still peek at their Photoshop Phridays now and then. So, I grok the tone of the site and some of its posters, but sometimes attempts at humor just fall flat. This really read to me as someone waving his internet wang around to get some attention, and I just don't find being mean for the sake of being mean funny.

If she'd kicked his puppy or something, y'know, I could understand the vitriol. But this person voluntarily read her book cover to cover and looked up the synopses of the last three on his own. And that warrants personal attacks? Some of them bordering on misogyny, others crossing the line right over into it? You know ten pages into the book whether you'll love it or hate it. Dun like it? Read something else. Reading it FOR SCIENCE! or to do hi-larious interwebz critiques? You don't need to mine very deep to find material, no need to go after the author.

Though, you'd be up against some stiff competition: Cleolinda's Twilight recaps are pretty awesome.

[Kost]

I admit, I read the first one, it was boring and I still don't quite understand why everyone keeps on calling Edward a Vampire when he seriously reminds me of a Fae, but anyhow, not my cup of tea. I giggle over the rage it causes mostly. Good books though?

Been struggling to read this historical romance that my mother dropped into my lap, it's just so damn hard to read it. I keep cracking up over all this 'confusion and desire' stuffed already into the second chapter. Otherwise, just finished Under the Dome by Steven King, which was so-so, and The Roadshow Spangle by Gary Jennings, which I prolly will read again before looking for the next one.

I leave the playing around with the old gods to the better half.

[uthas]

I'm a little boggled how I post a video about the Necronomicon and somehow spawn a thread about Twilight.