Harry Potter - crap or not?

[AsiaAsia82]

Seems a common theme in writing and in music, ideas etc are lifted and will always be so, there are thousands of years of both.
How you adapt them is key and how accessible you make them.
Rowling has done that well in this series.

And they’re not too woke either.

 

[Martin Alvito]

They're children's books. Unless you're an Oxford English professor like C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien, don't bet on writing children's books of lasting significance for adults.

She caught a tailwind and made a huge pile of money. We should all be so fortunate.

It didn't come without a price. Stephen King tells a story about her charging up to him at a conference somewhere around book 6 or 7, and saying, "Stephen, you've got to help me! You're the only one who will understand! They won't leave me alone. What do you do?"

 

[Martin Alvito]

I read one and didn't think much of it, it's a bit crap but generally okay. Certainly more a phenomenon of popularity that brilliant creative writing.

I always think world builders who want to keep one foot in the real world with their created land are a bit lazy and more focused on production than quality.

I think that's a touch harsh. I don't begrudge Scalzi The Android's Dream - it's a fun one-off romp - and I think the Lock In series is innovative enough that he's entitled to mine it for whatever it's worth.

If you want to argue that it's important to know when to quit with a fantasy that intersects with the real world, and that it's short of seven books, I can get behind that. King could have hung The Dark Tower on three, and we wouldn't have missed much.

 

[Rita_Poon]

"Stephen, you've got to help me! You're the only one who will understand! They won't leave me alone. What do you do?"

write a book about a haunted type writer, a story about an author responding to criticism in the press, and every response leads to the recipient of the response enduring a ghastly fate within a matter of days. The twist? the author is so consumed with grief when they work out the connection that they are forced to write a letter to themselves...

(sounds like one of his short stories)

 

[Martin Alvito]

write a book about a haunted type writer, a story about an author responding to criticism in the press, and every response leads to the recipient of the response enduring a ghastly fate within a matter of days. The twist? the author is so consumed with grief when they work out the connection that they are forced to write a letter to themselves...

(sounds like one of his short stories)

Actually feels a bit like Scalzi's award winner,  Redshirts. Very different story than his, mind. Same grief, though.

Lot of Poe in your blender.

 

[Cels]

​

 

[msb]

Wouldn’t know, I don’t read children’s literature.

 

[GrimbolandBlue]

Wouldn’t know, I don’t read children’s literature.

Nice one, thanks for your input on this thread

 

[Rita_Poon]

'That's cause it gives the other kids, the 98-pound weaklings, some hope.'

Brutality. There's been nothing as cruel and funny before or since.

 

[msb]

Nice one, thanks for your input on this thread

Trying to say that I find it an odd option for discussion, given that the whole premise is utter tosh.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Trying to say that I find it an odd option for discussion, given that the whole premise is utter tosh.

I think it turned up for discussion because of a quite irrational associated thread.

 

[Amw79]

You can moan all you want but the proofs in the pudding. I wouldn't consider myself a fan but it's objectively good world design. It's geared to kids but that doesn't detract from being able to say that it was done very well. Books and films

“Proof of the pudding is in the eating”.