Comments on: ‘Bad writing from a long time ago’: A few words on mummies and an SF novelist’s Venusians http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:13:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Bill Monks http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-774462 Bill Monks Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:50:02 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-774462 I read the first Shadow novel and there's some pretty jarring references to Chinese and "African American" characters. And HP Lovecraft gets a lot of stick for his descriptions of "African Americans". Quotations marks because I find that term ludicrous. I read the first Shadow novel and there’s some pretty jarring references to Chinese and “African American” characters.

And HP Lovecraft gets a lot of stick for his descriptions of “African Americans”.

Quotations marks because I find that term ludicrous.

]]> By: Cerebus http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-773739 Cerebus Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:36:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-773739 """ This reminds me of a Victorian-era thriller [...] and there ensued a good 40 pages or so of the author spouting off their political views through the mouths of the various characters """ I didn't know Michael Crichton was that old. :) “”"
This reminds me of a Victorian-era thriller [...] and there ensued a good 40 pages or so of the author spouting off their political views through the mouths of the various characters
“”"

I didn’t know Michael Crichton was that old. :)

]]> By: ficbot http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-772961 ficbot Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:41:25 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-772961 Heh. This reminds me of a Victorian-era thriller I found on Project Gutenberg that was going along okay until about chapter 4 or so, where they all got to the country house, sat down for tea, and then somebody said 'So, what are your opinions on politics' or something like that, and there ensued a good 40 pages or so of the author spouting off their political views through the mouths of the various characters, and I am vainyl trying to skim ahead and find the murder promised by the title... Yeah. There is a reason some works have been confined to the dustbin of history, isn't there? Heh. This reminds me of a Victorian-era thriller I found on Project Gutenberg that was going along okay until about chapter 4 or so, where they all got to the country house, sat down for tea, and then somebody said ‘So, what are your opinions on politics’ or something like that, and there ensued a good 40 pages or so of the author spouting off their political views through the mouths of the various characters, and I am vainyl trying to skim ahead and find the murder promised by the title…

Yeah. There is a reason some works have been confined to the dustbin of history, isn’t there?

]]> By: Cerebus http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-772924 Cerebus Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:52:00 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/04/22/bad-writing-from-a-long-time-ago-a-few-words-on-mummies-and-an-sf-novelists-venetians/#comment-772924 """ If you want to see racism from the past, a number of old Gutenberg classics will do. """ Heck, like John W. Campbell wasn't a raging racist? Asimov one wrote that Campbell's racism informed his editing, twisting any alien stories published in _Astounding_. Asimov refrained from writing about aliens for Campbell as a result. IIRC these comments are in _The Early Asimov_ prefacing the story "Homo Sol." “”"
If you want to see racism from the past, a number of old Gutenberg classics will do.
“”"

Heck, like John W. Campbell wasn’t a raging racist? Asimov one wrote that Campbell’s racism informed his editing, twisting any alien stories published in _Astounding_. Asimov refrained from writing about aliens for Campbell as a result.

IIRC these comments are in _The Early Asimov_ prefacing the story “Homo Sol.”

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