One Star Reviews on the First

[rolanni]

Back in April, John Scalzi posted a challenge to writers to post their one-star reviews, own them, and then move on. In April, I Had No Brain, due to the writing of Longeye, but today, I am procrastinating. Herewith and therefore, snippets of one-star reviews received by various Lee and Miller books, for your viewing pleasure.

Note: This is NOT a call to contact Amazon about "inappropriate" reviews, or to pester the reviewers. They're entitled to their opinions, and are clearly passionate about them. It is, however, a fascinating illustration of reader expectation, and how we don't ever read (or, apparently, write) the same book, even when we think we have.


I DARE

If you enjoyed Partners in Necessity be prepared for disappointment when you purchase this book. Yes, those enjoyable characters Edger, Miri, Val Con etc. are still present but their stories are basically over and most of this book centers on new characters that are not nearly as interesting. I know writers have to pay the rent but really-get this one from the library first.

CRYSTAL DRAGON

*(...)composed of page upon chapter of ponderous introspection, mystical meanderings and conversations of individual characters - to themselves! None of the expected kaleidoscopic glimpses of the heart-rending, joyous, hilarious, inspiring, shocking human condition of previous protagonists - just a never-ending monolog of (rather dull) description. I have to believe that some horrible mistake happened at the publisher where some OTHER author's book was inadvertantly substituted for Lee & Millers. (...)


*being a designer, i realize that the creative process doesn't operate by demand, but i would rather learn more about our heroes after they and the Tree left liad than read backstory. (...)give us back miri and the turtles and shan and the rest.


LOCAL CUSTOM (AUDIO)

(...)I tried to listen to it, 4 times, but each time I realized after an hour or so that I had no clue what had been going on and I tried again. I gave up eventually. (...) My advice to the authors is to forget about writing books 2..6 and get a job in a different field.


DUAINFEY

*I was not expecting rape fantasies or sordid sex. I'm not sure why they wrote this, but I'm glad I only got it from the library and didn't pay for it. It's one I won't be adding to my shelf.


*The dialogue was trite, the story non-existent and at times painful.


*(...) disgusted. Sex, S&M and absolutely zero plot or worth while dialogue. Normally I donate my books to the public library but this only deserved the trash can. What a waste of money and time.

*(...) a badly written S&M fantasy with evil elves, a helpless hapless heroine and not much of a plot. (...)I wonder what Lee and Miller were thinking of to write this?


*WHAT A WASTE OF TALENT......DEFINITELY NOT WORTH THE MONEY.....THEY SHOULD STICK TO THE LIADEN NOVELS EVEN OF THEY ARE TIRED OF WRITING THEM (WHICH LATELY DOES SHOW) WHICH HAVE CLASSY DIALOGUE AND SUPERB STORY LINES- WHICH DUAINFEY DOES NOT.....IF I COULD GIVE MINUS STARS I WOULD

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Look on the bright side -- the Duainfey reviews may get you some sales from readers *looking* for S&M and Sex . . .

De gustibus, and all that.

[robotech-master.livejournal.com]

Just another reminder that opinions are like noses: everybody has one, and most of them smell. :P

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

What's kinda funny about that is that I think there are, what? five explicit sex scenes in the whole book? Granted, they do get progressively rougher, as Becca's situation gets progressively worse (because that's How Stories Work), but I don't really think they're what the S&M folk are looking for.

OTOH, IAOTA (I Am Only The Author).

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

In the immortal words sung by Ricky Nelson, "You can't please everyone . . ."

[romsfuulynn.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think the Duainfey reviews do make a legitimate point that it is a different sort of book. I wouldn't give it that low a rating, but I think it's fair game for comment.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Writers aren't supposed to do "different" -- just ask the marketing department.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

The same with Crystal Dragon, although set in the same multiverse the style and pace are quite different. It took me a re-reading to actually like it, because I was expecting something more like the others.

You don't understand. That's not what I meant!

[bookmobiler.livejournal.com]

What the author writes is never quite what the reader is reading. He/she is co-authoring the experience.

I'm sure sure both you and kinzel have had the experience of a fan or critic going on at great length about what they loved/hated about the book. And you're screaming inside your head; I didn't say/mean it that way.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, they're absolutely performing a public service, and they're right to point out that Duainfey is not a Liaden book. God, She knows, we tried to point it out at every opportunity.

Duainfey actually could have taken place in the Liaden Universe(R) with very little violence done to its plot. That would have been Really Unfair(tm) to readers, who rightly expect a Certain Sort of Story from the Liaden Universe(R).

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Writers aren't supposed to do "different"

This is why writers change names when they want to play outside of their usual sandbox.

Re: You don't understand. That's not what I meant!

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

What the author writes is never quite what the reader is reading.

Absolutely. We all bring the sum of our life experiences to the table.

And you're screaming inside your head; I didn't say/mean it that way.

Actually, that's not so bad -- see above. I have had people describe one of our books to us in such a way that I didn't recognize the story -- which was 'way worse.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

I learned that aphorism with another anatomical feature in the starring role . . .

[robotech-master.livejournal.com]

Noses are more genteel. :)

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

And this is, after all, a family-rated journal.

Different is GOOD

[(Anonymous)]

When I started handselling "Duainfey", I called it a dark, DARK fantasy - not Sci/Fi, not Liaden, complete and total departure from their previous work. (I was talking to SFF fans who may or may not have read your other books.) I alluded to the sex scenes getting a bit rougher without giving anything away --- and I actually got _more_ interest. Some folks like whiskey, some like wine...having one bottle of each available is a good thing.

Lauretta

[oneminutemonkey.livejournal.com]

That reminds me to ask:
Any chance we'll ever see any more audiobook adaptations? Like of Pilots Choice, maybe?

And I really do need to pick up Duainfey. Regrettably, none of the local stores carry it, and I've always preferred buying in person before ordering from online. Now I have to decide whether I should make the store order it, or just do it online. Choices, choices.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Any chance we'll ever see any more audiobook adaptations?

Buzzy Multimedia has the option to do the rest of the Liaden books in audio. The fact that they have not continued on to Scout's Progress leads me to believe that Local Custom hasn't really done all that well for them.

Re: Different is GOOD

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I alluded to the sex scenes getting a bit rougher without giving anything away --- and I actually got _more_ interest.

Oh, that's interesting. :)

I do find it fascinating that for some readers the book is (apparently) one sordid sex scene after another, when really, there are only a few key scenes, done as briefly as they could be while preserving the necessary impact.

IAOTA...

[otaku-tetsuko.livejournal.com]

The same with Crystal Dragon, although set in the same multiverse the style and pace are quite different. It took me a re-reading to actually like it, because I was expecting something more like the others.

I'll second that one - I had to sit down and start over and make my brain work with the story as written, not as I expected, but now I LOVE the Crystal duo....JM2C

[growlycub.livejournal.com]

That's too bad. I think the price point had a lot to do with it as did the very uneven quality of the reading itself.

I understand that audio books are expensive to produce and that you have to price them according to what you expect to sell so you make a profit, but on the flip side at a price point of $25 vs $50, they would have sold many more copies. Guess they weren't willing to take that risk. :(

I see that they are now selling an MP3 version for $20 and the CD version is $30. Maybe that will generate more sales!

Local Custom audio cd

[(Anonymous)]

Just a note to say I liked the audio version of Local Custom. It has become a comfort choice for long drives.

[thefoxglovelady.livejournal.com]

S&M??? If I'd've known it was S&M Porn by two of my favorite authors, I'd've rushed down to the bookstore the very first day!

Wait a second...It's not really S&M Porn? *pout* What an utter disappointment. Guess I'll just have to go back and re-read my copies of the Liaden books for the zillion-and-fifth time.

Y'know....not everything has to be sexual, but when it's appropriate to the story, then it ought to be in there. The two last lines in that one chapter where Lina and Priscilla hold hands when leaving after the ping-pong tournament is more ~affecting~ than most folk's erotica.

But what do I know? I'm just a reader...mind you, in my spare time I run a group for kinky people, and I keep steering them to Local Custom as a treatise in how to actually communicate with one's prospective partner...*laughing*...or not, as the case may be.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Wait a second...It's not really S&M Porn? *pout* What an utter disappointment.

LOL! It wasn't written as S&M Porn -- there's the whole thing about Writing What You Know. There is also, as you say, the whole thing about Writing What the Story Needs. But some folks are more ...sensitized... to certain issues than others.

My favorite form of this in the Liaden Universe are the people who loathe Daav yos'Phelium because he "abandoned his son." Nothing -- not necessity, not the character of the Clan and the apparent danger to it -- nothing can get them past that Single Unspeakable Crime. *Shrugs* IAOTA, and I can, alas, Only Do So Much.

Local Custom as a treatise in how to actually communicate with one's prospective partner

Telling the truth is a good thing. You just need to be sure that you're telling it in such a way that the other person can actually understand what you're saying...