From: clc@kepler.unh.edu (Christian L Claiborn)
Subject: Re: Piers Anthony
Organization: University of New Hampshire  -  Durham, NH
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 06:51:28 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.043843.19553@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca> aaron@space.ualberta.ca writes:
>Oh, don't worry, Christian.  Our pristine little elitist haven isn't going to
>be invaded by those heathen infidel philistine scum anytime soon. 

Good to know.  I was getting worried for a while, there.
> They got
>their own newsgroup so that they don't have to worry about the snide
>pseudo-superiority of people into "serious" SF like we are.

That's great!  Why don't you sound as happy as I feel?

>  If the newbie who
>just showed up knows what's good for him, he'll go there right away--I told him
>where to find it, just pray his site gets alt.fan.anthony.  That way he won't
>have to put up with all your mockery and ridicule, and your presumption that
>you know the absolute measure of book quality and that anyone who can't see the
>Absolute lack thereof in Anthony's works is a subhuman fit only for the
>occasional janitorial job.

I'm assuming you're coming up with a point here.  I agree with all of this.

>As to "stooping" to punning for money--I'm sure that he enjoys it.  I'm sure
>that he loves the fact that he can make money by writing Xanth books.  I don't
>think I'd refuse an opportunity like that, if it were offered to me.

Would you stoop to writing kiddie porn for money?  I sure wouldn't.  I guess we all
have different standards of artistic integrity.

>  I seem to
>recall that he doesn't spend all his time writing Xanth books, so he might
>perhaps have written something worthwhile at some point(which indeed I believe
>he has)

Didn't your sixth grade teacher ever talk to you about "assuming?"
First of all:  Old Anthony is pretty decent.  I've read a bunch of it, particularly
liked _Omnivore_ and another one that I read in _Dangerous Visions._  
Second of all:  New Anthony is crap.  It's Beverly Hills 90210 for the bookish.  
It's a particularly bad example of decent writing, humor, character development or
plot.  I've read the Xanth stuff, couldn't make it through anything past the fifth
book.  I've read the Incarnations stuff, couldn't make it past the third, put it 
aside in disgust.

I've spoken.

>which you missed because of your outrage over Xanth...but not to
>worry, that something worthwhile will probably sell better than anything Iain
>Banks ever writes(or insert your favourite authors here).

Never heard of Mr. Banks.  However, I'm finding your rationalization particularly
amusing- you're saying that Piers does it for the money, and that makes it OK?
I think the latest Anthony stuff is crap.  I think it's disappointing that he's 
wasting what may have been a great career in intelligent fiction on drivel, and I
think it's sad when people who could be reading better stuff don't.  Your semi-flame
is premature, amateur, and not founded at all on anything you _know._
 
>(Pant pant.  Maybe I should start taking courses in alt.flame or something.)
That might be appropriate.

>Current Album--Suzanne Vega:Days of Open Hand

Keen album.

>Current Read--Robert Heinlein:The Past Through Tomorrow

I'll reserve opinions for whenever you're next in a flaming mood and have nothing
at all interesting to say.  Drop me a note.
							clc
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