MobileRead February 2012 - Run-Off Vote

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by JaneD

Wish I'd known that before I voted for her book. Oh well.

Sorry; I'd only noticed the runoff vote today. When I saw the full list, her name seemed familiar but I couldn't quite remember why.

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Though comparing FanFic to breaking into a house is a bit overboard. I suspect if she was a little bit less self-righteous there wouldn't be the stink.

She also implied that writing slash about her characters was like a forty-year-old neighbor writing smut about one's 21-year-old child. Because writing about fictional characters is so similar to making detailed fantasies about your neighbors; they're both equally likely to result assault or rape, y'know?

Had she just said, "I don't want fanfic written about my books; I hate fanfic because it's all so bad"--people would've grumbled, pointed out that most of all writing is bad, and they're sorry she hasn't seen the good stuff but she's not obligated to look for it, and gone on their merry way. Instead, she decided to throw vitriol at a large group of her most devoted fans, never a good business move for an author.

[issybird]

Gabaldon apparently also borrowed heavily from a 1925 novel called The Flight of the Heron, set during the Jacobite rebellion and telling the tale of a

Spoiler:

red-headed Scottish chieftain and his emotional and difficult relationship with an English adversary.

Controversy. Accusations of plagiarism. The selection process for this month has suddenly become interesting.

[issybird]

I'm not accusing Gabaldon of plagiarism, which would be very serious indeed, just saying she was greatly influenced by an earlier novel. In fairness, that's not the same as fanfic; she did change the names, lol! Nor did she copy from it verbatim.

It is entirely bizarre, however, that she thinks fanfic is teh evil, when it's people (her fans!) having fun with her books with no monetary incentive, but she thinks it's entirely ok for an established author to plagiarize public domain books without disclosure and for profit.

ETA: What bothers me most in all of this is that she'd puff her son's work without disclosing their relationship.

[drofgnal]

After reading some about the Jacobite rebellion, it seems just as likely that the similarity is due to the fact that both are historical novels of the same period. The wikipedia entry for Bonnie Prince Charles mentions both works among others as being about the period.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

After reading some about the Jacobite rebellion, it seems just as likely that the similarity is due to the fact that both are historical novels of the same period. The wikipedia entry for Bonnie Prince Charles mentions both works among others as being about the period.

In both books,

Spoiler:

the tall red-headed Scottish chieftain is saved from a firing squad after Culloden by an English soldier who owes him a debt of honor.

*

That's a little much for sheer coincidence.

*Thanks to the Collecting Books and Magazines website for this.

Hey, I enjoyed Outlander. It's a great read. But it's also clearly somewhat derivative.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm not accusing Gabaldon of plagiarism, which would be very serious indeed, just saying she was greatly influenced by an earlier novel. In fairness, that's not the same as fanfic; she did change the names, lol! Nor did she copy from it verbatim.

It is entirely bizarre, however, that she thinks fanfic is teh evil, when it's people (her fans!) having fun with her books with no monetary incentive, but she thinks it's entirely ok for an established author to plagiarize public domain books without disclosure and for profit.

ETA: What bothers me most in all of this is that she'd puff her son's work without disclosing their relationship.

Oops. I realize I was entirely unclear here and that the plagiarizing author is Cassie Edwards, whom Gabaldon defended, and not Gabaldon herself. My apologies.

[Nyssa]

I voted with my wallet, as neither novel has any real appeal to me. I'm glad the "free" one won. I will read it, as part of my personal challenge, but I'm having a hard time even imagining that I will enjoy it. I really, really hope Fitzgerald can prove me wrong.

As for Outlander, again, it didn't really appeal to me..at least not in the romance department. It sounds like a perfectly fine SciFi nomination, though.
After reading about the author, her views and her responses, however, I'm glad this book has been set aside for now.

I'm shocked and saddened (looking at the original poll), that people, as a whole, have chosen tragedy over fun, love, sex and possible happiness. How very depressing.

[Asawi]

I'm going to make an honest attempt to read this month's selection, even though it's not a genre I like at all.
It's now downloaded and transferred to a reader.
If Outlander had won I wouldn't have even tried.

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I voted with my wallet, as neither novel has any real appeal to me. I'm glad the "free" one won. I will read it, as part of my personal challenge, but I'm having a hard time even imagining that I will enjoy it. I really, really hope Fitzgerald can prove me wrong.

As for Outlander, again, it didn't really appeal to me..at least not in the romance department. It sounds like a perfectly fine SciFi nomination, though.
After reading about the author, her views and her responses, however, I'm glad this book has been set aside for now.

I'm shocked and saddened (looking at the original poll), that people, as a whole, have chosen tragedy over fun, love, sex and possible happiness. How very depressing.

I pretty much agree. Looking at the results of the first round of polling the top vote count went to two classic novels, a sci-fi novel, and a mystery. So much for romance or erotica. Still the way things turned out I am glad I did not waste my vote in the first poll and my guess at a strategic vote paid off. Reading Tender Is the Night is worthwhile and it is available as a free ebook.

[issybird]

Last year's romance choice was A Room with a View, also a classic and not very romantic, in my opinion. So, are we to infer that people don't really care for romance as a category and want to tweak it in a more palatable direction? I know this isn't the thread for a discussion of this.

Also,'people really like freebies (no surprise) and I suspect especially so when it's a category of limited appeal to them.

[Asawi]

Originally Posted by issybird

Also,'people really like freebies (no surprise) and I suspect especially so when it's a category of limited appeal to them.

Oh yes!! No way I'd spend money on something I really don't have any interest in! So it would have to be a freebie or something I could get from the library.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by issybird

Last year's romance choice was A Room with a View, also a classic and not very romantic, in my opinion. So, are we to infer that people don't really care for romance as a category and want to tweak it in a more palatable direction? I know this isn't the thread for a discussion of this.

I know I'm shy about recommending the romances I like best and would love to discuss. I keep looking for "more literary" romances, or ones that otherwise stand out away from the genre.

For romance-qua-romance discussions, I read Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. I can't imagine those conversations taking place here, and so I don't think of recommending those kinds of books. Hmm.

[sun surfer]

I'm looking forward to reading Tender is the Night. I loved The Great Gatsby when I read it, so I'm hoping this one is as good.

I also wouldn't have minded reading Outlander. As to the author's opinions, they certainly seem questionable but it wouldn't have stopped me from reading her book if I'd wanted to. If I want to read a book, a bratty author won't keep me from it.

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I'm shocked and saddened (looking at the original poll), that people, as a whole, have chosen tragedy over fun, love, sex and possible happiness. How very depressing.

Some of the most famous romances are tragedies, such as Romeo and Juliet.

Saying that what people chose to vote for is "shocking, saddening and depressing" is a bit extreme, no?

(although, for the record, *I* originally voted for a book with fun, love and possible happiness )

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

Looking at the results of the first round of polling the top vote count went to two classic novels, a sci-fi novel, and a mystery. So much for romance or erotica.

Genres can intermingle with each other. You think romance can't be classic?!?

Also, this month's category isn't "erotica", so I'm not sure why you are saying "so much for" erotica?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Genres can intermingle with each other. You think romance can't be classic?!?

Indeed.

As for Outlander, I think people are getting it wrong. It's most definitely romance, of the historical/swashbuckling type updated to modern sensibilities. The sci-fi aspect (time travel of the woo-woo as opposed to the time machine type) is very, very, very minor, and for someone looking for the nuts'n'bolts type of sci-fi, non-existent.

Outlander is a fun read, if you don't mind Gabaldon's solecisms. As with a lot of SFF series, the first few books are good and then the quality plummets.