Authors who should have quite while ahead

Draken · 09-04-2002, 05:38 AM

Have any of you any thoughts on authors who started off well but who you wish had stopped writing sooner than they did?

For me three that spring to mind are:

Isaac Asimov - the cleverness of his early robot stories and the unique vision of the original Foundation trilogy eventually spoiled by increasingly pedantic efforts to weld them all together.

Frank Herbert - ok Dune was initially meant as a trilogy, but the latter two books in it paled in comparison to the brilliant first book. And the ones that followed went downhill fast.

Robert Heinlein - the energy of his "future history" stories, the imagination of "Stranger in a Strange Land" - if you like these, don't read his last few books.

Anyone agree/disagree, or have some nominations of their own?

BeardofPants · 09-04-2002, 05:48 AM

Agree with Heinlein. Not with Herbert though. I love all of the Dune series.

Arthur C. Clarke should have stopped with the first space odyssey book. Admittedly I only made it half way through the second one...

Edit:

Forgot about Pratchett's diskworld novels, and Antony's Xanth series. Degenerated to absolute rubbish.

Willow Oran · 09-05-2002, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Forgot about Pratchett's diskworld novels,

I love the entire Discworld series. C.S. Lewis flopped on his last two Narnia books though. They weren't nearly as delightful as his earlier ones.

Menelvagor · 09-05-2002, 12:56 AM

I see this shall become a matter of some debate.

I don't agree with Narnia going downhill, they all see of about equal worth to me. Dune I'm kind of half-and-half about; the last few books weren't bad, but they definately weren't as good as the original.

I'm tempted to add Brian Jacques; as much as I love Redwall the plots (as well as the character names, has anyone else noticed that?) seem to be drifting into a formula. It's not half so creative or intrigueing in the later books.

sun-star · 09-05-2002, 01:42 PM

I don't agree about Narnia, but C.S. Lewis should have stopped his space novels after Perelandra.

***Earniel*** · 09-05-2002, 03:00 PM

I agree with Willow. The last two Narnia- books were a disappointment.

But the disc-world novels are still good. The jokes and random sillyness have dimished, and the puns and cultural references (that I seldom get)have increased. But I still like his last books.

GandalfTheWhite · 09-05-2002, 07:39 PM

i disagree with the chronicles of narnia as well, i thought the silver chair was a great book, i mean it had puddleglum, and the last battle being my least favorite of the series i still thought to be a good book

**crickhollow** · 09-06-2002, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sun-star
I don't agree about Narnia, but C.S. Lewis should have stopped his space novels after Perelandra.

Perelandra was definately his best fictional work (Til We Have Faces runs a really close second), but That Hideous Strength is most definately worth a read. It's really different than the first two, but still really great

osszie · 09-10-2002, 05:23 PM

I lost a bit of faith in T. Pratchett........but The Thief of Time has restored me somewhat

As for the Narinia chronicles.........reading them now as an adult (I re-read them last year).........the christian symbolism shines thru a lot more than the plot and characterisation.........

but that is a debate for another time

Khadrane · 09-12-2002, 11:08 PM

I say Robert Jordan. The first few Wheel of Time books were good, but he should have stopped at 3,4,5, in my opinion. And I agree with Menelvagor. I still really like Brian Jacques, but the first few books were alot better than some of the later ones.

***IronParrot*** · 09-21-2002, 02:24 PM

I heartily agree about Robert Jordan. He had a good concept, played with it, and then dragged it.

He's still dragging.

I stopped after #7 to take a break, and I simply have too many other books to catch up on in the meantime to go back to Wheel of Time anytime soon.

As for Lewis... I actually rather enjoyed The Last Battle, especially the ending. In fact, I find that The Horse and His Boy was by far the weakest of the entire series. Of course, Narnia was never really one of my favourites... the allegory was far too blunt and up front, sometimes at the expense of everything else.

BeardofPants · 09-21-2002, 04:24 PM

I never got past number one in the wheel of time series, it was so bad.

osszie · 09-21-2002, 04:32 PM

Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (and all the other authors of those terrible Dragonlance books). They wrote IMO the literary equivalent of that D&D caroon

Numerous Star Trek novels.

Harry Harrison.........loved the early Stainless Steel Rat novels......but the more recent ones seem stale and have done little to add to the characters.

johnnyrod · 09-21-2002, 08:09 PM

Know what you mean about Pratchett, after the first half-dozen you could start writing them yourself. I haven't read any recent ones, I guess from comments above he's coming back down to earth.

Iain Banks: his early books were brilliant; complicated, involving, but most of all believable. Even the sci-fi ones like Consider Phlebas were "good" sci-fi, i.e. decent book with a sci-fi background, rather than being overly concerned with being geeky (like Star Trek). But alas, both his sci-fi and contemporary books have gone overboard on scale at the expense of real tension.

What about William Gibson? He's my favourite writer of all time, but did All Tomorrows' Parties mark anything other than a bit of a letdown end of a trilogy rather like Mona Lisa Overdrive? I hope not, I'd like to think there's life in the old dog yet.

Luthien Tinuviel · 09-23-2002, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Willow Oran
I love the entire Discworld series. C.S. Lewis flopped on his last two Narnia books though. They weren't nearly as delightful as his earlier ones.

Major disagreement coming from this side of the thread... They are all equally wonderful. The last battle (the last book) is one of my absolute favorites of the seven...

Draken · 09-23-2002, 12:06 PM

As I've said on another thread, Iain (M) Banks is losing it for me. His last two Culture novels were a bit of a let down. Song of Stone was downright poor. Yet still I await his next work, hopefully...

I was quite young when I read the Narnia books, so memory plays tricks - but for me the enjoyment factor dipped in the middle and was if anything saved by The Last Battle - which if nothing else lived up to its title. But I pretty soon saw them as 2nd division fantasy compared to Tolkien. Can't say I'm enthused enough to revisit them to see if the allegory is as unsubtle as everyone says.

09-04-2002, 05:38 AM	#1
Draken Elf Lord Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Durham, England Posts: 694	Authors who should have quite while ahead Have any of you any thoughts on authors who started off well but who you wish had stopped writing sooner than they did? For me three that spring to mind are: Isaac Asimov - the cleverness of his early robot stories and the unique vision of the original Foundation trilogy eventually spoiled by increasingly pedantic efforts to weld them all together. Frank Herbert - ok Dune was initially meant as a trilogy, but the latter two books in it paled in comparison to the brilliant first book. And the ones that followed went downhill fast. Robert Heinlein - the energy of his "future history" stories, the imagination of "Stranger in a Strange Land" - if you like these, don't read his last few books. Anyone agree/disagree, or have some nominations of their own? __________________ I'm beset by self-doubt ....or am I?

09-04-2002, 05:48 AM	#2
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	Agree with Heinlein. Not with Herbert though. I love all of the Dune series. Arthur C. Clarke should have stopped with the first space odyssey book. Admittedly I only made it half way through the second one... Edit: Forgot about Pratchett's diskworld novels, and Antony's Xanth series. Degenerated to absolute rubbish. __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords Last edited by BeardofPants : 09-04-2002 at 05:49 AM.

09-05-2002, 01:42 PM	#5
sun-star Lady of Letters Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Either Oxford or Kent, England Posts: 2,476	I don't agree about Narnia, but C.S. Lewis should have stopped his space novels after Perelandra. __________________ And all the time the waves, the waves, the waves Chase, intersect and flatten on the sand As they have done for centuries, as they will For centuries to come, when not a soul Is left to picnic on the blazing rocks, When England is not England, when mankind Has blown himself to pieces. Still the sea, Consolingly disastrous, will return While the strange starfish, hugely magnified, Waits in the jewelled basin of a pool.

09-05-2002, 03:00 PM	#6
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	I agree with Willow. The last two Narnia- books were a disappointment. But the disc-world novels are still good. The jokes and random sillyness have dimished, and the puns and cultural references (that I seldom get)have increased. But I still like his last books. __________________ We are not things.

09-12-2002, 11:08 PM	#10
Khadrane Elf Lord Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Middle Earth (I wish) Posts: 670	I say Robert Jordan. The first few Wheel of Time books were good, but he should have stopped at 3,4,5, in my opinion. And I agree with Menelvagor. I still really like Brian Jacques, but the first few books were alot better than some of the later ones. __________________ Few know whither their road will take them till they come to its end. -Legolas FRODO LIVES! ABORTION IS HOMICIDE

09-05-2002, 12:56 AM	#4
Menelvagor Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: lurking on the edge of conversations Posts: 924	I see this shall become a matter of some debate. I don't agree with Narnia going downhill, they all see of about equal worth to me. Dune I'm kind of half-and-half about; the last few books weren't bad, but they definately weren't as good as the original. I'm tempted to add Brian Jacques; as much as I love Redwall the plots (as well as the character names, has anyone else noticed that?) seem to be drifting into a formula. It's not half so creative or intrigueing in the later books.

09-05-2002, 07:39 PM	#7
GandalfTheWhite Elven Warrior Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 297	i disagree with the chronicles of narnia as well, i thought the silver chair was a great book, i mean it had puddleglum, and the last battle being my least favorite of the series i still thought to be a good book __________________ "Behold, I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed. I am Gandalf the White, who has returned from death. You have no colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council." -Gandalf The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say. "He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom." -Gandalf "A thing is about to happen which has not happened since the Elder Days: the Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong." -Gandalf

09-10-2002, 05:23 PM	#9
osszie Elven Warrior Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 409	I lost a bit of faith in T. Pratchett........but The Thief of Time has restored me somewhat As for the Narinia chronicles.........reading them now as an adult (I re-read them last year).........the christian symbolism shines thru a lot more than the plot and characterisation......... but that is a debate for another time

09-21-2002, 02:24 PM	#11
*IronParrot* Fowl Administrator Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Calgary or Edmonton, Canada Posts: 53,420	I heartily agree about Robert Jordan. He had a good concept, played with it, and then dragged it. He's still dragging. I stopped after #7 to take a break, and I simply have too many other books to catch up on in the meantime to go back to Wheel of Time anytime soon. As for Lewis... I actually rather enjoyed The Last Battle, especially the ending. In fact, I find that The Horse and His Boy was by far the weakest of the entire series. Of course, Narnia was never really one of my favourites... the allegory was far too blunt and up front, sometimes at the expense of everything else. __________________ All of IronParrot's posts are guaranteed to be 100% intelligent and/or sarcastic, comprising no genetically modified content and tested on no cute furry little animals unless the SPCA is looking elsewhere. If you observe a failure to uphold this warranty, please contact a forum administrator immediately to receive a full refund on your Entmoot registration. Blog: Nick's Café Canadien

09-21-2002, 04:24 PM	#12
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	I never got past number one in the wheel of time series, it was so bad. __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords

09-21-2002, 04:32 PM	#13
osszie Elven Warrior Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 409	Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (and all the other authors of those terrible Dragonlance books). They wrote IMO the literary equivalent of that D&D caroon Numerous Star Trek novels. Harry Harrison.........loved the early Stainless Steel Rat novels......but the more recent ones seem stale and have done little to add to the characters.

09-21-2002, 08:09 PM	#14
johnnyrod Elven Warrior Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Scunthorpe, UK Posts: 166	Know what you mean about Pratchett, after the first half-dozen you could start writing them yourself. I haven't read any recent ones, I guess from comments above he's coming back down to earth. Iain Banks: his early books were brilliant; complicated, involving, but most of all believable. Even the sci-fi ones like Consider Phlebas were "good" sci-fi, i.e. decent book with a sci-fi background, rather than being overly concerned with being geeky (like Star Trek). But alas, both his sci-fi and contemporary books have gone overboard on scale at the expense of real tension. What about William Gibson? He's my favourite writer of all time, but did All Tomorrows' Parties mark anything other than a bit of a letdown end of a trilogy rather like Mona Lisa Overdrive? I hope not, I'd like to think there's life in the old dog yet. __________________ Frodo Lives!

09-23-2002, 12:06 PM	#16
Draken Elf Lord Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Durham, England Posts: 694	As I've said on another thread, Iain (M) Banks is losing it for me. His last two Culture novels were a bit of a let down. Song of Stone was downright poor. Yet still I await his next work, hopefully... I was quite young when I read the Narnia books, so memory plays tricks - but for me the enjoyment factor dipped in the middle and was if anything saved by The Last Battle - which if nothing else lived up to its title. But I pretty soon saw them as 2nd division fantasy compared to Tolkien. Can't say I'm enthused enough to revisit them to see if the allegory is as unsubtle as everyone says. __________________ I'm beset by self-doubt ....or am I?

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