Dear David Gemmell, when the first book repeatedly mentions a specific character's eyes as grey - steel grey, storm grey, etc. - then the second book should not include the line "familiar ice-blue eyes". At least not when referring to that character ( Read more... )

Dear Pamela Cox,

I actually really enjoy your Malory Towers continuations! However, a small peeve:

When a fairly major plot point in "Secrets at Malory Towers" is Felicity's discovery of a lost locket with the initials JJ, which doesn't seem to be belong to any girl in the school... It might be an idea for Felicity to ask June Johns if it belongs ( Read more... )

A protagonist is born with an immediately visible red facial anomaly--a distinguishing feature that initially causes the character to be scorned as defective by their peers, but eventually proves to be a mark of unique power and specialness that enables the character to save the day and be acclaimed as a hero.The above could equally well summarize ( Read more... )

PETA would be proud of you, Mr. Baum

Dear Jasper Fforde--

I love your books. I love the concept of "fiction about fiction" and the complex worlds you build around puns and literary/historical jokes. However, the last two Thursday Next books have really bothered me:

( Read more... )

Dear author of When the Stars Come Out,

You've written a novel about gay relationships.  Great!  You've written a book about an old movie star coming out of the closet.  I had high hopes!  ...And then you almost immediately dashed them.

1. You couldn't decide whether you wanted to focus on the young writer and his new boyfriend or the old movie star ( Read more... )

Dear makers of far too many television shows and more than a few authors,

WHY do you go to the bother of creating interesting and complex female characters only to misuse and/or outright abuse them? Half the time you can't even count on fandom to pick up the slack, and it's not as if it's really fandom's responsibility in the first place.

( malpastiche )

Dear L. Neil Smith ( Read more... )

...Dear Detection Club (all parties involved ( Read more... )

Because I know I loved the Dark Elf trilogy when I was in undergrad, but I'm now a chapter and a half into the third book of the Crimson Shadow Trilogy and I still don't care whether any or all of the main characters go die in a hole ( Read more... )