Hits and Misses in Fiction
sartorias aka Sherwood Smith has a fascinating discussion going over on her LJ about when you only like one (or, if they're prolific, two or three) of an author's works and bounce off the rest. So far the responses have mostly been people commisserating and sharing which authors and which books affected them this way, but there's also been some discussion
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I also liked everything Brigid Kemmerer wrote (in her Elementals series), but her latest wasn't nearly as good (too many plot holes for my taste). However, when something like that happens, I tend to give the author one more chance, as the pattern up to that point was a positive one. :)
Others like that would include Tamora Pierce (I love most of her YA books -- only the Trickster books didn't please me as much as the others), OSC (though I mostly just love Ender, as a character, and thus all the Ender books -- the Bean ones were okay, but I doubt I'll reread them), Linda Howard (though she's much more hit and miss -- the ones I love I really love; the ones I don't I really hate), Joelle Charbonneau (loved The Testing trilogy, but Need wasn't nearly as good for me), Miranda Kinneally (though I've liked all her books -- but there are a few I *loved*), etc.
On the other hand, there are authors that I want to like but I just can't...I won't name them here (because I don't like to spotlight my own negative opinions), but I can think of two best-selling authors (at one time or another) whose characters are so selfish and whiny that I can't read any of their books, even though I've tried a couple of times. In those cases, I tend to think that the authors themselves must either have tunnel vision (ie, aren't very perceptive) or believe that all teens are self-centered beasts. ;)
And one other type exists for me -- authors whose books I loved until I met them...there are two of these, as well. One I met IRL (briefly) but had interactions with on a forum, and the other was one I'd exchanged manuscripts and personal emails with (and then had interactions on a forum). Both are good writers, and both had books that I liked very much...and then I saw their own bad behavior (on forums) and how they treated other writers. Now I won't read either of their books (not that they know this -- or care!) because I can't get that bad behavior out of my head as I read. *sigh*
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Yeah, it's very sad when that happens.
The opposite can happen too, though; you can meet (say, at conventions) authors who have been fabulous people and you respect them a lot... and it can be hit or miss as to whether you can get into their books.
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Donna Freitas--a new name to me! Where would you recommend I start?
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As for OSC, I did like Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, but couldn't get into the rest of either series. I've read a few other Card books (Enchantment and the Homecoming Saga) but there's something about his writing that makes me feel vaguely queasy.
It is so unfortunate when an author's behaviour puts you off their books, though. I've had to quit reading a couple of author blogs for just that reason... not that they were behaving badly as such, at least not in the sense of being cruel, but their carping tone and negative attitude made me uncomfortable enough that I decided I'd rather just stick to the books.
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My husband has read more OSC than I have. I discovered him in college (and introduced my husband to Ender when we started dating). He's a good story teller (to me), but some of his books just aren't to my taste.
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Yeah, I get that. Songmaster - fascinating. Enders Game - good. Speaker For the Dead - fabulous. Others... not so fabulous.
I couldn't get into the Tales of Alvin Maker at all, never finished Capitol
As for Wyrms, just don't. Do NOT read it. Don't.
I don't think I've read anything of his after Children of the Mind.
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