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From: isiw@druri.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Yes, *H*A*R*L*A*N* *E*L*L*I*S*O*N*
Message-ID: <984@druri.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 2-Nov-84 10:58:21 EST
Article-I.D.: druri.984
Posted: Fri Nov  2 10:58:21 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Nov-84 06:47:55 EST
References: <4049@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 35


Well, I for one agree with the previous. If I read one more Harlan-Ellison-
I'm-SO-depressed-and-nobody-likes-me-so-I'm-going-to-blow-up-the-whole-world
story, I'm going to be ill. The guy has *no* understanding of the word
"subtlety". His idea of compassion is maudlin sentimentality and shameless
pandering to the popular swings of fandom. And all this "Final Dangerous
Visions" crap - so he's got a writer's block, eh? On an *anthology*? Give
me a break! He's a hack, just like all the others, it's just that he's a
young hack who made it early enough so nobody wants to call him a hack,
and now all the sf types who try to hold up an example of science fiction's
literary legitimacy use *Harlan Ellison* as their shining example and give
everyone who reads serious novels a good laugh. What a joke - the guy's
been living in Hollywood too long, he finally believes all the nice things
everybody says about him because they wouldn't know great writing if it
came up and bit 'em.

But at least he's got company - John Varley, George R. Martin, Barry B.
Longyear, Anne McCaffrey (oh, those dragons are just *so* cute!). Mean-
while, mainstream fiction has Martin Cruz Smith, Mark Halprin, geez -
even Rosemary Rogers writes better than they do! Wake up! Neat ideas
and far-off worlds and fantastic expostions don't make up for bad
characterization, weak plots, and no character development, no matter
*how* many tribbles you strew around.

If it wasn't for Gene Wolfe and Orson Scott Card holding up a mirror to
the rest of their peers, the level would be even worse than it was in
the alleged "Golden Age". These two are all that stands between sf
and mediocre garbage, though you might include the new-improved Robert
Silverberg if you were being charitable.

Davis Tucker
AT&T Information Systems
Denver, CO

P.S. - Stephen R. Donaldson is a hack, too.