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From: ins_bdk@jhunix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: bad bad books
Message-ID: <2298@jhunix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Mar-86 15:05:09 EST
Article-I.D.: jhunix.2298
Posted: Thu Mar 20 15:05:09 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Mar-86 15:07:22 EST
References: <100@cad.UUCP> <2032@uwmacc.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Computing Ctr.
Lines: 28

> In article <100@cad.UUCP> grady@cad.UUCP (Steven Grady) writes:
> >the introduction that one author made a bet about writing as bad a book
> >as possible, and the public loved it. ... My first thought is that it would
> >be John Norman's _Gor_ books..
> >
>   Actually, I heard something like this about Heinlein and his "sex" books.
> He apparently wanted to write a ridiculously bad book showing how stupid it
> is to put blatantly sexual stuff in SF.  When he did, people not only took
> it seriously, but thoroughly enjoyed it, so he's still churning 'em out.
> 
>  - Joel ({allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!oyster)

I also heard that when Heinlein wrote _The_Number_of_the_Beast_ that midway
through the book, he made a bet with someone that no matter how poorly written
a book was, if it had his name on it, it would sell.  This explains why the
first 200-300 pages of the book are very good (classic Heinlein) material and
the rest is pretty much junk.  (BTW: NOB did do very well on the best-seller
lists, so if the bet was made...Heinlein would have won!)

Ted Ying
(I'm just renting this account...)

"...this is like saying, 'If pigs had wings, they could fly.' Well, they don't
 so this isn't true..."
					- a JHU Statistics Professor
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