Authors You Read, Yet Also Hate

[Walker]

So, I'm wondering if I'm the only person who does this. There are some authors with writing habits that irritate the **** out of me, yet I keep reading and even re-reading them.

Specifically, in my case, John Ringo. Sci-fi author who sometimes seems physically incapable of writing characters from other nationalities who aren't stereotypes, flirts with misogyny (and I mean the really crass, drunk-old-man kinda flirting,) occasionally digresses into sections about how great BDSM is, and lives/writes in world(s) where the Washington Times is the pinnacle of the journalistic field and Fox News is the pinnacle of video journalism. (Travis S. Taylor has the same problem, but I've yet to successfully read any book he hasn't co-written with Ringo, so I'll skip him.)

There's others, too. Like Lois McMaster Bujold, who consistently tricks me into reading romances; and Harry Turtledove, who can't write without reminding me every ten minutes of some basic physical characteristic of the protagonist (or similar repetition) as he is the king of tell, don't show.

Anyone else have a horror story to share about their favorite authors' flaws?

 

[TRA Rotid]

Since I don't read 2 books a week I can't really say I have a favorite author. Or even a multiple books by the same author outside of a series.

 

[queenofdisco]

Does the Bible or Quran count?

 

[Tyloric]

Jim Butcher.

His books are amazing but he himself is a bit of a douchebag irl.

 

[Zarkes]

Does the Bible or Quran count?

Haha, didn't expect that. What I can't stand is people who read the same books differently then me.

Example: "What if Harry himself was a hulcrux?"
"No, nope Harry's mom's love shielded him from Voldemort"
"But Harry can speak snake-"
NO, nope I read the book"
"Here on page --- Dumbledore says-"
NO, NO, NO!!!

 

[Walker]

Jim Butcher.

His books are amazing but he himself is a bit of a douchebag irl.

Is he really? I had no idea.

What I can't stand is people who read the same books differently then me.

Example: "What if Harry himself was a hulcrux?"
"No, nope Harry's mom's love shielded him from Voldemort"
"But Harry can speak snake-"
NO, nope I read the book"
"Here on page --- Dumbledore says-"
NO, NO, NO!!!

Zarkes... Harry is a horcrux. I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you.

Does the Bible or Quran count?

Depends, do you keep reading the Bible or the Quran because it's just so great?

Since I don't read 2 books a week I can't really say I have a favorite author. Or even a multiple books by the same author outside of a series.

Why you gotta make me sad? Go get a favorite author, RIGHT THIS SECOND.

 

[queenofdisco]

Depends, do you keep reading the Bible or the Quran because it's just so great?

:lol: That was a joke I hope. I read them because they're so terrible. :|

After those two I don't have any authors I read which I hate.

 

[Walker]

:lol: That was a joke I hope. I read them because they're so terrible. :|

After those two I don't have any authors I read which I hate.

I don't know?

But that's terrible! You've gotta have at least one authorial love-hate relationship with someone who's lived in the last century or two! If not, you're hardly living!!!!!

 

[Tsuyu]

H.P Lovecraft

His writing is _amazing_, but he was a racist douchebag. But to be fair, everyone and their cat was a racist douchebag back when he lived so I guess it is sort of forgivable? I dunno.

 

[TRA Rotid]

Oh, oh, I know... gonna get burned at the stake for this.

Tolkien

He built an amazing world with exceptional lore and history (and his own language!) and... well I'm not going to describe what everybody knows anyway, but The Hobbit was a mediocre book. Especially, after reading it I've been so reluctant to take on LotR.

 

[Zarkes]

Zarkes... Harry is a horcrux. I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you.

Sorry didn't word it correctly I'm always the one saying he is.

 

[Walker]

H.P Lovecraft

His writing is _amazing_, but he was a racist douchebag. But to be fair, everyone and their cat was a racist douchebag back when he lived so I guess it is sort of forgivable? I dunno.

Yeah, I kinda had the same problem with the Bond novels. The first one I tried to read was one where he came to America and fought... black Voodoo gangsters or some ****.

Oh, oh, I know... gonna get burned at the stake for this.

Tolkien

He built an amazing world with exceptional lore and history (and his own language!) and... well I'm not going to describe what everybody knows anyway, but The Hobbit was a mediocre book. Especially, after reading it I've been so reluctant to take on LotR.

The Hobbit was my favorite! But it is a children's book and completely different (stylistically, the themes it covers, etc.) from the Lord of the Rings.

But yeah, Tolkien is another one. The man was a pimp, but he tended to play things very straight. The Hobbit deliberately makes use of that weird "British children's book style" and it comes across as kinda awkward. Then you get to Lord of the Rings and he uses this weird "epic mythical legend" sort of style... thing. I still love the story, but it's... very dramatic, over-the-top. I want to say hammy.

Actually, scratch that, I don't agree with you. I ****ing love the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I DON'T hate them for being a kids' book or hammy, because that would be like hating a Bruce Willis movie for being violent and bloody.

 

[Tsuyu]

B-but The Hobbit started my love affair with the written word!

 

[Quistrix]

J.K. Rowling kinda ****es me off. The whole "let's make Dumbledore gay because it'll make ppl **** brix" thing was kinda lame. Sure, power to Dumbledore for preferring some Slytherin to some Hufflepuff but doing it to create some lulz, controversy and publicity is just, meh.

 

[Tsuyu]

Dumbledore is gay now?


BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


I'm so glad I never read past the first three books as a kid. I still got them here, on my bookshelf. Seems the series went downhill fast with all Potter and Friends becoming angsty teens and sh*t like making Dumbledore gay for teh lulz.

 

[TRA Rotid]

Actually, scratch that, I don't agree with you.I f****** love the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I DON'T hate them for being a kids' book or hammy, because that would be like hating a Bruce Willis movie for being violent and bloody.

I don't hate The Hobbit for being a kid's book; I didn't find it that good (as people make it out to be). Actually, I don't think it's very relevant at all if it's a kid's book or not, because that shouldn't be a measure of standard.

 

[Quistrix]

Dumbledore is gay now?


BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


I'm so glad I never read past the first three books as a kid. I still got them here, on my bookshelf. Seems the series went downhill fast with all Potter and Friends becoming angsty teens and sh*t like making Dumbledore gay for teh lulz.

Thing is, it was never mentioned in the books. She sorta just came out and said "Uh yeah, he's liek gay and stuffs."

 

[Walker]

I don't hate The Hobbit for being a kid's book; I didn't find it that good (as people make it out to be). Actually, I don't think it's very relevant at all if it's a kid's book or not, because that shouldn't be a measure of standard.

Dude. I didn't say you did. I said that was one of the things that bugged ME about it-- the style it was written in. Then I realized it didn't bug me.

And no, being a kid's book isn't relevant to quality. I never said it was. I was referring to the specific STYLE of children's writing that he used. The sort of nudge-nudge-wink-wink children isn't this sweet thing.

So why didn't you enjoy it?

 

[TRA Rotid]

Ok, I read that wrong then.
So if I remember correctly, there were two main things:
1) (Sorry Tsuyu) The dwarves. I wanted to punch them the same way Frodo was begging one in LotR - you know all about that. I know people say the dwarves were very in character, but it doesn't matter.
2) I found the action* to be oddly paced and... well I can't explain that one well. If I read it again, then perhaps.

 

[Walker]

Yeah, Rotid. The only thing you can say about the dwarves is that they were a little be too cartoonishly Disney. And that I would argue is a figment of the style. And they weren't nearly as whiny as Frodo.

And yeah, it is an oddly paced book. It's like an epic fantasy novel (like LOTR) was condensed to a single short book, and there was a bunch of time spent just walking between brief, under-described action.