(no subject)

[jdemorae.livejournal.com]

Hello! I'm a newbie--found the comm through the Amazon discussion threads and Google.

Speaking of Amazon... I've been going through my recommendations and something hit me: there are an awful lot of vampire, shapeshifter, fae, whatever books out right now. I don't just mean the paranormal romances, but adventure stories, too.

"How does she stay published/how can they publish this crap?" (especially in light of the recent Harlequin spoiler) is a frequent lament here. It occured to me, just looking over the recommendations here, LKH going bad was perhaps a gift to publishers. People drawn in to 'vintage' Anita Blake and unhappy with the current books have gone looking for something better, but in the same genre. There is demand... and there are sales. Lots of sales.

So it's kind of a 'no press is bad press' thing, but it's in favor of the publishers, not LKH. They let her churn out her sexploitation dreck, and the number of disappointed readers grow, they look for other authors, other titles, other series-length stories. Then the publishers smile and produce several books with, "If you liked the early Anita Blake..."

Her sales drop, but they make up for it by selling other books, books that become more popular as more disgruntled fans say, "Hey, I know you liked the Anita Blake stuff when it was good. Try this!"

The savvy marketing isn't LKH's doing. It's the publishers. She didn't create the genre, but the decay of her storytelling ability created a market.

Comments

[shriekitty.livejournal.com]

I swear I read something about her once saying how there really wasn't a paranormal romance / alternate reality sci fi section until the Anita books got big. I thought really rude thoughts about her, and your totally right. She's creating a market. So many people say exactly what you said "If you liked old Anita Blake you'll LOVE this."

I'm interested in new Harlequin Spoilers. Since I refuse to buy it - but was happy it had Edward/Olaf (obsidian butterfly was kick ass). Where do I read spoilers? *L*

[summersdream.livejournal.com]

I just got pointed to this thread (http://forum.laurellkhamilton.org/showthread.php?t=18601) at the boards which is a huge chapter-by-chapter spoiler for the Harlequin because someone got the audiobook early. It's frightening.

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

Ya know, I told myself and told myself I was *not* going to click on that link. Was not. And I did. *weeps* Just spent the last hour looking through it (an hour of my life I will never get back) and found this in chapter 17 on page freakin 45 (61 pages in that thread!):

Graham: (voice horse) You're blushing. Graham touches Anita's face and says, "After all the things that I've seen you do with all the other men, you're blushing because I'm looking too hard at you.

Anita: (Stepping back) You think I can't be embarrassed because I'm a whore?

Graham: Not true.

Anita: Isn't it?

Yes, Anita, yes it is. At least you can admit it out loud.

[summersdream.livejournal.com]

I really just thought Anita's actual brain had finally caught up with her for a moment. Subconsciously, she knows she's a whore. And not even a really hot, highly-paid escort. She's the bargain basement freebie that JC's thrown in with Nathaniel as a two-for-one.

Ack. Wow. I'm bitter. I knew I shouldn't be reading those recaps. sigh.

[jeannette.livejournal.com]

What the hell? They block anyone who is not in love with Laurell, but that's allowed to exist?

[summersdream.livejournal.com]

And actively encouraged apparently. Probably because the release date is close anyway? Plus the thread is so looong and active.

[nimnix.livejournal.com]

I got as far as "She is also wondering why would Nathaniel buy her something like this as she doesn't care for masks or bondage & submission." It was a simple white mask, that's it. (She assumed it was from Nate, but it apparently wasn't.)

Who ties plain white masks to bondage and submission? Wouldn't the first thought be something like "theater" or "masquerade"? She's JC's girlfriend and she doesn't assume this would be some kind of costume party thing?

My eyes are already melting, and that was like the second or third summary post.

Granted, this is a summary by someone listening to the book, not actually reading it. In theory, this person could be missing a few key sentences or words...

Or, I could be delusional.

[summersdream.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, the "We're here and we're queer" gift from the Harlequin? I know my first thoughts were "Why is the Phanton of the Opera in Anita's place... ohmygod SHE CAN'T HAVE ERIK."

I've read all the ones posted up through Chapter 20 and... The recaps are probably way easier to read than the book will be. If only because the recapper is leaving out the urple prose and repetitive descriptions. But I have to laugh because the dialgue as per the recap shows how badly put-together the conversations are.

I'm all for delusion where this book is concerned. Delirum might be the only safe place to be while dealing with it.

[jeannette.livejournal.com]

Yeah, an interview she did. Actually, what she said was that no one had done horror-mysteries before her, I believe specifically vampire-detectives, until she came along.

Joss Whedon and Tanya Huff are rolling in their... ok, well, neither is dead, but you know what I mean

[saadiira.livejournal.com]

Mercedes Lackey did.

So did a couple others.

And I guaran-fricken-tee you can find a few shorts and others going back to the greats of the pulp market of the fifties crossing the genres.

-Dira-

[pandaemonaeum.livejournal.com]

Robert Morgan did hard-boiled horror mysteries before LKH, too.