I think doing two series which are so similar is starting to take its toll.
I think you're right. AB started to go downhill right after Obsidian Butterfly (and argueably before that, in Blue Moon), which was around the time that the Merry books were released.
This is probably for two reasons.
1. LKH created two such similar series (both with Mary Sues) that she started getting them confused and the overall quality went down.
2. Coincidentally, the heavier sexual content in AB began shortly before she started writing Merry. Now, my original theory (before Cerulean Sins was released) was that when she had an outlet for her pornish impulses, she could cut way back on the sex scenes in AB.
Oh, what fools these mortals be.
Of course she didn't cut back, and of course the porn content ballooned, because after all LKH doesn't write for character consistency, or an interesting plotline anymore...she writes Teh Pr0n because everyone knows Good Girls Don't Do That, and thus she is going to be deliberately contrary at the expense of the characters, plot, and everything else. Damn the unhappy and vocal readership...she's not writing for them, she's writing to Make A Point Or Something, and strikes a daring blow for gender equality whenever Anita/Merry spreads her legs.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2005-01-02 11:59 pm (UTC)I think you're right. AB started to go downhill right after Obsidian Butterfly (and argueably before that, in Blue Moon), which was around the time that the Merry books were released.
This is probably for two reasons.
1. LKH created two such similar series (both with Mary Sues) that she started getting them confused and the overall quality went down.
2. Coincidentally, the heavier sexual content in AB began shortly before she started writing Merry. Now, my original theory (before Cerulean Sins was released) was that when she had an outlet for her pornish impulses, she could cut way back on the sex scenes in AB.
Oh, what fools these mortals be.
Of course she didn't cut back, and of course the porn content ballooned, because after all LKH doesn't write for character consistency, or an interesting plotline anymore...she writes Teh Pr0n because everyone knows Good Girls Don't Do That, and thus she is going to be deliberately contrary at the expense of the characters, plot, and everything else. Damn the unhappy and vocal readership...she's not writing for them, she's writing to Make A Point Or Something, and strikes a daring blow for gender equality whenever Anita/Merry spreads her legs.
*headdesk*
I did have a great page bookmarked...
Oooh, where, where?!