She seems to have completely lost it. I feel really badly for new authors who are hanging on her every word. She's doing them no favors with her rants about gangsters on Amazon and scaring them so badly that they are terrified to venture out into the internet public. It's laughable, since so many authors do manage to interact with readers in a completely rational manner.
I've read a few of her books (not the vampire ones) and they were OK, nothing special. She seemed like a reasonable person. I had no idea how completely whacked out she is in real life.
Well, to Anne Rice's credit, Vampire Lestat was a fascinating and wholly original creation, and her description of a "vampire family" arguably set off the tidal wave of vampire books we've had over the last 20 years. So she has done some truly original thinking and writing.
Yes, some of her work seems derivative now and not very special. But if you look at her first books in the context of other work in the field at the time, she did have some real breakthroughs in terms of making horror more personal and more emotionally-connected to the "monsters."
I believe you about her books being groundbreaking. Even not having read them, I've read enough of what other people have said to know that she deserves a lot of credit for what she wrote.
I've met Gaiman a couple of times, and he is unfailingly gracious, thoughtful and insightful.
I actually don't think Gaiman's work is as amazing as that of say.... Tim Powers... but I deeply respect the professionalism and the beauty Gaiman brings to his work. He makes me think better of his work because of his approach.
And Gaiman's approach to writing and reviews and his own success is so very inspirational. (I must point out that Marvel 1602 is a work of genius... but I digress)
I've read a few of her books (not the vampire ones) and they were OK, nothing special. She seemed like a reasonable person. I had no idea how completely whacked out she is in real life.
Yes, some of her work seems derivative now and not very special. But if you look at her first books in the context of other work in the field at the time, she did have some real breakthroughs in terms of making horror more personal and more emotionally-connected to the "monsters."
I actually don't think Gaiman's work is as amazing as that of say.... Tim Powers... but I deeply respect the professionalism and the beauty Gaiman brings to his work. He makes me think better of his work because of his approach.
And Gaiman's approach to writing and reviews and his own success is so very inspirational. (I must point out that Marvel 1602 is a work of genius... but I digress)