Books/Authors you hate

[Sentinel]

How about Thomas Gifford? I just about died trying to digest "Protector". Utterly boring 2lb doorstopper

 

[Stewart]

Got any examples of his writing?

 

[Sentinel]

Not from the top of my head. As far as I remember it wasn't really a sentence that ticked me off, but his very slowing style. Example:
He made even the Bomber Raid (WWII) on London so unexceptionally boring and mindnumbing that I just couldn't go on any further. Granted: The above mentioned scene was not designed to be "a good action read" but still it should instill in the reader the fear, adrenaline, claustrophobia, panic and whatever else the protagonists go through in this tense minutes. And it plain doesn't. It bores the pants off you

Edit: Ooops, just realized that this discussion was in the SciFi/Fantasy section. Pls. excuse...

 

[Dragon]

I hate: Jude Fisher - Wild Magic & Sorcery Rising
I got them as a pressie and forced myself to read them. The writer appears to be a frustrated porn writer cashing in on the popular sci-fi/fantasy market. Take out the sex and I think it would have made a reasonable stand alone (providing the story ever gets told). But that is just my opinion, others might enjoy?

 

[fluffy bunny]

Hi Halo

Give Neil a chance! I really like Neil Gaiman. Not one of these rabid fan boys though. He HAS faults and is NOT the greatest writer to walk the planet, not even close to it. But he is very good IMHO As I have said, I really like him. I read Coraline and did not really like it much at all. If you are brave try "stardust" or "american gods" they are much better love the twin peaks feel to american gods. The ending sucks though lol

regards
Wabbit

I'd say the same as Wabbit, but I'd replace some of those recommendations with: stuff the novels, go read Sandman and change your mind. On the other hand, if you're not into the supernatural or not even slightly interested in the occult, don't bother.


As for authors of books I don't like and have boycotted the author as a result:

Lee Child - I bought 'Without Fail' on a whim and it was utter drek. Some people have mentioned Clancy in their lists, but sorry he blows this guy away. It could have just been bad writing on this particular book, but I've got so many authors to fall back on I'm not willing to give this person another go in the near future.

Martina Cole - Maura's Game was just boring made for the masses generic stuff.

Algis J. Budrys - Rogue Moon did have some decent ideas, but it's dated terribly. After all that time I spent tracking this down on because it was OOP.

There's more, but I need the loo...

 

[javelin98]

Arthur C. Clarke -- I simply find his novels obtuse and pointless.

David Eddings -- I tried and tried to like the Belgariad, mostly because my friends all liked it, but I just can't help feeling that his work is vapid and derivative. Of course, I haven't read any of his later works, so maybe he's improved.

Piers Anthony -- I really enjoyed his books when I was in grade school, but as I matured past sixth grade his books seemed to devolve into one bad pun after another purely for the sake of puns. And the sexism! My wife hates his books.

Robin Hobb -- I read the entire Farseer trilogy hoping and hoping that it would improve, and she did a great job creating a rich and intriguing environment, but her characters were so stupid -- as in making really bad decisions in the face of overwhelming evidence to make a different decision, or completely missing cues that any reasonable, sane human being could not possibly miss.

Bruce Sterling -- Why on earth William Gibson, Godfather of the Cyberpunk Genre, feels he needed to collaborate on The Difference Engine with this guy is beyond me. Having read one of Sterling's other works makes me have a better appreciation for why his initials are "B.S." His books are simply terrible.

I'll think of more, given more time.

 

[nick452]

Robin Cook - I read a book by him once can't remember the title but it was about people that lived at the centre of the earth and it was the crappest book i've ever read in my entire life. Also Catherine Cookson. I used to find her books romantic but now they'r e just too predictable. All her books are basically the same expect the names of the characters change. She hasn't done anything origional in ages. Once all the interesting books seemed to be checked out of the library so i was forced to check out a startrek book. BIG mistake i figure those are just for diehard trekkies.

 

[Severian]

I attempted to read Lord of the Rings 3 times and could not. On the fourth attempt only sheer stubbornness got me though to the end! Tolkien has wonderful ideas and is a VERY clever man. Unfortunately he is a very crappy writer Movies were much better!!!!

Best Regards
Wabbit

them's fightin words.

 

[sawbonz]

Gene Wolfe Book of the New Sun series
one of the few books that I thought was so bad that I didn't finish
some people love it, but I couldn't handle his writing style

 

[msm]

Definitely LOTR and some of Stephen King's books. I do have some problems lately with Palahniuk's Survivor, but that must be me. And of course, Dan Brown, with the amazingly bad 'Het Bernini Mistery', I think it was Devils and Deamons or sth like that in English.

msm

 

[Wabbit]

Robin Hobb -- I read the entire Farseer trilogy hoping and hoping that it would improve, and she did a great job creating a rich and intriguing environment, but her characters were so stupid -- as in making really bad decisions in the face of overwhelming evidence to make a different decision, or completely missing cues that any reasonable, sane human being could not possibly miss.
.

I'm SO with you on ths!!! I really HATED the characters in the book for being so damn stupid. I would be screaming at the book and getting so irritated lol I made it up to about half way though the third book and I STILL had no idea who the raiders were and nor did I care. Bollocks.

Regards
SillyWabbit

 

[javelin98]

I'm SO with you on ths!!! I really HATED the characters in the book for being so damn stupid. I would be screaming at the book and getting so irritated lol I made it up to about half way though the third book and I STILL had no idea who the raiders were and nor did I care. Bollocks.

Regards
SillyWabbit

Oh dear Wabbit, thou dost suffer as I did...

The whole plotline of the raiders went nowhere for two and a half books, and then -- get this -- she wrapped it up in the epilogue. We only got to see what the whole deal with the raiders was in a bizarre reminiscence sequence, where an older FitzChivalry was thinking back to the whole episode. It was so anticlimactic that I threw the book down and refused to look at it for a week. I finally finished the last few pages just so I didn't have an unfinished book hanging over my head. Burns me up, it does!

 

[Jules]

Ok, I know this may spark some debate, but I cannot stand John Grisham. If I ever need to read something that puts me to sleep or bores the living daylights out of me, I'll pick up one of his books.

 

[Severian]

I usually avoid books written by females.

 

[Wabbit]

Eh?????? How closed minded of you!

Regards
SillyWabbit

 

[VTChEwbecca]

I usually avoid books written by females.

For what reason do you avoid books written by females?

 

[Severian]

I don't read romance novels

I'm picky and skeptical and generally more interested in the male creative mind.

 

[VTChEwbecca]

I don't read romance novels

I'm picky and skeptical and generally more interested in the male creative mind.

I'm picky and skeptical, but don't think that interesting creativity is limited to a male mind.

And I don't read romance novels, myself, unless you count general fiction which may or may not feature a romantic theme...and I read about one or two of those per year (considering I read one to two books weekly, this isn't much).

 

[Severian]

I'm picky and skeptical, but don't think that interesting creativity is limited to a male mind.

I didn't say it was. Psychologically though there are differences and since I'm really only interested in my mind and I don't profess to understand females I will usually select the male author if I had to choose between them. Besides the genres I'm interested in I would say are dominated (in terms of the ratio of male to female not quality) by male authors. So there is just more to choose from. I am not expressing a value judgement on female authors.

I don't do any research before I go out book shopping and I just will pick a male author over a female author when I'm browsing out of habit. I also have rather esoteric tastes in books, music and art.

there are a couple I'm interested in though:

Ursula K. Leguin
C.L. Moore

 

[VTChEwbecca]

It is true that some genres are male-dominated and vice versa. I find that I tend to read one gender in a certain genre more than the other, mostly due to the ratio of male to female authors.


I can see not understanding the female mind...females relate to others on a different level than men, and it certainly affects their writing style. Sometimes I find I'm in a mood to read a book by a woman just to feel that certain connection to their writing.