My apology that lots made it past the cutting room floor this time. There's only ME, MYSELF and I, and one of us is on vacation.
David Weber is one of the best literary drivers of all time. That's written in MY book. And because of it, he has to endure screaming from backseat drivers. Who won't just sit back and enjoy the ride. Most of the complaints are as backseat drivers do -- "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" And I understand that, as well as I'm sure he does. But you don't want to incur a driving infraction by speeding. Trips take time. And in your complaining you miss the scenery along the way. As I've already said, I highly suspect that this book lays important highway for the completely exhilarating trip ahead.
I have a few concerns myself, like there being so long between printings that I forget what's going on. And after waiting so long to survive cliffhangers, they are not resolved. But perhaps, in the author's eye, he shall not serve rope before its time. I truly suspect that lots of groundwork had to be paved on this highway, before the final trip. Or we'd get lost and BE lost. There's only one more book.
I think the MAIN problem, other than many wanting to take over the writing of the finale, is that many of us were misled by Baen's blurb of this book. Yet Baen cannot be blamed either because they simply gave us what
they had. I do understand the bitter disappointment when you think you're about to drink sweet tea, taste buds all tingling, and you get
unsweetened. Everyone thought that this book was going to cover certain plots and advance the timeline. But to be honest folk,
we all are even more culpable for that. And this forum, as much as I love it, allowed us to work ourselves into a feeding frenzy - speculation addicts -- not knowing when to "pump the brakes" on this trip to the climax.
When I first read this, and even before I read David's response to it, I was part way into my own. He beat me to it. But I called this
one pitch myself, which follows...
trevin wrote:I just got done reading 11+ pages of comments. Many by RFC. First, thank you for that.
Second. I think I will like this book more the second time I read it. The first time I kept waiting for the story to start. Having said that the second half of this book was great fun even though I was still waiting for the timeline to advance.
If I had gone into this book with the knowledge that it ended in October 1922 about a day after Cauldron and did not advance most of the stories from ART, SoF and Cauldron I believe I would have loved the whole thing right from the beginning. As it was my expectation that "surely we will get up to the present by the NEXT chapter" impeded my enjoyment for the first half of the book.
In other words, better description going in from the Baen writing staff would have made a huge difference here. At least to me.
My WIP...
I wonder if most of that is due to Baen giving exactly what
they had
at the time. Because the storyline is, by nature, in a constant flux by the author himself. How can he guarantee what he hasn't written yet? And still remain true to the story as it develops in his head, instead of elsewhere and else-factors. The ball can still be dropped even in the face of such advanced technology, because something wasn't checked, rechecked then verified.
But look at the bright side. We could all be living in the days of the Remington "X" and the "Multilith 1250" press along with the copy/pasting, plate making, deadline sweating publishing method of yesteryear. Everything upgrades in technology in relation to everything else. The current methods of publishing has become advanced enough to support the new technologies of an internet with a forum. Can you imagine if RFC were writing this series in the days of a Remington typewriter YET SOMEHOW there still be "US folk" screaming and bearing the ends of pitchforks heated in the fire, and demanding the next book, let alone the current one?!
Being a writer under
those circumstances would probably get you threatened! At the very least. I'd be hard pressed, as a writer, to show up at a book signing then.
So, let's count our own blessings, or look at the bright side, and just be thankful that RFC isn't working from a Remington X. But also that if he were, then it at least
be a Remington X.
Sometimes we just don't know how good life is because we take it for granted. We take it for granted because it is so good. We don't see what's right before our eyes,
because it is so good.
Because it is so good, we take it for granted. So we miss it. Oftentimes humans are worst than dogs chasing their own tail.
We cry over spilled milk when there's a whole darn gallon in the refrigerator.
- My mom
Some of these posts are down right appalling. I always figured I was raised rather differently than
most people. And it shows in these threads. I've had my share of appalling confrontations here in the forum myself and it always leaves me astonished but quite humble in knowing that
I was raised properly.
One of my sisters recognized an error in my attitude very early on, when I was in college. She said to me...
"Brother, you can not go around in life judging other people by how well you were raised. They didn't have the benefit of having
our parents."
I never forgot that.
I've had many friends of mine
permanently frightened away from this forum because of people with a lack of — frankly, I don't know what the hell is lacking. It's far greater than just manners, but something quite salient
is. Reminds me of one of my "Self-Proclaimed One Liners."
If you're lacking in ethics you're lacking four score.
If you're lacking in morality you're lacking at the core. —Cthia
Many of my friends are from other cultures. Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, Ireland, etc., and total lack of manners shown by many Americans is totally shocking to them. It is the sense of American entitlement and a lack of upbringing (My parents always said that an offspring's poor behavior will reflect on the parent — even when it shouldn't.) Yes, I know I've "trotted" this out before. Yet, reason to trot it out again always resurfaces.
At any rate, can you imagine the discussions emanating from my foreign friends now? "'Cthia' they don't even respect the author!"
Quite frankly, I could not disagree. One of my Romanian friends said "An author writes
professionally for a living and should expect criticism. And most get it! But the criticism that makes it mainstream is usually accomplished by
professional critics. Who know how to scathe without crossing the line.
One particular post truly upset my wife. A friend from Ireland (A Weber fan) is visiting with my wife and I. Having overheard part of Lena and my conversation, my wife queried us. When I told her about a poster posting that he felt he'd been cheated by the book, her face contorted. I thought it something Lena and I said...
"Wait a sec."
My wife storms off ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Upon returning...
"Tell him,
that is being cheated!"
She had gone into the study to retrieve one of her odd books and came and tossed it into my lap. I opened the particularly heavy book and...
"There's nothing printed on any of the pages!"
"That's my bloody point honey.
That is being cheated."
It was one of her textbooks, "Business Economics" which was purchased on a Friday from the school bookstore which closes for the weekend and the professor stated a pop quiz the following Monday!
"If something was written between the covers of Weber's book then no one was bloody cheated! Misled by his own expectations of what he thinks the author should write, perhaps. But then, who is the author? If we could write. We'd write."
I would
never go on an author's own forum and post some of the things I've read. If you're disappointed in the book — for whatever reasons, it is your right to be. Emotions cannot be controlled. But they should be tamed!
What we, as readers, are forgetting is that David Weber is human. AND, he makes his living by delivering unto us HIS visions of a world HE created. Yet, this is his livelihood. Scathing, appalling, distasteful comments like so could damage his sales. I can't imagine that anyone on the forums would want to do that and still consider themselves a fan. It could lead to him shutting down the forums or much worse, discontinuing writing!
"If I were the author. I'd shut down the bloody forums. I wouldn't supply the platform for people to bash ME with."
That's my wife talking. And knowing her, she'd do it too. Sure hope David doesn't feel that way, but I'd sure understand it if he did. He can pull a Dafty Duckk and Duckk ALL of the threads! Why can't we all just sit back and enjoy the ride? Trust the driver. You can't see the road ahead, so at least admire the view out the window.
Prior to Shadow of Victory, there were just two remaining books. Seriously folk, can we really expect David Weber to be able to wrap
everything that "we all" want gift wrapped in just two books
if some ground work isn't paved first? There are many many ways that any of the books
could have been written. We've come to know those possibilities as alternate endings. Yet there is only ONE way that it
will be written. And it ain't by any of US! Not that ANY of us would want it to be any other way. Even if that other writer is a professional themselves. I have other favorite authors. And they write quite well what they write. Even if they were fans of Weber and drank his every word, would I want David to turn over the helm to either of them? Hell no! Much less either one of US in the forums.
What worries me the most now, reminds me of something in physics. "The act of observing, alters the reality." Despite David assuring us that
his true vision, at the end of the day, won't be altered by our copper-plated "Ransomness," the fear that certain inciteful observations will do just that hangs in the air over "my" head. At the end of the day and the series, being cheated would be if WE as readers -- by accident, by nature or by design -- altered what the author himself had in mind. (Even if it means losing Honor -- a prospect that
I whine about.)
Trust his vision. After all, it is
his vision.
.
