06-18-2003, 01:48 PM
It is impossible to make any writer 100% happy with a detailed historical criticism of his work. I read many books, by many authors, some are good, a very few are great, the rest are not, for various reasons.<br>
Last night, (after Dr. Bishop's book on segmentata) I managed to find time to read "Nobody Loves a Centurion" by John Maddox Roberts. It is a good book. I liked the characters, the descriptions were plausible, the action was reasonable, the plot was lively with a few twists, and most of the "period historical color" was excellent. (I had one or two points where it was a little "off" for me, but it didn't hurt the story).<br>
When I look at a historical novel, I look for an overall historical color, and the glaring inaccuracies are one of the first "turn-offs". I see the characters and action in a movie in my (fat) head, and when someone adds anachronistic material, it is like adding "pink flamingos" to a film, sometimes they become "neon pink"! and sometimes they become "neon pink dancing flamingos"!<br>
If the action is forced, if the characters are doing anachronistic things, if the "history" is mostly fantasy, I will finish the book, but put the author on the (only as a last resort) list of "buy when you can't find anything else" list. If you tell me up front you are writing fantasy in a historical timeframe, I enjoy that too. I hate buying a book that pretends to be historical and is really a fantasy novel.<br>
I don't appreciate buying books that don't inform or entertain, or that are poorly researched. If you want to write historical fantasy, go for it! I just think there is a difference between historical fiction and historical fantasy.<br>
For me, my read of the historical fiction novel "Emperor: the gates of Rome" had a couple of pink flamingos" dancing through the narrative. On an open forum, reviewing books, I felt that I should be honest about my review, but I was not very graphic. It is an okay historical fantasy book.<br>
I don't even try to publish my "fiction" stories. Not because I shun the criticism, but because I already have torn the manuscripts apart myself. I have spent my life as a researcher whose writings had to be as correct as possible, and as a teacher who taught research methods and required documentation and proof (footnotes or end notes acceptable). I enjoy and collect historical fiction. My overloaded bookshelves are happy to have books by Harold Lamb, Lew Wallace, Lloyd Douglas, Henryk K. Sienkiewicz, Robert Graves, Mika Waltari, Wallace Breem, John M. Roberts, Simon Scarrow, Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, Colleen McCullough, Barry Sadler, Rosemary Sutcliff, "Damion Hunter", Harry Turtledove and many others. (Sorry, can't see the other shelves from my computer station and I am too lazy to move). <br>
If my very brief comment about a certain book makes someone upset, imagine how unhappy they would be if I had written an in depth review! I am a reasonably well-read consumer of Roman fiction. I don't demand perfection, but I do require a entertaining and plausible story for a novel to get my positive rating. I try and spend less than $200 a month on books, but I rarely make that goal, so if you write it, I will probably buy it. I try and give any author a second chance, since I do know how hard it is to write, but three strikes and you're out! <br>
By the way, as a "published author", I have been called to task and had to do a retraction and rewrite more trhan once. It is different if you deal in factual information about the present, for the government. They really do expect perfect accuracy, (another impossible dream). <br>
<p>"Just before class started, I looked in the big book where all the world's history is written, and it said...." Neil J. Hackett, PhD ancient history, professor OSU, 1987</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=caiusfabius>Caius Fabius</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ROMANISROMANORVM/files/C%20Fabius%201988b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 6/20/03 3:40 pm<br></i>
Last night, (after Dr. Bishop's book on segmentata) I managed to find time to read "Nobody Loves a Centurion" by John Maddox Roberts. It is a good book. I liked the characters, the descriptions were plausible, the action was reasonable, the plot was lively with a few twists, and most of the "period historical color" was excellent. (I had one or two points where it was a little "off" for me, but it didn't hurt the story).<br>
When I look at a historical novel, I look for an overall historical color, and the glaring inaccuracies are one of the first "turn-offs". I see the characters and action in a movie in my (fat) head, and when someone adds anachronistic material, it is like adding "pink flamingos" to a film, sometimes they become "neon pink"! and sometimes they become "neon pink dancing flamingos"!<br>
If the action is forced, if the characters are doing anachronistic things, if the "history" is mostly fantasy, I will finish the book, but put the author on the (only as a last resort) list of "buy when you can't find anything else" list. If you tell me up front you are writing fantasy in a historical timeframe, I enjoy that too. I hate buying a book that pretends to be historical and is really a fantasy novel.<br>
I don't appreciate buying books that don't inform or entertain, or that are poorly researched. If you want to write historical fantasy, go for it! I just think there is a difference between historical fiction and historical fantasy.<br>
For me, my read of the historical fiction novel "Emperor: the gates of Rome" had a couple of pink flamingos" dancing through the narrative. On an open forum, reviewing books, I felt that I should be honest about my review, but I was not very graphic. It is an okay historical fantasy book.<br>
I don't even try to publish my "fiction" stories. Not because I shun the criticism, but because I already have torn the manuscripts apart myself. I have spent my life as a researcher whose writings had to be as correct as possible, and as a teacher who taught research methods and required documentation and proof (footnotes or end notes acceptable). I enjoy and collect historical fiction. My overloaded bookshelves are happy to have books by Harold Lamb, Lew Wallace, Lloyd Douglas, Henryk K. Sienkiewicz, Robert Graves, Mika Waltari, Wallace Breem, John M. Roberts, Simon Scarrow, Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, Colleen McCullough, Barry Sadler, Rosemary Sutcliff, "Damion Hunter", Harry Turtledove and many others. (Sorry, can't see the other shelves from my computer station and I am too lazy to move). <br>
If my very brief comment about a certain book makes someone upset, imagine how unhappy they would be if I had written an in depth review! I am a reasonably well-read consumer of Roman fiction. I don't demand perfection, but I do require a entertaining and plausible story for a novel to get my positive rating. I try and spend less than $200 a month on books, but I rarely make that goal, so if you write it, I will probably buy it. I try and give any author a second chance, since I do know how hard it is to write, but three strikes and you're out! <br>
By the way, as a "published author", I have been called to task and had to do a retraction and rewrite more trhan once. It is different if you deal in factual information about the present, for the government. They really do expect perfect accuracy, (another impossible dream). <br>
<p>"Just before class started, I looked in the big book where all the world's history is written, and it said...." Neil J. Hackett, PhD ancient history, professor OSU, 1987</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=caiusfabius>Caius Fabius</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ROMANISROMANORVM/files/C%20Fabius%201988b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 6/20/03 3:40 pm<br></i>
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
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[url:2zv11pbx]http://romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22853[/url]
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
[url:2zv11pbx]http://romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22853[/url]
