tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post4186483210259534333..comments2024-03-28T07:09:28.500+00:00Comments on The Speculative Scotsman: Quoth the Scotsman | Steven Erikson On Deconstructive CriticismAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-51020652370481333832012-08-09T17:09:07.899+01:002012-08-09T17:09:07.899+01:00"When stripped down to its bones, criticism i..."When stripped down to its bones, criticism is all too often a form of oppression." Fixed.<br /><br />Criticism is vital. However, most critics are utterly clueless and thus bruit about their ridiculous views which in turn leads to those views being shared by the wider artistic world. The same principle applies to other genres, most notably film.<br /><br />Erikson is an amazing writer and frequently what he writes is hard for people to follow, and that makes them cry. Personally, I find that hilarious.<br /><br />Kadaspala's comments would be entirely valid if all he'd ever encountered were poor quality critics. In Neal Asher's "The Technician" there is an excellent comment regarding the quality of critics as being of dire importance to the promotion of quality art in particular, and by extension writing.<br /><br />With the rise of the AIs, criticism reaches a higher point and rubbish criticism drops away, and then there is this line(paraphrased from memory):<br /><br />"And finally the time had come around once again, where a piece of art created through painstaking effort over weeks requiring a great deal of skill and inspirtation drew more acclaim than a pig's penis place in a glass of vodka."<br /><br />For that is the problem with critics. Not so much that they restrict people's enjoyment, as they promote bad works as good, and good works as bad, leading to a degradation of the genre itself.<br /><br />However, for the an excellent example of the theme of the critic, read Merchant Of Souls.BADALEXhttps://twitter.com/BADALEX_noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-62707842306245570622012-08-09T10:36:35.703+01:002012-08-09T10:36:35.703+01:00I wouldn't describe it as a provocative point,...I wouldn't describe it as a provocative point, it is simply a bunch of unsupported and easily dismissable assertions.Martinhttp://everythingisnice.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6498739347909985243.post-60713266289976292572012-08-08T17:49:21.455+01:002012-08-08T17:49:21.455+01:00It's both, and that's the genius of Erikso...It's both, and that's the genius of Erikson's writing. Keep reading - there was juicy bits in the Forword and a later conversation with Haut and his hostage is quite nice and deliciously meta (that's my new favorite term for Erikson's writing). <br /><br />In my mind it's a continuation of a 'coversation' that Erikson has been having with his fans for around 5 books now. In many ways, the books that Erikson are writing and the books that his fans are reading are very different, and that has caused conflict. The biggest seams to be issues of timelines and other small 'facts' - Erikson clearly doesn't care all that much and is more than happy to sacrifice that sort of continuity for a thematic goal. Fans of epic fantasy aren't so forgiving of that - because we all know that continuity of a plot is much more important. Also, Erikson really enjoys it being murky - in reality facts are tricky and continuity is in the eye of the beholder. People remember things differntly, interpretations of events differ, etc. So, he's just fine with things not adding up in a nice, neat row. Many fans are not. Almost every book he's written since about Toll the Hounds contains some passage or another that mocks all of the situation (both himself and his fans). I think it's brilliant and amusing.<br /><br />I suspect that my review will cover this quite a bit - and that it will end in a sort of rant against the fan backlash Erikson receives for all this.Nethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963540055415924510noreply@blogger.com