A Teachable Moment

Okay, I'm getting caught up with some bloggery reading I've put off (not because I have the time, but because I get distracted by... Oh, shiny). You never know when the Black Hole of Calcutta will sneak up and devour you. But here is a teachable moment, and the lesson is, "ideas aren't yours alone." And, "just because things are similar doesn't mean they're the same." Also, "because another author writes something like your story doesn't mean you need to get a better tin-foil hat or stop writing your own take on it." Got all that? Okay, onward.

(my best Lewis Black interpretation including stabbing of arms skyward) Son of a bitch!

Here's a Genreville review about Harry Connolly's debut novel Children of Fire "melding of the sensibilities of Dashiel Hammet and fantasy novels." A starred review in Publisher's Weekly (you rat bastard). The review then goes on to talk about how this novel is refreshing because, "It's the dark side of noir fiction, where characters are grim anti-heroes, and the job they're doing is not always heroic," and, "The book is a straightforward hunt for an evil magician." Hmm, sounds awfully familiar.

(sobby voice) I was robbed!

Here's a Scalzi's Big Idea post about it. In there he says he didn't want to write a story with "dusters or trench coats... centuries-old katanas... or all the other trappings that so much of modern urban fantasy uses to signify that characters are seriously kickass-cool people." Okay, well, I guess there's some divergence there because my main character does have a centuries-old katana (although he doesn't use it, preferring a jain sword instead) and he does wear a duster, better to hide the sword with.

Actually, in all seriousness, I do wish Harry Connolly the best with the novel. It sounds seriously kick ass (yet another one on the guilt stack/Xmas list). Once I get through my own novel I'll need to read it. And I wish him the best, well, because I think every author should have a great career. Especially those that write stuff I like. This stuff is hard enough to finally get to launch only to be heralded by crickets. But I also want his novel to sell like fargin' wildfire because it'll help pave the way for mine (bwahahaha!).

And now you'll excuse me, I have to stalk another writer.

(said with my best John Cleese voice) You Bastard!