Jᴀᴄᴜʀᴜᴛᴜ - Tʜᴇ Cᴀsᴛ Oᴜᴛ

•Kevin: "If you look at Dune, it's about as complex and broad as you can imagine. When you study it, and when you've written so many books in that universe, as we have, some of it's bound to rub off." I think this might be the first time Kev has actually hinted that he has become a writer comparable to FH by writing in Dune. Brian cut him off pretty quickly, but that might just have been editing.

In his own warped way, do you think he's trying to appeal to us?

D Pope wrote:

•Kevin: "If you look at Dune, it's about as complex and broad as you can imagine. When you study it, and when you've written so many books in that universe, as we have, some of it's bound to rub off." I think this might be the first time Kev has actually hinted that he has become a writer comparable to FH by writing in Dune. Brian cut him off pretty quickly, but that might just have been editing.

In his own warped way, do you think he's trying to appeal to us?

It's another example of false modesty, which reveals itself to be an attempt to prove that he's as good as Frank Herbert. I'm sure, behind closed doors, KJA whines to Rebecca that he's as good as Frank Herbert, and just has a different, less pretentious style. If only it wasn't for the snobs.

This is a more blatant example of this argument than usual. Because even Kevin knows he can't say that shit in public.

I don't think any of it has rubbed off, I think he might finally be realizing how out of his league he is. Not that he cares.

I just think he rubs off when thinking about Dune and Frank Herbert.

D Pope wrote:I've been kicking around Chigs evil mastermind theory and after listening to this interview, i'm beginning to come around. Brian no longer seems to be the helpless buffoon under the spell of a persuasive and energetic kevie, nope, Brian handles KJ with the talent of a master.

I think it's somewhere in-between.

I think Brian is *absolutely* a willing participant, and that he has this idea of wanting to write books that do the Dune series justice. I think he understands what that means, has the desire to deliver it, and may even, in theory, understand what constitutes good writing.

I think, though, that Kevin dominates when it actually comes to writing the thing. KJA churns out five chapters to each of Brian's one, and has time left over to rewrite Brian's chapters. I think Brian might not like a lot of what KJA does in terms of dumbing-down and simplifying stuff, but he's a pussy when it comes to standing up to the mega-bestselling writer. And the fact that they can churn out a book a year and get paid big bucks doesn't hurt either.

HBJ

Nah. It's taken him ten years but the zombie has finally figured out how to sound like he's part of the team.

Hunchback Jack wrote:I think, though, that Kevin dominates when it actually comes to writing the thing. KJA churns out five chapters to each of Brian's one, and has time left over to rewrite Brian's chapters.

This is a key point to me, and one we nailed last year.

Their own stories, in their own words, just don't add up. Over and over again, we've got Keith telling the world just how fast he can get the Hike-O-Matic™ machine cranked up; he goes from nothing to "finished" chapters in just a matter of days. Then we've got Bobo, who might or might not be able to find the power button on his 10-year-old Powerbook. Bobo, who often has ... "difficulties" ... when he goes out in public; Bobo, who allegedly doesn't use email or the internet, which would make their "trading" of chapters a bit problematic.

No, their stories just don't mesh. Not only can Bobo not possibly match Keith's pace, no living writer can match Keith's pace. Mostly because 99 percent of those writers actually care a bit about the process.

Clearly, Keith is writing at at least a 5-to-1 pace when compared to Bobo. I'd say it's extremely likely that:

1. Keith eventually "volunteers" to do a lot of Bobo's chapters;

2. When they are finally finished with their first go-around, Keith completely dominates the "editing" process. To the point where a new McDune is methodically turned into just another Anderhack Star Wars script ... perhaps without Bobo even realizing what's going on. Or maybe just accepting it. Or convincing himself that he's somehow contributed.

That's one of the main reasons I insist that the McDunes are basically Anderhack projects. Bobo Herbert is a spineless jellyfish who sold his soul long ago for a few coins; it's quite easy to see him bending over and grabbing ankles for anything Keith wants.

TheDukester wrote:Clearly, Keith is writing at at least a 5-to-1 pace when compared to Bobo. I'd say it's extremely likely that:

1. Keith eventually "volunteers" to do a lot of Bobo's chapters;

2. When they are finally finished with their first go-around, Keith completely dominates the "editing" process. To the point where a new McDune is methodically turned into just another Anderhack Star Wars script ... perhaps without Bobo even realizing what's going on. Or maybe just accepting it. Or convincing himself that he's somehow contributed.

Completely agree. And it shows in the final product. Read a chapter of McDune - *any* chapter - and a chanpter of KJA's own work, and they are the same writer's voice.

I would say, in addition to your points in 2. above, Dukester, that Brian probably long ago gave up trying to stop KJA from bulldozing over him during editing. After all, KJA would either have to slow down to allow BH to contribute his share, or, more importantly, KJA would have to give up some control. Not going to happen. I imagine KJA never wants to change a thing about his chapters once they are written, and wants to change *anything* about Brian's chapters that contradicts with Kev's own. And keeps arguing til he gets his way.

HBJ

And if KJA's blahg posts are truthful, he's usually the last one to have the manuscripts and the one who sends them to the publishers. What's to stop him from making more changes before he does so? Brian would eventually find out when he saw the galleys (if he actually does go over them), but causing a row would shatter the illusion of perfect (polished?) harmony between the two.

Hunchback Jack wrote: Read a chapter of McDune - *any* chapter - and a chapter of KJA's own work, and they are the same writer's voice.

I definitely agree with that. There are a couple things that stand out as Brian contributions, usually involving excessive modifiers and the stupid toilet humor of a closet sadist who is scared of airplanes.

For example, I think the flesh cookies/head in a jar scene at the beginning of The Battle of Corrin is Brian's. And isn't there some kind of farting contest involving a young Baron ghola? Every once in a while something like that sticks out awkwardly in what is, otherwise, clearly the hackneyed dictahiking of KJA.

Responding to a question shouted from somewhere in the check-out queues as to whether Dickens collaborator Wilkie Collins would appear in his new horror novel, Anderson confirmed that Collins would indeed play a major role and that he would be basing much of his interpretation of the relationship between the two writers on his own partnership with Dune heir Brian Herbert, who was in fact a major inspiration in his choice of title...

HBJ

Speaking of his art, the stories collected in Dogged Persistence are (with one exception) dull and bland -- utterly forgettable, save for the bitter aftertaste from having read an author who uses his fiction to "teach" his readers trite lessons. Invariably (again, with one exception), by story's end, the protagonist has learned a "valuable lesson," on the order of "hard work is good for you" or "hard work is good for you, but remember to be nice to your girlfriend." Even H.G. Wells and Charles Dickens -- fictionalized, respectively, in "Scientific Romance" and "The Ghost of Christmas Always" -- are shown to have been inspired to greatness by having learned from Anderson's pat little morals. Again, one is tempted to speculate on what drives this "driven" author to reduce renowned writers to such triteness.

http://januarymagazine.com/SFF/dogged.html

Ah, nice. I obviously need to reread that!

(I wonder if that's where I got the idea in the first place. )

I love that review; I've had it bookmarked for quite a while.

But I'm sure Keith would say he's just one of the "three haters."

awright been wandering in the desert, had me a Vision-thing ... the only thing that can save the situation now and it's more than possible is for Brian to have a profound fundamentalist religious conversion ... he's getting to that age where you start to question all the ideas you've had and spouted about G-d in your life because you're fixing to die and you start hedging bets ....

this can easily lead to a late-in-life embracing of hard core religious tenants, such as Confession & Repentance of Sins, Slate-Cleaning, &etc, and esp some of that uncomfortable & awkward Record-Straight-Setting .... so what we need to do is figger out how to get Brian thinking about what the little baby jesus is going to say to him when he crosses over the river to rest in the shade of the trees ... Brian is going to need to feel compelled to Tell the Truth before he dies, which could be momentarily ... the truth about the Notes, and who wrote what and why he agreed to let Keith to do all the things that've been done ... Brian needs a Jimmy Swaggart moment, I'm just a man, a weak, sinful, man ... ...

Brian doesn't need to apologize or recant or repudiate ... he just needs to tell the truth ... and turn over all Frank's Papers to Fullerton ...
otherwise, the little baby jesus will set him on fire and toss him to Hell ...

merkin muffley wrote:

Didn't you know he's a time-travelling literary genius who regularly goes to the 19th century to inspire ordinary people to become great authors like him so that he can come back to the present and be inspired by his own genius?

...

He does inspire people... into fits of rage.

Alpha Carinae wrote:Didn't you know he's a time-travelling literary genius who regularly goes to the 19th century to inspire ordinary people to become great authors like him so that he can come back to the present and be inspired by his own genius?

Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight! Please, please do not let Anderhack see this. The universe could implode.



Good job, Alpha!