Your List of Favourite Authors

[SamScribble]

One of the peculiar difficulties of having a conversation about erotica favorites is that "what is erotic" varies so much from one person to another. I have my own concept of what is erotic, and it's different from that of others. There are stories I enjoy that might leave others completely flat. There's no right or wrong to it.

I agree with this completely.

 

[lovecraft68]

A conversation I had with my wife last night reminded me of this thread.

Her-plays an old rap song from the 90's on her phone

Me "That shit sucks, bunch of trash."

Her: "People say that about all that metal shit you listen to."

Me: "Yeah, but difference is they're wrong."

Her: "But you're not wrong? How do you know?"

Me: Can't spell crap without rap."

Her: Why do I talk to you?"

Sums this up. We all like what we like and dislike what we dislike and there doesn't have to be a definitive reason why for either other than personal taste.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Now non erotic that's different. My favorite living authors are Neil Gaiman and Kate Dicamillo. Their talent and abilities stun me. For pure guilty pleasure I also love Clive Cussler, though he has sadly passed away.

I don't read as much Gaiman as I used to (trying to read more new things and not stay in my comfort zone) but as well as being a damn fine writer, he is also a good and sensible human being. I've had a few minor interactions with him over the years, as have several friends, and he's just unremittingly lovely, while also willing to tell people "no" when they need to be told.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't read as much Gaiman as I used to (trying to read more new things and not stay in my comfort zone) but as well as being a damn fine writer, he is also a good and sensible human being. I've had a few minor interactions with him over the years, as have several friends, and he's just unremittingly lovely, while also willing to tell people "no" when they need to be told.

On the note of Gaiman, what did you think of the Amazon series of Good Omens? I enjoyed the book, thought the series was awful despite it being well cast.

 

[NotWise]

I see what you guys saying. Perhaps this was not the best board to post a thread like this. As authors you guys probably spend most of your time writing anyway.

The lists of non erotica authors are still very appreciated.

The Story Feedback forum might have been a better choice than the author's forum. It isn't that we don't read. It's more because announcing favorites among your peers can put you on socially shaky ground.

There have also been problems with author cliques, which can form from authors picking favorites from among their peers.

 

[MelissaBaby]

The Story Feedback forum might have been a better choice than the author's forum. It isn't that we don't read. It's more because announcing favorites among your peers can put you on socially shaky ground.

There have also been problems with author cliques, which can form from authors picking favorites from among their peers.

Lit authors are like the children of Lake Woebegone. Every one is above average.

 

[lovecraft68]

Self proclaimed in some cases

 

[NotWise]

Lit authors are like the children of Lake Woebegone. Every one is above average.

And if we aren't, then that's not for me to say.

Authors before me encouraged my writing, and part of my role here is to encourage the writing of others.

 

[Bramblethorn]

On the note of Gaiman, what did you think of the Amazon series of Good Omens? I enjoyed the book, thought the series was awful despite it being well cast.

Hmm. I really enjoyed it, but I think it's one of those things that's really prone to "that's not how those characters looked in my head!" syndrome. (Less of of an issue for me, since I don't usually form a mental image of characters that way.)

There were a few things that jarred, but overall I had fun, and the chemistry between Sheen and Tennant was great. Interested to see they're making a second season based on unpublished material Pratchett and Gaiman had talked about way back in the day.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Self proclaimed in some cases

Is there a better proclamation?

 

[BiscuitHammer]

Lit authors are like the children of Lake Woebegone. Every one is above average.

Now I'm seeing poor Garrison Keillor reading on Lit and his brain just exploding in moist, gooey lumps all over his study.

But maybe he'd like the Humor/Satire category, right?

 

[lovecraft68]

Is there a better proclamation?

Falls under someone has to say it, right?

 

[Auden James]

We all like what we like and dislike what we dislike and there doesn't have to be a definitive reason why for either other than personal taste.

So you really do think that everyone is equally right in matters of "taste," right?

 

[SimonDoom]

So you really do think that everyone is equally right in matters of "taste," right?

LC can speak for himself but I don't think that's what he meant.

My own view is that there's a very hard-to-define but meaningful middle ground between "everything is completely subjective" and "stories and authors can be objectively ranked and their quality clearly defined."

I believe that with erotic stories, as with everything else, some stuff is good and some stuff is crap. I'll also be damned if I know how to define what's what. I believe some people have terrible taste. But I"d have a hard time explaining my belief or convincing another person why my taste is better than some other person's.

The usefulness of a conversation like this one is less about trying to come up with criteria for what's good and bad than just sharing our opinions, learning a thing or two, and maybe being exposed to authors we haven't paid attention to before. Those are all good things.

 

[Auden James]

The usefulness of a conversation like this one is less about trying to come up with criteria for what's good and bad than just sharing our opinions, learning a thing or two, and maybe being exposed to authors we haven't paid attention to before.

But doesn't that presuppose that there can be meaningful differences of opinion in matters of taste? However, if everyone likes or dislkes what they like or dislike for no reason (other than, apparently, inexplicable subjectivity), how could these differences be in any way meaningful? Wouldn't they be virtually indistinguishable from being products of mere chance?

 

[KeithD]

I believe that with erotic stories, as with everything else, some stuff is good and some stuff is crap. I'll also be damned if I know how to define what's what. I believe some people have terrible taste. But I"d have a hard time explaining my belief or convincing another person why my taste is better than some other person's.

The usefulness of a conversation like this one is less about trying to come up with criteria for what's good and bad than just sharing our opinions, learning a thing or two, and maybe being exposed to authors we haven't paid attention to before. Those are all good things.

What I can't understand is why anyone would need to put effort into making any good/crap distinctions on the stories feeding Literotica. What's the need for comparisons and judgment? Why such vanity over free-use material? Why can't people just feed in and take out what arouses and pleases them and leave others to do the same without judging and performing "me better than you/this better than that" exercises here?

 

[SimonDoom]

What I can't understand is why anyone would need to put effort into making any good/crap distinctions on the stories feeding Literotica. What's the need for comparisons and judgment? Why such vanity over free-use material? Why can't people just feed in and take out what arouses and pleases them and leave others to do the same without judging and performing "me better than you/this better than that" exercises here?

It's just a matter of sharing honesty about how one reacts to things. I didn't, and wouldn't, post examples of stories I think are crap. That would be mean and pointless. But there's nothing wrong about observing that we are human and we react differently to things and we like some things and not other things. I think it's useful for us to share examples of things we like with others as long as we're not being dictatorial about it (i.e., "you must like what i like"). I wasn't insulting anyone.

 

[Auden James]

Because, maybe, it is not just merely "vanity" or an example of meaningless "excercises" but the natural outcome of using one's faculty of judgement?

 

[KeithD]

I guess since I don't read much of anything here, I don't get tied up with this need to stick my nose into other people's business and posting self-perceived value judgments about it.