Posted by Will Orr on February 17, 2001 at 20:07:40:
In Reply to: Re: mystery posted by Jim Elliott on February 08, 2001 at 22:08:03:
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I was thinking along those very same lines this morning! There are many talented writers out there in all the genres -- mysteries, westerns, science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, contemporaries. A lot of writers will tell you that the best stories of any genre are those that can only be told in their specific genres. In other words, it's a great science fiction novel when you realize it can only be told with a science fiction setting; it's a great western if it can be told only in a western setting. I think this is hogwash. I think it is the opinion of sci-fi elitists who say such drivel. I think what makes a truly great story is whether or not the story being told can be transposed into other genres. I think Louis is a wonderful wonderful wonderful example of this. I'm a writer too; I've had some stories published in small press so I think I know something of what I'm speaking. I write science fiction, westerns, mysteries, whatever strikes my fancy. I also read a lot. I read everything I can get my hands on that interests me, from John Steinbeck to Louis L'Amour to Arthur C. Clarke and points in between. Right now, I'm reading THE LONESOME GODS by LL. And I have to say that it's a story that could just as easily be told as a thriller in the Graham Greene vein or it could be told as a fantasy. All LL would have had to do was change the settings and some of the dialogue. It's a story for any genre, any age. I think that's what makes or breaks a great writer. But it's just my opinion, I realize.
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