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Readers and consumers of pulp fantasy
Mar. 5th, 2010 11:45 pmDad made a point, without me inviting it and before he'd forget, that since he has been busy lately and not wanting to read at night, he brought my second manuscript to work with him so he could read parts during his idle time.
He voraciously read through what sounds like the entirety of Book 1 and thoroughly enjoys it. Some of my concerns, at least in the case of this reader, are unfounded. He wanted to say he enjoys this one more than the other one without actually saying the other one has a problem, but I think we both know of the other one's problems and I'm fine with the idea that I could actually improve in skill between Nov. 2008 and Nov. 2009.
His opinion matters more than you might assume because like his father before him he's a big consumer of what I call pulp fantasy. Grandpa Madeley would read through droves and droves of whatever he felt like, CJ Cherryh, and most probably Moorcock (some of his stuff is pulpy like fresh squeezed orange juice, other material less so), and then donate it to the nearest public library if Dad didn't want to borrow it first. I regret that Bert died before I developed any interest in some of the books he no doubt read, as it would have given us something to talk about for a change. Otherwise, if you weren't an avid bowler, you couldn't get much from him.
So, I think of Dad as a sample of the Everyboomer of Fantasy, a middle aged guy who really just wants to play around in others' imaginary worlds and can pick out the basics of a satisfying read.
Other sample readers, like prominent Unitarians, many tailed foxes and mischievous redheads, are going to expand my field of data with regards to how I should imagine the reader's desires while writing.
That, and a positive review with some substance to it makes me happy.
He voraciously read through what sounds like the entirety of Book 1 and thoroughly enjoys it. Some of my concerns, at least in the case of this reader, are unfounded. He wanted to say he enjoys this one more than the other one without actually saying the other one has a problem, but I think we both know of the other one's problems and I'm fine with the idea that I could actually improve in skill between Nov. 2008 and Nov. 2009.
His opinion matters more than you might assume because like his father before him he's a big consumer of what I call pulp fantasy. Grandpa Madeley would read through droves and droves of whatever he felt like, CJ Cherryh, and most probably Moorcock (some of his stuff is pulpy like fresh squeezed orange juice, other material less so), and then donate it to the nearest public library if Dad didn't want to borrow it first. I regret that Bert died before I developed any interest in some of the books he no doubt read, as it would have given us something to talk about for a change. Otherwise, if you weren't an avid bowler, you couldn't get much from him.
So, I think of Dad as a sample of the Everyboomer of Fantasy, a middle aged guy who really just wants to play around in others' imaginary worlds and can pick out the basics of a satisfying read.
Other sample readers, like prominent Unitarians, many tailed foxes and mischievous redheads, are going to expand my field of data with regards to how I should imagine the reader's desires while writing.
That, and a positive review with some substance to it makes me happy.
