(no subject)

[yendi]

So, since Spider Robinson's signature series has kinda jumped the shark, I think he should follow time-honored tradition and add (another) funny animal to the series, ideally a dog-faced monkey. The name of the book?

Callahan's Crosstime Baboon

Comments

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

*thwap* That was painful. :)

Think you're right about the series jumping the shark, though. Which is a shame. At least I still have the old books to reread.

cheers,
Phil

[martinhesselius.livejournal.com]

Ouch! ::Grin::

Re: Spider and his prolific writing lately

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

Jumped the shark? Unfortunately, I don't know this term...

Re: Spider and his prolific writing lately

[yendi]

Jumping the shark is a tv term, referring to the point at which a previously good show starts to suck. It takes it's name from the episode of Happy Days where Fonzie motorcycle-jumped the shark tank. See http://www.jumptheshark.com/ for some other examples. I think the same concept applies to authors and musicians, and I really think the Callahan series has jumped the shark. As Phil says, though, the early books are still re-readable.

[tikimama.livejournal.com]

You know you are going straight to literary hell for that? Say hello to Piers Anthony when you get there.

[rollick.livejournal.com]

*moan*

"Kinda" jumped the shark, though? I think he well and truly lost it several books ago. And I used to be a positively drooooooling Spider Robinson fan.

[yendi]

I was being generous. I gave up, I think, after the second Lady Sally book. But I know that some folks adore Spider, so I was trying to be charitable to their beliefs.

[rollick.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I remember how enraged I was back when I adored him and someone whom I didn't like very much to begin with told me he was turning into a hack and that "he wrote a lot better when he was poor and miserable than he does now that he's successful and happy." That probably could have been said more gently.

While I have enjoyed books of his since, I still don't think he's ever written anything to rival "Stardance," which is one of my all-time favorite books.