kevin j. anderson: Gigantic Idiot?

SwordMaster · Post by **SwordMaster** » 05 Mar 2009 14:18

GamePlayer wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:Lets not forget that KJA does not have the power of "voice" he did not force BH to invite him to the "milk dune" club. BH is the one who brought KJA into the inner circle. We should hold him accountable for the fact that KJA was allowed to write one single "official" sentence in Dune.
I'm sure if anyone paid attention to Brian Herbert, we might have cause to blame him.

Its true, its like he picked the most hated and unrespected guy, so that people would not hate and disrespect him so much. Still Brian held the keys to the empire and handed them off to KJA without a gun to his head.... or maybeee........

Post by **Freakzilla** » 05 Mar 2009 14:50

SwordMaster wrote:
GamePlayer wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:Lets not forget that KJA does not have the power of "voice" he did not force BH to invite him to the "milk dune" club. BH is the one who brought KJA into the inner circle. We should hold him accountable for the fact that KJA was allowed to write one single "official" sentence in Dune.
I'm sure if anyone paid attention to Brian Herbert, we might have cause to blame him.
Its true, its like he picked the most hated and unrespected guy, so that people would not hate and disrespect him so much. Still Brian held the keys to the empire and handed them off to KJA without a gun to his head.... or maybeee........

...a case of wine?

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 05 Mar 2009 15:08

...more like a bottle of lube.

Post by **Freakzilla** » 05 Mar 2009 15:11

GamePlayer wrote:...more like a bottle of lube.

First the wine, then the lube...

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 05 Mar 2009 16:16

SwordMaster wrote:Its true, its like he picked the most hated and unrespected guy, so that people would not hate and disrespect him so much.

SEE! I TOLD YOU!

Great minds....

And when it's all over, he'll come out and say Kevin got him hooked on some drug or kept him drunk all the time and he had no control over anything that happened, it was ALL KEVIN!!!

inhuien · Post by **inhuien** » 05 Mar 2009 16:56

Freakzilla wrote:
GamePlayer wrote:...more like a bottle of lube.
First the wine, then the lube...

Then the qualudes, and that's the truth of it.

Post by **Freakzilla** » 05 Mar 2009 17:00

inhuien wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:
GamePlayer wrote:...more like a bottle of lube.
First the wine, then the lube...
Then the qualudes, and that's the truth of it.

You're out of touch, man.

They don't make qualudes anymore, it's all Ruffies now.

Tleszer · Post by **Tleszer** » 05 Mar 2009 17:38

Freakzilla wrote:
inhuien wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:
GamePlayer wrote:...more like a bottle of lube.
First the wine, then the lube...
Then the qualudes, and that's the truth of it.
You're out of touch, man.

They don't make qualudes anymore, it's all Ruffies now.

Don't you mean Forget-Me-Nows?

SwordMaster · Post by **SwordMaster** » 05 Mar 2009 20:01

common guys the gay jokes aside, why would Brian hand it over to KJA seriously? Lets try to figure this out!

Was it the fact KJA is not even able to write in his own created universe?

Post by **Freakzilla** » 05 Mar 2009 20:20

SwordMaster wrote:common guys the gay jokes aside, why would Brian hand it over to KJA seriously? Lets try to figure this out!

Was it the fact KJA is not even able to write in his own created universe?

Duh...

I don't think Brian had a clue who KJA was. At least, I hope not.

SwordMaster · Post by **SwordMaster** » 05 Mar 2009 20:23

Freakzilla wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:common guys the gay jokes aside, why would Brian hand it over to KJA seriously? Lets try to figure this out!

Was it the fact KJA is not even able to write in his own created universe?
Duh...

I don't think Brian had a clue who KJA was. At least, I hope not.

Then why did KJA get the job? The "people behind the scenes?" Suits? Was Brian not in full control of the partnership?

Post by **Freakzilla** » 05 Mar 2009 20:46

I don't really know man, I wish there was some rational explaination for hiring the biggest hack in SF.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 05 Mar 2009 20:52

Freakzilla wrote:I don't really know man, I wish there was some rational explaination for hiring the biggest hack in SF.

I wonder about this all the time, and can only come up with one thing: his books match up well with BH's reading comprehension level. All the other possiblle explainations seem like there would have been better authors to pick, only that one makes sense to me.

Post by **Freakzilla** » 05 Mar 2009 21:18

A Thing of Eternity wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:I don't really know man, I wish there was some rational explaination for hiring the biggest hack in SF.
I wonder about this all the time, and can only come up with one thing: his books match up well with BH's reading comprehension level. All the other possiblle explainations seem like there would have been better authors to pick, only that one makes sense to me.

I was jsut thinking something like that, but I've never read anything of Brians, and I include the nine DUNE books in that. But I could imagine it going something like:

Wow, this guy is really good! And he's written a ton of books, people must love him!

I mean, being a technophobe it's not like he could just google KJA and see how much fans of other franchises hated him.

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 05 Mar 2009 21:31

(Hey ... I was working on this but someone came to the door and had to talk for over half an hour....

)

Mr Teg can tell this stuff better, but

Kevin got a mutual acquaintance to introduce them. He wanted to get with Brian and write the sequel to Chapterhouse, to fix that damned pesky "cliffhanger".

Brian did a bit of research (snicker) and read some of Kevin's stuff. I think that's the story. Anyway, they got together on the phone and hit it off like gangbangers ... um I mean, gangbusters!

Kevin and 'Becca the Bowdacious flew up to Seattle for a weekend soon thereafter. They pounded out a plan whereby they would write three prequels (the Houses) before attempting the CH:D sequel.

Two weeks or so after their meeting, the lawyers called about the safety deposit boxes. And not long after that they found the boxes and boxes (Oh mah GAWD ... it's full of BOXES!) of notes in Brian's garage attic. (Ooh...how'd they get there? Must have been the White Witch and Spirit of Frank Herbert watching over them!

"Good job, my boys!" )

That's the Readers Digest Condensed/Milked version of the Official Hagiography, more or less.

(OhLordDurwethankyouforyourrevelationamen.)

Now ... why did Kevin get the job?

Because he's not just a pissy-assed little-talent hack, he's a PUSHY little bastard as well.

Statements made by Byron (and probably long deleted) over on the DN BBS gave me the impression that the members of the HLP exercised no control or other advisory role in the decision to allow Brian to partner up with Kevin. It's almost as those they were so overjoyed that the defective was finally going to do something with Dune besides wipe his bum on it by ignoring it that ANYONE would have been OK.

And I'm sure it didn't hurt that Kevin is a "worldwide bestselling author"!

As long as the money keeps coming in (Byron claims it's not that much), the HLP seems to be more than happy to let Kevin run the show. He seems to be the one doing most of the "work", he's the de facto public face of DUNE, and his uncle controls the website.

Why did they let things get like this? Who knows.

Why do they let it continue? See oodles of $$$ above and, I suspect, a few contractual obligations. (Although the thought of Kevin blackmailing them by threatening to reveal that Brian is a real drooler and hasn't written a single word for the books is definitely more juicy.

)

"I think I just ... did another poo."
—Brian Herbert

SandRider · Post by **SandRider** » 05 Mar 2009 23:05

I'll sign off on that.

From all the interviews with the Hack's Twain,
Keith's blahgs, and the production of their partnership,
this makes the most sense.

SwordMaster · Post by **SwordMaster** » 06 Mar 2009 09:09

KJA does not seem to have a lot of charisma.... Maybe he told Brian "hey dude Il write the whole thing you can put your name on it"

Still, seems like a brash and uninformed choice to go with KJA, so many authors out there and why did he ignore others like the good Dr. who clearly knew Dune better then anyone else living.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 06 Mar 2009 11:49

Because only someone like KJA can actually stomach churning out his own shit fast enough t make the kind of money the HLP wants.

"See, KJA's not a monster...he's just ahead of the curve"

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 06 Mar 2009 17:19

Isn't part of the story that a fair number of people had contacted them over the years wanting to write stories in the Duniverse or collaborate with Brian? And that Brian was just coming around to the idea of doing something when Kevin went on the offensive? A matter of fortuitous timing for the hacks ... and continuing sorrow for true fans of Dune.

I'm pretty sure Byron said that the HLP contacted some people as well but were turned down. (I remember the name Dan Simmons coming up in some such connection, but Simmons refuses to even reply to inquiries about the matter.)

Any serious, intelligent author should realize how difficult it would be to write in someone else's universe, let alone Frank Herbert's Duniverse.

Fools rush in. Kevin gets to lead the pack.

Tleszer · Post by **Tleszer** » 06 Mar 2009 18:21

SandChigger wrote:Isn't part of the story that a fair number of people had contacted them over the years wanting to write stories in the Duniverse or collaborate with Brian? And that Brian was just coming around to the idea of doing something when Kevin went on the offensive? A matter of fortuitous timing for the hacks ... and continuing sorrow for true fans of Dune.

Maybe this was written in House Atreides. That story does sound familiar.

Although writing Dune would have been difficult regardless, KJA clearly should never have been "approached."

SwordMaster · Post by **SwordMaster** » 06 Mar 2009 19:56

SandChigger wrote:Isn't part of the story that a fair number of people had contacted them over the years wanting to write stories in the Duniverse or collaborate with Brian? And that Brian was just coming around to the idea of doing something when Kevin went on the offensive? A matter of fortuitous timing for the hacks ... and continuing sorrow for true fans of Dune.

I'm pretty sure Byron said that the HLP contacted some people as well but were turned down. (I remember the name Dan Simmons coming up in some such connection, but Simmons refuses to even reply to inquiries about the matter.)

Any serious, intelligent author should realize how difficult it would be to write in someone else's universe, let alone Frank Herbert's Duniverse.

Fools rush in. Kevin gets to lead the pack.

But again, my point about Dr. Willis E. McNelly maybe far fetched that he could write anything close to the same quality, but at least he would not contradict the entire story x 1000

Plus he is an actual literary mind on various classic poets, and novelists, like where did KJA get his community collage paper? Not that educational credentails matter but I still think The Dune Encyclopedia is the best non Frank work on Dune.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 06 Mar 2009 19:57

SwordMaster wrote:
SandChigger wrote:Isn't part of the story that a fair number of people had contacted them over the years wanting to write stories in the Duniverse or collaborate with Brian? And that Brian was just coming around to the idea of doing something when Kevin went on the offensive? A matter of fortuitous timing for the hacks ... and continuing sorrow for true fans of Dune.

I'm pretty sure Byron said that the HLP contacted some people as well but were turned down. (I remember the name Dan Simmons coming up in some such connection, but Simmons refuses to even reply to inquiries about the matter.)

Any serious, intelligent author should realize how difficult it would be to write in someone else's universe, let alone Frank Herbert's Duniverse.

Fools rush in. Kevin gets to lead the pack.
But again, my point about Dr. Willis E. McNelly maybe far fetched that he could write anything close to the same quality, but at least he would not contradict the entire story x 1000

Bill Ransom would have nailed it 99%... so sad it'll never happen.

SwordMaster · Post by **SwordMaster** » 06 Mar 2009 19:59

A Thing of Eternity wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:
SandChigger wrote:Isn't part of the story that a fair number of people had contacted them over the years wanting to write stories in the Duniverse or collaborate with Brian? And that Brian was just coming around to the idea of doing something when Kevin went on the offensive? A matter of fortuitous timing for the hacks ... and continuing sorrow for true fans of Dune.

I'm pretty sure Byron said that the HLP contacted some people as well but were turned down. (I remember the name Dan Simmons coming up in some such connection, but Simmons refuses to even reply to inquiries about the matter.)

Any serious, intelligent author should realize how difficult it would be to write in someone else's universe, let alone Frank Herbert's Duniverse.

Fools rush in. Kevin gets to lead the pack.
But again, my point about Dr. Willis E. McNelly maybe far fetched that he could write anything close to the same quality, but at least he would not contradict the entire story x 1000
Bill Ransom would have nailed it 99%... so sad it'll never happen.

I think so as well, Bill Ransom would be my top 3 pick as well... it just seems weird...

Maybe Brian was intimidated by those others, because they were actual friends of Frank, and really good authors.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 06 Mar 2009 20:02

SwordMaster wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:
SandChigger wrote:Isn't part of the story that a fair number of people had contacted them over the years wanting to write stories in the Duniverse or collaborate with Brian? And that Brian was just coming around to the idea of doing something when Kevin went on the offensive? A matter of fortuitous timing for the hacks ... and continuing sorrow for true fans of Dune.

I'm pretty sure Byron said that the HLP contacted some people as well but were turned down. (I remember the name Dan Simmons coming up in some such connection, but Simmons refuses to even reply to inquiries about the matter.)

Any serious, intelligent author should realize how difficult it would be to write in someone else's universe, let alone Frank Herbert's Duniverse.

Fools rush in. Kevin gets to lead the pack.
But again, my point about Dr. Willis E. McNelly maybe far fetched that he could write anything close to the same quality, but at least he would not contradict the entire story x 1000
Bill Ransom would have nailed it 99%... so sad it'll never happen.
I think so as well, Bill Ransom would be my top 3 pick as well... it just seems weird...

Maybe Brian was intimidated by those others, because they were actual friends of Frank, and really good authors.

To be honest, if we just started yelling as many names of living SF authors as we could brainstorm right now it would take quite a while before we shouted out a name of someone who wouldn't have done a better job than KJA.

EDIT: you're probably right about the intimidation factor.

SwordMaster · Post by **SwordMaster** » 06 Mar 2009 20:03

A Thing of Eternity wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:
A Thing of Eternity wrote:
SwordMaster wrote:
SandChigger wrote:Isn't part of the story that a fair number of people had contacted them over the years wanting to write stories in the Duniverse or collaborate with Brian? And that Brian was just coming around to the idea of doing something when Kevin went on the offensive? A matter of fortuitous timing for the hacks ... and continuing sorrow for true fans of Dune.

I'm pretty sure Byron said that the HLP contacted some people as well but were turned down. (I remember the name Dan Simmons coming up in some such connection, but Simmons refuses to even reply to inquiries about the matter.)

Any serious, intelligent author should realize how difficult it would be to write in someone else's universe, let alone Frank Herbert's Duniverse.

Fools rush in. Kevin gets to lead the pack.
But again, my point about Dr. Willis E. McNelly maybe far fetched that he could write anything close to the same quality, but at least he would not contradict the entire story x 1000
Bill Ransom would have nailed it 99%... so sad it'll never happen.
I think so as well, Bill Ransom would be my top 3 pick as well... it just seems weird...

Maybe Brian was intimidated by those others, because they were actual friends of Frank, and really good authors.
To be honest, if we just started yelling as many names of living SF authors as we could brainstorm right now it would take quite a while before we shouted out a name of someone who wouldn't have done a better job than KJA.

EDIT: you're probably right about the intimidation factor.

Im fairly sure a few people on this MB could have done so as well...