As most of you know, two writers - Patrick Sullivan and Ben Mann - are the latest of a growing tradition of hatrack writers who have won the WotF contest. The two beat out not only many of their contemporaries here, but a list said to number over a thousand submissions to be named finalist. There, they had to impress professional writers to finish in the top 3 of eight to earn a well-deserved trophy (among many things). So their accomplishment should speak for itself, without a word from the gallery. Nevertheless, there always manages to be one heckler that seems to be bent on ruining it for everyone.
A very long review of the latest edition of the Writers of the Future anthology can be found at the link in blue. Now I recall reading somewhere, written by a famous author, that writers who can't write, review. Whoever wrote that must have had this guy in mind.
Granted, this guy says a lot of positive stuff, but can't seem to help himself by mentioning some kind of fault with every story, even with the ones he liked. That alone wouldn't be bad but Mr I can't leave well enough alone had to cheapen the entire collection with some long rambling pontification about how the editors made their choices. Blah, blah, blah. He even admits that he has submitted to the contest, which makes his comments sound like one big long whine.
Waaa! The editors didn't pick mine! Waaa!
Oh, boo-hoo. We should all get together as one big group and flood their comment section, tell the baby to grow up. The nerve of him acting like some kind of an authority.
Whose with me?
Posted by aspirit (Member # 7974) on :
I think this is a lousy advertisement, snapper. Too many Hatrackers wouldn't be able to tell you're joking. If you wanted people to read your review, why not be honest about it?
Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :
Ahhh, man. I've been running that joke for the last three years. Always found at least one person who fell for it.
Oh well. I still welcome comments on how much of big baby I am.
Posted by telflonmail (Member # 9501) on :
Waaa! The editors didn't pick mine!
wait...Do you have to enter to win? Posted by MAP (Member # 8631) on :
Snapper, I always enjoy your self-deprecating humor. Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
Well, I was wondering if you were talking about my review-finding fault with each story, all of that whining and the rest...
except I haven't written one. And now it looks like I won't have to.
Posted by axeminister (Member # 8991) on :
I can't wait to read them and disagree with each review. Even if I agree.
Thanks Snapps, I do enjoy reading them each year. Hopefully, someday, you'll review a story of mine and then, at last, you will find no faults.
Axe
Posted by Wordcaster (Member # 9183) on :
It's been so long since I've read the stories, I hardly remember them.
Thanks for posting the link -- not too many reviews out there on the WOTF stories.
Posted by Nick T (Member # 8052) on :
Hi Snapper,
Excellent review, as always. I found myself disgreeing with your rankings (which is unusual), but it's an excellent and informative review. Purely from a selfish point of view, I want more reviews of WOTF.
Given the purpose of WOTF, it would be unusual if you couldn't find some kind of fault with the stories.
Regards,
Nick
Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :
I'm curious Nick. Which were your favorites?
Posted by History (Member # 9213) on :
If anyone cares, mine was Maddy Dune’s First and Only Spelling Bee
Respectfully, Dr. Bob
Posted by RoxyL (Member # 9096) on :
Great reviews, Snapper (no matter how you try to convince us otherwise!).
Posted by Nick T (Member # 8052) on :
Hi Snapper,
The two standouts were the same (Maddy Dune and The Unreachable Voices of Ghosts), but there were at least two stories you really liked which I thought were among the weakest in the anthology. I would have also given one story a higher rating.
Nick
Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
I haven't read the whole thing yet- I need to remember to check to see how many stories I have left to read-- but Maddy would be up there for my favorites.
There's another one or two that I know are up there also but I need to check the titles.
Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :
I agree, Pat O'Sullivan's was one of the strongest. He deserves extra Kudo's for winning because his entry was the only fantasy genre story to win.
The anthology used to have an even split between fantasy and sci-fi. The preferences of the judges are sure getting lopsided.
Posted by Nick T (Member # 8052) on :
Snapper,
There will be at least two next year. My story is fantasy and Marie Croke primarily writes fantasy, so I presume her story is fantasy as well.
Nick
Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :
Great! Can't wait to read it!
Btw, will you be one of the judges in the next WotF trigger challenge? Could we talk you into donating a signed copy of the anthology as well?
Posted by Nick T (Member # 8052) on :
I demand an impressive backstage rider (all the brown M&Ms picked out, etc.)...of course. Let me know the logistics when the time comes.
I'll see if I can't get the title changed to something impossibly specific as well.
Nick
Posted by LDWriter2 (Member # 9148) on :
Okay finally got to reading some of snapper's critiques. I was going to wait 'till I finished the whole book but I still have two and a half stories to go and not sure when I will finish.
I agreed with a lot of what he said but not. However I just want to comment on a couple
Spoiler alert just in case there's any one who wants to read it but hasn't.
First Bonehouse: I also think Chris is a woman from a couple of tiny hints she wants to be a he.
"Sailing The Sky Sea"
One of my favorites except for the ending. I think it was rushed. and Geir forgets about the war that started the adventure. Plus it turned the story into more of a light hearted tale which none of proceeded it even hinted at.
"Unfamiliar Territory"
The ending reads like there's a page missing. I think it had more believability than you did because I've read a few stories along the same basic lines. I think it made sense the way it was set up. But there's two or three things missing with that ending. I even went back to back sure I hadn't skipped a page but if there was one missing it would be between half the page down and three fourths of the page down.
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