True to my only New Year's resolution I am dutifully reporting on the latest book I've read this year. I'm a big fan of Robert Crais. I've read all of his books. I like his two main characters, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, a lot.
So I buy THE SENTRY this last weekend and read it in one sitting. I thought the story was okay at first. A typical Crais storyline but featuring Joe Pike in this book--entertaining--a nice way to waste a Sunday afternoon---
But then I got to thinking...the driving motivation in the main story arc, that Joe Pike was falling for the girl and was duty bound to protect her at any cost, was absolutely moronic! The chick was a fraud! She was simply using him to stay a step ahead of the bad guys and Pike discovers this with over a third of the book to go.
B as in B. S as in S. The Joe Pike I know isn't dumb, but this story kind of is.
And then I thought some more over the next few days. The first book I read this year, DEAD ZERO by Stephen Hunter was a pretty good read, but there were gaps in logic and too many coincidences--some of them utterly ridiculous. Sure, some of that is expected in thriller-dillers, but it seemed kind of cheap--like Hunter just didn't work hard enough on the story.
The second book this year was DAMAGE by John Lescroart. same deal--one of my favorite writers, I love his characters yadda yadda--but he did the same thing. He stretched a major motivation in the main story arc to an entirely unrealistic level. The murderous bad guy gets out of prison on appeal because his victim's supporters wore buttons during the trial with the victims picture on them.
No freaking way is this going to happen...not in a high profile rape/murder case in San Francisco. It just ain't gonna happen. Plus he gets a former defense attorney elected to the head DA's post. Again, the writer is asking me to believe just a little too much so he can write this story.
So I'm calling it 3 Strikes! The first three books I've read this year have all assumed I'd overlook huge logic gaps, that I'd overlook lazy storytelling just because I'm a fan of all three writers, and that I'd cough up the dough for the books.
They got me! And you know what? I blame it on the publishers as much as I blame the writers. All three of these guys have huge multi-book contracts, and they're not alone. The big publishers want their "sure things", and not just from these guys. They give a few proven writers long term/huge dollar conracts for a book a year in the series and you know what? The writing is getting worse...not better!
I blame part of it on deadlines. Assembly line writing...and someone sped up the assembly line! Or something like that.
I think this degradation of storylines is going to come back to bite both the writers and their publishers in the ass. If Tom Cruise or Cameron Diaz or Angelina or Brad are in a couple of clunker movies in a row their stock is going to drop, their careers will suffer, and the studios (much like the big publishers desperate for blockbuster after blockbuster) won't use them.
They call them 'has-beens' in the movies. Is the same thing going to happen to some of the perennial best selling authors in the big publishing house's 'stables'? I don't know. I ain't that smart. But if I'm noticing the dumbing down of writing by a number of authors someone else is too.
And is this dumbing down contributing to the rising popularity of E-publishing and self publishing? I think it could be for a couple of reasons.
The big boys are contractually joined at the hip with their proven stable of bestselling writers for a long long time.They are demonstrating that they haven't got the balls or the money to foster new talent. The growing number of options for e-publishing and self publishing are exploding and the big houses keep trying to force the established bookselling model down our throats. Good determined writers are finding ways of getting their work out there.
Combined with the fact that the writers themselves are putting out...not an inferior product...but a less than stellar product--I think it opens the e-pub and self-pub doors open a little more each time.
What do you think?
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