Atlanta Nights [Paperback]

Travis Tea (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 2005

The world is full of bad books written by amateurs. But why settle for the merely regrettable? Atlanta Nights is a bad book written by experts. -- T. Nielsen Hayden Atlanta Nights is a book that could only have been produced by an author well-versed in believable storylines, set in conditions that exist today, with believable every-day characters. Accepted by a Traditional Publisher, it is certain to resonate with an audience. It fits their specialty like a glove. All proceeds from this book go to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Emergency Medical Fund.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The muse struck like a stomach flu. Up came "Atlanta Nights." -- Los Angeles Times, February 5, 2005

From the Publisher

Travis Tea is a pseudonym for a group of (mostly) science fiction and fantasy authors who were amused by PublishAmerica's claim (at their authorsmarket.net site) that SF & F authors are "writers who erroneously believe that SciFi, because it is set in a distant future, does not require believable storylines, or that Fantasy, because it is set in conditions that have never existed, does not need believable every-day characters." So about thirty writers banged out a novel over a long weekend, writing it as ineptly as they could. Plot, characterization, theme ... none of them are to be found in ATLANTA NIGHTS. Grammar and spelling take a drubbing. The book was submitted to PublishAmerica -- and it was accepted.

"Each day, an average 78 new authors who are looking to find a book publishing company ask us to publish their book," PublishAmerica says. "We review not only the quality but also the genre of their work.... Like all serious book publishing companies we have to be picky as we can only accept the works that meet our requirements in both areas." Now you can see for yourself exactly how "picky" about quality they are. Prepare to be amazed.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 299 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com (February 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411622987
• ISBN-13: 978-1411622982
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Not To Write, February 24, 2005

By 

Siobhan Pris - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atlanta Nights (Paperback)

I bought this because one of my favourite Fantasy authors, Sherwood Smith, was one of the writers collectively known as Travis Tea. Now, I know Atlanta Nights was intended to point out certain publishing scams, but I downloaded the book for free from the author's web page and read it. Then I decided to buy it.

Why would I buy a book that is so dreadfully, hilariously vile?

Well, not because it is funny (and it is), but because reading Atlanta Nights teaches you about writing. Both James Macdonald (of Viable Paradise fame, and an author), the organizer, and Sherwood Smith spend a lot of time teaching newer, not yet published writers how to write, how publishers work, how to create books publishers will buy and readers will enjoy. They have seen all the mistakes one can make, and they, and their fellows, saw to it that every one of those mistakes are in this book.

Read Atlanta Nights, then read your own work. You'll see some of the same problems, and no, not just bad spelling. I mean too many adjectives, too many adverbs, distracting details, and odd syntax. You'll delete at least a third of your own words, and your book will be the better for it.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blindingly Funny, February 24, 2005

By 

J. Fields "Kids Bookaphile" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atlanta Nights (Paperback)

In fact, I was starting to wish I was blind after a chapter or two. This book shows what happens when a group of very good writers write as badly as possible. It's hysterical. The wandering characters, the incredible grammar, and the cliches -- if they missed one, it wasn't for want of trying. Sure, this one probably isn't funny for the non-writer but for anyone who has ever been talked into critiquing a book by a friend of a friend, this thing is a hoot. As a writing instructor, it made me laugh nearly to tears. I recommend it for any writer who wants a wild laugh-fest. I didn't see any political commentary in it (maybe some of the reviewers saw symbolism I missed ;-) but if you ever fell in love with a campy classic, you'll fall for this one.

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gloriously wretched!, February 24, 2005

By 

Lisa Blaschke (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atlanta Nights (Paperback)

Were Ed Wood alive, he would snap up the rights to this one and commit it to celluloid as only his inestimable talent could. The disjointed, nonsensical narrative should be required reading for all aspiring authors, as it offers a page by page, line by line example of How Not To Do It. Every literary mistake in the book is literally in the book. That Publish America bought it, hook, line and sinker should also serve as a lesson to aspiring authors. Great fun, if you're into the howlingly awful. My only regret is that my husband, Jayme Lynn Blaschke, wasn't able to interview the reclusive Travis Tea for Voices of Vision: Creators of Science Fiction and Fantasy Speak, because really, this is fantasy of the first order!