Customer Reviews

Atlanta Nights

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

Thirty science fiction writers set out to sting Publish America, and it worked. They set out to write the worst book they could and submitted it to see if PA would buy it.

Publish America offered a contract.

ATLANTA NIGHTS is so bad, it's funny! It hurts your brain, and makes you howl with laughter. Want to learn how NOT to write? Buy this book. (And all the proceeds go to the Science Fiction Writers of America's Emergency Medical Fund.)

Between the badly written prose and more sex scenes than an Andrew Greeley novel, this is not a book I recommend to my usual audience of family orientated Catholics. In fact, I don't recommend this book to any child, casual reader, or individual just learning to master the English language.

So why the four star rating? Well, I often find myself reviewing, critiquing or editing the work of aspiring Catholic writers. I've come across my share of mistakes and wooden prose while doing so, and this book recreates all of it.

The authors of this book are some of the best sci-fi and fantasy writers in the industry. Their objective was to write the worst book possible, and submit it to PublishAmerica -- a controversial publisher that claims to be a traditional publisher, but which many in the writing industry consider a vanity press.

Atlanta Nights is an example of how one should not write a book It is also an example of why one should never take shortcuts in life, and why one should always remain vigilant in researching the market before submitting one's work or signing a contract. In short, Atlanta Nights is a book that never should have been accepted for publication -- which was the point of the whole exercise that led to its creation.

This is a great book. While I won't go into how it came about, this book is a lesson on how not to write (and yes, it's on purpose, hence the good score I've given it). One chapter is even computer generated - producing some of the most *inventive* prose I've ever seen. Search for Atlanta Nights on the web and find out the story behind the book. Then buy it!

Many of the reviewers of Atlanta Nights are missing the point. This is not an ordinary book. It's an artistic masterpiece of atrocious writing, and not intended to be read as a serious literary work. Yes, Atlanta Nights is very funny, but it's funny in the way burlesque and parody are funny.

Atlanta Nights is amusing because the cooperative writers committed every literary crime known. In so doing, they created a work that has enormous potential for teaching would be novelists how not to write. Look at this excerpt, probably my personal favorite:

Yvonne poured herself a drink and melted into the chair across from Callie. She brushed a strand of moltenly hair from her eyes and proceeded to carve the ham. Callie watched intently. Juice streamed from the ham in rivulets like saliva drooling from the fierce jaws of a wild dingo poised over the dead carcass of its prey in the dingo-eat-dingo world.

Yes indeed, it's a dingo-eat-dingo world. And if that doesn't whet your appetite, here's more:

Her cheeks were almost as red as her hair already, like red Delicious apples under green leaves which were her eyes and the dark pupils were like little curled up caterpillars in the middle.

How could you pass up prose like that?

Finally, I want to point out that the writers behind Atlanta Nights are in no way mocking other writers; they are, very much, mocking publishers who will print anything.

It really is a very funny read.

This book is an excellent example of how not to write a book, by design. If it's not the worst book that can be written, it's certainly close, also by design.

Publish America offered a contract for this book, so what does it mean if they offer a contract for yours?

...

The most hilarious thing of all is that this book is so awful it's good! Start reading (anywhere!) and you cannot put it down! You will howl with laughter, your eyeballs will hurt, but your fingers will not let go.

Buy it. You'll love it. And it's the perfect gift for those friends you suspect never read the books you give them.

To those who bogged down after reading a dozen chapters, I salute you! Most people bog down after reading twelve pages. Twelve sentences should be enough to tell anyone who reads this book that publishing it wouldn't be a good idea.

No one involved in the Atlanta Nights project has posted, or will post, a "review" on someone else's book that mentions either "Atlanta Nights" or "Travis Tea." We aren't "at war" with anyone, least of all other authors. As writers we respect all those who put words before the public as fellow artists, colleagues, and friends.