Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: The "Average" Reader, and What Should Be Done to Them

From: mhall@berkeley.edu
Date: 16 Nov 2007


> MEH wrote:
>
> "But sad to say, from what I've seen on a variety of boards and email
> lists dedicated to Edgar RIce Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H. P.
> Lovecraft, and Sword and Sorcery fiction, there are very vocal people
> out there who accept anything in the genre or any pastiche and believe
> its all good."
>
> But that's a difference of taste, not level of engagement. I was just
> pointing out that being entertained is not necessarily, is not usually,
> a passive pursuit.
>
> Mark

Well, I see something being an active pursuit when a person/individual is metntally engaged--but I guess that is me the academic...

As to the other being a difference in taste, I also fall into the camp (not to revive the classic, etc. debate), there is a hell'uva lot of dreck/garbage/wasted trees, etc.--the ol' Sturgeon's Law... And, when you are dealing with people who like 99% or better in a given genre, you are not dealing with critical readers.

Best, MEH



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