LNH: An Important Public Service Announcement!

[Tom Russell]

On Jun 9, 10:38 pm, Lalo Martins <lalo.mart... at gmail.com> wrote:

> Actually, you may have a fair point here.  I love world-building.  But it
> can be argued that it's not "how the LNH works".

I also love world-building, and people will be seeing more of that in
the Eightfold Universe (to a degree), for example.  One of the big
draws of Dave's ASH universe is-- perhaps more-so than its plotting or
characters-- the universe itself and the way it works.

>
> On the other hand, IMHO the "way the LNH works" is actually authors and
> readers having fun.  If everybody enjoys it, then it's right.  And
> anything that doesn't work so well, can get reversed later.
>

I agree with your definition.  And again, to be clear, I'm not saying
that there's anything wrong with this story, or that it shouldn't
happen-- I'm just expressing my own personal opinion/misgivings, which
are probably unfounded.

It's kind of like the Ewoks story.

Hubert Bartels did this story in TALES OF THE LNH (somewhere in the
330s), in which Panta met up with some ewoks.  You know, the little
furry guys from the Star Wars films.  In flagrant disregard for all
known copyright laws.

Now, was it a good story?  Was it funny and enjoyable?  Of course!
Hubert Bartels wrote it!

But he didn't create the ewoks.  And so it makes me, well, a little
queasy.

Because I love the LNH.  I love it passionately and I'm constantly
trying to promote it whenever it seems I have a way in which to do
so.  It's a vital part of my life.

When something shocking happens, I actually ask what Gamer Boy would
think, and when someone points out the obvious, I dub them Sister
State-the-Obvious-- or, now that Martin's told us how to pronounce it,
wReanna.  I've actually mixed Coca-Cola with Paprika and, yes, it _is_
a man's pop.

But there have been people-- no, not people, but insiduous vipers--
who have denigrated the LNH with the hideous and undeserved label of
"fan fiction". ::shudder::

And we're not a fanfic group.  The LNH is its own entity, and one that
I feel is deserving of serious scholarly attention.  It is important
and unique and original.

But when Panta hunts down an ewok, or when Spider-Man shows up to give
Easily-Discovered Man a pep talk, or when someone plays quidditch, or
when Golden Man dies and is resurrected as four different Golden
Men... (and I'm very, very sorry for that last one, and for all the
other stories of that type that I'm responsible for)

It makes my job as advocate that much more difficult.  I think it
detracts from the truly original and brilliant thing that is the LNH.

Now, again-- I'm not saying that's the case with this story, which I'm
sure is going to be brilliant.  I'm just stating my reservations about
a certain tendency, and my own personal opinion about the LNH, and
since I am _not_ Opinionated Lad, my opinion is not necessarily always
right. :-)

==Tom