Monday, November 30, 2009

Fake Authors

I went to the library today and saw a new Bourne book. Jason Bourne is a Robert Ludlum character but the book is not by Robert Ludlum. It would be kinda impossible because he died in 2001. This book was written this year by another author whose name is in small print on the book. Robert Ludlum's name is twice the size.

Lawrence Sanders died several years ago and is still writing too. The first book I read after he died had only his name on it but the 1st clue I got was when his 35 year old character Archie McNally now had a sister. After several books and after getting to know old Archie, this was a complete surprise to me.

And today I saw a new Sidney Sheldon book and you guessed it. Dead. V C Andress? Dead.

James Patterson does it too...he's alive...but he has "co-writers"...the part of the books he writes is apparently his name on the cover.

Are these people channeling with someone like Whoopi in Ghost? Are they just semi-talented ghostwriters who cannot come up with their own characters? We all know the bottom line is $$$$. I know the estates have to agree to this so the bucks can keep rolling in but where is the respect? For the original writer? For the integrity of his work and talent? Where is the respect for his readers? I personally feel ripped off and will be utilizing the library a little more than normal because these imposters and estates are not getting my HONEST hard earned dollars.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Kinicke

Today 'Grease' was on TV and one of the things I've always loved about movies is that on film, the actors are are constant...young, handsome, haunting, brilliant, troubled...and they are not yet what they will later become, again good or bad. In Grease, John Travolta has escaped Kotter but hasn't lost his precious son. Lorenzo Lamas was a young geek. And Jeff Conaway had a future ahead of him unlike now where his claim to fame is Celebrity Rehab and possibly the most pathetic trainwreck I've ever seen on any screen. How in the world does someone get in such a condition? Continued bad choices, drugs, toxic relationships. I have a feeling he is not long for this world.

But he will always be Kinicke.