tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post3515060894909623518..comments2024-03-29T04:38:14.302-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: The Joy of Story (in which our intrepid Bad Girl steps out on a serious limb for a change)Leigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-49576897449715370012015-09-26T18:46:43.892-04:002015-09-26T18:46:43.892-04:00Eve, I'm with you re serial killers. I'm ...Eve, I'm with you re serial killers. I'm now asking myself why I came out so immediately strong on this topic, when Noir magazine queried me. I think it's because I hate, HATE, to be preached at. And I've read a few novels recently that really had that flavour. Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-87703803874100795022015-09-26T18:44:39.136-04:002015-09-26T18:44:39.136-04:00Leigh, there is no question my short stories - whi...Leigh, there is no question my short stories - which number 50 now and are mainly noir, strangely enough - often deal with vigilante justice. For me, I have to like the main character to care about him/her. And I can't like serial killers, I've discovered.Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-14573820260352936222015-09-26T17:37:17.978-04:002015-09-26T17:37:17.978-04:00Entertainment, then the rest. And after all, the ...Entertainment, then the rest. And after all, the reader can choose what they choose to read: I don't read Hannibal Lector, but that's because my little line in the sand is I don't do serial killers as heroes. (But that's just me...) But I also rooted for Christian Slater's character in "Heathers", so there. <br /><br />Keep entertaining!<br /><br />Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-42478524992068436172015-09-26T16:36:50.582-04:002015-09-26T16:36:50.582-04:00Provocative post, Melodie.
The Nº1 duty is to ent...Provocative post, Melodie.<br /><br />The Nº1 duty is to entertain. I’ve read novels with agendas– one novel with a political ax to grind comes to mind. To this day, I recall the political prejudice and not the author, title, plot, or characters, only that the guy apparently hated the then current president. Tom Clancy has walked a fine line, but he usually manages to overcome polemics with plot.<br /><br />However, we can’t escape morality completely. I’d characterize Hannibal Lector as delightfully evil, but he has a moral code. He protects Clarice. He wastes many of the same characters we’d choose to if we could. He’s a gourmet cook. Oops… forget that last one.<br /><br />It was pointed out to me that I write about justice, so in a way I use writing to make the world seem right. I suppose that’s disguised morality… Hmm…Leigh Lundinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-63823428854179537832015-09-26T16:15:09.127-04:002015-09-26T16:15:09.127-04:00BK - the opposite argument to my point in Noir Mag...BK - the opposite argument to my point in Noir Magazine seemed to be that people look to crime fiction for some sort of comfort, in that justice will prevail in fiction, when it may not in real life. Certainly, many readers may feel that comfort, after reading many works of crime fiction. (But probably not mine! grin)<br />I like your interpretation very much: that the range of our sympathies expands. Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-8942773364539871452015-09-26T16:10:58.763-04:002015-09-26T16:10:58.763-04:00Elizabeth, I don't know them, and I'm goin...Elizabeth, I don't know them, and I'm going to look them up immediately! Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-76554074045574059192015-09-26T12:49:48.761-04:002015-09-26T12:49:48.761-04:00I enjoyed your post, Melodie. I'd say that by ...I enjoyed your post, Melodie. I'd say that by taking us out of ourselves for a while, fiction (of course including crime fiction) can in fact have a powerful moral effect. When we see things from other people's perspectives, we're encouraged to recognize the humanity of those who aren't like us, and the range of our sympathies expands. That's got to have a good effect on our characters. And I'd say crime fiction doesn't have to get preachy or simplistic in order to subtly remind us of important moral truths that we probably know already but are all too prone to forget--that bad people triumph when good people are passive, that a person can smile and smile and yet be a villain, and so on. The plot and characters can express such ideas powerfully, whether or not the author ever makes them explicit.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673578800047888317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-7179091263863125182015-09-26T12:31:25.072-04:002015-09-26T12:31:25.072-04:00If crime fiction were somehow required to contain ...If crime fiction were somehow required to contain a lesson for the reader, which I don't know how a rule like that could possibly be enforced, people would complain that the stories weren't realistic. Who doesn't know somebody who has gotten away with murder, or at least with illegal behavior? Or with behavior that is legal, but shouldn't be? I can think of several that I know personally, or that I'm related to.<br /><br />I see you're in Oakville, Ontario. Have you been to Empire Bakery? We got our wedding cake from them.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00239163766419735693noreply@blogger.com