Plots and writing

bjorn-are.davidsen@s.hk.telenor.no bjorn-are.davidsen at s.hk.telenor.no
Mon Jan 30 09:34:13 CET 1995


Don:

I agree very much on Cussler being perhaps the worst pulp writer in business, at the 
same time as he maybe have the best plots. This has intrigued me for a while and after 
having read about ten of his books (perfect on crowded morning bus rides to the city 
where the goal is to escape reality as far as possible), my conclusion is that perhaps 
HE has the plots and someone else is writing the books, especially the latest ones. Or 
he is just writing them too fast to get more money for veteran cars and planes?

His two latest books "Sahara" and "Inca Gold" are so far his worst, " Inca Gold" in fact a 
LOT worse than "Sahara" (an impressive achievment). "Raise the Titanic" (from 1976) 
is just too unbelieveable. He has nevertheless had a not too bad middle period from 
about 1984-1990.  "Treasure" is better than the two latest, and the best ones (in this case 
a rather relative term...) are (in that order) "Deep Six",  "Dragon" and "Cyclopes". This 
last one is BTW about part of the  El Dorado treasure.  So for anyone not particular 
about white male American chauvenism, deux ex machinas, the art of writing, and a hero 
surviving ANYTHING, Cussler is worth a try for some chapters as there is rather a lot wild 
things going on and great plots concerning obscure historical interpolations (sometimes 
even plausible) and great treasures! 

Cussler aside, I think you, Don, does manage both the plot and the writing (and I even 
enjoy your drawings!). When watching the success of authors like the one mentioned 
above, I often wonder what would happen if  you tried writing a thriller based on the same 
kind of historical, treasure hunting oriented plots you so often use.  It's of course rather 
different from doing a comic story, however, I think you should give it a thought (which 
you already have done, I guess!). Even if Americans don't read they BUY a lot of books 
(Clancy, Crichton, Cussler a.s.o.):-). And it wouldn't be the same kind of issue regarding 
original art...

Bjorn Are



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