[Dragaera] Cool Stuff Theory of Litterature was: (RE: Steven Erikson

[Jon Lincicum]

Jerry Friedman wrote:
> >From The Paths Of The Dead:
>   
>> . . . First theory: "The Cool Stuff Theory of
>> Literature is as follows: 
>> All literature consists of whatever the writer thinks is
>> cool. The reader 
>> will like the book to the degree that he agrees with the
>> writer about what's cool.
>>     
>
> I don't think this line, quoted before, suggests any kind
> of collaboration.  It just means that readers will like
> the book if their standards are the same as the author's.
>   

A truly outstanding author may be able to write a story in such a way as 
to influence someone's idea of what qualifies as cool in the first 
place. (i.e. "I didn't think cloaks and rapiers were cool at all until I 
read this book, but now I think they are the coolest things I've ever 
seen!")

The ability to accomplish this, to my way of thinking, is known as 
"writing talent".

Note that this does not at all conflict with the "Cool" Theory of 
writing, it's actually a corollary of it.

Majikjon