Dorothy J Heydt <djheydt@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> In article <fs8nfd$aia$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> Anthony Nance <nance@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>Ken from Chicago <kwicker1b_nospam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>> We've often seen critically and commercially successful authors run
smack
>>> into a wall, the dreaded writer's block, or, in many ways, worse,
coasting
>>> into a rut, a valley, churning out fluff while banking on one's
reputation
>>> of previously good to great work.
>>>
>>> But what about those who've fallen into a valley--and yet risen out of
it?
>>> Those who've had long gaps in their writing career only to resurge as
good
>>> if not greater than ever? Those who've fallen off their authorial
horses,
>>> but gotten up, shook themselves off and climbed back in the writing
saddle
>>> again?
>>
>>I think this will be a tough one, and I'll be interested to see what
>>examples arise here, if any. As a knee-jerk guess, it seems that
>>whatever led to the lull could also prevent improvement, or even
>>a (tem****ary) return to form.
>>
>>Dorothy cited Asimov's story "Gold". Asimov also had an earlier
>>period where he published very little sf (approximately 1966-72),
>>but _The Gods Themselves_ is how he "came back" to sf.
>
> Yes, well, I sort of count and don't count _The Gods Themselves._
> The middle third, with the really alien aliens (who, of course,
> reappear in "Gold") is top-notch. The first and third sections
> are IMO unreadable.
I am closer to your end of the spectrum than the end which gave
TGT a Hugo. Still, our opinions aside, it seems that winning
a Hugo and the general ongoing respect for TGT puts it in the
ballpark for what the OP is aiming for.
> Which is why I don't own a copy of the book, but I do have a copy
> of the issue of _If_ in which the middle third was published. :)
Efficient!
- Tony, still mulling over the survival of 16th century Spanish
poetry about eggplant-with-cheese
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