So the literary corner of the interwebs is abuzz with the latest news that the number one of the 50 best-loved authors is Enid Blyton. And people have since come out to say that they too like Enid Blyton, warts and all.
To say I'm dismayed is an understatement. I hate Blyton. Always have, always will. This may have happened because I was introduced to Roald Dahl first and only to Enid Blyton a few years later. If that have happened the other way round maybe my feelings for her books would be a lot different. But since we do not have the benefit of a time machine or a device capable of peeking into parallel worlds, who knows?
But I'm not here to complain about people liking Enid Blyton. For what it's worth, she was responsible for instilling the love of reading into at least a couple of generations so that's okay by me. Also, if it weren't for Enid Blyton, I would have never known what a Gollywog is. Ho ho!
As for the rest of the list, I think it's spiff that eight (EIGHT!) SF writers made it to the list.
Isaac Asimov, H.G.Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, George Orwell, Iain Banks, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.G. Ballard and Ray Bradbury.
All worth reading.
Okay, so Sir A.C. Doyle is a bit pushing it, but remember, he did write The Lost World, which inspired a lot of SF dinosaur stories afterwards, the most notable one being Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park.
To say I'm dismayed is an understatement. I hate Blyton. Always have, always will. This may have happened because I was introduced to Roald Dahl first and only to Enid Blyton a few years later. If that have happened the other way round maybe my feelings for her books would be a lot different. But since we do not have the benefit of a time machine or a device capable of peeking into parallel worlds, who knows?
But I'm not here to complain about people liking Enid Blyton. For what it's worth, she was responsible for instilling the love of reading into at least a couple of generations so that's okay by me. Also, if it weren't for Enid Blyton, I would have never known what a Gollywog is. Ho ho!
As for the rest of the list, I think it's spiff that eight (EIGHT!) SF writers made it to the list.
Isaac Asimov, H.G.Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, George Orwell, Iain Banks, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.G. Ballard and Ray Bradbury.
All worth reading.
Okay, so Sir A.C. Doyle is a bit pushing it, but remember, he did write The Lost World, which inspired a lot of SF dinosaur stories afterwards, the most notable one being Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park.
I love Asimov, he was the one who got me into Sci Fi in the first place. I did like Enid Blyton as a child although she is not one of the enduring child writers I would read today, there are several who's books I do pick up now and again, not least C.S. Lewis.
ReplyDeleteOK Ted, this is an even more aggressive little bear.
Now I'm reading your blog, only fair you check mine out.
Hi Jo! Thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteI reread CS Lewis once in a while too! But of late the one book I keep coming back to is The Voyage of Dawn Treader. The rest just don't do it for me anymore.
I not only checked out your blog, I have subscribed to it with Google Reader, so now you can be assured I never miss a post of yours. Hoho!
what comes after third is the one with the hairy chest?
ReplyDeleteFourth doesn't get anything because after third they're all runner ups. Losers don't get anything!
ReplyDelete