Why didn't anyone tell me?

[theoriginalblurker]

Of course, I brought books with me on my trip. Two fourteen hour plane rides? Wouldn't you?

One of these books is a novel by Janet Asimov called Mind Transfer.


OMGWTFBBQ?


Why didn't anyone tell me that this woman couldn't write? And, when I say couldn't write, I am not kidding around. I have read the worst book ever and lived to tell about it. (will link to it as soon as paracoon reminds me of the title) This book is worse. I am telling you this having only read 20 pages of a 300 page novel. Let me give you a taste.

As the guards rushed at the robot, Bess stood in front of him. "As you can see, I'm pregnant, but I'm willing to fight."
The biggest guard tried to push her aside, and as she fought him, she fell. Uncertainly, the robot helped her to her feet. "Eliot," cried Bess, "you must give me the controller!"
[snip]
With an odd rattling sound in his throat, Jonathan Durant collapsed. Kneeling awkwardly beside him, Bess picked up the controller and gasped.
"You turned it off instantaneously! Jon's in a coma now. You tried to kill him, Eliot."
Eliot shrugged. "An accident."
Matt came to help Bess. "I think I can carry him with your help, Bess."
"No, you can't. He's much taller than you are and I can't help because that fall put me into labor."
[snip]

and

With arrogant hubris, he had accepted Nanca's opinion that he was good, but now he felt only old an fallible. He'd spent his life upholding humanness against the onslaught of technology. Was it too late to be good? And for whom?

I do plan to read the entire thing, if only for the humor value, but I plan to force paracoon to read it as well so that we can commiserate.

Here's a pretty reasonable review. Scroll to "Quite possibly the worst book ever written".

Comments

[shadowflyer.livejournal.com]

Wow.

This greatly increases my respect for Mrs. Heinlein.

[hwrnmnbsol.livejournal.com]

I would like to read this book. Then I would like everybody I know to read this book. And then I would like to hold a contest to see who can write 1000 words of the same stuff, as amusingly as possible.

[drelmo.livejournal.com]

You are aware of Atlanta Nights, yes? ISTR that there was a followup project as well, by the same gang.

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

You're on!

[mcroft.livejournal.com]

Can you compare and contrast it to the clown porn I found online?

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

I refuse to click on your clown site, as this is a work computer. Hopefully, by the time I get home, I will have forgotten about it.

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

"With arrogant hubris"

As opposed to humble hubris?

Wow, that's some amazing kinds of bad. Holy cow.

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, honey. I couldn't really find anything that came close to exemplifying the extraordinary badness that is this book. We will have to send it around the country after the Houston folks have gotten through with it. Share and enjoy! :)

[mrschu.livejournal.com]

I would hope that when you finish it you would give us your cast list of who would play these characters when it opens as a Broadway musical.

[auspeople.livejournal.com]

Count me in on the round robin!

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

Ummm...gosh, thanks. But please, don't go to any trouble on my account. Really.

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

Don't make me laugh like that while I'm at the plant!! :D

[goldfired.livejournal.com]

Perhaps not the worse book ever written. Just the worst book ever taken on by a publisher (who was not also the writer).

[jpmodisette.livejournal.com]

I looked up Janet Asimov's wiki page, wondering if there might be an apology there, but it's quite brief. However, I did learn from linked pages that Isaac Asimov died of AIDS complications.

[la-directora.livejournal.com]

Holy cow! I had no idea.

[jpmodisette.livejournal.com]

He apparently got it from a blood transfusion. It was revealed by Janet Asimov in her epilogue to a 2002 posthumously published collection of his writings.

[hwrnmnbsol.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought it was from complications arising from READING HIS WIFE'S WRITING.

[paracoon.livejournal.com]

I will accept your challenge, as you did read my contender for Worst Book Ever Published.

By the way, it was "Redeeming Factors" by James Lane. If anyone else would like to experience this pain, I still own my copy.

[arenson9.livejournal.com]

I couldn't get through what you posted. Can't imagine reading the whole thing.