the Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake) thread

[paulgoatallen]

No matter what author or what series we talk about, the inevitable comparison to the goddess/author LKH and her Anita Blake saga seems to always come up. So I've decided to start a thread specifically about LKH and her Vampire Hunter novels. I'm a huge fan of Laurell's and have been following her even before she was a "household name." Like most epic fantasy sagas are to J.R.R. Tolkien, I sincerely believe that a large percentage of the new paranormal fantasy series out there right now are in some way derived or inspired by the Anita Blake saga. In short, without the unprecedented success of LKH, the audience for paranormal fantasy just wouldn't be the same today and many of the up-and-coming paranormal fantasy authors either wouldn't be published or would be writing something else.

The new Anita Blake novel, Blood Noir, is scheduled to be released in late May and I have at this very moment an advanced reading copy of said book in my greedy little hands. I've heard that this novel is a "pivotal" installment in the series and I am dying to read it. Once I'm done, I'll post my comments – until then free feel to share with me your thoughts about how historically significant you think LKH's Anita Blake saga is, how she has redefined the subgenre of paranormal fantasy, and where she ranks among other writers in establishing and fleshing out the vampire mythos...
Paul



http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Blood-Noir/Laurell-K-Hamilton/e/9780425222195/?itm=1&bnit=H&bnrefer...

[LordRuthven]

I actually like the cover of the new book. I seem to be in the minority on that one though.

[Nelsmom]

Laurell's Anita Blake series was the one that got me reading Paranormal books.  Before I thought that they were all Horror stories.  After I read Guilty leasures I found FredSaberhagen's  Dracula Files.  At first I just read them in October because of Halloween and that was about the time Laurell's first book came out.  Now I read just about anything Paranormal.   I like Anita because even though she deals with Vampires and Shapeshifters she has a personal ethic code.  Though sometimes it seems like she has lost it; I think that it is still there.  I know that her faith is still there.  I heard and inteview with Laurell where she admited that when she tries to fix Anita's personal life she gets into more trouble than if she just let her tell her own story.  I think that the Harlequin got more back to the orginal premise for the series because she just let Anita and company tell there own story.  I'm looking forward to the new book.  I'm not sure that I like the cover but it is no worse than the Trade paperback ones.

Toni

[paulgoatallen]

Derek:
Yeah, I just reviewed a mystery from Ken Bruen entitled Cross and the covers are stylistically similar. I think it is definitely a conscious decision from the publishers to make the Anita Blake novels appeal to a more "serious" clientele – mystery, horror, crime fiction, etc. I'll let you know my thoughts as soon as I finish it!
Paul

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LordRuthven wrote:

I actually like the cover of the new book. I seem to be in the minority on that one though.

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[TiggerBear]

Look I really really hope this series is on an up swing. But so far the climb back up from the muck she drove it into has been too slow. I hope that I will not be disappointed. But not too much.

The cover art seams reminiscent of the 30 night comic covers, on the new book. More like a modern take than a serious one.

[dhaupt]

I am also a huge fan of LKH although I started reading her simply because she's from my home town and I like to support all my local authors and there are a lot from St. Louis. But I really got into her series starring Ms. Blake and I'm not like the many fans who left her when she altered her writing during I think it was the 4th book in the series where she started including lots of sex. I'm not a prude and enjoy a juicy book and I don't think like a lot of the fans that left that it changed the story line from hard core vampire hunter to main squeeze to hot shot vampire. I like the darkness of her books and how she keeps the faith so to speak and how Anita tries through it all to find herself. And I agree with the moderator that she started the a lot of interest in the paranormal realm. I also really enjoy all of the many characters the human as well as the non-human.
I also like her Merry Gentry series.

[melaniejackson]

Most of us who write paranormal are standing on the shoulders of giants-- and LKH is first among them. She cracked open the door to mainstream publishers for those of us who followed. Until she became popular, I couldn't get a publisher to look at anything paranormal.

I am also glad that Anita has remained true to herself and is actually willing to be however ruthless she needs to be to get a job done. I find heroines who are supposed to mighty warriors and then actually balk and flinch at killing the bad guys (who are mass murderers and when the fate of the world hangs in the balance) to be tiring. Anita isn't a sadist, but she's willing to do the hard things and I respect her for that.... The sex thing was a bit tiring-- and I got so sick of Richard-- so I was glad when Edward came back for The Harlequin :-). I've always enjoyed the violence more than the sex in these stories.

[PhyllisJ]

I like the cover also.  I just started to read Laurell K. Hamilton, but I just started reading Paranormal books  this past December and I am loving the Genre.

[SciFiCanuck]

I only started reading books in general last year and because I have loved Sci Fi, Fanatasy, etc. since I was little, so that's where I started  - The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher was recommended to me so I picked up Storm Front.  Boy was I ever glad I did. 

I started reading the Anita Blake series in January and am currently on Burnt Offerings.  Wow....do I ever like the series.  I know about all the smut and what-have-you that happens later on in the books coming up and quite frankly...pffft..it doesn't bother me.  I love the way she is developing her character and other characters as well.  All I am waiting for now is a major character to get killed off, LOL!  That happened in one of the other series of have read (cough**kimharrison**cough) and boy did it though me for a loop.  Kudos though to an author who can pull that off and still keep their readers happy!

I just have to say as well...since everyone seems to dislike the poor guy....I love Richard.  Sure he has his issues but really I completely understand why he has them.  I hope the two of them can bury the hatchet soon but I have a feeling it's going to happen soon...maybe in the next book or so? (shhhh for those of you who have already read the books) 

I read Laurell's interview in Readers Digest yesterday and thought it was awesome. Had no idea about the woman until now....and I am also very excited about the fact that she doesn't see an end in sight for the Anita Blake series.  Woohoo!

[dhaupt]

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SciFiCanuck wrote:

I only started reading books in general last year and because I have loved Sci Fi, Fanatasy, etc. since I was little, so that's where I started  - The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher was recommended to me so I picked up Storm Front.  Boy was I ever glad I did. 

I started reading the Anita Blake series in January and am currently on Burnt Offerings.  Wow....do I ever like the series.  I know about all the smut and what-have-you that happens later on in the books coming up and quite frankly...pffft..it doesn't bother me.  I love the way she is developing her character and other characters as well.  All I am waiting for now is a major character to get killed off, LOL!  That happened in one of the other series of have read (cough**kimharrison**cough) and boy did it though me for a loop.  Kudos though to an author who can pull that off and still keep their readers happy!

I just have to say as well...since everyone seems to dislike the poor guy....I love Richard.  Sure he has his issues but really I completely understand why he has them.  I hope the two of them can bury the hatchet soon but I have a feeling it's going to happen soon...maybe in the next book or so? (shhhh for those of you who have already read the books) 

I read Laurell's interview in Readers Digest yesterday and thought it was awesome. Had no idea about the woman until now....and I am also very excited about the fact that she doesn't see an end in sight for the Anita Blake series.  Woohoo!

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Here here!!

I love her too and agree with you except about Richard, I think he's a whiney baby. But that's just me and I like him less and less as the series continues.
I'd be curious as to what you think in the later books.
So keep us informed.

[SciFiCanuck]

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dhaupt wrote:

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SciFiCanuck wrote:

I only started reading books in general last year and because I have loved Sci Fi, Fanatasy, etc. since I was little, so that's where I started  - The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher was recommended to me so I picked up Storm Front.  Boy was I ever glad I did. 

I started reading the Anita Blake series in January and am currently on Burnt Offerings.  Wow....do I ever like the series.  I know about all the smut and what-have-you that happens later on in the books coming up and quite frankly...pffft..it doesn't bother me.  I love the way she is developing her character and other characters as well.  All I am waiting for now is a major character to get killed off, LOL!  That happened in one of the other series of have read (cough**kimharrison**cough) and boy did it though me for a loop.  Kudos though to an author who can pull that off and still keep their readers happy!

I just have to say as well...since everyone seems to dislike the poor guy....I love Richard.  Sure he has his issues but really I completely understand why he has them.  I hope the two of them can bury the hatchet soon but I have a feeling it's going to happen soon...maybe in the next book or so? (shhhh for those of you who have already read the books) 

I read Laurell's interview in Readers Digest yesterday and thought it was awesome. Had no idea about the woman until now....and I am also very excited about the fact that she doesn't see an end in sight for the Anita Blake series.  Woohoo!

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Here here!!

I love her too and agree with you except about Richard, I think he's a whiney baby. But that's just me and I like him less and less as the series continues.
I'd be curious as to what you think in the later books.
So keep us informed.

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Yes, I am thoroughly enjoying them...can't put them down.  My favorite quote so far is in the last book (The Killing Dance) when Richard found her in bed the morning after her and Jean-Claude were together:  What does one do when boyfriend A, catches you naked in bed with boyfriend B...etc. and she says something about Miss Manners not covering it.  ROTFL!  Had a good laugh over that one.

[paulgoatallen]

People can say what they want about where LKH has directed her Anita Blake novels recently but the long and short of it is this: she is a master storyteller in every aspect – world building, character development, plot intricacy, narrative voice, thematic intensity, etc. And, I've said this hundreds of times before, without Laurell's Anita Blake novels there simply would be no paranormal fantasy forum on the B&N website. It would be a much changed world. Think about what King did for horror and Rowling did for YA fantasy – LKH did the same for paranormal fantasy. The commercial success of her novels – $$$$$ – changed the way publishers looked at genre-blending fantasy/romance/mystery novels. Because of her, I firmly believe publishers began signing any and all competent novelists with similar series – and the reading audience obviously loved it because you can't look at a national bestseller list without finding Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Vicki P, Jeaniene Frost, Marjorie Liu or any other of a number of great writers.

Granted, her Anita Blake saga may be tailing off somewhat – I'm not passing judgement until I read Blood Noir – and writers like Kim (have I mentioned lately how much I love this woman?) are taking the forefront in the subgenre, but no one can downplay just how monumentally significant LKH and this series is. I mean, she's like Elvis.
Paul

Message Edited by paulgoatallen on 03-27-2008 09:22 PM

[SciFiCanuck]

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paulgoatallen wrote:
People can say what they want about where LKH has directed her Anita Blake novels recently but the long and short of it is this: she is a master storyteller in every aspect – world building, character development, plot intricacy, narrative voice, thematic intensity, etc. And, I've said this hundreds of times before, without Laurell's Anita Blake novels there simply would be no paranormal fantasy forum on the B&N website. It would be a much changed world. Think about what King did for horror and Rowling did for YA fantasy – LKH did the same for paranormal fantasy. The commercial success of her novels – $$$$$ – changed the way publishers looked at genre-blending fantasy/romance/mystery novels. Because of her, I firmly believe publishers began signing any and all competent novelists with similar series – and the reading audience obviously loved it because you can't look at a national bestseller list without finding Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Vicki P, Jeaniene Frost, Marjorie Liu or any other of a number of great writers.

Granted, her Anita Blake saga may be tailing off somewhat – I'm not passing judgement until I read Blood Noir – and writers like Kim (have I mentioned lately how much I love this woman?) are taking the forefront in the subgenre, but no one can downplay just how monumentally significant LKH and this series is. I mean, she's like Elvis.
Paul

Message Edited by paulgoatallen on 03-27-2008 09:22 PM

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I completely agree...especially after reading that Readers Digest Interview.  She has an amazing story.

I'd love to get a book signed by her.  I wonder if she does that?  I'm in Canada so a lot of authors don't come here to do book signings often but I know some do if you send them a book and arrange for everything.

[LordRuthven]

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paulgoatallen wrote:
People can say what they want about where LKH has directed her Anita Blake novels recently...

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People want to beat up on the woman, but as far as I am concerned, if someone doesn't like the direction she went in, my advice is to quit reading her books. I read on a forum somewhere that LKH is nice to her fans, and someone asked if she would be nice if you went up to her and told her her books were smut. Well, duh...I think anyone (short of Alan Moore) would be offended.

I loved the books until they became more centered on the erotic element, but I just made a decision to quit reading them because they no longer appealed to me. I know some fans are upset that she changed course in her series, and I can understand that...but IMO she wrote a good 7, 8 books that I enjoyed. That's a pretty good track record.

Admittedly, my "paranormal" tastes tend to err more on the side of the Saint-Germain/Lestat/Henry Fitzroy vampire fiction side, so take my opinion for what it is worth.

[TiggerBear]

(chuckle) Oh yes, it not smut I mind it's bad smut. I'm not sure if its lack of research on her part or what.

[LordRuthven]

The point I was trying to make was, why go out of your way to antagonize an author you don't like to her face?

[TiggerBear]

To be honest I never say anything or write anything that I would not say to that persons face. I posted a LONG letter on the authors OWN website on the subject, years ago. If I met her in person; I'd probably ask her if she tried a few of those out, politely pointing out when such bits were just not possible. No I'm not talking about some of the metaphysical acts. Simple ones, like soap as lubricant. I might even subjest research materials. Not all criticism is completely negative.

[LordRuthven]

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TiggerBear wrote:
Not all criticism is completely negative.

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I agree with you wholeheartedly there, but there is a faction of people who just like to gripe, gripe, gripe about LKH and the direction her books went in. And my attitude is, let it go. It might be in part because I was never attached to her work that much to begin with, but I find it funny that there are a lot of people who just like to complain about her work.

Which book was the soap bit in? That vaguely rings a bell.

[TiggerBear]

Cerulean Sins- shower scene, first sex with Micah

[paulgoatallen]

Derek:
I used to get upset when I read blogs or reviews or boards like this of people complaining about authors or books I like but then I realized that the idiom "there is no bad press" is true. If people are discussing LKH's Anita Blake saga and some are unhappy with how it's going, that just underlines the fact that her novels are still wildly popular, still relevent and readers actually care enough to get emotional about them. I'm sure Laurell's fans collectively see the series going in a million different directions – so not everyone is going to be completely satisfied. Also, I find these conversations about LKH interesting because not only are her fans emotionally involved (which is a wonderful thing) but they're never entirely sure where she will take the next novel – and that, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the great things about this series...

Blood Noir is next up, by the way, after Mario Acevedo's Undead Kama Sutra – I'll definitely let you what what I thought of the latest Anita Blake!
Paul