From archive (archive) Subject: Re: William Shatner From: chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) Organization: Life is just a Fantasy novel played for keeps Date: 5 Jul 89 03:13:55 GMT > | You spoke too soon. Coming this fall is "Tekwar" by none other than William > | Shatner, a first novel. I got a galley of it a couple of weeks ago. I'm > | going to read it soon > I think I'm about to lose my breakfast.... > > Seeing as how Shatner wrote the soi-disant "story" for ST V, I expect that > his name is the only thing that makes it publishable. Well, I *did* read Tekwar this weekend. It is as bad as I thought it would be. It is not really a story -- I sat down for about an hour afterward and tried to come up with a plot. There really isn't one, just a series of episodes leading up to an anti-climax and an ending. It's 256 pages of "T.J. Hooker in the 24 1/2 century" -- no more, no less. Brandon is right -- if it weren't for Shatner's name on this, it would not be publishable. As it is, it is not only being published, but is being published *in hardcover* and with a major promotion budget [I know this because I got a galley, from a publisher that doesn't send me galleys. That implies they're sending galleys to *everyone*. This sucks. It's not fair, especially when it means that authors like Tom Deitz (also read "The Gryphon King" this weekend, to take the taste out of my mouth) *don't* get the publicity or the push, even though Satner couldn't write Deitz's laundry lists. But the fact is that Shatner *is* a name, that a book by Shatner is likely to sell many copies (unless it drops like a rock into the puddle of the publishing world like "Vanna Speaks" did), and because it's going to sell lots of copies, it goes hardcover and gets publicity to help it sell even more copies. And everyone makes a bundle on it. Except Tom Deitz. Unless, of course, everyone ignores it, but I don't expect that. The lead character of Tekwar, by the way, is this well-meaning detective that was framed and put away for a few years, only to be brought back from prison because only he can solve this case. You find out along the way that women find this walking hunk of manhood irrestistable, although Shatner thankfully neglected to write in any serious romance -- he's a hardboiled cop, and this case leaves no time for women, you see. Any resemblances between the lead character of Tekwar and William Shatner are completely coincidental, but I kept expecting McCoy to pop out of a corner and say "Jim! quit chewing the scenery!" The science is ludicrous. The writing is adequate, if you don't mind the lack of a story. And the robots are snotty -- snotty as I haven't seen since "Black Hole" days. What this really is is a treatment of a near-future Sci-fi thriller movie, starring William Shatner. Unfortunately, all I could think of what that this is the best treatment for a sequel to "Sleeper" since I saw the movie. Put Woody Allen in the leading role and let him go and all of a sudden you have one of the funniest SF farces in a long time. Unfortunately, I don't think Shatner would appreciate the suggestion. It just goes to prove: life ain't fair. This book doesn't deserve to be published. It doesn't deserve a hardcover. But if your name is big enough, you can buy the sales -- maybe. What this book does deserve is obscurity. Tekwar: by Ace/Putnam in hardcover in October. Ignore it in a bookstore near you this fall. Chuq Von Rospach =|= Editor,OtherRealms =|= Member SFWA/ASFA chuq@apple.com =|= CI$: 73317,635 =|= AppleLink: CHUQ From archive (archive) Subject: Tekwar redux From: chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) Organization: Life is just a Fantasy novel played for keeps Date: 10 Oct 89 03:06:41 GMT Remember back into the ancient past of the network of a few weeks ago when I mentioned that Tekwar by William Shatner was ghostwritten (so did Jerry -- first). Remember that I said my sources said it was Ron Goulart's work? Imagine my amusement when the real copy of the book arrived and included this acknowledgment (which was not on the galley): Writing a book is both an agony and an ecstasy. Wrestling with an empty page and a barren brain is the agony. Putting a period on the last sentence of a well-constructed paragraph is the ecstasy. Between the two lies the abyss of the novel. In order to cross that crevasse, I needed help. Ron Goulart, a wonderful writer, showed me the way out and showed me the way in to completing the novel. He did an enormous amount of work and I shall be grateful to him for a long time to come. Anyone want to take bets taht "enormous amount of work" includes drafts 2 through n? chuq ("barren brain"????) -- Chuq Von Rospach <+> Editor,OtherRealms <+> Member SFWA/ASFA chuq@apple.com <+> CI$: 73317,635 <+> [This is myself speaking] Future home of the San Jose Photons! I was a Kings fan before it was politically correct. NHL to San Jose! From rec.arts.sf-lovers Tue Nov 12 10:13:17 1991 Path: herkules.sssab.se!isy!liuida!sunic!news.funet.fi!fuug!mcsun!uunet!munnari.oz.au!mtiame!iconix!mwp From: mwp@iconix.oz.au (Michael Paddon) Newsgroups: aus.sf,rec.arts.sf-lovers Subject: Guess who Ron Goulart ghost writes for... Message-ID: <1991Nov11.035943.12166@iconix.oz.au> Date: 11 Nov 91 03:59:43 GMT Sender: root@iconix.oz.au (Super-User) Organization: Iconix Pty Ltd (World Headquarters) Lines: 40 Nntp-Posting-Host: exxon Something I heard which may not be general knowledge, but which comes from a quite trustworthy source... I, however, make no claims as to the truth of this information; I am merely reporting. Apparently William Shatner had this plot outline which was doing a tour of the major studios. It seems noone really wanted to make a movie out of it, and it was suggested that he write it into a novel. Shatner decided, perhaps wisely, to have it ghost written instead. Ron Goulart was given the job. He wrote the first few chapters which were, to all account, classic Goulart -- witty and filled with strong characters. Shatner hated it because there was "too much characterization and not enough action". Goulart finished the Tekwar novel in the space of days, filling it with plot, more plot and nothing but plot. Shatner loved it. It's a shame to see a good writer have to subdue his talent to make some money (50K is the reported sum in this case). If you want to read some classic Goulart, I recommend the recent Author's Choice by him (Pulphouse Publishing). Michael ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II IIII IIIII IIIII Michael Paddon IIIIII IIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIII Iconix Pty Ltd Email: mwp@iconix.oz.au IIII IIIII 851 Dandenong Road, IIIII IIIII East Malvern, IIIII IIIII Victoria, 3145, Telephone: +61 3 571 4244 IIIII IIIII Australia. Facsimile: +61 3 571 5346 IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII Join the HEAD revolution... III III Using your brain for fun and profit! IIIIIIIIIIIIII --- Illuminati Papers From rec.arts.sf-lovers Tue Nov 12 10:14:11 1991 Path: herkules.sssab.se!isy!liuida!sunic!seunet!mcsun!uunet!think.com!ames!apple!chuq From: chuq@Apple.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Guess who Ron Goulart ghost writes for... Message-ID: <59724@apple.Apple.COM> Date: 12 Nov 91 06:21:53 GMT References: <1991Nov11.035943.12166@iconix.oz.au> Organization: I is a writur Lines: 33 mwp@iconix.oz.au (Michael Paddon) writes: >Something I heard which may not be general knowledge, but which comes >from a quite trustworthy source... I, however, make no claims as to the >truth of this information; I am merely reporting. >Shatner decided, perhaps wisely, to have it ghost written instead. Ron >Goulart was given the job It's true. I first posted that fact about two years ago here. It's true. I've gotten (unofficial, obviously) confirmation from the publishers. >It's a shame to see a good writer have to subdue his talent to make >some money (50K is the reported sum in this case). he can make a lot more money getting 50% of the royalties of a book published under Shatner's name than he can getting 100% of the royalties of one of his own books. That's because trekkies don't buy things that say "Goulart" on the cover. Trekkies probably also don't realize they're being taken by a fairly slimy marketing gimmick, iether. Of course, given the chance to make $5 grand with my own book and $50 grand for allowing shatner to go on Arsenio and flack the book, I might consider taking the money and running, too. it'd pay for a lot of artistically wonderful, poorly selling books... -- Chuq Von Rospach >=< chuq@apple.com >=< GEnie:CHUQ or MAC.BIGOT >=< ALink:CHUQ SFWA Nebula Awards administrator =+= SF Book Reviewer, Amazing Stories Editor, OtherRealms =+= #include Tastes differ. "I don't like" is not the same as "this is bad".