Rival Authors? Famous feuds? - Writers Forum

QuickTap McGoo · 03-28-2007, 01:43 PM

Hey everybody,

I'm doing some research, and you lot seem like you'd be able to help.
Can anyone tell me about some -current- rival authors, or public feuds between published writers?

It can be any genre, nonfiction, anything. They just have to have some bad blood.

Thanks so much everyone!

imrhati · 03-28-2007, 04:56 PM

Does that even happen?

Ilan Bouchard · 03-28-2007, 05:06 PM

I'm pretty sure that isn't a common thing for 'current' authors. The only feud that comes to mind is the one Shakespeare had with another playwright, but that's old news, eh?

Amour · 03-28-2007, 05:48 PM

Old news, haha.

I can't think of any examples like that in current authors.. Interesting idea though. I'm sure you could find something, somewhere, but from memory... Nothing major. Let us know if you find anything.
I did, however, just read a Jonathan Lethem story, called "The Dystopianist (thinking of his rival is interrupted by a knock on the door)", about rival authors.. Very funny. The Dystopianist, and the Utopian(s, but one in particular,), who he calls "the dire one". Good story. Sorry for jumping a little off topic but you could always read it for inspiration from a fake feud?

Good luck!

kerr511 · 03-28-2007, 10:33 PM

I dont know if it would be described as a "feud" but J K Rowling was accused of plagiarism by Nancy Stouffer (sp?) and taken to court.

It is mentioned in the Wikipedia entry for J K Rowling, or check out this link which I found after a very brief Google search http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...864427305.html

movieman · 03-29-2007, 07:39 AM

There was also the big lawsuit over 'DaVinci Code', though that always looked like a no-hoper: if the 'Holy Grail' books were non-fiction as they claimed then there was no reason why someone else couldn't find the same information independently and if they were really fiction then the authors probably wouldn't want to admit that

.

Rob · 03-29-2007, 08:10 AM

Yeah, this one was in the news recently, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mario Vargas Llosa:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1505968.ece

Cheers,
Omni

QuickTap McGoo · 03-29-2007, 01:27 PM

I know it happens a bit in the science-fiction world for sure...some are more public than others.

Also, I know it's -relatively- common in the nonfiction world, but those are easier to track...they put out "response" books to each other, like HITLER's WILLING EXECUTIONERS and the like.

There was the Amazon story from a few years ago in Canada which indicated that rival authors were trashing each other's books anonymously.

Thanks for the leads so far.

BTW, people getting their start in publishing would be fine too. If they've only published a few short stories and gone to Clarion or something and they have a feud that would only rate mention in an online forum or personal blogs, that's great.

Thanks again everyone!

ruksak · 03-30-2007, 07:54 AM

I know that J.R.R. Tolkien was a member of a group of writers called the Inklings. They used to meet and read out their latest drafts. One of the members, Charles Williams, chimed out at one of Tolkien's readings 'Oh God! Not another fucking elf!'. They didn't speak for a long time after. Not exactly a feud, but very funny I think.

movieman · 03-30-2007, 09:01 AM

Not writer feuds as such, but I believe Harlan Ellison once sent his publisher a dead gopher. Didn't he also beat up another of his publishers?