07-16-2007, 10:03 PM
I've read (what I consider) good Gothics and some awful Gothics. I'm disappointed at times when reading what appears to be a well-written and entertaining story, that it is flawed by inconsistencies and/or inaccuracies. Typos and poor proofreading are a pet peeve of mine, but what really detracts and distracts me is when it appears the author is not paying attention to what she/he has written. For example, I'm reading "House of Fand" by Anne Maybury. Only half-way through the book I'm already finding half a dozen instances in which she cannot keep track of time. As for inaccuracies, some authors point out historical inaccuracies before you begin the story and it makes it easier to accept the reasons for doing so. However, I'm not an historian and would find it difficult at times to know whether any historical Gothics contain inaccurate historical detail. Having said that, when I do run across something blatantly obvious and the author does not show any signs of realizing her mistake, I find it unbelievable and frustrating. I wonder how much research some authors put into writing their books. Do they just churn them out because they write so many?