Robert Stanek and his super secret NSA powers!

[Tongue Stuck to Wall]

As a plucky up-and-coming male writer how do you compare yourself with Joe Abercrombie?

[Errant Bard]

For the record, the nonsense was about reviews mentioning George's books, as I've blogged about here http://readindies.blogspot.ca/2013/03/authors-who-trash-competitors.html.

Woha, just read this, it's like stepping in bizarro world, those people really have it in for you for no discernible reason. And for some reason quickly deleted posts from them rile up "the mob" way better than your long staying attacks. Hmm.

This is clearly a conspiracy to slander your good name and create a negative buzz, and I think you left a few things too vague to efficiently fend off the defamation, so:

we released ‘Keeper Martin’s Tale’ as a single volume in February 2002, where it quickly became a Science Fiction & Fantasy bestseller at Amazon.

Please provide a link to an official (amazon) page corroborating this.

Also in 2005, [...] ‘The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches’ [catapulted] straight to #1 in Fiction at Audible and soon #1 on the entire site and not long after one of the Top 100 grossing titles in Audible’s history.

Please provide a link to any audible page corroborating these three claim.

I've won many awards from readers groups, fantasty book clubs, and such. Just as I've won many awards for excellence in writing and such from writer's organizations.

Hey, that's cool, please list a few that were awarded for your fiction, with only:

1. Name of the award
2. Name of the organization that handed you the award
3. Link to their site where the award is listed (or a reference to any official source for that organisation, that I can find and check for the award attribution)

Did you consider suing? If I was in your shoes, considering the damage you say it did to you and how it makes you angry enough for your regular outbursts on blog, twitter and other social media, it seems warranted to have a judge punish your famous haters, and acknowledge you deserve compensation. You should. In fact if I was a US citizen, I would contact and pay real lawyers to take the case for you. Wouldn't that be sweet?

[Bearbert Dondarrion]

Mr Stanek, I have a few questions for you.

1)Do you consider yourself well read in the Fantasy genre? If yes, could you provide us a list of five or ten essential books to read that weren't written by yourself

2)What do you think about recent changes in the Fantasy genre?

3)What do you think about the term grimdark? Would you like your works to be called grimdark?

4) What order would you suggest reading the works of Joe Abercrombie?

5) What author do you consider had the biggest influence over your writing?

Please excuse my English

[The Marquis de Leech]

Is that the whole plot, or would stuff actually happen?

It was pure 'humourous concept', so I hadn't thought about the actual plot. Having mulled it over though, I think you could have an serious thematic tension between the traditional idea that something that has withstood the test of time must be good, and the story's theme that survival is often completely random. I might work on it a bit more (taking out the bad taste Stanek references).

[mormont]

[mod] I don't care who you're addressing: there are rules, people. Failing to respect the rules is not failing to respect Mr Stanek - it's failing to respect the board and the moderators. I will close this thread if people can't be civil. [/mod]

[Happy Ent]

(removed attempt at satire in order to err on the right side after Mormon’t comment above)

[sologdin]

Either that's the greatest alt ever, or our dreams have come true.

i still think that the entire internet persona over the last few years is a good example of an emerging postmodern art form. how do we know it's not all a glint in HE's or DP's eye?

[naz]

i still think that the entire internet persona over the last few years is a good example of an emerging postmodern art form. how do we know it's not all a glint in HE's or DP's eye?

Indeed. Andy Kaufmann would've loved the internet.

Or maybe he still does? Hmmm...

[Mya Stone]

I'm not evading anything. Asked and answered. You write 7 books a year and let me know if you have time to piss.

Yet you have the time to take out of your busy schedule to post 26 times in the last 24 hours. You must be on a break from writing, right?

When's your next book coming out? I would like to get it for my almost 6 year old.

[Seli]

...

Writing that many books for that many years is a full-time occupation and then some. I work 7 days a week, typically 80-100 hours a week. How in the world anyone working 80+ hours a week is supposed to be running around writing his own reviews or up to this or that nonsense is beyond me.

You work 80+ hours a week for 20 years and let me know if you have time for anything.

That must be horrible for your family :( One would hope that success in sales would have led to a possibility for a better work-life balance.

[Happy Ent]

how do we know it's not all a glint in HE's or DP's eye?

I hereby release the custom title “A glint in HE’s eye” for public use. (Provided the correct apostrophe is used.)

[red snow]

That must be horrible for your family :( One would hope that success in sales would have led to a possibility for a better work-life balance.

I guess true artists simply HAVE to write regardless of the cost to their personal lives. It's not just about the sales.

Maybe yesterday was his first day of retirement? Only 3 books a year now but taking the time to answer our questions and shed light on doubt.

I hereby release the custom title “A glint in HE’s eye” for public use. (Provided the correct apostrophe is used.)

Nice :) we need to make an emoticon that looks like a tree with a sparkle.

[Antonius Pius]

It was pure 'humourous concept', so I hadn't thought about the actual plot. Having mulled it over though, I think you could have an serious thematic tension between the traditional idea that something that has withstood the test of time must be good, and the story's theme that survival is often completely random. I might work on it a bit more (taking out the bad taste Stanek references).

Oh I see, existential irony. Maybe adding nipple magic and Important Human Themes could add great eclectic (eccentric) value? Just saying.

[polishgenius]

Did you know that lawyers don't typically use hotmail addresses, and that emailing someone pretending to be one is probably illegal?

Yet you have the time to take out of your busy schedule to post 26 times in the last 24 hours. You must be on a break from writing, right?

To be fair, 26 posts isn't gonna take that long.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

In fairness I do know some lawyers who have had Hotmail addresses. What is unusual is using that address to deliver a cease and decist letter. That normally would go through the mail.

[MinDonner]

I'm actually more curious about the "people like you get shanked in prison" comment. Is this something you've now retracted, Mr Stanek, or are you now pretending that you didn't say it?

[sologdin]

What is unusual is using that address to deliver a cease and decist letter

yeah, i'd remove the notice of representation & demand from the stream of internet douchebaggery by sending it both first class and certified mails, in the event addressee is a scumbag service-evader.

[Mya Stone]

To be fair, 26 posts isn't gonna take that long.

True. I redact my statement.

See how easy it is to type that?

[prone_to_say_stupid_things]

That must be horrible for your family :( One would hope that success in sales would have led to a possibility for a better work-life balance.

I don't know. He seems to have plenty of time for travel (according to his facebook page). And taking time posting pictures of sunsets and keeping his Indonesian fans happy.

Unless he is just re-posting other people's travel photographs without giving the original photographer credit - and implying, but not saying, that he took them. But even that takes time.

[RobertStanek]

I took time out on a busy Saturday to become a member of this forum and post in earnest. The time I spent here meant I didn't finish a chapter that needed to be completed, and so I must now work a few more hours on a Sunday.

Like I said, you can keep bitching and moaning about perceived slights or imagined things I’ve supposedly done if you want. I would prefer, however, to have real discussions on this forum about authors and books we’ve read and want to discuss (other than my books). If you and I disagree, then you’ll have a real reason—and not an imagined one—for not liking me.

Again, I do expect civility at the least. Your call if you want to keep treating me like a bastard son of a Stark or the Imp, but I do expect the nonsense to end.

So you decide? Once in a lifetime opportunity to hate me for real or keep going with perceived slights and imagined nonsense.