Have you guys heard of Sidney Sheldon?

William Haskins

poet
Kind Benefactor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
29,099
Reaction score
8,848
Age
58
Website
www.poisonpen.net
you're kidding, right?

not about him being dead, but guessing he was an author.
 
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
11,961
Reaction score
2,070
Age
54
Location
NY NY
We have a link..

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=entertainment&id=4987527

Sidney Sheldon who won awards in three careers- Broadway theater, movies, television- then at age 50 turned to writing best-selling novels about stalwart women who triumph in a hostile world of ruthless men, has died. He was 89..

Sheldon's books, with titles such as "Rage of Angels," "The Other Side of Midnight," "Master of the Game" and "If Tomorrow Comes," provided his greatest fame. They were cleverly plotted with a high degree of suspense and sensuality and a device to keep the reader turning pages.

"I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down," he explained in a 1982 interview. "I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she has to read just one more chapter. It's the technique of the old Saturday afternoon serial: leave the guy hanging on the edge of the cliff at the end of the chapter."

Analyzing why so many women bought his books, he commented: "I like to write about women who are talented and capable, but most important, retain their femininity. Women have tremendous power - their femininity, because men can't do without it."

Sheldon was obviously not aiming at highbrow critics, whose reviews of his books were generally disparaging. He remained undeterred, promoting the novels and himself with genial fervor. A big, cheerful man, he bragged about his work habits.

Unlike other novelists who toiled over typewriters or computers, he dictated 50 pages a day to a secretary or a tape machine. He corrected the pages the following day, continuing the routine until he had 1,200 to 1,500 pages.

"Then I do a complete rewrite- 12 to 15 times," he said. "I spend a whole year rewriting."
 
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
11,961
Reaction score
2,070
Age
54
Location
NY NY
You honestly didn't know Sheldon was an author?

I mostly recognized, and I could be mistaken about this, his name as being someone connected with mini-series' or something.

For some reason "Sidney Sheldon's Thornbirds" popped into my mind.

???

So, I kind of thought he was, but not like one of our great writers but maybe he is.

Anyway....R.I.P. Sidney.
 

Jean Marie

calm waters ahead
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 20, 2005
Messages
6,341
Reaction score
2,261
Location
Somewhere in the recesses of my mind
Website
www.jeanmariewiesen.com
I mostly recognized, and I could be mistaken about this, his name as being someone connected with mini-series' or something.

For some reason "Sidney Sheldon's Thornbirds" popped into my mind.

???

So, I kind of thought he was, but not like one of our great writers but maybe he is.

Anyway....R.I.P. Sidney.
You were right on both counts, billy. Prolific writer and TV screen writer.

Don't know about the Thornbirds, though.

Thanks for posting the info. I didn't realize he was closing in on 90.
 

WriterInChains

Feed my eyes
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
1,179
Reaction score
152
Location
Portland, OR
That's too bad about Sidney. I was forbidden to read his books because of the sex -- so of course I read a bunch of 'em. I remember them being very similar, but they had sex & I was about fourteen so that's all that mattered. :)

I'd consider myself wildly popular to have a resume one tenth the size of his.
 

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
18,802
Reaction score
4,591
Location
Caledonia
Website
derekpaterson.net
And in 1917, $10 was $10.

I vote this "The most stupid and offensive RIP thread title ever" thread.

-Derek
 

aadams73

A Work in Progress
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
9,901
Reaction score
6,428
Location
Oregon
I vote this "The most stupid and offensive RIP thread title ever" thread.

-Derek

Yup. Hard to believe anyone associated with writing wouldn't know who Sheldon was. I'm sad to hear he's passed. I enjoyed his books a great deal.
 

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
18,604
Reaction score
8,039
Location
Under your couch
I thought Billy's post was a joke. Sheldon OWNED the bestseller lists in the eighties. He was hugely prolific. He was the kind of writer that critics loved to trash and the public loved to read. I was also forbidden to read his writing as a teenager which guaranteed that I've read a LOT of his books.

RIP, Sidney.
 

Kate Thornton

Still Happy to be Here. Or Anywhere
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 3, 2006
Messages
2,809
Reaction score
899
Location
Sunny SoCal
Website
www.katethornton.net
Billy's title is a joke I am sure - Mr. Sheldon was a phenomenon.

He redefined womens fiction in the 80's and insipred generations of novelists. He was the definition of commercial novelist and a huge success. I'm sorry he's gone.
 

aadams73

A Work in Progress
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
9,901
Reaction score
6,428
Location
Oregon
He redefined womens fiction in the 80's and insipred generations of novelists. He was the definition of commercial novelist and a huge success. I'm sorry he's gone.

Plus he created I Dream of Jeannie!
 

RoccoMom

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
1,257
Reaction score
162
Location
New Jersey
Website
www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com
I mostly recognized, and I could be mistaken about this, his name as being someone connected with mini-series' or something.

For some reason "Sidney Sheldon's Thornbirds" popped into my mind.

.

Colleen McCullough wrote The Thorn Birds but quite a few of Sheldon's novels were made into tv mini-series, most notably Rage of Angels starring Jacklyn Smith. He achieved super-stardom with his novel, The Other Side of Midnight.
Sheldon, along with Stephen King, were two of the authors I read early on that inspired me to try and become an author. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll miss Sheldon's books. Even though his latest tomes were a LOT thinner than his earlier works, all the craftsmanship was still there.
 

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Messages
23,708
Reaction score
10,657
Location
In a world of my own making
Website
shadowferret.wordpress.com
Billy's title is a joke I am sure - Mr. Sheldon was a phenomenon.

He redefined womens fiction in the 80's and insipred generations of novelists. He was the definition of commercial novelist and a huge success. I'm sorry he's gone.

Really? I've only heard his name, I knew nothing about what he wrote.
 

travelgal

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 17, 2006
Messages
521
Reaction score
66
Location
South Korea
Sheldon was THE bestselling author in the '80s. 'Master of the Game' was the first book of his I read (after watching the mini-series). The guy knew how to craft a story. It was refeshing to finally read something where women were strong, clever and dynamic (if not particularly likable), instead of being the man's bedmistress/sex toy.