Whats with storys with Dragons in them anyways?

Easy, they just carefully singe those hanging chads off.

AnneMarble said:

Unfortunately, publishers are going to keep putting dragons on the covers (even when the book rises above the fray) because it sells better.

Click to expand...

Doubtless you're right, Anne (hi Anne!). But equally, bare breasts would probably sell more books too - yet publishers manage to exercise good taste on this. Err.. sometimes. It's the authors and publishers who get to choose what goes on the cover; I just get to choose whether I buy 'em.

I'm allergic to Fantasy covers with girls in cloaks, unicorns and rampant swords too... Call it an idiosyncrasy but such cynical limbic brain cover-marketing puts me off.

(Actually, not entirely. I'll still buy pulp fiction - when I can find it - because of their kitsch covers.)

What about authors who use "dragon" as a metaphor in titles when there are no dragons in the book? For example, Holly Lisle's Vengeance of Dragons (I think that was the title).

Click to expand...

Well, from my perspective as a reader - Heaven help them... they'd better have a good reputation. Which Holly fortunately does. For instance I read Thomas Harris' Red Dragon and while there's dragon imagery in that there's sure as heck no dragon characters.

Toothpaste said:

There are some great sites online, and if you go to the library you can find stories of some of the legends. Do a bit of googling "eastern dragon" and "chinese dragon" and "japanese dragon" to start.

Click to expand...

Must resist urge to shamelessly self promote...

Anyway, if he meant fiction, 'The Dragon Paths' (Frena Bloomfield) is an interesting read. Though the dragons don't come into it until later. They're more your Eastern chaotic-could-destroy-the-world-but-don't type.

Polenth said:

They're more your Eastern chaotic-could-destroy-the-world-but-don't type.

Click to expand...

They don't type? Dragons without keyboard skills?

See, this is why I don't buy dragon books.

Phaeal said:

Or a telepathic literature.

Click to expand...

That's what my dragons have.

TemlynWriter said:

What really squicks me is that Jaxom (modeled on her son!) had... uh, dealings... that were semiconsensual at best

Click to expand...

Oh. Didn't remember that. Yeah, that's uh... Hmm. I'm assuming it's a case of her letting the character do what she felt he had to do in the story despite who he was modeled on.

In all seriousness, if I modeled a character after somebody I know in real life, especially somebody I like, such as a family member, I'd have a hell of a time ever letting them do anything reprehensible. So no models for me.

Sassee said:

And... uh... I may have inserted a tribute to a particular friend in there...

>.>
<.<

*runs away*

Click to expand...

Hehe.

??????

Night-night, dear Drag-queen.