Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 17:46:22 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] A Short Editing Screed . . . [WSFA] Re: Anvil & Flint
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

> kfl at keithlynch.net 03/24/02 02:50PM
>Sam Pierce <scpierce at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>> Speaking of Anvil, Baen has issued "Pandora's Legions" edited by
>> Eric Flint.  The new version inserted three stories published Analog
>> prior to the original novel (also serialized in Analog.)  Did Flint
>> "update" these stories as he did with Schmitz's work?
>
>I will let Eric reply to this one.  (He evidently has a time machine,
>as he replied last January.)  Please note that I am not necessarily
>agreeing with him.  He posts fairly often in the rec.arts.sf.written
>newsgroup, and yes, he always takes this snide tone.
>
>If anyone wants, I'll also post his defense of his alterations to the
>Schmitz works.
>
>From: eflint46312 at aol.com (Eflint46312)
>Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
>Date: 27 Jan 2002 11:15:08 GMT
>Subject: [WSFA] Re: QuickReview -- Pandora's Legions by Christopher Anvil
>
>This strikes me as a bit silly, but since it's been raised...
>
>My involvement with the Anvil reissue is as follows.  First, I took the
>initiative in proposing the idea to Baen Books and convincing them to let =
me do
>one volume. (I hope to do more Anvil reissues, but you've got to take =
these
>things one step at a time, or the publisher will usually just say "no.") =
I
>specifically advanced the proposal to do a complete collection of all the
>stories which Anvil ever wrote in the Pandora's Planet setting.  Then I =
got in
>touch with Anvil, discussed the proposal with him, and closed the deal.

Vast amounts of Eric Flint's verbiage snipped

Other than Flint's construction of literary snob straw men to defend =
himself, I really have no quarrell with his handling of the Anvil =
material; working with an author to make sure that the text published is =
accurate is one of the most important things an editor can do.

"This is a good yarn, I want it.  I'm sending it back for some minor =
changes, if you agree with me.  As you may know, I don't believe in =
changing a man's sttory, he made it, and it's his, and editing changes are =
for him to make or it wouldn't remain his story."

But none of his actions happened with the Schmitz stories.  Dead author.  =
Ouija board broken.

Correcting typoes fine. Correcting text which makes no sense can be =
justified, see Algis Budry's essay "Non-literary influences in science =
fiction" (in: Outposts: Literatures of Milieux. Borgo Press, 1996) which =
looks at what can - and has - happened to a manuscipt from tyewriter to =
typesetting. Trying to undo damage done by bad editing in ther past, bad =
typesetting, and the like are all Worthy Things To Do.

Rewriting a dead author is bad enough, but not letting the reader know =
that they are reading corrupted text is just plain dishonest.  & putting =
the original text on a web site don't count, no sirree.

A Good Editor is a writer's friend.

And if you're wondering about the quote above, it's from a letter by John =
W. Campbell (Campbell Letters, Vol. 1, 1966, page 66) who garnered for =
Astounding/Analog 6 Hugo wins for Best Magazine.  But what would JWC know =
about about editing . . .

mjw
Who Won't Let Flint Near Edgar Pangborn . . .

>--
>Keith F. Lynch - kfl at keithlynch.net - http://keithlynch.net/
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