| Re: What is a Classic?
A classic, for me, is a book (or series) that has withstood the test of time. Not "will doubtless withstand"; that's a potential classic, as are many other documents less regarded when they appeared. It doesn't have to be that good (indeed, there is apparently a book which is so earthshatteringly bad that it was read aloud at cons; no-one succeeded in reading more than a couple of paragraphs without breaking into laughter; not the optimum route to fame, but…) The "Lenseman" novels would hardly win a "literary merit" prize, are scientifically ridiculous, weak in characterisation with a predictable plot; they're still "classics" in my definition. |