# Creative Artist That You Originally Really Liked, That You Then Burned Out On The Fastest? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241 "2011-07-07T23:26:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/41 "2011-07-08T23:08:32Z")
Probably Glen Cook, and his “Black Company” fantasy series. Not that it got _bad_, really, just…well, dark. Depressing. I mean, this was hardly a cheery series to begin with, but from the timeline of book publication, the man’s dog must have died or something around 1989. Hey, a little “grim and gritty” is one thing, leaving me wanting to chug a prozac smoothie is another. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/42 "2011-07-08T23:11:04Z")
> [@Roseanne\_Valerie](#): > > Back before she went solo, it was pretty common to hear tales of her scolding her concert audiences for being too rowdy. Because god forbid someone actually vocalizing the pleasure they derive from one of her songs. Can’t say I blame her. Some people just can’t seem to shut up and listen to the music. I suspect the people who were scolded were the ones chattering to their friends during the quiet songs. My beef with her is the same one I have with Sarah McLachlan. Both were a lot more interesting early in their careers when they would do [a variety of songs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6i2Ph1BYXE), even [ones with a (gasp) beat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAFbR83rZ0o). Both later decided that they only wanted to do mopey, sad songs. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/43 "2011-07-09T02:36:32Z")
Dick Francis. I went through a huge binge of reading his books one summer about 20 years ago, and haven’t been able to stomach him since. I wouldn’t even be able to tell you why. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/44 "2011-07-09T02:40:34Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > Sue Grafton and the “Alphabet Mysteries”. A friend gave me A-L, and I just blew through them. I remember hanging out at the bookstores looking for the newest installment. Somewhere around _P is for Peril_ I started thinking they were pretty much all the same. I think the last one I read was _T is for Trespass_ and I didn’t even finish that one. > > _possible spoiler alert_ > > Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series. When the author brought Kay’s boyfriend back from the dead it just ruined it for me. Especially because, since Cornwell rushes through the last two chapters of her latest books, the boyfriend was just casually sitting there, said hi, _and_… rush to end story before contract expires. BTW, I really like _ **S is for Silence** _. It has two stories intertwined (like Nevada Barr’s _Flashback_), and is a much more mature novel than A-R. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/45 "2011-07-09T03:00:36Z")
That guy who would go, “Well, you can call me Ray, and you can call me Jay…”. It took a while, but his schtick finally got old. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Roseanne\_Valerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e95f7d/32.png) [@Roseanne\_Valerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roseanne_Valerie)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/46 "2011-07-09T13:26:42Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Can’t say I blame her. Some people just can’t seem to shut up and listen to the music. I suspect the people who were scolded were the ones chattering to their friends during the quiet songs. As I recall, they were committing the atrocious sin of actually cheering at the intro of songs they recognized and whooping, cheering, and, uh, applauding at each song’s completion. That is, they were doing that until Ms. Schoolmarm told them to get stuffed. In a related note, I find that nothing is less fun than going to a purported rock and roll show, only to have any of the fun leached out of the experience buy self important, pretentious, “serious” musicians. So, yeah, if the reports were true - and I have no reason to doubt them - fuck her. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/47 "2011-07-09T14:39:10Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > That guy who would go, “Well, you can call me Ray, and you can call me Jay…”. > > It took a while, but his schtick finally got old. 😉 There’s no good reason not to know the real name of that one-trick pony: > **[Bill Saluga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_J._Johnson)** > > William Saluga (September 16, 1937 – March 28, 2023) was an American comedian and founding member of the improvisational comedy troupe Ace Trucking Company. He appeared on several television programs, including Seinfeld. > Saluga was born on September 16, 1937, in Youngstown, Ohio. When Saluga was 10, his father was killed in an industrial accident at the Republic Steel Mill where he worked and his mother supported the family by working as a bookkeeper. Saluga, known as "Billy" to his friends an... And I salute your good taste. He was “funny” for nineteen minutes. In his favor is the fact that variety and specialty shows of that era had dozens just like him. Some of them lasted no longer than one or two appearances. It might make for a fun thread to list as many as we can remember or dig up on Wiki and elsewhere. In fact, I think I may start one later today if somebody doesn’t beat me to it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/48 "2011-07-09T14:51:34Z")
Another vote for Dick Francis, although it was not nearly so much of binge and bust for me as it seems to have been for **RTFirefly**. For years I could rely on Francis if I wanted some good, fun entertainment reading, and would zip through them at speed. The last one I read, however, took me over a year to finish (I finally got to the end a few weeks ago). Perhaps this reflects a real decline in the quality of output from the “Dick Francis” brand, however. As I understand it, the man himself semi-retired quite a few years ago, and the more recent “Dick Francis” books were actually largely written by his son, although with Dad giving a fair bit of help with the plotting. (I am not sure what Junior is going to do now that Dad has actually died.) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/49 "2011-07-09T18:17:22Z")
> [@Roseanne\_Valerie](#): > > As I recall, they were committing the atrocious sin of actually cheering at the intro of songs they recognized and whooping, cheering, and, uh, applauding at each song’s completion. That is, they were doing that until Ms. Schoolmarm told them to get stuffed. In a related note, I find that nothing is less fun than going to a purported rock and roll show, only to have any of the fun leached out of the experience buy self important, pretentious, “serious” musicians. So, yeah, if the reports were true - and I have no reason to doubt them - fuck her. Somehow, I doubt that was the case. As a member of the audience, I’ve confronted people chattering during songs and they NEVER acknowledge they were doing so, and acted all offended that I asked them to stop. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/50 "2011-07-09T18:51:10Z")
Writer: Harlan Ellison TV: The Colbert Report Musical genre: Bluegrass ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/51 "2011-07-09T21:06:15Z")
Ricky Gervais Diane Keaton ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/52 "2011-07-09T21:41:46Z")
Literary: Jean Auel and her _Earth’s Children_ series of novels. The first one was the best. The second one was the second-best. The third one was the third best. The fourth one was the fourth best. And the fifth one sucked the worst. Also, the length of each book was in inverse proportion to its quality. They got longer as they got worse. I heard she was coming out with a sixth one, but I purposely avoided finding out if it was ever published. I don’t want to know. Musically: Enya. (I agree about Liz Phair too.) ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/53 "2011-07-09T21:53:31Z")
I can’t believe we’re on page 2 and no one has said Stephen King or Tom Clancy. I haven’t read a Tom Clancy in about 10 years. he used to be one of my favorite authors. It seems like he tanked about the same time the Soviet Union did. Stephen King is even more pathetic. It almost seems like he (like Clancy) think that if their name is on a book, it doesn’t matter what’s in side. King wrote the first and only book to give me nightmares. Now his stuff is less than uninteresting. I was actually pissed when I got to the end of The Dome, it was so bad. Nightmares and Dreamscapes was the first King book I put down without finishing. ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/54 "2011-07-09T22:17:25Z")
I will be the third to name Dennis Miller. When his current radio show first went on the air hereabouts I thought his commentary was witty and spot-on. At some point it became Mr. Miller and his sycophantic lap-dog co-host pretending that everything Miller says is the funniest thing ever said. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/55 "2011-07-09T23:03:47Z")
> [@turner](#): > > Stephen King is even more pathetic. It almost seems like he (like Clancy) think that if their name is on a book, it doesn’t matter what’s in side. King wrote the first and only book to give me nightmares. Now his stuff is less than uninteresting. I was actually pissed when I got to the end of The Dome, it was so bad. Nightmares and Dreamscapes was the first King book I put down without finishing. Stepehn King has bounced back a bit but is more uneven than finished. “The Dome” sucked, but he had a book of short stories before that, called “Just After Sunset” that I enjoyed. I’ve heard “Full Dark, No Stars” (4 novellas) is also very good. I think he needs to be confined by format to avoid bloated ridiculousness. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/56 "2011-07-09T23:36:27Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Stepehn King has bounced back a bit but is more uneven than finished. “The Dome” sucked, but he had a book of short stories before that, called “Just After Sunset” that I enjoyed. I’ve heard “Full Dark, No Stars” (4 novellas) is also very good. I think he needs to be confined by format to avoid bloated ridiculousness. Maybe it is a case of “The bigger they are, the less power their editor has”. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/57 "2011-07-10T00:06:17Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Perhaps this reflects a real decline in the quality of output from the “Dick Francis” brand, however. As I understand it, the man himself semi-retired quite a few years ago, and the more recent “Dick Francis” books were actually largely written by his son, although with Dad giving a fair bit of help with the plotting. (I am not sure what Junior is going to do now that Dad has actually died.) The son, Felix Francis, is now writing the horsey mysteries on his own. His first solo effort comes out next week. ---
**Author:** ![Roseanne\_Valerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e95f7d/32.png) [@Roseanne\_Valerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roseanne_Valerie)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/58 "2011-07-10T13:29:35Z")
> [@turner](#): > > I was actually pissed when I got to the end of The Dome, it was so bad. The ending was a bit of a letdown, truly, but nowhere near as jaw-droppingly lunkheaded as the WTF? conclusion of _Pet Sematary_, which forever ruined that piece of fiction for me. No, I found _The Dome_ to be a welcome return of the King style of old. And if you want to read four really pretty great novellas, you should check out _Full Dark, No Stars_. And hell, his next big novel (_11/22/63_) sounds damn near unfuckupable. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/59 "2011-07-10T13:35:27Z")
> [@Roseanne\_Valerie](#): > > The ending was a bit of a letdown, truly, but nowhere near as jaw-droppingly lunkheaded as the WTF? conclusion of _Pet Sematary_, which forever ruined that piece of fiction for me. That’s like saying not only do you love Jar Jar Binks in “Episode I”, but you hate Boba Fett for ruining “Empire Strikes Back.” ---
**Author:** ![Roseanne\_Valerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e95f7d/32.png) [@Roseanne\_Valerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roseanne_Valerie)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241/60 "2011-07-10T13:48:03Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > That’s like saying not only do you love Jar Jar Binks in “Episode I”, but you hate Boba Fett for ruining “Empire Strikes Back.” Really? You actually just compared _Pet Sematary_ to _The Empire Strikes Back_? Let me tell you about this phenomenon known as “[hyperbole](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole)”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creative-artist-that-you-originally-really-liked-that-you-then-burned-out-on-the-fastest/588241.md?page=4)