# I hate authors who can't be arsed to research **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922 "2009-07-22T22:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/141 "2009-07-27T19:46:08Z")
Or maybe the author simply hadn’t yet mentioned the nuclear holocaust that vaporized the Olympic Peninsula, and Seattle really does look out over the Pacific now. ---
**Author:** ![Other\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Other\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Other_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/142 "2009-07-27T19:46:56Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > [You bastard](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife). I’m with you there. :mad: _goes back to tv tropes_ ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/143 "2009-07-28T00:33:27Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Etc. Do you think there’s some bright line between “acceptable” fantasy and “unacceptable” fantasy? Don’t be so silly. If you’re going to make up werewolves, why the hell not make up chloroform? Why not make up pixies and magic swords and dragons in the Wild West too? Why not make up nuclear warheads dropped from zeppelins, or any damn thing at all? Fantasy is fantasizing. Complaining about respect for facts in a work of \*fantasy \*is ridiculous. > > Gawdamighty. :rolleyes: Yes, there is a huge difference. If you use something from real life, you are expected to actually know what you are talking about. This is common knowledge amongst fantasy officianados, something you likely are not. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/144 "2009-07-28T00:40:42Z")
For those who think that Puget Sound should also be called the Pacific Ocean, would one of Anne Rice’s characters on the bayous of Louisiana be looking at the Atlantic Ocean ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/145 "2009-07-28T00:46:49Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Later, the same character makes a 300 yard shot with a Colt Python (2 inch barrel) to shoot a driver through the windshield. The scene takes place in downtown San Francisco on a Friday afternoon with the streets clear of traffic and parked cars. In the original draft of _Saving Private Ryan_, that original shot against the sniper in the bell tower was at 4,000 yards. Thank Frith they changed _that_. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/146 "2009-07-28T00:49:53Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Alistair MacLean, of _The Guns of Navarone_ fame tried to write a western thriller. [_Breakheart Pass_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakheart_Pass_(novel)). As Wiki charitably puts it, “Maclean was less successful capturing an authentic tone of the frontier American West, and the 1975 movie version starring Charles Bronson proved to be more popular with the public than the novel.” > > It was immediately apparent he had not done one lick of research regarding 1870s Nevada in general or American railroad practices in particular. I didn’t quite throw the book across the room, but I never read another word by Mr. MacLean Aww… that’s one of my favourite books and movies of his. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/147 "2009-07-28T00:53:13Z")
I’m getting really tired of reading about the 45cm colt pistol, the .22 mm pistol, 20cm cannons on aircraft, and the heat seaking TOW missile fired by James Bond in John Gardner’s _Cold Fire_. And I’m really, really, \*\*really \*\*tired of reading about cop killer bullets. Last time was in Stephen King’s _Cel_, and I damn near stopped reading right then and there (on reflection I should have, but that’s a different rant). ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/148 "2009-07-28T03:31:01Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > A little research could have been done by calling the nearest university with a department of pharmacology and they could have told them what would have been commonly available _sigh_ I often wonder about this - when writers just call up some university department they’ve pulled out of the phonebook because they need to do some research, are the university staff helpfull? How many professors are willing to sit down and discuss technical issues with a novice bookwriter? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/149 "2009-07-28T03:51:34Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Certainly you could find either of those accents there, but it’s a lazy lazy lazy writer who doesn’t know the city has it’s own accent (actually several of them) and that generally the people from there sound more like people from Brooklyn or Boston than they do people from Chattanooga or Shreveport (due largely to the flood of Irish, Italians, Jewish and eastern Europen immigrants that NOLA and northeastern seaports got but most southern cities just didn’t). If you’re curious, here are a few different New Orleans accents, from a documentary about language, dialect, and accent in New Orleans, including uptown white, black, and yat: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tpFDNTo4DNg/hqdefault.jpg "A variety of New Orleans accents from YEAH YOU RITE!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpFDNTo4DNg) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/150 "2009-07-28T04:06:49Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I hate choppy exposition in general, but it’s especially bad when an author tries to use conversation for exposition. Worse than that is when an author uses a conversation for exposition between two people who shouldn’t really need it. > [@](#): > > Senator Jones walked into Senator Smith’s office. > > “John”, Senator Smith said, “I don’t think the education bill will pass. We only have 55 votes, and it’s likely the opposition will attempt to filibuster the bill. A fillibuster is when the minority takes advantage of the fact that there are no limitations on debate time in the senate to “talk a bill to death”, to keep debate open on a bill indefinitely so it won’t be passed. The only way to stop a filibuster is to pass a motion for cloture, which requires at least 60 votes.” > > “Thank you for telling me that, Sam”, Senator Jones said. “Of course I’ve been in the Senate now for 24 years, and have filibustered numerous bills myself, but it’s always good to be reminded of procedure.” ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/151 "2009-07-28T05:13:16Z")
Once tried to read a book by Robin Cook where the main character was a female high level competitive ice skater. It was obvious that he knew absolutely nothing about the organization of that sport, and had not spent so much as five minutes researching it. That was my last Robin Cook book. And as resident of the Pacific Northwest for some 45 years, I have never heard anyone refer to Puget Sound as the Pacific Ocean. **NEVER!** NOT ONCE!! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/152 "2009-07-28T07:36:47Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > And as resident of the Pacific Northwest for some 45 years, I have never heard anyone refer to Puget Sound as the Pacific Ocean. **NEVER!** NOT ONCE!! Yes, yes, we all know and agree that it’s not refered to as that. This point has been made several times already. I even said that hardly ever does anyone refer to ANY nearest coastal body of water as “xxxx ocean”, they nearly always use the sea/bay/sound/coast name. But in this case, it wasn’t a line of dialog. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/153 "2009-07-28T13:15:50Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > I’m getting really tired of reading about the 45cm colt pistol, the .22 mm pistol, 20cm cannons on aircraft, and the heat seaking TOW missile fired by James Bond in John Gardner’s _Cold Fire_. Just read a book that featured a .09mm Glock. What’s it shoot? Dust? Revolvers that eject shells seem to be a common theme as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/154 "2009-07-28T13:25:35Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But in this case, it wasn’t a line of dialog. So the character wasn’t wrong, the author was. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/155 "2009-07-28T14:07:11Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > My biggest pet peeve is, and I’m sure this will be a surprise to anybody for whom my username is familiar, screwing up foreign languages. > > Setting aside all the ones who insist in having supposed Hispanics say “jodienda puta” or “jodiendo puta” (the actual translation of “fucking whore” would be “jodida puta”), then you have the ones whose Brazillian characters (who speak perfectly idiomatic US English half the time and then no speakee English the other half) do speak Spanish like a gringo; those whose Spanish sounds suspiciously like bad Italian; the ones whose French seems to have built by taking the author’s language and tacking -é at the end of every word… > > Seriously, is is so freaking difficult to get a decent translation for one or two sentences? In the age of internet? Really? Could we say, " Y’all jodiendo puta" and be correct? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/156 "2009-07-28T14:16:53Z")
I read exactly half of one Danielle Steele novel. I think it was called Palamino. The heroine has some paralyzing injuring and cannot walk anymore. From the accident to her recovery it is like oooh, four pages. Too bad Christopher Reeves didn’t have those four pages to recover from his injuries. And she is good enough to go horseback riding ( with her legs strapped down to the stirrups and whatnot, no less) alone, unsupervised. AND the HERO of the story never farking suspects her of being paralyzed. I threw the book across the room. Now that I have a paralyzed FIL and understand ALOT more about such injuries, I am pretty sure had I read the book a few years ago, (instead of the mid 80’s when it came out.) I would have taken a hostage over the sheer stupidity of writing. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/157 "2009-07-28T14:32:45Z")
Oh, Danielle Steel. She’s just awful. (I’ll admit to having read her stuff when I was a teen. Then I grew up.) There was one I read that involved a car crash which devastates two familes. It starts out with two teen couples going to the prom in Dad’s borrowed Mercedes sedan. They’re t-boned by a small compact car driven by a drunk driver. She specifically mentions the make of each car. The Mercedes is completely destroyed by the smaller car, with two of the kids dying and the other two terribly injured. The driver of the smaller car walks away with nary a scratch, and maybe a crumpled bumper. I can remember thinking, “She must have mixed up the cars, because there’s no way in Hell that would ever happen.” That may have been the last one of hers that I read. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/158 "2009-07-28T14:46:07Z")
Neal Stephenson usually does his research (and a lot of it), but he made an annoying screwup in _The System of the World_. Towards the end of the book, a character shows up who we’re supposed to suspect is actually the biblical King Solomon, made immortal by virtue of his alchemical wisdom. Problem is, he goes by the name of “Solomon Kohen”. Now Stephenson may think that “Kohen” is just a common Jewish name, but like all Jewish names, it has an actual meaning - it indicates that its bearer is descended from the priestly caste of the tribe of Levi. King Solomon, son of David of the tribe of Judah, would never, ever call himself a Cohen. The character should have gone by “Solomon Ben-David”, at most; I’d recommend something even more subtle, like “Solomon Gaon” or “Solomon Shalit”. It’s not a big mistake, but it just stood out in the middle of a generally excellent story. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/159 "2009-07-28T15:07:26Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Neal Stephenson usually does his research (and a lot of it). Well, if so, he always then decides that paying attention to the research and getting things correct would screw up his story too much, so the research needs to get ignored. At least with almost anything physics, chemistry, math, or linguistics related. I don’t know enough history to tell when he was screwing up in the Baroque novels (which is why I couldn’t enjoy them). For instance, _Zodiac_ [Spoiler!]… ..revolves around bacteria engineered to break down PCBs and similar compounds. But when accidentally released into the wild the bacteria at some point decide to go backwards and start creating PCBs. Which is roughly similar to a winery finding that their yeast have decided to start turning alcohol back into sugar, or finding a breed of mouse that eats mouse poop and craps out wheat grains. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922/160 "2009-07-28T15:13:21Z")
> [@Rayne\_Man](#): > > …So the book is quite obvously written who comes from North America and not the UK. I was annoyed for a similar reason in Maeve Binchy’s _Tara Road_, about an Irish woman and an American woman who switch houses for a summer. The book switches back and forth between the action in Ireland and the action in the States, but every single character regardless of their location speaks like her typical Irish characters (talking about “ringing people up” instead of calling them is one example I can remember). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-authors-who-cant-be-arsed-to-research/503922.md?page=9)