Dr. Johnson and the Social History of Sputum
There's a bit in the Waste Books where Lichtenberg mentions a poem, or possibly novel, whose title had obviously been composed before the work itself. I assume that Seven Deadly Wonders is such a book.
Not necessarily of the same type, but nevertheless annoying:
- Borges and the Eternal Orangutans
- Lichtenberg and the Little Flower Girl
- Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
All by different authors. The Education of Arnold Hitler and Insect Dreams: the Half Life of Gregor Samsa escape by virtue of their form. These, though, by the same author(s), are also annoyingly titled:
- Wittgenstein's Poker: the Story of a Ten-Minute Argument Between Two Great Philosophers
- Rousseau's Dog: Two Great Thinkers at War in the Age of Enlightenment
Needless to say, I haven't read them (except the Lichtenberg one, natch), preferring to check my facts after posting nonsense to Usenet. I am reminded of an article long ago, possibly in the New Yorker, about a young director who made a student film about some basketball players and then tried to market a longer movie also about basketball, inspiring questions about whether he could actually make a movie about a different topic. Also, Gregory Maguire.
Comments
on 2005-12-31 9:14:24.0, Jacob Haller commented:
What do you think of the old science fiction magazine practice of buying a cover illustration from an artist, then hiring a writer to write a story to fit the illustration?
and, further, on 2005-12-31 9:15:38.0, ben wolfson commented:
Nothing but approval.
and, further, on 2005-12-31 14:48:09.0, Standpipe Bridgeplate commented:
All five of my novels center on Pyrex® brand custard cups.
and, further, on 2006-01-01 9:23:34.0, ac commented:
My favorite was Pyrex® and the Pill-Popping Centaur
and, further, on 2006-01-05 15:03:39.0, Armsmasher commented:
Both of those novels by Estrin are good.
and, further, on 2006-01-06 11:33:00.0, Armsmasher commented:
I must say that The Education of Arnold Hitler was personally satisfying because its fictional villain served as editor in chief for a college paper that, in fact, my roommate edited in chief. Other parts of the novel crib too liberally from the sources he cites, which I found disappointing.