On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 12:53:23 -0400, Eric Pinnell see my web site
wrote:

I am having a dispute with a literary agent and I am conducting
this on-line book survey to add ammunition to my argument. I would
greatly appreciate it if you could answer this survey honestly, but
please dot not send answers via email. Thanks.


1) Who are you favorite espionage/war authors and why?

Assuming you mean fiction, then here is my short list:

John LeCarre
Frederick Forsythe
Nelson Demille
Ian Fleming
Trevanian
Tom Clancy

2) Who are your least enjoyable espionage/war authors and why?

No specifics here. The least enjoyable are also the ones least
published and least known. Typically I don't like pacifists,
apologists and conspiricists.

3) What determines if the book you read is a keeper or a reject?

Plot, believability, character development and use of language that
interests me.

4) Other than 38 North Yankee and Red Phoenix, have you read any books
about a war in Korea? If so, what are the titles?

Strangely enough, I haven't read anything about Korea beyond Boots
Blesse's "No Guts, No Glory" which is more a tactics and attitude
primer for fighter pilots than espionage or war book.

5) Assuming a book was well written about a war in Korea, would you
read it, or do you believe the Korea scenario has been overdone?

Didn't read the book, but Bridges at Toko-Ri, Sabre Jet, The Hunters
were all pretty successful. I don't think the genre has been
overworked. If anything, it has been under-reported.

6) Do you prefer war or espionage stories?

Again, if we are talking fiction, I tend toward espionage since there
are more plot convolutions possible. War stories tend to be blood/gore
or sex and tragedy. Both bore quickly.

7) What story would you like to read?

About Korea? Probably something about the F-84 air-ground forces
rather than the MiG-killers. Or artillery/armor rather than infantry.
Or patrol boat ops rather than carrier air.

8) Do you still buy espionage/war novels, or do you feel that the
genre is overdone?

Still buy them regularly.

9) If you've reduced or stopped purchasing espionage/war novels, what
other genres do you read instead?

In fiction? I read period pieces like Clavell's Shogun, horror/fantasy
such as Steven King, legal novels ala Grisham, grand metropolitan
novels like Tom Wolfe's stuff. I tune out the political expose de
jour, since they are inevitably ghost written and self-serving. It
matters not whether they are from the right or the left--they all seem
to make tons of money, but like the stereotypical Chinese meal, an
hour later you're still hungry.


Eric Pinnell

(Author, "Steel Rain", "Claws of The Dragon", "The Omega File")

For a preview, see: http://www.ericpinnell.com/books/previews.shtml

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8