A game everyone can play!

[james_davis_nicoll]

When Paul Cook says

I’ll go ahead and say it: this is as close to an unpublishable novel as I’ve ever seen that’s actually achieved print.

he is talking about Niven and Benford's Bowl of Heaven. I deduce from this that he has never read the Tor edition of Norman Spinrad's He Walked Among Us or (oddly, also Tor) Ken Shufeldt's Genesis, which attracted reviews like

You want an example of how NOT to write a book? This is it. And every author who sold his soul to include a quote on the cover should be ashamed.

and

Quite possibly the worst book ever published. A couple of hours of my life that I'll never get back. Amazon, is there a reason I am forced to give it one star? It presumes that this book has some redeeming qualities.

What would be your candidate for the novel that is as close to an unpublishable novel as you've ever seen that actually achieved print?

Comments

[erikagillian.livejournal.com]

I, being slow, found out only recently that the 'first literary vampire' was based on Lord Byron, which explained oh so much. And gives us a second origin for a Byronic hero. I really should finish it.

[lostwanderfound.livejournal.com]

I, being slow, found out only recently that the 'first literary vampire' was based on Lord Byron

Not quite right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmilla

[erikagillian.livejournal.com]

I meant the Vampyre by John Polidori who was Byron's personal doctor during That Summer. I have no idea if he started it during the Let's Tell Ghost Story night. I haven't finished it, it's not even that long. Free on Gutenberg!