The First Ever Daughter of Hounds-Realted LJ Poll.

[greygirlbeast]

So. Someone, and I think it was sovay, suggested today that I might put the question of whether I excise the two stories which comprise the appendices for Daughter of Hounds now and be done with it — or keep them in the ms. and try to convince my editor of their relevance to the novel — to my LJ readers. Hence this poll. The appendices comprise about a hundred ms. pages and add much information about the ghouls, the Children of the Cuckoo, and the Daughter of the Four of Pentacles (Pearl, Hester). The novel is in no way dependant upon them, but I do feel they enrich the experience. But I'm one of those people who was glad to find The Silmarillion, because those appendices at the back of LotR were never enough for me, and then glad to see The Book of Lost Tales (all volumes) because The Silmarillion was insufficient to my curiosity. For my part, I want them in the book, but I also don't want to make a big stink out of it if no one out there cares one way or another, which probably means I'm getting old. Anyway, the poll...

[Poll #721896]

Comments

[mythgarden.livejournal.com]

If I could check #1 a thousand times, I would. I think the appendices are a great idea.

[g33kgrrl]

I voted "Keep them", of course, because I feel much the same way about The Silmarillion etc. as you seem to. But if your editor is coming down hard against the appendices, would you be against making the material available in another format? A chapbook, or .pdf files, or... something? (This is mainly selfish of me, I suppose - I just know I want to read them no matter how I get them!)

[stotangirl.livejournal.com]

I'd buy Daughter of Hounds anyway, but I've been really excited about it because I want to know more about the ghouls. Dunno if that sort of thing might help you sway your editor, but for what it's worth and all.

[fairmer.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm the voice of dissent. I always get very disappointed when I'm reading a book, think I have 100 pages of story left, and stumble onto appendices instead of more story.

I think, however, I'd be totally delighted to find that these were, say, all on the web as free promotional downloads or something similar.

[thingunderthest.livejournal.com]

I'm right with you on The Silmarillion and The Book of Lost Tales.

I love any material that expands on a writers universe and gives me deeper glimpses is always welcome. I usually scan any index or chapter list to look for those kinds of things when I am perusing books at the store.

Alternatively the idea of adding them as bonus web material would save the page count if that is a printing issue and might serve to draw interested readers to your website where they can find other wonderful things like Sirenia Digest (http://www.caitlinrkiernan.com/sirenia.html)

[stillsostrange.livejournal.com]

I voting for keeping them, but I'd be happy to buy them as a chapbook or whatever if you end up cutting them.

[rozk.livejournal.com]

Appendices are something which are either integral to your vision, in which case you should keep them, or not, in which case a writer as confident and assured as you are would not have put them in the first place. They seem to me exactly the sort of thing which you take a moderately hard, but not intransigent, line on with editors.

And everyone will know, you may as well point out, that they should be in there, and that means sooner or later you will have to do the edition with them in, and reset everything...

Oh, and did you get my e-mails over the last couple of weeks? I used the gmail account and it occurs to me that you may not have noticed that I have one too these days.

[subtlesttrap.livejournal.com]

For the love of the dark goddess, keep them!!! Keep the stories in the appendices!

I can't seem to get enough about the changelings really...I hope you re-visit Scarborough and Starling Jane again some day...

[tactileson.livejournal.com]

I'm in the slim minority which said to omit them. My reason being thus - I do very much want to read them, as I can't get enough of your writing, the ghouls and these characters in particular. However, if the novel is not at all dependent on them, but only enriched by them, as you say, then I'd rather have them collected nicely in some little SubPress chapbook than in the book itself. But, let it be known that I'm a very picky person who dislikes when bands reissue CD's with bonus tracks that are not, in some way, "completing" the album, but rather enhancing it. Whatever you choose to do though, I'm looking forward to reading the stories one way or the other.

[the-drifter.livejournal.com]

I voted to omit them, but I think you should try to talk your publisher into releasing them (either at the same time or shortly after) as a novella. I think people who are really taken with the novel will enjoy having a separate side view into its characters. Sort of like buying an album, loving it, and then buying one of the singles for the b-sides.

[sovay]

I do like the idea of Kiernan b-sides, but I'd still rather have the appendices included: I don't mind bonus tracks on an album, either.

[oneirophrenia.livejournal.com]

Hell YEAH you should include the appendices! Whereas they are not necessary to understanding the narrative, including that kind of "background material" is always a nice nod to the reader, as it gives him/her further cool stuff to explore concerning a work's characters or milieux. I've always thought of appendices as enriching a reading experience--they don't need to be there for the narrative's sake, so they can be ignored if one just hasn't any interest in them, but for the folks that do, they're all over them.

Also, for the PDF download of The Dry Salvages, I'm digging out the one slightly-unfinished track aRvin and I started for the EP but cut for space requirements. New exclusive Chaos! It's called "I am afraid of the stars" and...yeah, it's pretty damned scary. I've never used this much damned reverb in my life--and that's saying a lot, because I drench everything in reverb!

[mockingbirdgrrl.livejournal.com]

i say keep them. however, as others have mentioned, if push comes to shove and they must be left out (for whatever reason), please please please put them in a chapbook.
here's a thought from the "omit" corner (and related, somewhat, to the preceding post): think of all those nasty, unimaginative people who complain about not being able to "understand" your work. that its too cryptic or leaves out too much. would the appendices, with their futher extrapolation on the ghoul or the children of the cuckoo, in some way appeal to these folks? quote, unquote, explain more? if that's a power that the appendices possess, then it might help increase sales, what with more folks "getting it."
just a thought, and i'm not entirely certain that its ethically sound, but hey, you know....

[drkest-sun.livejournal.com]

I agree with the general consensus of everyone here. If you have to cut them, having them available in another format would be a great idea. I love getting more background information about characters, so I wouldn't have a problem buying both.