Christine asked Lois McMaster Bujold:

I've always wondered what makes a story 'good.' What ways do you think would make a story 'good' (that is, why would people choose such a story over others)? Do you think they would say because of the author's excellent writing skills or maybe simply the message?

Lois McMaster Bujold "Good" (which I don't think is really a very useful word, when talking about books) is a quality that does not actually lie in the book, though most people unthinkingly or carelessly assume it does. It actually describes an emotional response on the part of the reader to the text in question, and is thus a transactional event varying with each reading and reader.

So asking the text (or its author) why a story is good aims the question in the wrong direction. You have to ask each reader, since it's only inside their heads that the experience(s) of "a good read" lies. Now, what people will say when asked will depend heavily on how the question is framed.

In general, I think anyone with the nous to see "message" incoming is right to duck, but maybe that's just me.

Ta, L.

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