The Eye of Argon

The Eye of Argon is reputed to be the worst science fiction story ever written, with some justification, I think. Some SF cons run competitive readings.

There have been attempts to write a prequel and a sequel in the same vein. Although they are awful, they don't have quite that same kind of awfulness, leading me to believe the original wasn't a deliberate spoof, as some have suggested, but was indeed genuine.

• my local copy of The Eye of Argon including the long sought lost ending (all from the SF Archives)
• The Babelfish treatment

• Langford Archive copy
• Bottom of the Barrel -- Dave Langford's review
• Wulf's Eye of Argon shrine -- well, now we know who to blame!
• the full MST3K treatment

Bad Writing You might think you don't need help finding bad writing on the web, but there are some authors whose dreadfulness has won them immortality. Celebrate them... William McGonagall ****. 'Dundee's best-remembered nobody' took up writing in middle age. His Quixotic belief in his genius despite laughter, criticism and grinding poverty is rather touching. Controversially we prefer the Tay Whale to the famous Tay Bridge Disaster. www.taynet.co.uk/users/mcgon Julia A Moore ****. America's McGonagall was Moore, the self-styled 'Sweet Singer of Michigan'. Typical of the differences wrought by the Atlantic, Moore was derided but became a bestseller. Read the 'Introduction' first -- her story is fascinating, and her poems are terrible and odd. www.wmich.edu/ english/txt/Moore/ The Eye of Argon ***.. Reputedly the worst science fiction story ever, The Eye is lovingly presented as part of Susan Steney's [sic] science fiction archive (a literate sci-fi fan is always such a pleasure). The best bits are the versions that have been run back and forth through language translation programmes. -- Metro London, 13 April 2000

• A Prose By Any Other Pseudonym -- the Lionel Fanthorpe Appreciation Page
• It Was a Dark and Stormy Night -- the Bulwer-Lytton site of Bad Writing
• Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences -- Mark Twain lays into a popular author
• A Cure for the Blues -- Mark Twain reviews the amazing The Enemy Conquered; or, Love Triumphant, by G. Ragsdale McClintock (oh, yeah?)