The Benefits of Research...

[iansales]

In Jack McDevitt's The Engines of God there is a fake news headline that goes soemthing like: "Bahrainis shell border towns". It's one of many that show the gradual deterioration of society at the time the story is set.

Except... Bahrain is an island. It doesn't have borders as such.

Anyone else have examples of poor research in novels which throw you out of the story?

 

[T5.2]

Happens all the time when authors use "swedish" words and names in books.
But we sigh and laugh at the typical clichés.

 

[Dave]

That was exactly what put me off the Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown clearly does not know London very well, because Robert Langdon just could not get around the places he claimed to so quickly in the traffic. He flew into Biggin Hill airport to be met by the Kent Police, when it should have been the Metropolitan Police. Teabing owned land in Devonshire. It was called Devonshire in the 1800's but absolutely no one calls Devon that now. Since then I've found out that most of his history is as dodgy as his geography, which doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[T5.2]

I consider his writing style a bit simple...like Stephen King's.
Too two dimensional, and commercial.