Jacqueline Kennedy Onnasis was his editor on Raise the Titanic, and I think one other book. I've read most of his stuff, and IMHO he has steadily declined as a writer from those early days, even as his sales have risen. Frankly, he's largely a caricature of his former self.
Every book has some old fart named Clive Cussler making a cameo appearance. The only way Pitt has changed over the years is that he is now virtually a super hero. Giordino never was a fully developed character. Compare that to Tom Clancy's continued character development of Jack Ryan, family and friends (although I think he jumped the shark when he made Jack President).
I think Cussler has become self indulgent, and his publisher lets him get away with it, because they know the books will sell, even if they are now just hardbound comic books. I'd like to see him pared with a real editor, again.
Every book has some old fart named Clive Cussler making a cameo appearance. The only way Pitt has changed over the years is that he is now virtually a super hero. Giordino never was a fully developed character. Compare that to Tom Clancy's continued character development of Jack Ryan, family and friends (although I think he jumped the shark when he made Jack President).
I think Cussler has become self indulgent, and his publisher lets him get away with it, because they know the books will sell, even if they are now just hardbound comic books. I'd like to see him pared with a real editor, again.
