Subject:
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Re: Book burning (was Re: Flag Burning)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 18 Jul 2001 22:18:14 GMT
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Viewed:
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1191 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, James Brown writes:
> > <snip>
> > > Maybe she's an acquired taste, but she's joined Stephen Donaldson and Terry
> > > Brooks in my Incinerator Special File.
>
> I read all the Darkover books as a kid. My tastes have refined considerably
> since then and when I tried to read a more recent one as a young adult (19-21
> or so) I just couldn't do it. It was disappointing.
I've never actually read much MZB that wasn't a short story, and I've never
had strong feelings about her one way or the other. I haven't read any
Darkover, because I hate coming into the middle of a story or setting, and
I've never had convenient access to the first one.
> > Terry Brooks should stop pretending to write good fiction, acknowledge that
> > he writes marginal formula at best, and run with it. I don't mind some of
> > his stuff, I just hate that some people are fooled into thinking it's
> > quality work.
>
> I think the key here is marginal formula. As in, not even good formula. More
> like bad formula actually.
>
> > As to Donaldson.... well, I think everyone should read Donaldson once, to
> > learn the lesson that a book can have all the elements of a great story, and
> > still be boring as snot. I'm not entirely certain how he does it.
>
> That's an interesting stance. Did he write the _Gap_ books? I had a friend
> reading them who thought the psychology of the characters was so incredibly
> deep (read twisted and melodramatic) that it must surely qualify as some of
> the best SF of all time. I disagreed.
You say "disagreed" like you mean "thought he was a loony" :)
I was actually thinking of the first _Chronicles_ with my above comment; I
read all of the _Gap_ books, but only because I'm a sucker for punishment.
By about halfway through the first one, I was wondering if there were any
people that weren't horribly extreme caricatures in the setting. I never
really lost that sense of wonder...
> Chris (Who thinks that Vinge writes the best SF.)
Vinge writes good stuff. I like Heinlein better, but it's not a hard & fast
preference. I'm also a fan of Asimov, although his trilogies tend to go
downhill after the first book, IMHO.
thanks,
James
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Book burning (was Re: Flag Burning)
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| (...) Did you mean "he" my friend, or "he" the author? Either way, you were right, except that this particular friend was a woman. (...) I think I finished the first two books and had to politely excuse myself from the series when Beth tried to (...) (25 years ago, 19-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Book burning (was Re: Flag Burning)
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| (...) I read all the Darkover books as a kid. My tastes have refined considerably since then and when I tried to read a more recent one as a young adult (19-21 or so) I just couldn't do it. It was disappointing. (...) I think the key here is (...) (25 years ago, 18-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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