SF

[lauralh]

I really don't get people who don't like science fiction. That is, I don't get them till I read something like, oh, The Mote In God's Eye. Not it's a bad novel, but it's poorly written. The authors think that the cool ideas presented are sufficient, without giving any thought to the presentation. And the only really cool idea is the alien civilization - the humans and their society are boring, predictable, and two-dimensional. Bland and inoffensive, I guess. Which actually puts it a cut above most SF novels.

I actually read an article about SF that had the audacity to claim that "not being literary" was a good thing, because "literary" meant characters were more important than plot, and in SF it was the opposite. I can't tell you how mad that made me before I decided that she was just full of shit. Every book I've ever read that I enjoyed - SF, Fantasy or just plain old roman - had strong characterization. Why is SF so full of hacks?

Comments

gah

[herbaliser.livejournal.com]

The Diamond Age, while possibly Stephenson's best, is not badly written, but it's missing a third act or something.

Re: gah

[katyakoshka.livejournal.com]

Or, at least, most of the scenes from the third act. It's two full acts, and then two scenes. You're done. It's my favorite Stephenson novel, but it ends too abruptly.

Re: gah

[hotcrab.livejournal.com]

every stephenson novel ends too abruptly
its like he keeps writing until he gets tired, and then he decides
well, best i should end it within the next 20 pages

I agree entirely...

[wanton-bliss.livejournal.com]

... It's always felt to me like the story ended because Stephenson ran out of pages. But somehow both the writing and the world he has created keep me coming back.