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dustydigger
Posted 2014-09-28 12:55 PM (#8643 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		36. Larry Niven,Jerry Pernelle - The Mote in God' Eye.thoroughly enjoyed this first contat novel,which gathered momentum after a rather slow start and soon had me gripped and turning the pages as human struggled to understand the Moties,a vey intelligent and cunning race indeed. The Moties were devious and ruthless,but we were made to understand the imperatives caused by their biology and history. Full of plot twist and fast paced,this is a fun read about interesting aliens,but of course as is usual in this sort of book,the characters are rather stereotypical and shallow but adequate for the story.Allthe humans of course are impossibly honourable and courageous of course
Why is the genre of military SF so fixated on kingdoms,aristocracies etc though? Especially among American writers,who have odd ideas about monarchies which at least add extra amusement for a Brit!.
All in all,a fun read with excellent aliens.Read for the YA challenge

37.Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space. AT LAST, put out the flags, I finished Revelation Space which I have trudged through for what feels like a decade, and includes reading the first 100 pages in March, laying it aside till June, and then reading a small bit each day since, till those 550 closely packed pages were finally completed. I would surface after reading some dull stuff for what seemed hours, and find I had only read 8 pages.
Astrophysicist Reynolds first novel is jam packed with awe-inspiring ideas, embracing a timescale of billions of years, interesting world building, futuristic tech - especially the weapons - and deep intrigue by billion year old beings with plans to prevent the development of intelligent species. There is hard science too in places, about black holes the blurring of the space time continuum etc, over my head of course. BUT, and its a big but, for me the whole thing was ruined by the dull, dry, plodding, pedestrian style which muted the most pyrotechnic developments and plot revelations.Obviously I was predisposed against it since I dont really enjoy hard SF, not really my cup of tea (I like my SF plot and character driven, with the SF themes there to be enhanced by the people and action. Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity is more to my taste than say, Tau Zero). The characters in RS were just flat, mostly unlikeable, and I just couldnt care less what happened to them. Add a really slow pace, then squashing mind-bending events and ideas in the last 20 pages, and it was just a constant irritation for me. One for the guys here, I think.

38. Neil Gaiman - .The Ocean at the End of the Lane.I am using Neil Gaiman as a featured author this year, and have been reading a variety of his books, which I always find quirky and very enjoyable as he gives his own take on fairytales and myths in a fascinating way. But I feel he has really excelled himself this time. Right from the start the tension and fear began to mount, so I was very much on edge, fully identifying with the 7 year old hero as he faced terrifying events in a believable way, his terror, vulnerability and helplessness very harrowing. A sad book, in many ways, and with no standard happy ending, but resolution anyway, and still shot through with beauty and the delight in small, happy things. Wish I could eat in that farmhouse kitchen, the heart of safety and security.
I identified so closely with this boy, his fears and unhappiness that it didnt dawn for a long time that he has no name, as is the common way with the heroes in fairytales. Then there were the mesmerising characters, the wonderful Triple Goddess influenced Hempstocks, the utterly terrifying Ursula Monkton, with her pretty face, sweet smile and a corrupting touch on everything she met, as well as the boy's rather unlikeable family. The scene where his father tries to drown him in the bath will stay with me a very long time.
All in all a haunting, mesmerising beautifully written tale, It will certainly soon reach classic status. Highly recommended

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