Sometimes, reading science fiction makes me cry. Not because I was moved, but because it hurts - so bad.
This is (just one) list of the best science fiction novels in 2009. There are some real winners on there, like The City and The City[/I and Julian Comstock]. Plus, a whole slew I'm excited to dig into, such as Finch, Transition, and The Quiet War. But then, Boneshaker by Cherie Priest is on there too. I picked up Boneshaker because everyone seemed to be talking about how great it was. And it was fine ... but also terribly average.
I know this sounds snobby, and I don't want to say that Boneshaker is a bad book or you're a bad person for liking it! But is it REALLY one of the best of 209? And if it IS, what does that say about the genre as a whole? Boneshaker is a pretty flat read, the characters pretty stock, the world-building hardly mindblowing. And I mean... I dunno.
I have this problem a lot. I also don't get John Scalzi. People *love* John Scalzi, and Neal Asher too. I think .... well, I think their stuff is dreck kinda. So, what am I missing? I'm willing to be convinced....
This is (just one) list of the best science fiction novels in 2009. There are some real winners on there, like The City and The City[/I and Julian Comstock]. Plus, a whole slew I'm excited to dig into, such as Finch, Transition, and The Quiet War. But then, Boneshaker by Cherie Priest is on there too. I picked up Boneshaker because everyone seemed to be talking about how great it was. And it was fine ... but also terribly average.
I know this sounds snobby, and I don't want to say that Boneshaker is a bad book or you're a bad person for liking it! But is it REALLY one of the best of 209? And if it IS, what does that say about the genre as a whole? Boneshaker is a pretty flat read, the characters pretty stock, the world-building hardly mindblowing. And I mean... I dunno.
I have this problem a lot. I also don't get John Scalzi. People *love* John Scalzi, and Neal Asher too. I think .... well, I think their stuff is dreck kinda. So, what am I missing? I'm willing to be convinced....
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
meatpieboy:
Agreed. Jordan was wild and crazy in a good way, Martin seemed quite disciplined at first, and I liked how he kept killing off the "heroes"... but shit, man, we need some focus here. A thread or a link or something.
toothpickmoe:
I have not, no. Too many names for that dude.