Attempted - failed - it was my fault (not the author's) to accept this abstracted way of writing.Attempted - failed - it was my fault (not the author's) to accept this abstracted way of writing....more
Since I have read/enjoyed Ben Bova in decades past, I assume the reason Space Station Down is such a terrible read is because he's about 88 years old Since I have read/enjoyed Ben Bova in decades past, I assume the reason Space Station Down is such a terrible read is because he's about 88 years old and Doug Beason is a bad writer.
The flaws which drove me away from finishing this book and from ever reading Beason or Bova ever again:
- Being treated like I have a terrible memory and forgot specific details which were already provided on pages earlier. - Needing to review (and return to) a first-page sketched map of the space station while reading. Any competent writer can describe movement thru a series of rooms and corridors without confusing readers . . . not here. - Highschool-level, clunky, foreshadowing; with all the subtle ways to insinuate and hint, these authors chose to bludgeon the reader with a page 2 zoom close-up. - Cliched adjectives, bland descriptors, outdated/sophomoric poor-quality writing. - The worst offense of all was the author(s) constantly using the words 'she thought to herself' or 'she reminded herself' or many other unnecessary phrases which ALWAYS pull/throw the reader out of the scene. She thought. Full stop. Why constantly include 'to herself'? Because this book was never edited before it was published. ...more
Enjoyable quick romp thru the late-1960s to today -- in the life of a psycopath-who-doesn't-want-to-be (and the progress of technology).Enjoyable quick romp thru the late-1960s to today -- in the life of a psycopath-who-doesn't-want-to-be (and the progress of technology)....more
Wanted to like this more than I did. This author (Appel) was featured in a documentary and I wondered if I would like his short stories as much as theWanted to like this more than I did. This author (Appel) was featured in a documentary and I wondered if I would like his short stories as much as the film.
The story's are fine; some are excellent and memorable, but they all suffer from a "dour common thread" which is difficult to define - my impulse is to say they are all set in the same era, same area of America, same main character, but that is not really the case. I suspect the Author's "tone" is what makes each story similar. This can be great. And, I suspect, if I read a story a week, I would not be bothered by it, but reading the entire book in a weekend made me wonder about art.
Some artists paint the same type of image - successfully - for decades; never tiring, never fully finished exploring the possibilities of the medium which, when hung all together in a gallery, seem to just be the-same-but-different versions of themselves.
Other artists change their subject matter up on a monthly basis, either to remain current, explore a different idea, try a new perspective. One is large and colorful, the next small and dark, the next a collage, the following a portrait, today humorous, tomorrow prophetic . . .
I can enjoy both artists.
If I read the titular story as a stand-alone story in a magazine - I would have cherished it. Because I read it in the middle of several of his stories, I was happy to have read it but wished he was more like artist #2.
This sequel suffered from clunky transitions, which continually pulled me out of the story. Between the A-B story lines I constantly wondered 'when isThis sequel suffered from clunky transitions, which continually pulled me out of the story. Between the A-B story lines I constantly wondered 'when is this supposed to be happening?' and, when the author began to delve into a character's back-story it often felt roughly crafted and sometimes forced. ...more
The story is presented in a way that entices you to constantly say "wtf is happening? This is amazingly different!"The story is presented in a way that entices you to constantly say "wtf is happening? This is amazingly different!"...more
This is rare: a sequel better than the original. With better characters and better plot development, the focus of this book is on communication, peoplThis is rare: a sequel better than the original. With better characters and better plot development, the focus of this book is on communication, people, values, politics, ethics/morals, knowledge (versus intelligence) and what the philosophy of humanity could mean . . . yes . . . within the confines of a post-apoc-zombie story. But all that is just the medium. Not the message.
Carey is now one of my go-to (without checking if it is good enough first) authors. ...more
Having perused this for many months, reading parts which lead me to read more, and more - this is the quickest way to learn about the vast range of paHaving perused this for many months, reading parts which lead me to read more, and more - this is the quickest way to learn about the vast range of past philosophers, different types and sub-types of philosophy, and quickly re-read aspects that did not sink in the first few times I read them. On my shelf to read for the rest of my life - will never be finished. ...more
This moody, discomfiting, story was difficult to embrace. Was it Horror? Suspense? Mystery?
The first reason for this: the author failed to make me havThis moody, discomfiting, story was difficult to embrace. Was it Horror? Suspense? Mystery?
The first reason for this: the author failed to make me have an opinion about the main characters (which may have been intentional, but was a mistake if so) -- so I did not really care about them: not if they succeeded or failed, lived or died.
Then, the story unfolded in a confusingly-erratic manner. This was ALSO probably intentional, because, it helped to make me feel unsettled. But, making me wonder "is that supposed to be horrific?" is very different from making me feel horrified.
Then, the author did something that I always hate: introduced a unique ability which the character does not explore, use, or even fully rely upon in a crisis. Other authors have handled this by making a stipulation like: overusing the 'ring that will rule them all' harms the wearer . . . but that was not explained in this case; so, instead, we see instance upon instance of superman "running to help" while we wonder why he doesn't fly (which is just an analogy, not a spoiler).
This story was very much like Annihilation (2014, Jeff VanderMeer - I am certain VanderMeer cribbed from these settings and characters) but written in the style of a late-1980's Dean Koontz. ...more
Proof that Ms Beukes is an adroit writer -- this speculative-fiction / fantasy was also a mystery-suspense thriller! The main characters are well deveProof that Ms Beukes is an adroit writer -- this speculative-fiction / fantasy was also a mystery-suspense thriller! The main characters are well developed; the story intriguing; my only complaint is the plot tended towards familiar templates (e.g. "bad guys" too easily identified) -- I always prefer when authors veer into never-saw-that-coming territory....more
This is a well told, multi-character, detective novel. It is not a mystery. Six or so residents of Detroit (each with a subplot and a side-kick or thrThis is a well told, multi-character, detective novel. It is not a mystery. Six or so residents of Detroit (each with a subplot and a side-kick or three) are detailed in A-B-C-D-E-F-A-B-D-C-E-F-A-D-A-B-A-B-C-D... fashion; A is a detective, B is bat-shit crazy, C is the detective's daughter, D is a YouTuber, E is a scavenger, F is C's best friend.
I especially liked the way the author showed us what bat-shit crazy might feel like.
And I also enjoyed that the titular broken monsters are -- in my mind -- everyone in the book, not just the victims of bat-shit crazy.
What an interesting story, unique plot, and masterfully created characters. Not at all like this author's previous novel 'Girl With All the Gifts' (a What an interesting story, unique plot, and masterfully created characters. Not at all like this author's previous novel 'Girl With All the Gifts' (a unique Zomb-pocalypse suspense); instead this is a lot of almost's -- almost a legal-procedural; almost a paranormal story; almost a who-dunnit; almost a revenge/retrubution thriller; almost a totally new genre (which may be shelved in Fantasy, but could also be shelved in Mystery, Speculative Fic, or Thriller).
I'm now a big fan of M.R. Carey -- will read her next one! ...more
Informative and - like most of the author's previous work - filled with just the right amount of wry humor to balance out the (sometimes) awful facts.Informative and - like most of the author's previous work - filled with just the right amount of wry humor to balance out the (sometimes) awful facts....more
A quasi-comprehensive introduction to some of the "historical names" in Western Philosophical thought from about 2500 years ago into middle of the lasA quasi-comprehensive introduction to some of the "historical names" in Western Philosophical thought from about 2500 years ago into middle of the last century. This novel's fictional characters are merely the (unique) medium which the author uses to help teach the various theories of philosophical thought from before Socrates (if he was actually a person and not just a character of Plato's) to Freud and Marx (social and political philosophers).
It is not mandatory for this to only be read by some young person "new" to Western Philosophy (but that is its intended audience); it is a nice refresher for someone who might like to maybe learn something new about some of the philosophers they already know.
Not a fantastically intriguing plot, but if you are interested in the encapsulation of some philosophical theories this will suffice (because reading actual philosophy books by the philosophers themselves is a near-impossible task, best left for the academics). ...more
Another ok-ish first couple of acts followed by a terrible ending. This is mediocre writing! I can not recall anything about the city this book is setAnother ok-ish first couple of acts followed by a terrible ending. This is mediocre writing! I can not recall anything about the city this book is set in that would make it feel or look anything different from any other large-ish city. The author never treats the setting as anything important to comment on . . . the only reason I know it was set in London is because the main character said it was.
I don't care if any of the characters live or die -- this is the biggest flaw any author can make, and this author makes it over and over again. This is supposed to be suspense and I am rooting for the baddy to rip the head off of the protagonist because at least that will be unexpected. ...more
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