A pissy little rant

[delphia2ohohoh]

I'm pretty certain I'm not stupid. I read and re-read Jane Austin with perfect clarity. I can understand a whole lot of Shakespeare and that's not even English. (j/k...just making a point!) I've come to the conclusion that the works of modern male sf writers get rave reviews because people don't understand them and don't want to look stupid, so they are promoting dreck. This is the third sf/fantasy I've started reading because they were deemed brilliant by others and I've ended up skimming to the end out of pure determination just to see if maybe it gets better.

Maybe my brain cells are dying faster than I thought they were, but I don't think so. I've been reading SF since I picked up 'Space Cat' when I was about 7. I read sf like it should be read: you read and absorb details that may not make sense right away but will all be sewn up by the end. Unfamiliar names or items will be understood by context at least eventually. Most things will have a point, but there may be a few red herrings.

Not these books. Pointless. Full of rambling away from the real story. Sometimes entire chapters of stuff-I-didn't-need-to-know. Gods, I just wanted to take a red pen to the entire book and write why, why, why? over and over. And people think romance novels are full of bad writing? At least they get to the fucking point. (Literally, usually.)

They are all pretty depressing too, creating worlds no one would like to live in and maybe that's the point in the end, but has no one any hope for our future? And if you can't make yourself clear to your readers, then you have failed them. I refuse to believe I'm the failure.

I'm tired of this crap. I may need to break out my copy of Alfred Bester's 'Stars my Destination' to sooth myself.

Aside note: I've decided to track all the books I've read this year in a post that will show up on Jan 1 2010. I'm up to 10 full reads and 3 either dropped or skimmed to the end.

Comments

[amnellwyvern.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about bad SciFi. I've started one more than a few times just to end up putting it back down.

Have you ever read Quarantine by Greg Egan (http://www.amazon.com/Quarantine-Greg-Egan/dp/0061054232/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238609699&sr=8-5)? I'm not sure if it would be up your alley or not, but I really liked it.

The Otherland Series by Tad Williams (http://www.amazon.com/City-Golden-Shadow-Otherland-1/dp/0886777631/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238610383&sr=1-1) is also quite good. It's very long, but I really liked them too. :-)

[delphia2000.livejournal.com]

I read Tad Williams a long time ago and good, but not one I'd pick up on this year I think. I want to explore a few new authors. We only have one by Greg Egan at the library so he'd go on my maybe list.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I finally read The Stars My Destination recently. Wow. I found it pretty mind-blowing. I usually don't like books with truly unsympathetic protagonists, but I had to read this one. Yes, get it back out--sounds like a good antidote to what you've been reading.

Oh--and can you share the names of the books you've put aside, before 2010, so I don't waste my time on them too?

[delphia2000.livejournal.com]

I'll post a f-locked post of what I didn't like. I'm not real comfortable with too much of my opinion spread around the net. :o)

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Makes sense. Thanks!

[tejas.livejournal.com]

C'mon, name names. Who's being stupid now?

[delphia2000.livejournal.com]

See above. I'll try to get it posted late today.

[tejas.livejournal.com]

Okay. :-) I'll wait.

But not patiently. :-)

[duck-wrangler.livejournal.com]

My touchstone book is "Something Wicked this Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury. LOVE that story, love the creepy carnival, love the dad who's torn between what's right and what he wants....mmmm, now that I think about it, sounds more like life than sci-fi/fantasy!

Also interested in the put down list!

[delphia2000.livejournal.com]

Yep, like that one too and I seriously adore the film version done by Disney. Yee gods, that tarantula scene gives me nightmares!

I think my fav Bradbury is 'The Veldt' from "The Illustrated Man." :o)

[nialla]

I've come to the conclusion that the works of modern male sf writers get rave reviews because people don't understand them and don't want to look stupid, so they are promoting dreck.

But they're male, so they must be writing good books! Everyone knows wimmen writers are only good at writing bodice rippers, which are only good when you're out of toilet paper.

[off to find eyeballs since they just rolled out of my head]