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Post by Ass_E9 on Apr 26, 2021 17:48:13 GMT
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Post by Ass_E9 on Apr 26, 2021 17:50:37 GMT
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Post by gspdude on Apr 27, 2021 11:38:55 GMT
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Post by Nalkarj on Apr 29, 2021 16:36:43 GMT
At the risk of sounding literarily snobbish (perhaps I am), I’ve lately been trying to read several books that sound interesting and stopping because of poor writing. (Paging @forceghostackbar. ) ______________________________________ First up was Empire State (2011), by Adam Christopher. I ordered it through interlibrary loan because I’ve been getting interested in “decopunk,” which is basically steampunk in a ’20s-’30s setting. Specifically, I’ve heard it described as an alternate ’30s in which the Great Depression never happened. Think Dark City, The Rocketeer, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Batman: The Animated Series. Anyway, Empire State is set in an alternate-’30s New York and about a private eye who starts investigating a gas mask-wearing superhero who apparently vanished years before. Cool premise. And the book stinks. I couldn’t make it past the first chapter. Take this paragraph from page 1:I’m not quite sure what any of that means. “Allowed one thin hand to unwrap”? How about “Jerome took his hand off the wheel and”—if we really need this detail—“tipped an invisible hat”? In the second sentence we start off with “he,” but then the author realizes the mention of Rex makes the pronouns confusing, so we switch to “the driver’s”—but the driver’s Jerome, right? Or am I missing something? Did Christopher have an editor? I skipped around a bit to see if anything would catch me. Nothing did. Apparently there’s another alternate world inside of the main alternate world. That just seems like Christopher’s muddling his cool plot idea. This book went back to the library. ______________________________________ That was followed by Johannes Cabal the Detective (2010), by Jonathan L. Howard. It’s better than Empire State, not that that’s saying much. The first three chapters or so are an attempt at a postmodern Ruritanian romance, à la Mark Gatiss’ The Devil in Amber (2006) and George MacDonald Fraser’s Royal Flash (1970). Problem is, Howard borrows almost everything from Royal Flash—but can’t imitate Fraser’s prose quality or humor. The big difference is that the hero is a cynical necromancer instead of Harry Flashman. Flashman’s more fun. Some of the writing is OK; some of it is not. My main thought was that the author thinks he’s cleverer than he is. Then the setting switches to a zeppelin and Johannes Cabal, the necromancer-hero, starts doing detective work. This part is almost definitely inspired by the Gatiss book. The hero and heroine trade unfunny witticisms. The author introduces lots of characters, of whom I couldn’t keep track, to provide mystery suspects. A passenger apparently commits suicide, but Cabal suspects murder. I get bored. I just couldn’t keep track of the suspects’ movements or of who was who. So I put the book down and eventually decided to return it to the library as well. ______________________________________ So, yeah. I’ve got books to read, but I’ve been going through a lot lately so am looking for good unserious, escapist fiction. I’ve been reading a fair bit of science fiction lately, but most of that has been short stories. (Read Jack Finney! Why is he not better known?) I may end up with Stephen King, Ian Fleming, or George MacDonald Fraser again.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2021 17:50:48 GMT
At the risk of sounding literarily snobbish (perhaps I am), I’ve lately been trying to read several books that sound interesting and stopping because of poor writing. (Paging @forceghostackbar . ) ______________________________________ First up was Empire State (2011), by Adam Christopher. I ordered it through interlibrary loan because I’ve been getting interested in “decopunk,” which is basically steampunk in a ’20s-’30s setting. Specifically, I’ve heard it described as an alternate ’30s in which the Great Depression never happened. Think Dark City, The Rocketeer, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Batman: The Animated Series. Anyway, Empire State is set in an alternate-’30s New York and about a private eye who starts investigating a gas mask-wearing superhero who apparently vanished years before. Cool premise. And the book stinks. I couldn’t make it past the first chapter. Take this paragraph from page 1:I’m not quite sure what any of that means. “Allowed one thin hand to unwrap”? How about “Jerome took his hand off the wheel and”—if we really need this detail—“tipped an invisible hat”? In the second sentence we start off with “he,” but then the author realizes the mention of Rex makes the pronouns confusing, so we switch to “the driver’s”—but the driver’s Jerome, right? Or am I missing something? Did Christopher have an editor? I skipped around a bit to see if anything would catch me. Nothing did. Apparently there’s another alternate world inside of the main alternate world. That just seems like Christopher’s muddling his cool plot idea. This book went back to the library. ______________________________________ That was followed by Johannes Cabal the Detective (2010), by Jonathan L. Howard. It’s better than Empire State, not that that’s saying much. The first three chapters or so are an attempt at a postmodern Ruritanian romance, à la Mark Gatiss’ The Devil in Amber (2006) and George MacDonald Fraser’s Royal Flash (1970). Problem is, Howard borrows almost everything from Royal Flash—but can’t imitate Fraser’s prose quality or humor. The big difference is that the hero is a cynical necromancer instead of Harry Flashman. Flashman’s more fun. Some of the writing is OK; some of it is not. My main thought was that the author thinks he’s cleverer than he is. Then the setting switches to a zeppelin and Johannes Cabal, the necromancer-hero, starts doing detective work. This part is almost definitely inspired by the Gatiss book. The hero and heroine trade unfunny witticisms. The author introduces lots of characters, of whom I couldn’t keep track, to provide mystery suspects. A passenger apparently commits suicide, but Cabal suspects murder. I get bored. I just couldn’t keep track of the suspects’ movements or of who was who. So I put the book down and eventually decided to return it to the library as well. ______________________________________ So, yeah. I’ve got books to read, but I’ve been going through a lot lately so am looking for good unserious, escapist fiction. I’ve been reading a fair bit of science fiction lately, but most of that has been short stories. (Read Jack Finney! Why is he not better known?) I may end up with Stephen King, Ian Fleming, or George MacDonald Fraser again. “Decopunk” sounds really interesting as a genre. I recently learned the term “Diesel Punk”, which is a 1940s/50s version of steampunk. I guess there’s a lot of “punks” out there. I can’t say for sure based on that passage alone but that author seems to over write things. Most writers would know to just say he took his hand off the steering wheel and not try to be so poetic in describing a simple action. A return to Fleming wouldn’t be bad! I’m now halfway through Moonraker! I’m really getting into the series now and plan to read all of them (except for maybe The Spy Who Loved Me).
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Post by Nalkarj on Apr 29, 2021 19:13:36 GMT
“Decopunk” sounds really interesting as a genre. I recently learned the term “Diesel Punk”, which is a 1940s/50s version of steampunk. I guess there’s a lot of “punks” out there. I can’t say for sure based on that passage alone but that author seems to over write things. Most writers would know to just say he took his hand off the steering wheel and not try to be so poetic in describing a simple action. A return to Fleming wouldn’t be bad! I’m now halfway through Moonraker! I’m really getting into the series now and plan to read all of them (except for maybe The Spy Who Loved Me). Lots of “punks,” yes! I’ve had some trouble figuring out what counts as “punk,” though… Batman: The Animated Series and the Burton Batman movies are set in some alternate modern world in which people use dirigibles and dress in ’40s clothing. Is that “punk”? I’m just not sure! And then, re: dieselpunk, I’m trying to figure exactly where it begins and decopunk ends, or vice versa! Yeah, the prose in that book was simultaneously purple and clunky. I’d be interested in seeing someone rework the plot, or at least the concept, for a comic book—which seems like a better medium for the material. Moonraker is one of the few Bonds I haven’t (yet) read! The next one, Diamonds Are Forever, is kinda dull (IMO), but after that you’ve got my favorite Bond novel, From Russia, with Love. Looking forward to your thoughts on that one!
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Post by Marv on Apr 29, 2021 19:31:57 GMT
It’s out of season but I needed something short to fill in...so I started A Christmas Carol. Right away you can tell Dickens prose and vocabulary make him a step above most.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2021 20:15:43 GMT
“Decopunk” sounds really interesting as a genre. I recently learned the term “Diesel Punk”, which is a 1940s/50s version of steampunk. I guess there’s a lot of “punks” out there. I can’t say for sure based on that passage alone but that author seems to over write things. Most writers would know to just say he took his hand off the steering wheel and not try to be so poetic in describing a simple action. A return to Fleming wouldn’t be bad! I’m now halfway through Moonraker! I’m really getting into the series now and plan to read all of them (except for maybe The Spy Who Loved Me). Lots of “punks,” yes! I’ve had some trouble figuring out what counts as “punk,” though… Batman: The Animated Series and the Burton Batman movies are set in some alternate modern world in which people use dirigibles and dress in ’40s clothing. Is that “punk”? I’m just not sure! And then, re: dieselpunk, I’m trying to figure exactly where it begins and decopunk ends, or vice versa! Yeah, the prose in that book was simultaneously purple and clunky. I’d be interested in seeing someone rework the plot, or at least the concept, for a comic book—which seems like a better medium for the material. Moonraker is one of the few Bonds I haven’t (yet) read! The next one, Diamonds Are Forever, is kinda dull (IMO), but after that you’ve got my favorite Bond novel, From Russia, with Love. Looking forward to your thoughts on that one! I think to be “punk” there has to be some sort of retro-futuristic element to the setting or plot. Therefore Burton’s Bat series doesn’t count, but Blade Runner does. Ive seen DAF at the bottom of the list in pretty much every Bond Novel Ranking I’ve seen online. I still plan to read it though. People seem to think Tiffany Case is a great Bond Girl. Moonraker is often listed as number one on the same lists. I definitely recommend it. Drax is a really interesting villain so far. I love the hook that introduces him, but I won’t spoil it for you.
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on May 1, 2021 2:23:12 GMT
Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming. for some reason i read that as 'live and eat pie' at first.
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on May 1, 2021 2:23:26 GMT
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Post by moviebuffbrad on May 2, 2021 3:03:32 GMT
Inspired by the other thread, I just listened to the audiobook for William Shakespeare's Star Wars, and it was actually pretty fun (especially with the voice cast). Now I'm kinda doing a 180 with the audiobook of A Mother's Reckoning by Sue (mother of Dylan) Klebold.
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Post by Nalkarj on May 2, 2021 17:08:41 GMT
I ended up reading an Agatha Christie I remember skimming through years ago but hadn’t actually read before, Destination Unknown (1954).
Great hook: Heroine’s daughter dies, husband is divorcing her, she goes to Morocco to kill herself. At the hotel, though, she runs into a spy chief who figures out her plans and asks her to impersonate an Iron Curtain defector’s wife instead. Even after the opening, there’s a lot of good stuff, including some solid twists and a a suspenseful plane ride worthy of Ian Fleming. And, while Christie was no amazing prose stylist, she knew how to write, which is more than I can say for the two writers I critique above.
But the last quarter or so is a mess. Christie’s politics were always confused and confusing, and here they’re combined with a needless whodunit subplot and a twist that’s not obvious but not surprising either. Hard to explain, but when I found out who the mastermind was, I said, “Oh, OK, so that’s that character’s point,” not “WOW! How did I not see it?,” which is the best of Christie. The ultimate ending is a remarkable anticlimax. It all feels like Christie plotted herself into a corner and couldn’t think of a way out.
Too bad, after such an excellent opening. But I’d love to adapt it into a movie (it’s one of only five Christies that haven’t been adapted in some way) and, in so doing, fix the ending.
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Post by Marv on May 2, 2021 19:51:57 GMT
I ended up reading an Agatha Christie I remember skimming through years ago but hadn’t actually read before, Destination Unknown (1954). Great hook: Heroine’s daughter dies, husband is divorcing her, she goes to Morocco to kill herself. At the hotel, though, she runs into a spy chief who figures out her plans and asks her to impersonate an Iron Curtain defector’s wife instead. Even after the opening, there’s a lot of good stuff, including some solid twists and a a suspenseful plane ride worthy of Ian Fleming. And, while Christie was no amazing prose stylist, she knew how to write, which is more than I can say for the two writers I critique above. But the last quarter or so is a mess. Christie’s politics were always confused and confusing, and here they’re combined with a needless whodunit subplot and a twist that’s not obvious but not surprising either. Hard to explain, but when I found out who the mastermind was, I said, “Oh, OK, so that’s that character’s point,” not “WOW! How did I not see it?,” which is the best of Christie. The ultimate ending is a remarkable anticlimax. It all feels like Christie plotted herself into a corner and couldn’t think of a way out. Too bad, after such an excellent opening. But I’d love to adapt it into a movie (it’s one of only five Christies that haven’t been adapted in some way) and, in so doing, fix the ending. The only Christie book I’ve read is And then There Were None...which I loved. Always meant to pick up some more of hers but haven’t gotten around to it yet.
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Post by Nalkarj on May 3, 2021 2:50:52 GMT
The only Christie book I’ve read is And then There Were None...which I loved. Always meant to pick up some more of hers but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Great to hear you loved And Then There Were None—probably Christie’s most famous and definitely one of her best. Some Christies I’d recommend for first-time readers are Death on the Nile, The A.B.C. Murders, Peril at End House, and The Body in the Library. That list isn’t the same as my list of favorite Christies (though Death on the Nile makes both), but it makes for a good introduction, I think.
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Post by CrepedCrusader on May 3, 2021 3:58:08 GMT
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
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Post by theravenking on May 3, 2021 12:56:07 GMT
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mmexis
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Post by mmexis on May 4, 2021 2:21:49 GMT
Am giving up on My Dark Vanessa. Honestly, none of the characters are likeable. Going back to "the other queen" until I pick up something else.
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on May 6, 2021 2:35:56 GMT
I ended up reading an Agatha Christie I remember skimming through years ago but hadn’t actually read before, Destination Unknown (1954). Great hook: Heroine’s daughter dies, husband is divorcing her, she goes to Morocco to kill herself. At the hotel, though, she runs into a spy chief who figures out her plans and asks her to impersonate an Iron Curtain defector’s wife instead. Even after the opening, there’s a lot of good stuff, including some solid twists and a a suspenseful plane ride worthy of Ian Fleming. And, while Christie was no amazing prose stylist, she knew how to write, which is more than I can say for the two writers I critique above. But the last quarter or so is a mess. Christie’s politics were always confused and confusing, and here they’re combined with a needless whodunit subplot and a twist that’s not obvious but not surprising either. Hard to explain, but when I found out who the mastermind was, I said, “Oh, OK, so that’s that character’s point,” not “WOW! How did I not see it?,” which is the best of Christie. The ultimate ending is a remarkable anticlimax. It all feels like Christie plotted herself into a corner and couldn’t think of a way out. Too bad, after such an excellent opening. But I’d love to adapt it into a movie (it’s one of only five Christies that haven’t been adapted in some way) and, in so doing, fix the ending. going to check that out. sounds fun!
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Post by redhorizon on May 6, 2021 16:10:31 GMT
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Post by nutsberryfarm 🏜 on May 7, 2021 2:55:57 GMT
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