to Freak and Thing:A Thing of Eternity wrote:Would you say the prose, character development (not the quality of the characters, the quality of how they are shown to the reader) and the dialogue in the SotSS is:Simon wrote: KJA's Saga of the Seven Suns was actually very good.
It wasn't DUNE but I enjoyed, it was a great space opera. If that isn't your thing then, yeah, your not going to like it but if it is, I'd give it a chance, you may even be surprised.
A - About the same as the recent KJABH books?
B - Better than the recent KJABH books?
C - Worse than the recent KJABH books?
Bit of a loaded question obviously.
I know I promised you and Byron I'd read one of those just to give it a try, but I'm honestly just not very enthusiastic about it. Especially considering that every single plot point and worldbuilding feature I've heard of so far has been done at least once before (plus the name of the alien race, which is almost a direct steal from Ian M Banks' Consider Phlebas)
And I do like a good Space Opera every now and again as a bit of a lighter read, I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Alastair Reynolds for example.
The nail has been hit on the head.One thing I like about this forum (granted, I haven't been here long) is that while there's a lot of negativity about the new novels, I don't think there's any chance of someone being banned for liking them, or for being very vocal about liking them.
HBJ
The writing style is similar to what's been done with his Dune books, but then they were written at the same time, so you'll have that.
Also in an essay he wrote addressing his time writing SotSS he made it clear that he just wrote the series as "his love letter to Sci-Fi". He said he borrowed from everything he grew up loving to make his story, and as any artist knows borrowing from the greats is all part of the game, ask Led Zeppelin or Eric Clapton.
I mean Freak you say "Asimov did it first". Just because Michelangelo carved "David" should all sculptors "give it up". No way. Art is all about learning from the masters and trying to improve upon it in your own way. Some time the Masters are surpassed, other times not. It's all hit and miss but someone has to try.
SotSS is definitly a lighter read than other stuff but a whole lot of fun. It would make an excellent television series.