OT: Books, Books, Books.

SpaceBadger · #1 January 3rd, 2004, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
aside from it not having the general looniness of the other books, i don't really see the problem. the books more serious tone reflects the more serious and experienced miles. he was in his twenty's during his adventure's and now that he's thirty, his starting to run his thinking from his brain, not his glands. and is naturally appalled at some of the risks he took.

Bah, I'm talking about the plot and the writing - just not up to Bujold's usual high standards. I mean, seriously, look at the ending - all of the action happens offstage and is described second-hand afterward!

Miles is no more of a stick in this one than he was in Civil Campaign, and I =loved= Civil Campaign. I just didn't think Diplomatic Immunity was as good a book as the rest, and I've been reading them (and re-reading them) since about '88 or '89, whenever I first ran across Miles in the pages of Analog (the story where he meets Taura, title escapes me at the moment). Diplomatic Immunity just felt too much like she was going through the motions without anything really interesting to say, which was a significant letdown from her usual quality.

I'm happy to report that Bujold's latest book, Paladin of Souls (second in the Chalion series, not a Vorkosigan book), is an excellent story and shows very well that she has not lost her touch - perhaps she just needs to get away from Miles for awhile.

SpaceBadger

[ January 03, 2004, 02:47: Message edited by: SpaceBadger ]

narf poit chez BOOM · #2 January 3rd, 2004, 04:51 AM

well, ok, it has adventure's. but not the level of hilarity of the other books. and, alot was happening offstage. but, it was told from vorkosigan's point of view and he was unconcious for the wrap up and not very on top of things until the end, where he showed his usual style. i didn't find it quite as engrossing as the other's, but i think it was just a difference in the style. mostly.

Narratio · #3 January 3rd, 2004, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:

quote:

I've just become a dinosaur.....

how so?

I think that Cipher, like me, reads everything he can lay his hands on including cereal boxes. When Atrocities (an otherwise noble individual) said he don't read tomes...
Well, Ciper and I have something in common.

Randallw · #4 January 4th, 2004, 02:09 AM

Since this thread started out about David Weber. I am currently reading the "Shiva Option". I swear it reads like a game of SE4 (or another space empires game). You have fleets with say 68 Battlecruisers, 40 Monitors, 40 Carriers, 100 cruisers and 2000 fighters taking each other on. First they enter through a warp point destroy all the mines and warp point defenses including bases, then move into the system and fight other fleets sometimes chasing them to other warp points in the system or attacking planets. It is just fleet engagement after fleet engagement with almost no coverage outside battles, except a few pages every once in a while about the empires planning their war on the enemy. The Writers even thank a fellow wargamer who created one of the empires. Its like they played a game and one of them wrote a book about what happened each turn. I think the "Bahgs" would be an interesting empire to play, but of course they have absolutely no opportunity for roleplaying. I tried reading honour harrington books once but didn't like the first one i tried after a few pages.

Randallw · #5 January 4th, 2004, 02:18 AM

Just realised what i said of the plot was a bit misleading. There is a bit more than combat, but mostly just admirals remembering what happened to such and such planet or fleet that got killed by the enemy. The "Bahgs" of course have no personality at all.

edit: These were my first Posts and I only noticed the edit function now (so sorry for 2 Posts in a row). Rereading this thread i noticed a mention of the shiva option already (sorry, missed it) and a reference to the starfire series, and starfire mini-games. So am i right, the book is just the narrative for a game?.

[ January 03, 2004, 12:41: Message edited by: Randallw ]

oleg · #6 January 3rd, 2004, 03:18 PM

It surely reads like one

I don't really like "Shiva Option". It was damn obviuos from the beginning that humans will win. But "In death ground" makes my hair rise.

Cipher7071 · #7 January 3rd, 2004, 05:47 PM

What Narratio says four Posts down is essentially true. But rather rather than reading 'everything I can get my hands on' I tend to delve into whatever it is that's caught my interest. One year it was Mycology. Another it was any wild edible plants (related, eh?). And, of course, I've since spent five or six years getting a couple of baccalaureate degrees.

I guess I say I'm a dinosaur (when it comes to this thread) because I haven't really read any sci-fi lately. So, I didn't know there were more "Foundation" books beyond the trilogy.

So many things to read and learn, so little time...I've drifted away from fiction.