Comments on: New Crobuzon – If you can Re-Make it There! (You’ll make it anywhere)

By: Jonathan Goldberg

Jonathan Goldberg — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 18:46:44 +0000

Novalis writes: My preference is for the recent fantasy series (which I can’t mention for the same reasons) … What are these reasons? I find this and Sebastian’s archness both annoying and incomprehensible.

By: novalis

novalis — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:45:53 +0000

FWIW, I really didn’t like the novel that Holsclaw is no doubt thinking about. Sure, the end was surprising (unless you’ve read the back of the (even worse) sequel, so don’t). But that was about the only thing the book had going for it—it had the typical hard-sf problems of uninteresting characters trying to figure out what the reader already knows. This sort of novel is precisely what Edward Bryant’s short story Particle Theory was aimed squarely up the arse of ;) My preference is for the recent fantasy series (which I can’t mention for the same reasons) with a completely unexpected (to me) yet utterly believable (within the context of the story) happy ending.

By: Sebastian Holsclaw

Sebastian Holsclaw — Wed, 12 Jan 2005 16:38:07 +0000

Sure. My email address is on my website.

By: agm

agm — Wed, 12 Jan 2005 07:49:58 +0000

One where the earth gets it? Since you’re obviously not talking Hitchhikers, I’d love to know what that is. May I email you about it?

By: Sebastian Holsclaw

Sebastian Holsclaw — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 23:09:12 +0000

“Now you make me want to know what book you’re talking about, but at the same time you’ve made it clear you can’t tell me.” Annoying isn’t it? If you really want me to tell you I can email you, but I’m not sure it is going to be as fun if you know.

By: matt

matt — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 22:48:26 +0000

I have trouble w/ sitcoms too. Its gotten so bad that I can barely sit through an episode of Seinfeld anymore even though I like the show. My friends make fun of me for it… Its good to hear I’m not alone. :)

By: Walt Pohl

Walt Pohl — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 20:08:44 +0000

Sebastian: Now you make me want to know what book you’re talking about, but at the same time you’ve made it clear you can’t tell me. PZ Myers: If that’s all life is, then why read about it?

By: PZ Myers

PZ Myers — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 18:20:02 +0000

I suppose you are no fan of Iain Banks, then. I guess I disagree with the premise. I don’t think the universe is particularly kind to people, so I find it unsettling to read books where everything comes out well for the protagonist at the end…he or she can be tortured and tormented and struggle horribly through the middle of the book, but at the end there has to be a chapter where they are all smiles and contentment. But then I expect my end is going to involve a lot of fear and striving to overcome this problem, with much yelling and flailing. I think it is more accurate to portray a life as a constant struggle that ends at some point when you fail, and those unpleasant endings that we all will have ought to be fodder for our novels, too.

By: Sebastian Holsclaw

Sebastian Holsclaw — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 18:16:03 +0000

“A related problem is that I am unable to watch situation comedies. The confusions, the fleeting embarassments, the humiliation; it makes me agitated. On the whole, I prefer to watch people get murdered on Law and Order.” I agree entirely. With respect to Miéville he has the characters succeed against all odds, so I didn’t feel the impact of his unfortunate endings the same way I might have if he had the characters fail. I guess I saw it coming in Perdido St. Station from about the middle of the book, so it wasn’t shocking at the end. Far more shocking was a certain sci-fi book by a major author where you go through all the regular aliens are trying to destroy the world thing and in the end the heros failed and the world was destroyed while they looked on like pathetic survivors on Noah’s ark. That was shocking. :) (The funny thing about that book is that I always want to recommend it, but I can’t explain why to anyone when I recommend it).

By: Douglas

Douglas — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 18:04:22 +0000

well, I’m glad it’s not just me. Unkindness to characters is distressing, though I confess I can’t provide any robust critical justification for my tender sensibilities. Martin Amis is another spectacularly good writer who I can scarcely read anymore: because I just can’t bear the nastiness I know is going to be plotted for the unfortunate protagonists.

By: Emma

Emma — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 17:41:15 +0000

I suffer from the same peculiarity, and chose to abide by the recommendation of a friend, who waved his finger in my face and said “these are not for you!”. I’m glad I did.