Comments on: Stross seminar imminent

By: Shrike58

Shrike58 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:26:36 +0000

I dunno, Iike the Laundry novels the best of Stross’ work, and am greatly looking forward to the “Fuller Memorandum.”

By: shah8

shah8 — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:23:02 +0000

I think The Laundry material was fun. However, I think what I’m going to end up really focusing on is Halting State. Glasshouse is an obvious winner. Plenty of coverage for those two will be plenty enough for me. Plz don’t let the Heinleinian blabber take up too much of the seminar time. Not that we shouldn’t talk about Saturn’s Children, but there is a nasty habit of being super-referential about this book instead of talking about many of the other ideas in it.

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:55:54 +0000

That’s a good idea, thanks LB. I’ll do it.

By: LizardBreath

LizardBreath — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:11:55 +0000

Possibly you could post an open thread for discussion of the Laundry novels by commenters, along with the remainder of the seminar posts?

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:03:55 +0000

Nich, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the latter respect. More generally, it might be a good idea for people to wait for the seminar; it won’t be long.

By: Nich Hills

Nich Hills — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 06:39:57 +0000

#16, John Quiggin
As organiser, it’s my fault that the Laundry novels didn’t get covered. I thought I had arranged it but it didn’t happen.

A pity, as they are my favourites. Still looking forward to the panel’s take on Saturn’s Children. A late Heinlein novel without people?

By: Vivian

Vivian — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:47:10 +0000

John, Charlie,
none of your regulars would mind if you did a second episode in a year or five, you know. No need to cover everything at once. Or do a Scalzi seminar and we’ll just sneak some Stross-ernalia in when no one is looking.

By: J. Michael Neal

J. Michael Neal — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:07:06 +0000

I started reading Accelerondo, and found the writing style to be too irritating to get very far. There was a looseness that just loses me. It’s not quite stream of consciousness, but it keeps me from appreciating the ideas.

Of course, I’m also not generally a fan of cyberpunk, so I was predisposed not to be very impressed. It still beats Neal Stephenson, but so does shoving an icepick into my brain.

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:51:57 +0000

As organiser, it’s my fault that the Laundry novels didn’t get covered. I thought I had arranged it but it didn’t happen. But I promise, there’s lot of good stuff.

By: Hermenauta

Hermenauta — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:28:11 +0000

“Also, nobody in the seminar tackled the Laundry novels”

What a pity. Damn it indeed. And how about “The Golden Age of Spying“? This surely merits some treatment by these resourceful gentlemen from CT!

By: Barry

Barry — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:22:14 +0000

Looks like they know that Some Things Were Not Meant For Critics To Know (or discuss).

By: Charlie Stross

Charlie Stross — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:08:04 +0000

Also, nobody in the seminar tackled the Laundry novels (damn it).

By: Flippanter

Flippanter — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:48:04 +0000

…although it does seem that the writing itself is occasionally uneven.

I don’t disagree, but I doubt the seminar will grind so fine as to grant commenters the distinction between dissatisfaction with the prose on offer and full-throated endorsement of the most retrograde political positions possible. Nonetheless, where there is life, there is hope.

By: rea

rea — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:45:59 +0000

I, for one, look forward to an extended discussion of the Dogger Bank incident . . .

By: Paul J. Reber

Paul J. Reber — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:55:49 +0000

Stross is simply the best at ideas. Taking technological change and really thinking about what it does or could mean and spinning wonderfully imaginative stories about it.

And he writes lots, which is good, although it does seem that the writing itself is occasionally uneven. But I hope he keeps writing lots since I have a hunch he cares a lot about his craft and is continually working to push to improve it. I’ll keep buying and reading all if it regardless.

Stross has mentioned explicitly being influenced by Roger Zelazny, who was simply my absolute favorite author as an adolescent and beyond. Zelazny had his own set of strengths and weaknesses, but one thing that always stood out were the way his characters stuck with you. Stross’s ideas stick with me, but many of his characters seem to come and go (or get confused with one another). The number and strength of the women characters is notably good, but they haven’t really come to life for me yet.

I’m sure others will complain about writing issues as well, but please write moar, Charlie! No going off to try to write something different. Write lots and I’ll read it (and buy it) and see what’s working or not with you.