I saw that mug and knew you had to have it. Then it sat for about a month waiting for me to get off my ass and send it.

The book ... I don't know if I wasn't in the right mood, but it just wasn't what I wanted. But the second book's out now - saw it in the store last week.

In what ways, David?

Well, first of all I don't think Stross is a very good writer. His books read like RPG manuals. (Which he used to write.)

I know that Glasshouse was specifically emulating Banks' culture novels, something Stross acknowledges.

For somebody who is interested in writing about the effects of radical body reinvention he doesn't have a lot of psychological subtlety in his work. Characters wear their bodies like suits, and their subjective experiences seem very static in relation to that.

Compared to somebody like Delaney or Leguin he's got absolutely no sense of how a gender fluid character might think or feel.

I think he's good with extrapolating the implications of the hard science and how radical the effects of those changes could be. But his sense of character seems really conventional to me.

I've read several books by both Stross and Banks, and it would never occur to me to compare them. They're really not very similar at all.

What have you read besides Glasshouse?

What have you read besides Glasshouse?

That's it. I didn't like it so I wasn't interested in reading more.

I've read several books by both Stross and Banks, and it would never occur to me to compare them. They're really not very similar at all.

Stross invited the comparison by saying he specifically tried to write a Banks-like book.

That's it. I didn't like it so I wasn't interested in reading more.

Ah, ok. It felt like your broader comments were based on having read Halting State, some of his short stories, Accelerando, or the Laundry Series.

I'm a fan of both Stross and Banks, for many different reasons, but it took me a couple books written by each before I could say more about their style beyond a single novel.

That said, your dislike is very clear and I'll remember not to suggest any of the books above to you in the future!

I enjoyed (and own) the first few Family Trade books he wrote, but then they veered off and I wasn't such a fan. And Glasshouse I recall really irritating and annoying me.

But I haven't read any Banks, so can't compare.

That said, your dislike is very clear and I'll remember not to suggest any of the books above to you in the future!

That's right! Keep that nasty ol' Stross away from me.

But I do like to hear about the stuff that piques your interest, Sox.

I recently read Glasshouse and was iffy on it at the beginning, but got into it as it went on. There was a lovely bit of prose about use being fragile beings trailing strings of memories behind us.

Oh, awesome! Please let me know if that happens so I can tell Seanan.

P-C, looks like it will be happening :) two classes, one grad, one undergrad. hee.

I totally earned my bookpusher badge.

Tell her she looked great at the Hugos.