Willow ,'Showtime'
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
REALLY Neal Stephenson, you aren't actually suggesting these things in the second half of your new book to do with genetic inheritance and brain chemistry leading to the destabilization of future cultures, are you? SURELY NOT. I am putting the book down.
Gently.
I am not throwing it against the wall.
Anymore.
I didn't find anything in the second half offensive but it is certainly eye rolly on many levels. He could have done some interesting things with the time jump but...
Point being if you stop now you aren't missing anything amazing. The first half is worth the price of admission (and reminded me of this xkcd [link] which I know means I should read The Martian) but the second half... well I doubt I will read that part again.
It is like the entire Enders Game series in one book. Starts out awesome ends up ridiculous space fantasy that has pretensions of plausibility.
The first half is worth the price of admission
Totally agree. It's a great 500 pages of fabulous disaster after fabulous disaster and people juryrigging survival.
Though I like the gliders (naturally) and the ring / eye is really cool
But
to have the cannibal berserker talk about bipolar/manic depression during the genetic selection debate and then to have the 5k year jump and suddenly there's a quarter of the ring genetically descended from that character marked red and gone politically feral? I am giving this the sideeye more than I've ever given any Stephenson the sideeye. I feel like we know where he stands at least in this book on nature vs. nurture.
also
is the Agent *never* explained?
wow I haven't ranted in so long.
Also...
I thought one char. blew herself up at the end of the council of Eves, but her descendants are on the chart. So confused.
Ack.
Bought Sunil's story and a bunch of others as penance for my sins.
Any suggestions for other Baba Yaga books?
"Enchantment" by Orson Scott Card. A Sleeping Beauty tale retold in Russian style. Baba Yaga gets a star turn as a witch so evil that even the twentieth century is scared of her. Really a good book.
Any suggestions for other Baba Yaga books?
Deathless, by Catherynne M. Valente
"Enchantment" by Orson Scott Card. A Sleeping Beauty tale retold in Russian style. Baba Yaga gets a star turn as a witch so evil that even the twentieth century is scared of her. Really a good book.
I'm afraid even Shakespeare-worthy writing would be beyond my ability to enjoy coming from a staunch advocate of criminalizing gay relationships who once stated that he regarded any government that would attempt to recognize same-sex marriage as a "mortal enemy" that he would act to destroy. The only contact I intend to have with Card ever again will be dancing on his grave while waving a rainbow flag.
Eh, he's a competent writer. If the book was good enough, I could see buying it used so he never saw a penny for it.
Card's name on a book gives me the same knee jerk reaction dubya's face or voice does--insta-gag. Can't help it. Don't particularly want to.