11-03-2009, 08:30 PM | #121 |
Fanatic
Posts: 551
Karma: 1121392
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Device: HTC One M8
|
Not the ickiest line in it, either... Yup, that's one book that didn't earn a permanent place on my shelf. I liked Rats and Gargoyles, but haven't really cared for anything else of hers, somehow.
|
11-03-2009, 10:33 PM | #122 |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 74,037
Karma: 129333114
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
I didn't think The Graveyard Book was that bad. It was more along the lines of light reading for when your brain is out to lunch.
|
Advert | |
|
11-03-2009, 10:35 PM | #123 |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 74,037
Karma: 129333114
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
Another author I would star far far away from is Diana Gabaldon. She is just awful. Her Outlander series is one pile of compost. I would class her as really bad romance with a really stupid use of time-travel.
|
11-03-2009, 10:48 PM | #124 | ||
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 10,155
Karma: 4632658
Join Date: Nov 2007
Device: none
|
Quote:
Quote:
Cheers, Marc |
||
11-03-2009, 11:06 PM | #125 | |
curmudgeon
Posts: 1,481
Karma: 5748190
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Redwood City, CA USA
Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500
|
Quote:
"Mother!" (which is truly icky in context) and also (while um... "enjoying the spoils of victory"): "Pass me another elf, sergeant... Spoiler:
"
(Spoiler tag for those who don't wish to be grossed out without warning). The book was indeed rather longer than could be sustained by its central McGuffin. But it's a loving sendup of the genre, that I recommend to anyone with a strong stomach. Just be certain you don't take ANY of it seriously. Xenophon Last edited by Xenophon; 11-03-2009 at 11:07 PM. Reason: formatting |
|
Advert | |
|
11-04-2009, 12:01 AM | #126 | |
Snooty Bestselling Author
Posts: 1,485
Karma: 1000000
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia
Device: PRS-650
|
Quote:
So, can you elaborate a bit more about what you don't like? Excessive description? Unrealistic dialogue? Characters acting out of - umm - character? Accidentally dropping one of her books causing 9 broken bones in a foot? |
|
11-04-2009, 02:22 AM | #127 | |
Icanhasdonuts?
Posts: 2,837
Karma: 532407
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Mölnbo, Sweden
Device: Kobo Aura 2nd edition, Kobo Clara HD
|
Quote:
Last edited by Slite; 11-04-2009 at 02:25 AM. |
|
11-04-2009, 06:55 AM | #128 |
Fanatic
Posts: 551
Karma: 1121392
Join Date: May 2008
Location: USA
Device: HTC One M8
|
Personally, I enjoyed the original series, but with the last couple the plot developments have become more and more ludicrous. (Last time I looked, Claire had committed bigamy again. Quite by accident, of course...again......)
|
11-04-2009, 08:08 AM | #129 |
Mesmerist
Posts: 331
Karma: 506558
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spain
Device: PRS-600 Silver. Much nicer than I expected.
|
I didn't read the entire thread (sorry...), but I have to vote Moorcock. Not because he is the worst, but because I love the idea of Elric, and the whole set up. But the writing is really abysmal, dull, colorless. I was surprised that so many people like his stuff, but Ï also was a big fan of books as a kid that I go back to now and find shockingly badly written. But the ideas were awesome.
Also, since someone mentioned Zelazny (who has a lot of good stuff), I recently re-read "The Changing Land". Wow, that was not well written. And mostly dull. Last edited by llreader; 11-04-2009 at 09:34 AM. |
11-04-2009, 08:20 AM | #130 | |
Mesmerist
Posts: 331
Karma: 506558
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spain
Device: PRS-600 Silver. Much nicer than I expected.
|
Quote:
Edit: OOPS! I see that there is a separate thread for sci-fi authors. Now this comment makes even more sense. Last edited by llreader; 11-04-2009 at 08:30 AM. Reason: Beginning to see the light.... |
|
11-04-2009, 09:30 AM | #131 |
Publishers are evil!
Posts: 2,418
Karma: 36205264
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Rhode Island
Device: Various Kindles
|
I liked Steven Brust's Jhereg/Vlad series, so I had a lot of high hopes for To Reign in Hell, a book about the split between demons and devils, heaven and hell, and it also had some pretty good reviews by big name authors. Unfortunately, I found the book really, really, boring.
|
11-04-2009, 09:35 AM | #132 | |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 74,037
Karma: 129333114
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
Quote:
|
|
11-04-2009, 09:37 AM | #133 |
Resident Curmudgeon
Posts: 74,037
Karma: 129333114
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
David Brin's Uplift series got me to stop at book 2. I thought book 1 (Sundiver) was not bad and had possibilities. But book 2 (Startide Rising) about the dolphins just bored me enough to stop it.
Another book I recently gave up on after 7 chapters was The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. Chapter 6 was really poorly written and dull. I did give it another go at chapter 7 and had to forgo the rest of it. |
11-04-2009, 09:51 AM | #134 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 44,748
Karma: 55645321
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Peru
Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One
|
Quote:
I love how we can all disagree and still be friendly as we talk about all this - certainly not negative, in my opinion. So, with that said, I'll have to disagree with you about Moorcock (although, to be honest, I haven't read him in a long time). I remember loving his work, especially Elric, but this was back when I was reading Howard, Carter, Leiber, et all, and just loved Moorcock's atmoshpheric writing. I do want to go back and read one; in fact, I think I have a Freebie that's currently on my Sony. I suspect there is a "right time" that when a reader discovers an author, then a special type of magic can take place. Then, as we grow older our tastes change, and maturity (of a sort) happens. Anyway, I'd love to hear any dissenting opinions...because after all - this thread remains positive in almost all aspects of discussion. Don |
|
11-04-2009, 10:11 AM | #135 | ||
Mesmerist
Posts: 331
Karma: 506558
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spain
Device: PRS-600 Silver. Much nicer than I expected.
|
Quote:
I was home sick last year for a couple of months, and got copies of the books, it was going to be great! So disappointing. It was dull as toast. I remember getting to this passage in about the third (?) book, and just giving up. Quote:
That said, Moorcock had lots of great ideas in there. My impression of his books is similar to what they said about The Velvet Underground's first show - only a few people were there, but they all went on to form great bands. I imagine he was an inspiration to a lot of people at a certain age, and would have been to me (who am I to judge, I was reading Andre Norton and Rob White back when). But it certainly isn't riveting prose. |
||
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Espionage authors you (and I) should read | dougbiss | Reading Recommendations | 107 | 07-17-2013 10:26 PM |
Sci-fi authors you (and I) should NEVER read | Dr. Drib | Reading Recommendations | 186 | 03-11-2011 09:03 PM |
Fantasy authors you (and I) should read | dougbiss | Reading Recommendations | 65 | 08-23-2010 10:29 AM |
Your #1 Fiction read after 1901 (NO Sci-fi or Fantasy) | DoctorOhh | Reading Recommendations | 14 | 01-09-2010 08:46 AM |
Sci-fi authors you (and I) should read | dougbiss | Reading Recommendations | 39 | 11-14-2009 07:48 AM |