My Problem With SF

[poliphilo]

Once again I pick up an SF novel (in this case Ian M Banks' Excession) only to be reminded that I don't like SF novels because everyone in them is so boring.  I don't think it can be an inflexible rule of the genre that real people and space ships don't mix because Wells breaks it- but where are  the other SF writers who give you characters you can care about?

Comments

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

Well, I enjoyed all of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars books, but I suppose a purist would scoff at them being called SF.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Fantasy adventure stories? I don't know. I guess they're a lot like Rider Haggard- who I like- only with Mars standing in for darkest Africa.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

That about covers it (although ERB's women wear a LOT less on Mars).

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, it's hot out there....

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Lois McMaster Bujold's Barryar series definitely has real characters. Actually so do many of Ian M Bank's books.

Having said that, the appeal of a certain type of SF is the background, setting and situation rather than the characters. Odd characters in an odd setting with odd things happening ends up as Too Much Odd, so sometimes the characters tend towards the bland to avoid this problem.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, I can see that. I like the phrase "Too Much Odd".

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Something else we have in common then! I don't relate to SF at all.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think I ought to like it, but in practice I rarely do.

[internet-sampo.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Jack Vance or Roger Zelazny. The sci-fi fans criticize them for being too psychological (and I am one to equate psychological with interesting). I'm recommend the Demon Princes and 9 Princes in Amber.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll bear those names in mind.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I couldn't get into Banks for that very reason.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You get pages and pages of description of alien technology.

Not my thing at all.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Me neither. And I love SF/F!

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

I gave up at Chapter 2 of a Banks book when the alien ambassador had tentacles. I couldn't take it seriously.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That sounds like the one I'm reading.

Yes, I'm not a big fan of tentacles.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I love M.C.A. Hogarth's sci-fi. Her characters are emotional and interesting, and I've always come to be emotionally invested in them and in what happens to them.

LOL Otherwise known as "that lovely person whose post shows up just above mine!"

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ah yes! :)

I've very much enjoyed what I've read.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

You might try Elizabeth Bear -- either Dust or Hammered (although, fair warning, if you like them each is the start of a trilogy). The Bujold reccy is not bad, depending on where you drop into the series -- try Cordelia's Honor to test if you like her. And Jo Walton writes marvelously engaging characters, I think. Most of what she writes is Fantasy rather than SF, but I like her alternate history trio, starting with Farthing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll keep an eye open for those names.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

I don't generally read SF, though I have written it (hard SF only, not into space opera) but one book I did like was called To Hold Infinity - it had a protagonist who was a Japanese old lady and she was cool! And the code bits are plausible, which for me is important.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

Of course now I think of it, technological advances have made that novel almost out of date, but only almost!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

A little old lady protagonist sounds interesting...

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

I'm not really into hard sci-fi, but I like political and social sci-fi - Kristine Smith and Lois McMaster Bujold in particular. Though they're probably not the sort of authors you would come across in the local library...

The best new novel I've read so far this year just happens to be SF - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie - very strong characterisation, and thoroughly involving.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I get most of my books from charity shops these days. You never know what you're going to come across.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Likewise!

[wyrmwwd.livejournal.com]

I like the Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley, but it's an easy read, and would probably bore you.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

She's also the author of Mists of Avalon, yes?

[wyrmwwd.livejournal.com]

Yes. Her writing is much more mature and polished in "Mists". It is one of my favorite books. But I did love the Darkover novels, and I even named cats after some of the characters. This leads me to think that there was better character development than most other SF. "Hastur" and "Cassilda" mean specific things to me, and to anyone else who know the stories, so they will get the joke.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

So many books, so little time to read them all! :)

[angiereedgarner.livejournal.com]

I love Banks but for thoughts on social science not for his characters. The joy of SF is in the world-building and that is either crack for you or not. :) I am not even sure where I would send you to read character-driven SF! I don't read SF for that.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I enjoy world building but apparently not enough to be satisfied with fiction that has nothing else to offer.

[angiereedgarner.livejournal.com]

OK, I just liked The Martian by Weir and Annihilation by Vandermeer. Am guessing the samples will tell you fast if it is your thing or not.

Non-boring SF

[methodius.livejournal.com]

I liked SF when I was a teenager, but I don't like it much now. Is it just me, or is the SF published nowadays more boring than when I was young?

I think it's a bit of both.

I recently (well, about 10 years ago -- checks -- more like 15) re-read Aldous Huxley's "Brave new world". I loved it when I was 17, but on rereading it I found it rather shallow and pedestrian.

I recall some short stories in anthologies that I read, and some I would like to re-read, but I fear I might find them dull too. There was one called "The last monster", which had some interesting throughts about colonialism. There was one called "The new reality" by Charles Harness, which introduced me to the notion of paradigm shifts and solipsism. But none of them could be said to have had real characters. They were all about things or forces rather than about people.