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

[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.