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

[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! :)