Books read
More catching up.
Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Don't get me wrong, it was a good read - I burned through it in a few weeks.
However,having (at the time) just re-read Ender's Game - one of my all-time favorties, I just couldn't escape the sequelitis comparisons. Bean is Ender, except painted in larger strokes. While Ender had to fight bullies at school, Bean had to tame an entire child-eat-child culture. Ender had his amazing game, Bean had the entire Battleschool to explore. Ender was a brilliant leader. Bean was often two steps ahead of him, frustrated that he was so slow. Ender figured out that the games were rigged. Bean figured out what the games really were. I like a lot of the changes in the rewrite - Ender's Earth was very much a backdrop for exploring the Wiggin children and how they were each masters of it. Bean's Earth seems to have a lot more meat on it, including (gasp) smart people who aren't directly involved in Bean's life. Bean is, due to a Big Secret, more believable than Ender, and more flawed. I do intend to read the rest of Bean's story, because I want to hear more about the world, and I don't feel like Bean has actually peaked in his first adventure (like Ender certainly did).
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
What to say? Adams plays with words and ideas like Sam plays with markers and paints - no rules, little consistency, but lots of fun.
When is "flimsy" a good thing? When the novel is flimsy enough to stay out of the way of all the wacky asides. The Hitchhiker books are classics in the same way the Simpsons are. Which will be funny longer, '42' or "D'oh"?
Almost finished Eats Shoots and Leaves (or is it Eats, Shoots, and Leaves) and then it's the next Harry Potter.
Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Don't get me wrong, it was a good read - I burned through it in a few weeks.
However,having (at the time) just re-read Ender's Game - one of my all-time favorties, I just couldn't escape the sequelitis comparisons. Bean is Ender, except painted in larger strokes. While Ender had to fight bullies at school, Bean had to tame an entire child-eat-child culture. Ender had his amazing game, Bean had the entire Battleschool to explore. Ender was a brilliant leader. Bean was often two steps ahead of him, frustrated that he was so slow. Ender figured out that the games were rigged. Bean figured out what the games really were. I like a lot of the changes in the rewrite - Ender's Earth was very much a backdrop for exploring the Wiggin children and how they were each masters of it. Bean's Earth seems to have a lot more meat on it, including (gasp) smart people who aren't directly involved in Bean's life. Bean is, due to a Big Secret, more believable than Ender, and more flawed. I do intend to read the rest of Bean's story, because I want to hear more about the world, and I don't feel like Bean has actually peaked in his first adventure (like Ender certainly did).
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
What to say? Adams plays with words and ideas like Sam plays with markers and paints - no rules, little consistency, but lots of fun.
When is "flimsy" a good thing? When the novel is flimsy enough to stay out of the way of all the wacky asides. The Hitchhiker books are classics in the same way the Simpsons are. Which will be funny longer, '42' or "D'oh"?
Almost finished Eats Shoots and Leaves (or is it Eats, Shoots, and Leaves) and then it's the next Harry Potter.