Charles Stross's novels
I've recently been wondering why autopope's books aren't on my buy in hardcover list. Why do I always feel vaguely dissatisfied after reading them, so don't feel reading is new one is a high priority. I think the problem is that while he is brilliant at coming up with original ideas and settings, the actual story tends to be a bit weak.
For example in the merchant princes series the set up could have allowed for a story focussing on the impact of classical capitalist economics on a feudal mercantile medieval state. Which would have been a genuinely original story. Instead there story had, by the end of _The Clan Corporate_, turned into a bog standard cutthroat medieval palace politics plot. Specifically the one where the impatient unworthy heir decides to promote himself and kills everyone who might object. It might have been more interesting for Miriam to have got somewhere out on the periphery of Gruinmarkt and got herself a fairly strong position before anybody really realising why she was doing what she was doing. Instead she ended up totally marginalised and not really in a position to do anything. While this isn't as obvious with his other books the same shortcoming is present. I always end up with a vague feeling of disappointment at what is actually done with a very promising setup.
For example in the merchant princes series the set up could have allowed for a story focussing on the impact of classical capitalist economics on a feudal mercantile medieval state. Which would have been a genuinely original story. Instead there story had, by the end of _The Clan Corporate_, turned into a bog standard cutthroat medieval palace politics plot. Specifically the one where the impatient unworthy heir decides to promote himself and kills everyone who might object. It might have been more interesting for Miriam to have got somewhere out on the periphery of Gruinmarkt and got herself a fairly strong position before anybody really realising why she was doing what she was doing. Instead she ended up totally marginalised and not really in a position to do anything. While this isn't as obvious with his other books the same shortcoming is present. I always end up with a vague feeling of disappointment at what is actually done with a very promising setup.