I got another email from Alastair Reynolds. (Spoilers)

[ChrisC]

Just thought I'd share this with you all. I was dissapointed with the ending of Absolution Gap. So I told Al.

Hi Alastair,

Just a quick mail to say I have finished your Inhibitors trilogy. I really, really enjoyed them. However, I must ask was there a deadline to meet or something as I felt the ending of Absolution Gap was a little rushed. In my opinion I think you should have written another book and made it a four book series. You could have introduced the nestbuilders slowly over another book.

Well that's my two pennies worth. I'm on to reading Dune by Frank Herbert. After that I'll read Galactic North, which, so I'm told will explain a little more about the nestbuilders.

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Regards,

Chris.

--
" If you can empty your mind of all thoughts your heart will embrace the tranquility of peace. Watch the workings of all of creation, but contemplate their return to the source. "

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

ChrisC
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Alastair Reynolds
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show details 22:34 (14 hours ago)


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Hi Chris

It definitely wasn't written under the best of circumstances, I'll say that. There's still much about that book
I like - the cathedrals, the atmosphere, some of the characters, but I probably didn't do as good a job
on the ending as I could have. That said, it isn't the last word. I've never thought of it as a trilogy, just
a universe I'll go back to when I have something worth saying.

But as you say, Galactic North will fill things in a bit...

all best, and hope you're well,

Al

[SoulThief]

I have refused to read anything else from him since Absolution Gap. It really disappointed me. Ta for posting that.

ST

[HAL Jr]

I have refused to read anything else from him since Absolution Gap. It really disappointed me. Ta for posting that.

ST

I felt a bit like that after trying to read The Prefect. I will try others tho-i want to read House of Suns-I'm not a fan of big connected series-its a pain trying to track them all down and if i leave it too long between books I forget stuff.

[admin]

One problem a professional writer faces is that he can't take a bad book and put in on the shelf until he figures out how to make it better. He's got to send it in to pay for his groceries and to meet his contract deadline and start work on something else. But one bad book, or even one bad scene, can cause a reader to quit on a writer, as I've quit on writers I once liked, such as David Brin, Robert Silverberg, Ward Moore, Ben Bova -- to mention just a few. When there are hundreds of sf books published every year, of which I read about ten (plus a lot of fantasy, historicals, classics, mysteries, non-fiction, etc.) I'm only going to read the writers I like a whole lot.

[HAL Jr]

Oh I dont get put off that easily-I wasn't keen on Le Guin's Planet of Exile but I'm now reading another before trying her Left Hand of Darkness. A lot of authors have had duff books (Philip K Dick is up there in that category for me) but it doesn't stop me looking for others. I have to say there's only been one duff Clarke book,and that was The Deep Range,just bored me to death,sorry Arthur!
One up and down author is Brian Aldiss. When he's good he's very good but when he's off par forget it! As for Silverberg well I file him under fantasy I'm afraid,good fantasy but fantasy nonetheless. Must search out his earlier stuff tho,when he was more of a SF writer (Nightwings etc-must find a copy)

[admin]

Le Guin is so good I kept with her even on her lesser work -- similarly with Gene Wolfe, whose latest novel I will read even though reviews say it is a turkey. And I'll put up with a lot from Heinlein/Asimov/Clarke. Silverberg I liked best when he was writing Ace Doubles, and I still read his non-fiction, especially his column in Asimov's magazine, but his more "serious" fiction bores me. Brian Aldis is a dilemma. When he's good he's very very good, but when he's bad he is horrid. I hated The Dark Light Years, a long novel on the subject of shit, but Nonstop is one of my favorite novels.

[HAL Jr]

Brian Aldis is a dilemma. When he's good he's very very good, but when he's bad he is horrid. I hated The Dark Light Years, a long novel on the subject of shit, but Nonstop is one of my favorite novels.

Lol I have a soft spot for The Dark Light Years,and its only a short novel (didn't emjoy Greybeard if I rememeber and still yet to find Non stop to read-Hothouse was fab tho)

[admin]

Greybeard was one of Aldis's best. Children of Men, a novel on the same subject by a mainstream author, was a best-seller and was made into a movie, but I liked Greybeard better.

[HAL Jr]

Children of Men, a novel on the same subject by a mainstream author, was a best-seller and was made into a movie, but I liked Greybeard better.

Ah an example of a film being better received than the book!