Science Fiction Osgiliation

[Primula Baggins]

I about fell out of my chair the first time I read Hitchhiker's. My parents thought I was on drugs. They'd never seen me react to a book like that before.

I guess my mind is inferior, then.

Ah, well! Admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving it.

(It's just a matter of individual taste. I have been terrified to confess this—though I came close to admitting it above—but after reading four or five books, all of them ones that had been recommended by people such as yourself whose taste I respect, I have had to face the fact that Pratchett just is . . . not my . . . cup of tea. . . . )

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Well, I don't care for either Adams or Pratchett, so there most be something seriously wrong with me!

[axordil]

There is a strain of British clever-for-the-sake-of-clever to both writers. Adams had more than Pratchett does. Pratchett has more than, say, Neil Gaiman.

It works for people or it doesn't. When it doesn't work it comes off as twee, or grating, or both .

The nearest American equivalent I can think of is Piers Anthony, whose work I liked when I was about twenty and infinitely clever myself.

[Frelga]

That's OK. We can value and respect each other's individuality, I'm sure.

Actually, Snuff finally got Mr. Frelga's interest, so there is hope for some people.

Adams upsets me. His universe is random, absurd, pitiless. I don't want that kind of realism from my science fiction.

ETA: x-posted with River. I do enjoy the humor of both, but Pratchett attracts me with his characterization (his mastery of female characters is unrivaled, IMO) and with his humanistic philosophy. Although he, too, is aware that universe is random, absurd and uncaring, he still says that we have to act as if humans matter, or what's the point.

[yovargas]

There is nothing random, absurd, or pitiless about 42.

[Inanna]

I about fell out of my chair the first time I read Hitchhiker's. My parents thought I was on drugs. They'd never seen me react to a book like that before.

That pretty much was, and still is, my reaction to hitchhikers.

Clap-Clap yov

[Frelga]

Well, Belgium that.

[Holbytla]

The major problem — one of the major problems, for there are several — one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.
To summarize: it is a well known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem.

[Primula Baggins]

Well, I don't care for either Adams or Pratchett, so there most be something seriously wrong with me!

Goes without saying. But we love you anyway.

I like Adams because the humor is my cup of tea, or one of them (I'm drinking a nice cup of yerba mate at the moment, so it doesn't even have to be tea). But I also appreciate that his SF writing was backstopped by actually knowing something about SF (respecting the tropes even as he lampooned them). He wasn't slumming; he lived in my neighborhood, in that sense.

Edit: Cross-posted with Holby. Someday those words will be carved in marble over the door of the U.S. Capitol. Unless they catch me before I finish.

[Griffon64]

Someday those words will be carved in marble over the door of the U.S. Capitol. Unless they catch me before I finish.

The first Pratchett I read ( Mort ) had basically the effect on me that Hitchhiker's had on River. In my case, I was sneakily reading the paperback inside my text book during study period, so man, was my face red. But sometimes you laugh before you can help yourself.

I didn't get into trouble because hey, at least I was reading, just not the text book.

[Frelga]

My problem with Mort was that after reading it my son, then eight, was saying loudly at the store, "Death is the coolest!"

He is (especially in Soul Music) but I got odd looks.

Um, is that first sentence missing a comma?

[Inanna]

Someday those words will be carved in marble over the door of the U.S. Capitol. Unless they catch me before I finish.

Laughing out loud, I still cannot stop doing that with Good Omens.

The thing I love the most about Adams and Pratchett is that they make me think.

[vison]

I guess my mind is inferior, then.

Good heavenly days, no.

Just . . . differently superior . . . . .

[Frelga]

[Maria]

We really enjoyed the first and second Pratchett novels we listened to, "Going Postal" and "Making Money". Then we started the series from the beginning and each one so far borders on tedious for me. Except for "Mort" I liked that one. We are up to "Eric" now and it mostly just grates. I don't know if it would be more enjoyable if the reader had a better sense of comedic timing or not. As it is, my tolerance for audio Pratchett has dropped from about 25 minutes at a time to about 15 with "Eric". And our commute is 20 minutes, so that means either we finish up the ride in silence or I'm gritting my teeth through the last 5 minutes of attempted humor.

We've taken to scheduling Pratchett novels right after really spectacular audiobooks. We just finished "A Wise Man's Fears" the sequel to "The Name of the Wind" and knew it would be a tough act to follow. So we opted to try the next Pratchett novel. Fortunately it's only 3.5 hours long, so it will be over soon.

Then we have to pick something else.....

[Griffon64]

Maria - hang in there with Pratchett. Colour of Magic, Light Fantastic and Eric are in my opinion the weakest ones, and you hit them all pretty close to the beginning. I'd recommend people skip those until they're hooked.

Maybe I should get some audio Pratchett novels to listen to as I exercise on the treadmill. Currently my boredom kicks in long before my exhaustion does.

[Alatar]

Maria, the best Pratchett audiobooks are the abridged ones read by Tony Robinson. This is a case where the abridged versions are actually superior to the unabridged.

[tinwë]

I made the mistake of reading Colour Of Magic first and I just haven’t had any desire to pursue Pratchett since then. Too much of what Ax described as “clever-for-the-sake-of-clever”, imo. I have to have a story, that’s what matters to me when I read, and I just got the feeling from Colour that the story was merely a vehicle for Pratchett to display his cleverness. I like good writing, and I have no doubt that he is an excellent writer, but I want writing that serves the story, not a story that serves the writing, if you get my meaning.

I felt the same way about David Sedaris of This Amercian Life fame. Someone gave me a copy of one of his books and told me it was the best thing they had ever read. After reading the first chapter I felt like I had been on a wild motorcycle ride to nowhere. It just seemed pointless. I did not read any more.

I did read Good Omens before I read Colour Of Magic and quite enjoyed it. It felt like it actually went somewhere, whereas Colour just wandered around aimlessly.

I have always liked Hitchhiker’s though, which also has a tendency to wander around aimlessly, but in Adam’s case it is more his bizarre stream of conscience wandering then mere aimlessness. Somehow it seems to work itself out into an actual story and I feel like I have gone somewhere worth going.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I like Tom Robbins.

[Frelga]

Color of Magic pretty much was the Hitchhiker for the fantasy genre - an affectionate spoof of the tropes and cliches. Even Light Fantastic, the second book, has more of a plot. It also has Cohen the Barbarian (AKA Chengiz Cohen, hence the term "wholesale destruction") who rocks harder than any other barbarian warrior in the history of barbarian warfare.

Ahem. My point is that Pratchett is best started at one of the starting points of major storylines - Wyrd Systers for the witches (never mind Equal Rites), Guards! Guards! for the watch, or Mort for Death. Or one of the standalones like Monstrous Regiment. Then one can go back to early books and laugh at the jokes and say, "Yes, he sure has grown as an author since then."

Eric even I am not that fond of.

And stop telling me about the Name of the Wind! I want to read it and I don't have the time.