Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 11:53:45 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: reading likes and dislikes
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

> candymadigan at mindspring.com 03/26/02 10:52AM >>>
>>I'm afraid I fall into Candy's camp where Bester is
>>concerned.  I've enjoyed some of his short fiction,
>>but The Stars My Destination really didn't do anything
>>for me.  I think perhaps my expectations were too
>>high, since everyone kept telling me what a
>>masterpiece it was. don't think I hated it quite as
>>much as Candy though.
>
>And actually, my dislike of TSMD grew gradually.  I actively disliked =
the
>book the first time I read it, but it didn't stand out in my memory =
enough
>for me to remember it the next time I read it, or the next time, or =
the
>next time...  I finally memorized the author and title so as *not* to =
read
>it again.  So I class it in the "never read" category and suspect that =
my
>hatred for it would be less if I hadn't accidentally read it over and =
over
>and over.
>
>>I kind of feel the same way
>>about Arthur C. Clarke.  Love the short fiction, but
>>while I didn't actively dislike Rama or Childhood's
>>End, I don't consider them masterpeices that I would
>>encourage eveyone I know to read.  Of course, I also
>>feel that way about lots of nonSF authors too.
>>Virginia Woolf comes to mind.  I know she's supposed
>>to be brilliant, but while I enjoyed her nonfiction
>>essays A Room with A View and Three Guineas, I've
>>never liked her fiction, but I've ended up reading a
>>fair amount of it because everytime I mention not
>>liking one of her great masterpeices, someone always
>>says "try this one. it's much better."
>
>My tastes are rather plebian.  I also am easily upset by what I read, =
so
>when I read something I want a happy ending.  And the middle better =
hadn't
>be too scary or upsetting.

Then run like hell from Lucius Shepard.

The ending of The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter:
"From that day forward she lived happily ever after.  Except for thedying =
at the end.  And the pain in between."

Don't know if he's ever written a story with a  "happy ending".

Also, China Mieville:
"The idea of consolatory fantasy makes me want to puke. It's not that you =
can't have comfort, or even a happy ending of sorts, but to me the idea =
that the purpose of a book should be to console                            =
intrinsically means the purpose is therefore not to challenge or to =
subvert or to question; it is  absolutely status quo oriented  - - =
completely, rigidly, aesthetically  - -  and I hate that idea."  (http://w=
ww.locusmag.com/2002/Issue03/Mieville.html)

He is a very political kind of person.

Luckily there are lots of books ourt there . . .

mjw

.
>
>Candy
>Candy
>