Fearful Symmetry's cover
- Thread starter apenpaap
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It really annoyed my sister - her reasons were that she wants to be able to read the blurb about a book before she buys it.
I haven't read it yet, but I'll give her that point, because I've looked and there's nothing outside of the fiction that suggests where the book features in time, or what it's about.
Kick-ass cover though
I love Picacio's big pieces that are split up for trilogies. Fantastic artist.
I haven't read it yet, but I'll give her that point, because I've looked and there's nothing outside of the fiction that suggests where the book features in time, or what it's about.
Kick-ass cover though
I love Picacio's big pieces that are split up for trilogies. Fantastic artist.
It's a book in a series. If she reads the series, she should have a good idea of what the book's about. If she doesn't, it's really not the best place to start.
^ That changes from person to person. She's exceptionally big on reading, and enjoys star trek, and enjoys a good story. So she'll happily read a book that's part of a series, so long as it stands on its own as a good book.
But without the blurb on the book, how is she to know it's part of a series, and not another standalone novel?
Anyway, it's a moot point, as she was buying it for me, and I already knew what the book was about. She was just making the "general" point about blurbless books.
But without the blurb on the book, how is she to know it's part of a series, and not another standalone novel?
Anyway, it's a moot point, as she was buying it for me, and I already knew what the book was about. She was just making the "general" point about blurbless books.
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moot. not mute.
couldn't help it.
couldn't help it.
That may be a problem, then. First, it doesn't stand on its own, and second, it's definitely NOT a good book. It really was utter crap, and after waiting all those years for a continuation of the DS9 storyline, we really did deserve better writing.
Ivsxy808 - Apologies; was rushing out my point on the way out of the house. Didn't re-read, as usual.
OmahaStar - Harsh. But I haven't read it yet, so I can't comment. I've only just finished Demons of Air and Darkness. (reading in order)
OmahaStar - Harsh. But I haven't read it yet, so I can't comment. I've only just finished Demons of Air and Darkness. (reading in order)
I thought it was quite good (Woods nailed the voices of all the characters), but Omaha is right that it doesn't stand on its own terribly well.
I don't think I would've had any problem at all with Fearful Symmetry / The Soul Key if they'd been published as one book as originally intended. It certainly wasn't enough story to have us pay another $8 and wait another year to get it resolved, but as one book it would've been completely satisfying.
But these things happen in the publishing world. Oh well.
But these things happen in the publishing world. Oh well.
The book was confusing.
I have no idea about "the voices of the characters" since I haven't read it, but I know what happens in it, and can't possibly imagine how a book can be good if it makes a canon character act ridiculously out of character. A characterization based on the idea "this character is eeeevi, so they would so all sort of eeevil things, doesn't matter what and if fits with the character, right? So let's try to make him more eeeevil" is lousy characterization and a sign of rubbish writing. Sure, you could say that I should not criticize something I haven't read, but know am not going to be reading it, just like I wouldn't want to read a hypothetical novel about, say, Tony Soprano or Vic Mackey from The Shield by an author who decided that they weren't bad enough altready, so, hey, let's make them into child molestors.
It would be stupid, and for the same reason, the story of Fearful Symmetry is stupid.You're right.
Yes, because you could say it...
And you'd be wrong.
Rubbish story, rubbish characterization, but the book is good once you read it? Riiight.
I'd have to agree with Matt here I'm afraid, I have no problems with spoilers and knowing things about something before I read it because normally it's out of context, reviews and the like can be coloured one way or another by that reviewist. But judging something on second or third hand knowledge, I'm just not capable of that.
I myself can not judge the MU section of Fearful Symmetry because I haven't read it - I just put it down one night and didn't pick it up again. And even though I know pretty much what happens, it's not in context and thus I can't pass judgement on it.
I haven't read the reviews and I'm not basing my opinion on the reviews, I am basing it on the plot, or rather a certain storyline that I am aware of because it has been mentioned by at least 8-10 different people on this subforum. If ten different people tell you that something happens in a book, I am pretty sure that they are not lying or making it up. And I've already said what I think about that particular storyline. If everything else in the novel were just wonderful, it still wouldn't make up for what is a ridiculously bad characterization for a canon character we already know too well.
If you want to use characters as plot devices, why not make up a new character?
If, OTOH, the whole idea is "let's see how eeeeevil I could possibly make Dukat, even if I make him do things that don't make sense based on everything we've ever learned about his psychology, motivations and modes of behavior", well, then that's just lame. As I said: would I want to read a novel about, say, Tony Soprano being a child molestor, written by someone who thought "gee, he's a bad guy, so why not? Bad guys do bad things, that's all the characterization you need"? Nope, I would not.
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