Seven Deadly Sins Discuss/ Grade

[DevilEyes]

I suppose I never had the problem that every story didn't match the standard morality tale structure with an embodiment and punishment for a specific sin at the center, because I don't actually like the concept in the first place. As I said in my review, I was very doubtful of the concept when the anthology was announced, and was just hoping that we'd get good stories despite it. Which is why I am pleasantly surprised that I liked the stories for themselves and that they're not too spoiled by preachiness. A couple of stories do - more or less - match the morality tale requirements (The First Peer, The Slow Knife) but they're good in spite of it, not because of it (IMO).

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I suppose I never had the problem that every story didn't match the standard morality tale structure with an embodiment and punishment for a specific sin at the center, because I don't actually like the concept in the first place. As I said in my review, I was very doubtful of the concept when the anthology was announced, and was just hoping that we'd get good stories despite it. Which is why I am pleasantly surprised that I liked the stories for themselves and that they're not too spoiled by preachiness. A couple of stories do - more or less - match the morality tale requirements (The First Peer, The Slow Knife) but they're good in spite of it, not because of it (IMO).

I wasn't necessarily looking for a morality tale. I remember reading the back cover summary and thinking "Oooh, cool!"

That was more of a letdown, for me. Not necessarily that they didn't match the sin (although that would have been an extra plus) but rather that the back cover summary didn't match up to Freedom Angst's and Revenant's plots..

I don't tend to read most things, not even in the bookstore as a precursor to buying unless

A) I'm required to do to class/work/committee assignments,
B) The back cover/Wikipedia/User Reviews set off a little lightbulb/klaxon in my head, and
C) The book is by an author I have read before and/or am familiar with.

Now, that's not a fool-proof, solve-everything approach (Before Dishonor comes to mind), but I find it works. In this case, it worked overall. That's the other thing about anthologies for me: If I get that lightbulb/klaxon at less than 50% +1 of the stories, I don't bother with it, especially if there are novels nearby that I do want.

 

[KRAD]

Wrath: Klingons - "The Unhappy Ones"
I haven't read any of the Klingon-related fiction related to the conflict between the smooth-heads and the ridge-heads, so this was a new theme to me.

It was a new one, generally. There hasn't been much that dealt with it, given that Enterprise only gave us this answer in the late fourth season, and book production takes a while.

(I can't bother to remember the Klingon words. BTW, did I ever mention that I hate it when Klingon episodes and stories feature a lot of Klingon words that actually can be perfectly translated to English? It's not just because I have to come home and look for the meanings on the net, but because stories about other alien culture rarely feature 'alien' words, and when they do it's just the specific untranslatable words like the name of specific meals and drinks.)

Which is, in fact, what I try to do in my Klingon fiction. I don't think I've ever, for example, used HaDIbaH, which translates to "animal" because, well, it translates to "animal." Even with QuchHa' and HemQuch, I tried to also use the terms "smooth-head" and "ridge-head" as well. But generally, I try to only use the Klingon words for untranslateable words or proper names.

It was one of the more compelling stories that I read very fast - whether it was the pacing and structure, with mini-stories about each of its many characters, making an entire mini-society the protagonist rather than one character, or the fact that racism and injustice tend to get the reader emotionally involved. Contrary to what some posters have said, there is a lot of anger in the story from pretty much everyone, whether it is something that the reader immediately condemns, like racism, or something that we can relate to, like anger at the injustice and incompetence. I agree with the point made earlier than the ending is a little too neat - but I'd be lying if I said I weren't hoping for such a resolution, and Sorkav really had it coming not just for his racism but for his gross incompetence, so it was a logical ending. It's just Kor's speech at the end that makes the ending seem too neat and happy: it's not like Sorkav's downfall and the resolution of his particular case will solve the problem of racism in the Empire.

I don't think anyone thought it would, but I think Kor in particular wanted to prove that his heart was Klingon even if his forehead wasn't, in light of Sorkav's behavior, the treatment of Jurva, and of the conversation among him, Kang, Mara, and Koloth over dinner. Sorry it felt too pat, though -- that's on me....

 

[ProtoAvatar]

The more is found out about the events behind the familiar alliances and emnities, the more of a disappointment the romulans become.

The romulans pride themselves as being accomplished politicians, apt in the art of intrigue and backstabbing.

Yet we know the Federation outmaneuvered the romulans twice on a massive scale (as far as 'intrigue' goes) - once during the Tomed incident and once during the Dominion war.
Not to mention that Earth, then a young spacefaring power, conclusively defeated the centuries old romulan empire in war. And the fact that Shinzon - a single human - got his revenge on the romulans who mistreated him by trashing their entire INTERSTELLAR EMPIRE.

And now, in "The first peer", we find out the klingons also deceived the romulans and not only got away with it, but prospered - obtained cloaking tech, lauched raids against the Federation and set the romulans up to pay for them, etc.

Apprently, the louder the bark, the weaker the bite.

 

[marcusgee]

What was fun about doing "Revenant" for this collection was that Marco Palmieri pretty much let me have free reign to do what I wanted--so I chose more of a horror theme, because I wanted to get the Borg back to their nasty, terrifying selves. From what I've read here, that came through pretty well--and I thank y'all for letting me scare you a little!

Granted, the "gluttony" theme was secondary to the horror element. but I think it mostly stands as more of a motive for the Borg, not to mention the stirrings that the characters are feeling deep inside as they slowly assimilate. That part of it is pretty subtle, until the end when it manifests itself as more of a hunger for revenge. However you slice it, though, even this incarnation of the Borg are at the mercy of their drives--and it would be interesting to see them wrestle with that in another story.

 

[mbruno]

I have a question about the timeframe of "The Unhappy Ones." The historian's note reads, "This story takes place in 2269, prior to the destruction of the Klingon battle-cruiser at Beta XII-A ("Day of the Dove" TOS)." I'm assuming that it would have to be before Day of the Dove because Kang's vessel is a complete loss (I think) in that episode. Although he could be in a new ship by the time of this story. But Memories Alpha and Beta both have Day of the Dove in 2268. Also, I thought I noticed a reference KRAD made to the animated Tribble episode, which is generally accepted to have happened after the live action episodes.

I guess I was just wondering if there was any kind of typo in the historian's note. Not a huge deal, just something that bothers the OCD timeliner in me.

(I apologize if this has been discussed already and I missed it. I reviewed the thread before posting and didn't see anything about it.)

I was wondering that myself.

 

[Janos]

Is Seven Deadly Sins generally recommended by folks around here? I do like the anthologies generally.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I loved it. Especially the Klingon story.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I'd recommend it. On the whole it was enjoyable, though I didn't personally really like the Borg or MU stories.

 

[JD]

I'm in the process of reading it right now. I'm up to the Borg story so far (I skipped the MU story after just a few pages, it just wasn't doing anything for me, but I might go back to it later), and I've really enjoyed the stories I've read so far. I would definitely recommend it.

 

[captcalhoun]

i think the only really crappy one was the Borg one. i know i liked the Klingon, Romulan, Pakled and Ferengi ones.

 

[DS9Continuing]

In my opinion, all the stories were at least good, and some were excellent.

 

[Janos]

Is the MU story focused on the MU Sisko?

 

[Greg Cox]

Is the MU story focused on the MU Sisko?

Yes.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Is the MU story focused on the MU Sisko?

Yes. I didn't particularly like it, because it fell short, to me, of what it was supposed to present and deal with. Maybe it's just me, but that was one of the dullest and most emotionless of the stories (ironic when one considers the emotion that it's supposed to deal with is lust). At the end, I honestly couldn't really tell you much about what happens, except for what one of my friends called "the gay scene". (Note, that's their phrase, not mine).

Same with Revenant, pretty much.

 

[OverlordSpock]

i think the only really crappy one was the Borg one. i know i liked the Klingon, Romulan, Pakled and Ferengi ones.

Obviously, others are allowed their opinions, and mine isn't any more right or wrong than others, but it surprises me that more people didn't like Revenant. I thought it was a very gripping story—one that I found it very difficult to put down (although I will admit that the ending didn't entirely work for me...).

Maybe it's just because it was a new Borg story right after so much trouble was gone through to get rid of the Borg in Destiny.

 

[captcalhoun]

not for me, i just thought the plot was crap.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Me too. Plus, and I'm honestly not really sure, I just didn't care what happened to the characters. None of them connected, none of them really stood out, and I pretty much went "Wow, that kinda sucked" and moved on and forgot about it.

 

[Greg Cox]

i think the only really crappy one was the Borg one. i know i liked the Klingon, Romulan, Pakled and Ferengi ones.

Obviously, others are allowed their opinions, and mine isn't any more right or wrong than others, but it surprises me that more people didn't like Revenant. I thought it was a very gripping story—one that I found it very difficult to put down (although I will admit that the ending didn't entirely work for me...).

Maybe it's just because it was a new Borg story right after so much trouble was gone through to get rid of the Borg in Destiny.

Yeah, I really liked "Revenant," too. I thought it was a good, creepy horror story.

The Cardassian story was probably my favorite, though.

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I agree about the Cardassian story, for sure. But, full disclosure, I already love Cardassians and Romulans to begin with.

Your Pakled story was excellent, too. And, apart from the Borg story, that one was probably the one I was most skeptical about.