tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post3621277218241811664..comments2024-03-26T17:54:54.592+01:00Comments on Speculiction...: Review of "A Fire upon the Deep" by Vernor VingeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-43326321684389702092021-07-27T23:41:23.316+02:002021-07-27T23:41:23.316+02:00I broadly agree with the review above. This book l...I broadly agree with the review above. This book lacks many aspects I look for in good SciFi - and yes, perhaps I am a snob. But I want it all: technology AND character driven plot sketched only by dialogue and description. There are some original ideas here, but the holes are massive. Sometimes the author even confesses his own incredulity about the plot "Physically, the planet was near the human ideal—wonderful good luck after all the bad"....<br />"On the other hand, there was intelligent life here" To the list of good SciFi above (Culture, Hyperion) I'd add the Southern Reach Trilogy.tonybhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11984860731696169998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-23840384752951936792018-03-16T13:51:10.068+01:002018-03-16T13:51:10.068+01:00"The list of anachronisms goes on, but I digr..."The list of anachronisms goes on, but I digress." <br /><br />And yet you have the temerity to complain at length in your second paragraph about the quality of Vinge's writing. <br /><br />You may also choose to bemoan the fact that Vinge's vision of the Internet hasn't been borne out by history - but your reply to anonymous confirms just how brilliantly Vinge captured what remains to this day the prevailing culture & voice of those who are most populous on the Net. Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14234417314747393274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-79992343809702380132016-01-05T17:28:20.793+01:002016-01-05T17:28:20.793+01:00Reality check:
Exhibit A: "non-fans of space...Reality check:<br /><br />Exhibit A: "non-fans of space opera are not allowed to critique space opera" This is like saying non-Democrats cannot criticize democrats. <i>Reality check failed. Logic does not compute.</i><br /><br />Exhibit B: "Great literature can be driven by the world its in." <i>Reality check passed. Caveat: A well-built world is not enough to have great literature. Other elements are necessary. Would the commenter please provide evidence of other such elements in A Fire upon the Deep?</i><br /><br />Exhibit C: "Dogs piloting sailboats is the only thing the reviewer took away from the novel". <i>Reality check failed. The review goes into some relative detail about numerous issues the novel has. Commenter should consider improving cognitive skills to ensure such oversights do not happen in the future</i>. *howls at the moon*<br /><br />Exhibit D: "A Fire upon the Deep is complex and compelling for its science." <i>Reality check failed. Dogs cannot pilot sailboats or build civilizations. Science failed. Reality failed. FAIL. Fail. fail. Disney, success!!</i>.<br /><br />Exhibit E: "This review is pretentious crap," <i>Reality check passed - or so say the panel of dogs voting on the quality of the review (though they do say it could do with more soup bones and sunny patches to laze in)</i>.<br /><br />Exhibit F: "Review made commenter angry" <i>Reality check failed. Logic does not compute. Review critiques book, not commenter. System confused.</i>.<br /><br /><br />In all seriousness, perhaps you need to take a nice holiday to get away from the things in life that are stressing you out? It's just a book, and I just wrote a review. No need to get angry. If you think the novel is 'great literature,' please point out to me the qualities of the book which I apparently missed that make it great, no need to get personal or insulting.Jessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07796098208589965362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-72448213730915123822016-01-04T14:27:34.276+01:002016-01-04T14:27:34.276+01:00This review is absolutely ridiculous. I read this...This review is absolutely ridiculous. I read this after reading a review of a Vernor Vinge novella (that I thought was equally ridiculous) and wrote something close to an essay and deleted (most of it). Based on what the reviews I've seen, you are not a space opera fan (or at least do not enjoy many well regarded authors in the genre) and should stop pretending to be some critic of the genre. I don't understand how you can enjoy Hyperion and the Culture Series and give 1 or 2 star reviews on brilliant books by authors like Vernor Vinge and Alastair Reynolds. Great literature doesn't have to be driven by the characters development and dialogue. It can be driven by the Universe the author creates. Yes the characters are not as complex as some of the classic works of fiction, but they don't need to be in this type of book.<br /><br />Seriously "dogs piloting sailboats"... if that is what you got out of this book you clearly didn't understand what was going on, and that is on you, not Vernor Vinge.<br /><br />I am guessing this difference in opinion is based on the fact I enjoy fiction written by scientists; it tends to be complex and compelling for someone who is studying to become a scientist (as well as others interested in the sciences outside of there use as literary devices). I can see how it is not for everyone, but this review was so horrible it made me angry enough to write this all out. <br /><br />Summary: This review is pretentious crap, as are many of the sci-fi reviews on this website.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-82863916586788020992012-11-23T08:45:47.942+01:002012-11-23T08:45:47.942+01:00And you are not the only one who feels that way. ...And you are not the only one who feels that way. I could just never get into the novel. It all seemed a big joke. In fact, there were several moments I thought it was a work of satire. You want innocent children in trouble? Check? You want dogs piloting sailboats? Check. You want tree people in wagons for comic relief? Check. You want super-mega-hyper-evil in black cloud form? Check. You want dialogue like: "The evil lord has been inside our computer the whole time?!?!" Check. You want highly predictable plot? Check. And on and on... I kept waiting for Pizza the Hut to jump out and say Boo! <br /><br />A Fire upon the Deep is B-grade sci-fi, just like Disney's John Carter. Just picture it in film format. I mean, dogs in sailboats! Only Disney would attempt to pull something like that off. There is obviously a place for such entertainment, I just couldn't buy into it. Your horizons must be broader than mine.Jessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07796098208589965362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-35777171406847262212012-11-22T18:53:17.210+01:002012-11-22T18:53:17.210+01:00Disney in space? Ridiculous.
One of the greatest ...Disney in space? Ridiculous. <br />One of the greatest sci-fi novels of the last 30 years.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com