Member: rojse

Thanks for your interesting review of the Promethea books, rosje. Having read the first one, I oddly enough came away thinking I won't rush to read the others. What I liked in the first one was the more traditional action/adventure aspect combined with the novel mythology/reality overlap, and it sounds like the first part gets somewhat lost in the subsequent books.

posted by jnwelch at 1:58 pm (EST) on Oct 24, 2009

I honor your love of Last and First Men, but suspect you first read it in your adolescence. For me, the scope of ideas was immense and creative, and the writing style turgid and didactic enough to get in the way of appreciating the former. But I can see encountering it as an adolescent being very exciting.

posted by ronincats at 11:40 am (EST) on Apr 16, 2009

Thank you for dropping by my site and leaving a comment. Your thoughtful remarks were much appreciated. Good writing is good writing and an author shouldn't have to meet some sort of checklist (race? gender? sexual preference?) before receiving fair and impartial consideration. In the end, it's the Reader who decides the worthiness of a writer's work--that's the only judge I'm trying to satisfy.

Best wishes to you,

Cliff

posted by CliffBurns at 9:29 am (EST) on Jul 16, 2008

Hello, thankyou for your reading suggestions - I haven't been ignoring you, but had to wait for 'A canticle for Liebowitz' as it was on an Amazon order with a nyp.
What an interesting book! I started it last night, and I'm entranced by it - so unexpected to encounter what are essentially medieval monks in the far future. I'll write more when I've finished, but in the meantime, thanks for the suggestion.
I'm sorry you found 'Out of the silent planet' a little thin. Do you think you'll try the other two? 'Perelandra' is very different - a conversation about original sin - and 'That hideous strength' is generally reckoned to have been much influenced by Charles Williams (it obviously was)but that isn't necessarily a bad thing..
Best Wishes..

posted by Goldengrove at 7:16 am (EST) on Jul 4, 2008

Thanks, I'll do that!

posted by Goldengrove at 8:50 am (EST) on Jun 6, 2008

Hi, I've just joined today and done a little pootling about - I noticed your comment about Out of the Silent Planet. The thing is, Lewis liked sci fi, but as an interesting vehicle for exploring the human condition. Suppose people found themselves in 'this' kind of place, how would they act? If 'this' incredible thing happened to them, would it change their humanity, decency, morality? He was resolutely uninterested in the nuts and bolts - atmosphere? how dull, let's look at the spiritual landscape!
So, as to being worth the reading, well, I like it, but it isn't really science fiction in the classic mode, so if the inattention to practical detail bothers you it probably won't get any better. Having said that, the other two are better, especially Perelandra, and I think the old (unedited) editions are the best.
looking at your list favourite authors, I would guess that this trilogy isn't really your sort of thing.
Best wishes.

posted by Goldengrove at 11:18 am (EST) on Jun 4, 2008