Monday, June 11

Glasshouse(Charles Stross)

Here's my first book review, well actually it's not a complete review since I didn't finish the book. Ok I know I had mentioned in my previous blog, well actually here's the exact thing I said:

"I'm one of those people that will sit thru an entire move or read a book once I start it, even if I don't like it."


Well I lied, that isn't always true. I started a book a few days ago and read about 30 pages of it. I had to stop. I just couldn't read any more of it. It was just horribly bad. I had read reviews of it and it said it was a great read, a must read in fact. I think those reviewers were either smoking crack or wanted to date the author. Now I don't want to say much else about the book or give it too much "air" time. I will give you this, the name of the book is Glasshouse by Charles Stross. It's a Sci-Fi book. Mr. Stross is trying to follow in the footsteps of WIlliam Gibson(who I really like), except that he has failed miserable. He filled his book with too much Sci-Fi mumbo jumbo and not enough story. Maybe if I stuck with the book, I would of ended up liking it, but if you can't capture your audience in your first paragraph than you've failed.
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3 comments:

Nikki Neurotic said...

I hate it when I start reading a book by an author that everyone seems to love...or a book that everyone is talking about and find out that it's awful. I usually try to give it 100 pages though.

Anonymous said...

It's a real shame that you didn't like 'Glasshouse', but don't let that turn you off Charlie Stross. I agree with you about the "sci fi mumbo jumbo" in this book but couldn't disagree more about the "footsteps of William Gibson". I know the publishers don't really advertise this, but to "get" 'Glasshouse' book you probably need to read 'Accelerando' first.

I recommend you try 'Singularity Sunrise' first though, it's a lot more accessible and will ease you more gently into Stross's style and his ideas. Please don't give up on him just yet, IMO, Charlie Stross is one of the strongest (scifi) authors of this decade.

Cheers, James.

msquared said...

Hmmm Maybe I won't give up on him just yet.