Comments on: Eclipse One: edited by Jonathan Strahan

By: The Starry Rift, edited by Jonathan Strahan « Bob’s Book Reviews

The Starry Rift, edited by Jonathan Strahan « Bob’s Book Reviews — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:39:57 +0000

[...] recently reviewed another Jonathan Strahan collection, Eclipse 1, and – as with that volume – I’ve got no [...]

By: Notes From Coode Street » Bob on Eclipse

Notes From Coode Street » Bob on Eclipse — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:39:37 +0000

[...] JJA at the Shade, a very nice review from Bob’s Book Reviews for Eclipse One. I can’t speak for any of the contributors, but [...]

By: Sunday Book Reviews at Night Shade Books

Sunday Book Reviews at Night Shade Books — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 16:04:33 +0000

[...] Bob’s Book Reviews has a nice review of Eclipse One: “Certainly worth seeking out if you have a jones for new SF beyond the Best Of annuals.” [...]

By: Cliff Burns

Cliff Burns — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:20:27 +0000

Good to hear from you, Bob. My problem is I analyze everything as I read it, pick apart sentences, dissect prose like a brain surgeon. The hard science guys, I’m afraid, just don’t bear up under the scrutiny. The exposition (info-dumping) is part of the problem but the shallow characterizations and choppy syntax, tuneless language also contributes to the problem. Have you tried reading any fiction in ANALOG in the past ten years? Shudder. These folks have no music in their hearts. We’ll agree to disagree on DeLillo, I think UNDERWORLD was one of the five best novels I’ve read in a long while. Left me slack-jawed with envy. Keep writing, man, keep posting, letting us know what we think. I often complain of the lack of critical thinking in the blogosphere but that doesn’t apply to you, mate…

By: maximumbob

maximumbob — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:07:54 +0000

Not that you’re bitter.

I’m under no illusions about the way publishing works: it’s jobs for the boys whatever your walk of life.

I don’t perceive all that great a gulf between hard science writers and more literary types, and I know which I prefer.

By: Cliff Burns

Cliff Burns — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:18:09 +0000

Some of these anthologies can be very, very good, others are the products of a “closed” submission process, friends inviting friends. The SF community is incestuous, back-biting and feral (and don’t get me started on the FANS). There are some terrific writers out there but there are far more who are inept–but as long as their ideas are good, the general SF reader will forgive all sorts of lapses in style and logic.

And it’s that mentality (among other things)that has held the genre back for far, far too long…

http://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/good-science-bad-fiction