Does anyone else not like Anne Mcaffery's books?

[Conaill]

Mcaffery's ok. Never really excited me enough to be able to say "this series was nice, but this other series was just crap".

However, I do have two other authors/series, if you don't mind a little thread hijack...

- Hyperion series by Dan Simmons: Read the first two, and resolved never to read anything by Simmons again. Page-by-page they were ok, I guess. Too much fake spirituality, but other wise tolerable. But the book.. never went anywhere! Simmons goes through a lot of effort to foreshadow and artificially trying to build up to something... and it never does. Makes me want a refund on those hours of my life I wasted...

- Gene Wolfe: Maybe It's just because I read the books out of order, but they just didn't do anything for me. Why are we supposed to care about these people again? Big Yawner, boring world... Beacuse of all the recommendations I've heard over the years I've resolved myself to giving him one more try.


I'm otherwise fairly normal

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

- Gene Wolfe: Maybe It's just because I read the books out of order, but they just didn't do anything for me. Why are we supposed to care about these people again? Big Yawner, boring world...

Which books of his?

I've read him before based on numerous raves I have read. I can see why he gets the accolades. I find he writes on a level most people don't read common fiction on. Your brain really has to work really hard to appreciate everything he's doing in his stories and I nearly never want to do that when I pick up a book to read for the pleasure.

I read his Book of the New Sun series, and I felt I would have appreciated it much more if I have something like Cliff's Notes next to me clueing me in on what's going on. I started the Book of the Short Sun and Book of the Long Sun series... put them down when I lost interest... but there still was something about what I did that has stuck with me like really good authors can do.

His The Wizard and The Knight series that is out right now... I'm waiting for my wife to read them... I'll give them a shot after she gives me her opinion.


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[Storm Raven]

I read his Book of the New Sun series, and I felt I would have appreciated it much more if I have something like Cliff's Notes next to me clueing me in on what's going on. I started the Book of the Short Sun and Book of the Long Sun series... put them down when I lost interest... but there still was something about what I did that has stuck with me like really good authors can do.

I like Gene Wolfe's stuff, but if you are looking for a guidebook that is pretty good, the GURPS sourcebook GURPS: New Sun can fill you in on all the background material. It is a good game book to boot.

 

[Fast Learner]

I have no opinion on this, other than to note that every time I see this thread title, I read the last word as "boobs," and I think, "Hey, she's an old lady, lighten up!"

No, really.

 

[kingpaul]

I might re-read Crystal Singer and its sequals one of these days - they were pretty good.

I did like that trilogy.

Her Powers that Be and Sassinak series were pretty good as well.

 

[jasper]

Boys and girls The simple answer is not that her writing has going bad or the series sucks. Just You the reader are pass the age bracket the book is written for. Look over the thread and see how many people liked years ago and ask them "When did you first encounter the series and enjoy them?"
The series began in 1969. The story is for teenagers not adults.

 

[Lobo Lurker]

I was just curious, I have tried and tried to read this so called famous authors books and I cant get into them. I just finished the second of the dragonrider books and during almost the whole book I didnt have a clue as to what the point was. Im debating on trying out Todds books and wondered whether they were any better?

I cannot get into her books either. I've tried and tried, but they just don't grab my attention. I'm the same way with Steven King.

 

[Wombat]

Look over the thread and see how many people liked years ago and ask them "When did you first encounter the series and enjoy them?"
The series began in 1969. The story is for teenagers not adults.

Okay, I was reading these books in the mid-70s (actually I read the Harper Hall books in the 80s); are you sure the Dragonrider books were marketed for teenagers? The reviews and push in the 1970s all seemed to be to Standard Fantasy Readers (at the time this meant tag end teens through late 20s).

I know the Harper Hall books were meant for the Young Adult market...

 

[talinthas]

i've always enjoyed mccaffrey's early books, simply because i love the world she developed, and the characters. I grew up with them, and must have read them at the right time to get the most out of it.

Gene Wolff, otoh... He's definately an interesting writer. Recommend Latro in the Mists, if nothing else he's done, simply cause the story is so...novel. A dude has short term amnesia and doesnt remember anything. The story is told in the form of journal entries he writes and rereads every day. It's incredibly cerebral, and really well done.

 

[Mean Eyed Cat]

I tried to read one of them when I was in high school (almost 20 years ago) but I could not get into it. I still have no desire to read any of them-

 

[PieAndDragon]

Loved Mcaffrey's books when younger. Still like them now, just not as much. Read and reread the Pern books and the crystal singer books. Read a lot of the others too, but liked the Pern books the most.
As someone else mentioned, she's more a romantic writer, which is fine by me.

 

[Endur]

I read the first seven or so books.

Of her early books, White Dragon was my favorite. That was followed closely by the Harper books.

For whatever reason, the first trilogy (DragonRiders of Pern, etc.) was sort of blah.

I have no idea whether her later books continue to improve or not.

 

[Elf Witch]

I read the first trilogy, and they didn't really grab me -- haven't read any Anne McCaffrey since. My wife's a big fan, though.

I've found, strangely, that I generally prefer male sci-fi/fantasy authors to female. Mercedes Lackey, Ursula LeGuin, and others I just haven't gone for (JK Rowling being the significant exception). Don't know why that is -- it may just be random coincidence.

I am the opposite I prefer female writers. McCaffrey, Kurtz, Huff, Lackey, Cherryh, Norton to name a few.

I read McCaffrey's pern novels when I was a 20 and I still read them today. I think she is a wonderful writer and I enjoy her characters.

 

[WmRAllen67]

I like McCaffrey in general, but only some of the work-- Dragonriders, Dinosaur Planet through the Sassinak/ World Pirates series, and the Pegasus/ Talents series. Never really got into any of her other series...

I tend to be a "completist" when I get into a series, but have found that the Pern series went from "Buy in paperback" to "buy in hardcover" to "get from the library, maybe buy in paperback" as I got older and my tastes changed...

But I still remember thinking it would be cool to have a dragon to ride around on...

 

[frankthedm]

who?

 

[WmRAllen67]

who?

Her: http://www.annemccaffrey.net/

 

[frankthedm]

UHG! Was that a dude at one time?

 

[kingpaul]

UHG! Was that a dude at one time?

Umm...not to my knowledge.

 

[WmRAllen67]

UHG! Was that a dude at one time?

You sir, are no gentleman...

Expect a visit from my second...

 

[Mad Hatter]

I think age plays a part of it, but I like her novels even today. I almost forgot about her Sassinak series. Her Brain/Brawn books were pretty good to me as well (Ship Who Sang, City Who Fought etc.)