Re: What Have You Been Playing... IN NOVEMBER 2024?

On 03/12/2024 15:18, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Fahrenheit 451
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I finally got around to reading this as it's always on those lists of
must read sci-fi books. I very much enjoyed it with its mix of a
dystopian future (all books to be burned) and commentary on US politics
at the time. Well worth a read with a downside that I found some of the
writing a bit clunky compared to modern standards.

Bradbury was one of those sci-fi writers were the idea took precedence
over the story and characters. His writing reflects that. It's very
work-a-day with little excess or flourish. It was fairly common
amongst authors of the genre of the time.

That's really what I mean by clunky compared to modern standards where the writing is more elaborate and not so functional. Sci-fi I feel is one where you can get away with that more than some other other genres as you're exploring ideas not 'showing off' your literal flourish. I put some of Philip K. Dick's work in the same category. I also recently read Iain M. Banks Look to Windward and that's a real contrast in writing style.
Tolkien I found an extreme version of it so much so that I gave up reading it after maybe ten pages and finding it a slog. A great story teller but just not a good writer. IMHO the films bring his stories to life far better than the books did.