tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post5224697939458567139..comments2023-09-29T05:32:04.308-07:00Comments on StrangePegs: Four TurtledovesAndrew Leonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-32271313982145032562011-11-01T14:19:11.803-07:002011-11-01T14:19:11.803-07:00Sam: I still think it's a great concept. If he...Sam: I still think it's a great concept. If he hadn't spent so much time reminding the reader about what had happened before, I probably would have really enjoyed it. Even without a proper resolution.<br /><br />Ew! Candy corn! Nast stuff! We only have the good candy here! (and more left over than we want to have)Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-51208390612682100332011-10-31T21:27:25.789-07:002011-10-31T21:27:25.789-07:00Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the series...Sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the series. The concept sounded good, though.<br /><br />Oh, and...Trick or Treat!<br /><br />Huh? What? No Candy Corn here??? Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!Samantha Sottohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14116257082088369600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-60237893984576081032011-10-29T12:34:01.084-07:002011-10-29T12:34:01.084-07:00Mutt: Yeah, I agree with you about alternate histo...Mutt: Yeah, I agree with you about alternate history. I'm not actually the one that bought the books, but I read them because they were here, and I wanted someone to have read them before trading them in. Which I did. And happily.<br /><br />The thing that bugs me with the aliens is that they were really just a set up to deal with the idea of the allied and axis forces having to team up against a common foe. They have interstellar travel, but their wartime weapons are basically equivalent to what we have now. It's the kind of manipulated situation that I really don't prefer.<br /><br />Sarah: If you've read any good ones, let me know what they are. These are really the only ones I've read that are -alternate- history and not just historical fiction.<br /><br />Rusty: Well, the ginger probably came in during the second book, I don't remember for sure. I'm fairly certain it was not present in the first book at all, though. The whole ginger thing was actually an interesting sub-plot that was just sort of dropped out of the 4th book altogether. (If you want a more detailed account of the ending, let me know. You probably won't be impressed.)<br /><br />Shannon: I know! I hate when writers, or anyone, just assume their audience isn't smart enough to keep up. It's insulting. Of course, it may not have been Turtledove that made that decision; maybe, it was the publisher. Hard to know.<br /><br />Charlie: I was able to deal with Signs, because it wasn't really a movie about aliens. They were just the vehicle to for the story of the priest and regaining his faith. I found that part interesting.<br /><br />I did hate when the writers of Heroes gave the main guy amnesia. What a crock. I hate that crap. I didn't make it much past there in the series.<br /><br />I don't read those things either. Most of the time. There are a few authors whose "what happened before" bits are interesting because of the writing, and I will read those.<br /><br />Martin: I like long series. Most of the time. I really haven't run into this issue in most of the books I read. I think it was more about the number of characters involved rather than the length of the series. It was more than a dozen different main characters not to mention the sides.Andrew Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13964775673414653644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-92100912330586143792011-10-29T04:11:38.066-07:002011-10-29T04:11:38.066-07:00Alternate can work really well if the event could ...Alternate can work really well if the event could have gone either way. The Battle Of Hastings in 1066 was one such incident, as was the 'stop' order given to the german army at dunkirk in 1940.<br /><br />As for editing, One example of a long series that did work well was the 'Night's Dawn' trilogy from Peter F Hamilton. 3000 pages and only a few wasted ones. The ending was a little light, but not disappointing.Martin Willoughbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05605554706836638988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-61688893435652501112011-10-28T23:09:57.104-07:002011-10-28T23:09:57.104-07:00As soon as I read that they brought nukes while st...As soon as I read that they brought nukes while still expecting us to be running around with swords, I thought the books sounded ridiculous. I had huge issues with "Signs" for that reason. They master interstellar flight, travel light years, study us, send scout parties ahead to paint the landscape, and DIDN'T NOTICE OUR WORLD IS MOSTLY WATER!!! And then failed to bring any hand to hand combat weapons. Drove me crazy.<br /><br />I also can't stand when writers force characters to do things outside their character in order to push the plot along. I stopped watching Heroes for that reason...along with their habit of conveniently forgetting some of their superpowers when it suited the writers.<br /><br />I never read the "this is what happened previously" things at the beginning of books. I remember what happened. I think if that is implemented throughout a book, I'd go nuts. Thank you for warning me.Charlie Pulsipherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08877018077937978788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-71402123112724711072011-10-28T22:25:43.680-07:002011-10-28T22:25:43.680-07:00It sounds like a painstaking process to get throug...It sounds like a painstaking process to get through the books. How disappointing that his characterization went to pot. And how dreary to have to read all the details over and over to "remind" you. Why assume your readers are stupid?? Blech.Shannon Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934641808195675935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-29236884089604427662011-10-28T19:26:15.203-07:002011-10-28T19:26:15.203-07:00Thanks for the nod there. You know, I'm really...Thanks for the nod there. You know, I'm really confused. I thought I read the first book, back in the 90's, but I clearly remember the aliens being addicted to ginger back then. At the time I had no idea that it was a series and was mightly upset that I didn't get any resolution at all.<br /><br />Anyway, I always wondered how it ended, and can tell from your review that I would have been far beyond upset had I finished it.Rusty Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09887821877521181811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-29109152246560719472011-10-28T13:56:04.125-07:002011-10-28T13:56:04.125-07:00I actually quite like alternate history books, but...I actually quite like alternate history books, but I don't like unnecessary backstory. I think I'll pass on this series.Sarah Tokeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273148070092101085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7658526372996117205.post-81933122822549519122011-10-28T10:50:41.506-07:002011-10-28T10:50:41.506-07:00You really do have to wonder if these aliens have ...You really do have to wonder if these aliens have interstellar travel how they can become prey to humans in the 40s. Very odd.<br /><br />I could have bought "Guns of the South" for like $3 a month or so ago at the Bargain Books, but then decided against it. Alternate history in general seems kind of stupid because it's always "If A happens (or doesn't happen) then B will happen." It's like if I'm watching a football game and my team loses by 2 points I say, "If we'd made that field goal earlier we'd have won!" But you don't really know what would happen. Making that field goal earlier might have skewed everything else entirely. You know, chaos theory, butterfly effect and all that stuff. So the whole concept seems kind of dumb to me.PT Dillowayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09394481476862013009noreply@blogger.com