American Gods by Neil Gaimen

Don Aitken wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 06:17:08 -0700 (PDT), ChrisC
> wrote:
>
> >I'm having trouble getting through this book. Is it me. It seem's
> >highly recommended. Anyone read it? Should I press on.
> >
> >In the past I felt the same about EON by Greg Bear, I'm glad I never
> >gave up on that one.
> >
> >I'm hoping the same will happen here.
> >
> >Neil Gaimen is a Highly Respected Author. I really enjoyed Stardust so
> >I guess, it's either a case of sticking it out or it's a more poorer
> >choice of his books.
>
> I liked it a lot, but I like all his stuff. Definitely fantasy rather
> than SF, though, which doesn't suit some people.
>
> --
> Don Aitken
> Mail to the From: address is not read.
> To email me, substitute "clara.co.uk" for "freeuk.com"

Coming from an Sci Fi background is probably why I'm having difficulty
I'm used to Baxter, Banks, Simmons et al.
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On Apr 8, 3:55 pm, Don Aitken wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 06:17:08 -0700 (PDT), ChrisC
>
> wrote:
> >I'm having trouble getting through this book. Is it me. It seem's
> >highly recommended. Anyone read it? Should I press on.
>
> >In the past I felt the same about EON by Greg Bear, I'm glad I never
> >gave up on that one.
>
> >I'm hoping the same will happen here.
>
> >Neil Gaimen is a Highly Respected Author. I really enjoyed Stardust so
> >I guess, it's either a case of sticking it out or it's a more poorer
> >choice of his books.
>
> I liked it a lot, but I like all his stuff. Definitely fantasy rather
> than SF, though, which doesn't suit some people.
>
> --
> Don Aitken
> Mail to the From: address is not read.
> To email me, substitute "clara.co.uk" for "freeuk.com"

Yes I'm sorry I can't take anymore. I have to read something that's
going to grab me. Life is to short to have pride, when more there are
more interesting things to read. Such as my next on the list Chasm
City by Alastair Reynolds. I can't see me giving up on that one.
Revelation Space was excellent.

Maybe I just don't have the taste for fantasies.
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On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:33:20 -0700 (PDT), ChrisC
wrote:

>On Apr 8, 3:55 pm, Don Aitken wrote:
>> On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 06:17:08 -0700 (PDT), ChrisC
>>
>> wrote:
>> >I'm having trouble getting through this book. Is it me. It seem's
>> >highly recommended. Anyone read it? Should I press on.
>>
>> >In the past I felt the same about EON by Greg Bear, I'm glad I never
>> >gave up on that one.
>>
>> >I'm hoping the same will happen here.
>>
>> >Neil Gaimen is a Highly Respected Author. I really enjoyed Stardust so
>> >I guess, it's either a case of sticking it out or it's a more poorer
>> >choice of his books.
>>
>> I liked it a lot, but I like all his stuff. Definitely fantasy rather
>> than SF, though, which doesn't suit some people.
>>
>Yes I'm sorry I can't take anymore. I have to read something that's
>going to grab me. Life is to short to have pride, when more there are
>more interesting things to read. Such as my next on the list Chasm
>City by Alastair Reynolds. I can't see me giving up on that one.
>Revelation Space was excellent.
>
>Maybe I just don't have the taste for fantasies.

An awful lot of stuff gets labelled fantasy, for lack of anything
better to call it. Most of the genre I dislike - it helps if you write
off anything involving swords. But there are a few gems, and for me
Gaiman is one. His collaborations with Pratchett are brilliant.

Reynolds is reliable, but, I fear, getting a bit repetitive.

--
Don Aitken
Mail to the From: address is not read.
To email me, substitute "clara.co.uk" for "freeuk.com"
 >> Stay informed about: American Gods by Neil Gaimen 

Don Aitken writes:

> An awful lot of stuff gets labelled fantasy, for lack of anything
> better to call it. Most of the genre I dislike - it helps if you write
> off anything involving swords. But there are a few gems, and for me
> Gaiman is one. His collaborations with Pratchett are brilliant.

If you want to read a great blend of SF and fantasy, read "Otherland" by
Tad Williams. It's actually a cyberpunk/VR series of four novels with a
very twisted storyline, some of it set in fantasy-like VR-worlds.
Treating fantasy this way takes the otherwise unavoidable sillyness out
of it and makes it actually a joy to read. I normally write off anything
involving swords and such, but these novels I enjoyed very much,
especially since they also use "fantasy" settings built upon comic
characters or greek mythology (and lots of real-world near-future
technology and fiction). It's nearly two thousand pages, though...

"American Gods" is a fine book, although I can understand if some find
it too much fantasy. What I didn't like about it was the fact that
Gaiman used many huge and tiny gods in it, but totally ignored the
christian, jewish and muslim god(s). Either this was an oversight or he
wasn't brave enough to handle that, but it's a glaring omission.

And of course "Small Gods" by Pratchett has to be mentioned here, too.
Neither SF nor "serious" fantasy, but brilliant.

Jochem

--
"A designer knows he has arrived at perfection not when there is no
longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery
 >> Stay informed about: American Gods by Neil Gaimen