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I generally think that Spider Robinson's Callahan novels are seriously overrated. (Other than the first one, which I thought very good, especially the chapter, "The Time Traveler," which was brilliant.) I've read three of the subsequent novels and been, well, underwhelmed. And it's not that I'm not a science fiction reader generally (being more a mystery person): I love Connie Willis's work, and some of Orson Scott Card's, and I have reread C.J. Cherryh's Cyteen trilogy so much pages are falling out. I like Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels, in spite of them being really uneven in quality over the series.
But, scouting around for reading material, I chanced upon Callahan's Con. I read it, and thought Dorothy Parker's classic bad novel review would be appropriate: "This novel is not to be tossed lightly aside, but hurled with great force."
It's not just the cardboard characterizations or the "let's spend insane amounts of verbiage on backstory" feel. And it's not the ending, which I have read upset some Callahan fans.
It's something far more basic than that.
( In which Pat complains about the book and about the last two Harry Potters as well. Consider this your spoiler alert. )
But, scouting around for reading material, I chanced upon Callahan's Con. I read it, and thought Dorothy Parker's classic bad novel review would be appropriate: "This novel is not to be tossed lightly aside, but hurled with great force."
It's not just the cardboard characterizations or the "let's spend insane amounts of verbiage on backstory" feel. And it's not the ending, which I have read upset some Callahan fans.
It's something far more basic than that.
( In which Pat complains about the book and about the last two Harry Potters as well. Consider this your spoiler alert. )