Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

[williamjm]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

There have been some books in the series I didn't particularly like, although in each case I can see why others thought they were good.

I didn't finish "Cities in Flight" by James Blish because I found the storytelling very frustrating (a lot of the events happened off-screen and were only described in often tedious dialogue), I didn't care for any of the characters and didn't really care what happened next. On the plus side, it was an undeniably interesting premise and Blish was quite good at predicting the future at times.

"Lyonesse" by Jack Vance was another I didn't finish. Although the writing wasn't necessarily bad I found I wasn't really interested in the plot or what was happening to the characters, then it broke away from the initial plot to another plot that seemed (initially) unrelated and felt a bit silly.

I wasn't that keen on "The Iron Dragon's Daughter" by Michael Swanwick either (although I did finished this one). I could repeat the same problems as for the other two books, didn't care about the characters or plot and although there were some good scenes (I liked the very small humanoid creatures that help the main character, for example), character motivations often seemed unconvincing.

 

[Fried Egg]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

"Lyonesse" by Jack Vance was another I didn't finish. Although the writing wasn't necessarily bad I found I wasn't really interested in the plot or what was happening to the characters, then it broke away from the initial plot to another plot that seemed (initially) unrelated and felt a bit silly.

Oh dear, I've just recieved both installments of "Lyonesse" for christmas...

 

[iansales]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

You never know; you might like them. I disagree with williamjm, for example, about Michael Swanwick's The Iron Dragon's Daughter. I've not read the Lyonesse books yet, so I don't know if I disagree there too.

 

[Snowdog]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Oh dear, I've just recieved both installments of "Lyonesse" for christmas...

But I thought Lyonesse and its sequels were excellent, so there's hope

 

[Doug Graves]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Wow, it looks more like "The Philip K. Dick Masterworks"! I'm very into PKD, but there are a couple of his books that I wouldn't classify as "masterworks": The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch and Maze of Death. "Stigmata..." was just way too depressing for me. "Maze.." is good-not-great. And once again, I must hate on Gateway, a hugely overrated book. A note about Samuel R. Delany: I find it strange how little mention The Einstein Intersection gets. Nova is probably my favorite book, and I think "Einstein..." is Delany's second best. Maybe it doesn't get so much attention because Delany won the Nebula the previous year (1966) for Babel-17.

 

[Ian Whates]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Oh dear, I've just recieved both installments of "Lyonesse" for christmas...

Don't get too worried, FE -- I thought all three Lyonesse books were fabulous. The first one is a little intense and tightly focused, and is certainly the most difficult to read (although, personally, I loved it, becoming completely engrossed in the characters and the the situation) but The Green Pearl and Madouc are both far more expansive and totally, wonderfully entertaining.

Just goes to show that we all have different tastes, I guess.

 

[GOLLUM]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

I too thought the Lyonese books were good...

 

[Fried Egg]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Thanks, I shalln't consign the Lyonesse books to the dustbin just yet then...

 

[gully_foyle]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. The only one I have that is actually a masterwork printing, although I have several titles in their earlier incarnations. I just found this book impossible to engage with. I'm hoping I'll try it again one day and understand why it is so popular.

 

[j d worthington]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner. The only one I have that is actually a masterwork printing, although I have several titles in their earlier incarnations. I just found this book impossible to engage with. I'm hoping I'll try it again one day and understand why it is so popular.

It's a bit of a difficult book to get into at first, as the technique doesn't allow for any immediate identification with any character or set of characters, and you're thrown an awful lot of information without time to digest it. As you go along, the reason for the technique becomes clear, and it really works to the novel's advantage, but it is very unconventional in approach (in fact, the way the novel is done allows it to actually be read in several ways) and can be a bit off-putting to some....

 

[gully_foyle]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

It's a bit of a difficult book to get into at first, as the technique doesn't allow for any immediate identification with any character or set of characters, and you're thrown an awful lot of information without time to digest it. As you go along, the reason for the technique becomes clear, and it really works to the novel's advantage, but it is very unconventional in approach (in fact, the way the novel is done allows it to actually be read in several ways) and can be a bit off-putting to some....

Thanks J.D. It hasn't made it to the TNBR pile (To Never Be Read) just yet, although Ulysses and Gravity's Rainbow are getting lonely.

 

[j d worthington]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Thanks J.D. It hasn't made it to the TNBR pile (To Never Be Read) just yet, although Ulysses and Gravity's Rainbow are getting lonely.

Pity about Ulysses, which really is a fine novel in its own right. Gravity's Rainbow I've not attempted, so I wouldn't know....

 

[Fried Egg]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson was a disappointment - nice idea, but crudely written.

I've just finished reading that and I thought it was fantastic. Gripping from start to finish, written from an unusual perspective and an interesting take on lycanthropy. Weaving in strands from quantum mechanics, freudian psycology and evolutionary theory, it straddled the boundary between fantasy, sci-fi and horror.

 

[GOLLUM]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

I have to agree with Fried Egg. I've read better but I thought it was a well executed story overall and the best lycanthropy tale I've yet to read.

 

[jojajihisc]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

I remember not liking Gateway and being genuinely bored by The Man in the High Castle. I gave up early on Ringworld and The Space Merchants because I wasn't concentrating. I can't really say if they would have been disappointments though.

 

[Fried Egg]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

A year on and I don't think I've encountered any more disappointments in either series so far.

Well, parts of "Cities in Flight" by James Blish weren't that great whilst others were better. "The Simulacra" by Philip K Dick wasn't bad but doesn't really deserve a place in the Masterworks series in my opinion. But apart from those, all pretty excellent.

 

[nomadman]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Regarding the Fantasy Masterworks series, I've been more disappointed in some of their selections, rather than the overall quality of the works themselves. Too much sub-par Moorcock, for example (History of the Runestaff, whilst fun, is by no means a Masterwork) and a few slight works which I felt were only peripherally fantasy. These slots could have been used to bring back into print some more deserving titles: Phoneix and the Mirror for example, which is still out of print today I think.

 

[j d worthington]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

Phoneix and the Mirror for example, which is still out of print today I think.

I'm not certain, but I believe you're right on that, and that is a pity, as it is a wonderful book. For that matter, I'd like to see The Island Under the Earth back in print (it may be, currently, but if so I am unaware of it, obviously....)

 

[nomadman]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

I'm not certain, but I believe you're right on that, and that is a pity, as it is a wonderful book. For that matter, I'd like to see The Island Under the Earth back in print (it may be, currently, but if so I am unaware of it, obviously....)

A fair few of Davidson's books were recently reprinted by Wildside Press, including Island... but inexplicably excluding Phoenix. Not sure why.

 

[GOLLUM]

re: Disappointments from the Fantasy & SF Masterworks series

It's a pleasant surprise to see other people talking of Avram Davidson. He seems to be a best kept secret/unknown amongst most SFF fans I've met.

I have a copy of the Avram Davidson Treasury newly arrived. It covers his short stories from the 1950s through to the early 1990s prior to his death. I purchased this on a very strong recommendation from possibly my favourite SFF author Gene Wolfe. I've only scratched the surface of this collection but I've enjoyed what I've read so far. I'll be returning to it later this year to post a proper review. I'm making note of it here because it may be a good introduction to people interested in this author. There may be better collections and I daresay single works available but that's my 2C....anyway.

Of his longer works what would be the best?