Neal Stephenson V Julian May

[simplesoul]

Hi All
I've recently decided to return to reading Sci-fi after a very lengthy spell away from the genre. Ironically it was the Prometheus film that inspired me to return in order to perhaps get some decent entertainment instead of watching people running in the same direction that a spaceship was rolling!

Ok here is my problem:
I decided to scout the internet to find out what were the hottest Sci-Fi books of the last 10 years (even though I've been away longer!) in order to waste no time wading through crud.

My Shortlist has led me to these books:
China Mieveille - Perdido Street
Susanna Clarke - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Robert Charles Wilson - Spin
Bruce Sterling - Schismatix
Paolo Bacigalupi - The Windup girl
Neal Stephenson - Anathem

I've started by reading Anathem but I must admit that by the end of the book I had lost interest in it.
Early on I was full of anticipation that it would blossom into magnificence but I found myself getting bogged down in the science and philosophy and that it detracted from the story rather than enhancing it. I'm not trying to write a review here and I'm also not trying to be critical of Neal Stephenson because I loved the "idea" of the book. It's just that I didn't feel that it was entertaining for me personally because I didn't really bond with the characters and also I felt that I lost the "need" to turn to the next page. I didn't feel that the storytelling was on my wavelength.
I am aware that this book is a monumentally clever book and I have no doubt that it was way over my head Science wise and otherwise but is that the only reason I remain nonplussed by it?
Perhaps I picked the wrong Neal Stephenson book?
Here is my question: How many of you who have read Anathem have also read my personal favourite Sci Fi book "The Many Colored Land" (Julian May)? For me this book has "entertainment" printed on every page. At the end of each chapter I couldn't wait to start the next! It is by no means a "simple" read but I think that May got the balance just right. The idea is superb and it is the only book I've ever had a dream about during the time I was reading it.
If you've read both these books then am I in a minority of people that think Anathem is better that The Many Colored Land?
Finally if you have read both books, then apart from recommending other publications by Julian May what other books should I be reading, assuming that Neal Stephenson is "not my cup of tea"?
Many Thanks!
Steve

 

[Mischov]

I've read both The Many Colored Land series and Anathem, and am a great fan of both authors.

If you have no tolerance for long digressions into various subjects related to - but not necessarily part of - the story, Stephenson might be a bit rough on you. I think it's safe to say that is one of his trademarks.

I thought Anathem was a very good book, but if you're looking for a more entertaining Stephenson I'd probably suggest The Baroque Cycle. It does start a little slow, but have no fear... it becomes pure, beautifully plotted action by the end.

As to whether I think The Many Colored Land is better than Anathem, I would probably agree that it is. It really is a masterpiece of a series. Great fun with just enough idea behind it. In fact, it's so good that most of May's other work pales in comparison.

That said, I am a Neal Stephenson junkie and have read nearly everything he's written. On a whole, I probably prefer his work to May's.

 

[zaltys13]

I'm sorry I havn't read the Julian May book, but I have read Anathem, I thought it was just okay, which is faint praise indead, more of a literary exercise than an entertaining novel.

I was interested that you have just returned to the genre after a long(ish) abscence. If I could be so bold, I would reccomend:

Revelation Space - Alastair Reynolds.

Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan

Use of Weapons - Iain M Banks.

Only Forward and Spares by Michael Marshall Smith.

My apologies for hyjacking this thread,

And China Mieville is more Fantasy than SF, but don't let that put you off Perdido.. it's one of the finest novels I have read in a long time.

 

[dask]

ANATHEM was slow to get going but once it started I couldn't put it down. Samething is happening now with CRYPTONOMICOM.

 

[thatollie]

If you didn't like Anathem, I think you won't like Perdido Street Station or The Wind Up Girl.

I haven't read Julian May but I thought The Many-Coloured Land was fantasy.

 

[Mischov]

The Many-Colored Land is EVERYTHING. Sci-fi, Fantasy, Historical Fiction... read it, you won't regret it.

 

[thatollie]

I've got a pretty long reading list as it is, but I may find time to squeeze the first one in.