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oh for crying out loud
Feb. 10th, 2004 10:45 pmHas John Barnes written any non-depressing books?
Ok, I admit four of his could be considered a small sample, but I've come out of every one feeling down about humanity and life in general.
Admittedly "Kaleidoscope Century" would have to have been the most nihilstic (and the most depressing and the most unnecessary labelling of an entire ethnic group come to that - cos after all, they invented raping and pillaging), but even "Finity" had a down ending (and a really weird, totally unexpected and quite explicit sex scene which had me giggling hysterically in the middle of it. So I react strangely to some things.)
And now I've just finished "Earth made of glass". And it's fucking Liberia. Or Sarajevo. Or, come to that, Jaffna. Ambon. Aceh. Total depression. Arrgghhhh.... And the marriage problems - even though I guessed what had happened about a third of the way through - didn't help the mood either.
"Apostrophes and Apocalypses" was normal in patches, if you discount the first short story (what is it with this guy and weird sex shit?) and the depressing short story at the end (mid-90s Sierra Leone-esque: right down to the barbarian names) - the generalist essays were reasonably sane. And just for the record the story with the "gay wolf sex" did disturb me as much as "Kaleidoscope Century" but not because of the gay wolf sex, more because of the ending. And the total disregard for the nature rather than nurture side of things. And geez, fail one exam... *sigh*
So yeah, I'll probably read "A million open doors". I'm just hoping it leaves me slightly more upbeat than its sequel and not thinking "this is the future? Still?".
Ok, I admit four of his could be considered a small sample, but I've come out of every one feeling down about humanity and life in general.
Admittedly "Kaleidoscope Century" would have to have been the most nihilstic (and the most depressing and the most unnecessary labelling of an entire ethnic group come to that - cos after all, they invented raping and pillaging), but even "Finity" had a down ending (and a really weird, totally unexpected and quite explicit sex scene which had me giggling hysterically in the middle of it. So I react strangely to some things.)
And now I've just finished "Earth made of glass". And it's fucking Liberia. Or Sarajevo. Or, come to that, Jaffna. Ambon. Aceh. Total depression. Arrgghhhh.... And the marriage problems - even though I guessed what had happened about a third of the way through - didn't help the mood either.
"Apostrophes and Apocalypses" was normal in patches, if you discount the first short story (what is it with this guy and weird sex shit?) and the depressing short story at the end (mid-90s Sierra Leone-esque: right down to the barbarian names) - the generalist essays were reasonably sane. And just for the record the story with the "gay wolf sex" did disturb me as much as "Kaleidoscope Century" but not because of the gay wolf sex, more because of the ending. And the total disregard for the nature rather than nurture side of things. And geez, fail one exam... *sigh*
So yeah, I'll probably read "A million open doors". I'm just hoping it leaves me slightly more upbeat than its sequel and not thinking "this is the future? Still?".
