message 0643

;Date: Fri, 29 Oct 93 00:47:01 -0400
;From: "Nancy Silberstein" <silbersteinn@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>
;Subject: Cherryhlist\31Aug93 et al

When I read CONSIDER PHLEBAS by Iain M. Banks and was less than impressed, 
Lesley suggested that I try USE OF WEAPONS.  I have just finished it and, 
Lesley, you were correct; it outstrips PHLEBAS by almost any measure:  
plot, characterization, denouement.  Where PHLEBAS rambled, WEAPONS is 
tightly...and interestingly...knit, I wanted to know more about the 
protagonist, and the work came to a surprising but plausible conclusion.  A 
MUCH more satisfying book.

I still haven't found BROKEDOWN PALACE.

On 10 October, Jo said something to the effect that all our arguments back 
and forth help everyone to form their own opinions...and I agree. (Or, as a 
deconstructionist acquaintance of mine says, "Everybody's reading is a 
misreading.")  In my case, however, it is a consolation to know that my 
befuddlement over some of the techie stuff is just not my lack of 
knowledge.  Obviously, all is not always clear. Does technical fuzziness 
interfere with your enjoyment of these works?  It doesn't with mine, but 
then I tolerate a high magic/understanding ratio in my daily life already 
- I'm on shaky grounds objecting to it in fiction.  For example, I don't 
understand electricity, a cornerstone of modern life. If electricity falls 
into the "magic" category, it is hard to balk at docking procedures.

There has been some talk here about telling Cherryh about this list.  Do 
you think we should compile some interesting bits and mail them to her?  
("Merry Christmas, C. J.?") We'd have to be careful about what we included, 
though - wouldn't want to send her anything that would seem even remotely like 
an attack.  Also wouldn't want to send her too much - better she should write. 
Too bad we are rarely humorous...Cherryh just doesn't seem to inspire bad puns 
and witty parodies.  Not from me, anyhow.

Onno, your German CYTEEN seems quite accurate.

II.  "Ariane Emory remembered the Secession, the day that Cyteen declared 
itself and its own colonies independent; the day the Union began and they 
were all suddenly rebels..."

III.	"Sol had tried to ignore its humiliating defeat and go off in 
another direction; the old Company Fleet had turned to piracy and still 
raided merchanters, no different than they had ever done, while Alliance 
and Union alike hunted them...."

IV.  I had more difficulty finding your "carrier" reference.  Does this 
sound like what you were referring to?  "That was Gorodin, Centrist only 
because he wanted the new Excelsior-class military transports kept in near 
space where he could use them..."

njs   28-OCT-1993 20:17