Kevin J Anderson

[iansales]

Enjoying an author, and that author being a good author are two different things. I enjoy some authors I know to be bad writers. My enjoyment of them doesn't mean they've suddenly learned to write well.

And there are certainly lots of good writers I whose books I don't like.

 

[Vertigo]

Enjoying an author, and that author being a good author are two different things. I enjoy some authors I know to be bad writers. My enjoyment of them doesn't mean they've suddenly learned to write well.

And there are certainly lots of good writers I whose books I don't like.

Definitely agree with that - a lot of critics say that Tolkien is a "bad writer" but lets not go there. I know I enjoy some authors who I know (think?) are not good. For example Mike Shepherd's Longknife books - terribly edited, improbable plots, implausible settings, cliched characters and as for the book titles... but when I'm in the mood I still find them great fun and major page turners without requiring much thought from me .

 

[Ian Whates]

For example Mike Shepherd's Longknife books - terribly edited, improbable plots, implausible settings, cliched characters and as for the book titles...

Wow, you're really selling this series to me, Vertigo! Must look out for them.

 

[Vertigo]

Wow, you're really selling this series to me, Vertigo! Must look out for them.

Yeah, but that's the point; I find them stangely compulsive and enjoyable reading all the same .

I suppose it's like TV and Films - it's all very well watching lots of films like Citizen Kane for example, but every now and then you have to watch something like (I hope I don't get into trouble here) Total Recall or maybe the Fifth Element (I love that one - watched it loads of times - but not exactly high brow).

 

[Rodders]

I know that i have my opinion on KJA, but it's nice to see him getting some positive comments for a change.

 

[Redthing]

I haven't read any of KJA's books, but I've heard both good and bad things about his books. Keep reading it if you like it!

I've been keeping an eye out at the used bookstores for Slan Hunter. It's the only KJA book that I really want to read.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I picked up The Edge of the World and it looks good but I see a lot of ppl complaining about KJA's writing. I read a few pages of it and it seemed fine to me. What do you reckon?

Did you read it in the end? If so, what did you think of it?

Simply that I've been sent The Dark Between the Stars, the opening of the new The Saga of Shadows trilogy.

Tried the first few pages just as a taster - alright, but there's head-hopping and Kevin J Anderson keeps stopping the narrative to infodump.

 

[biodroid]

Havent yet Brian, I lent it to a friend and he has moved to Australia so I assume the book made the move as well

 

[ratsy]

I really enjoyed those books but at the time hadn't started writing yet so I never really noticed things like telling and head hopping to be honest. That being said, I am now cursed to notice things like that!

The story was really good though, a touching story that had parts which were fully believable (and a few that weren't but in a great fantasy way)

I would recommend to anyone looking for a nice, long spanning story told over three books. Pretty cool premise IMO

 

[vanye]

I read the first few of Seven Suns but at one point had to wait for the next installment and somehow lost interest. There should be one somewhere in my tbr pile and I am sure one of these days I'll pick it up.

I thought the writing a strange mixture: definitely some great ideas and even some passages that were pageturners and then suddenly trite, unbelievable and boring parts that I really had to work through. He sure ain't the best storyteller out there but all in all enjoyable enough if you have nothing better waiting on your shelf. Maybe if he found himself a good editor ...

 

[Rafellin]

I consider the Saga of the Seven Suns (all 7 books an the graphic novel prequel) to be a masterpiece of the highest order. The very definition of epic space opera.

 

[ratsy]

I read the first on of the Saga, and really liked it too. I ended up ordering the second book but have not yet read it. Hope to continue on with it some day.

 

[Null_Zone]

KJA has some very good and interesting ideas, it's just the the execution can be lacking at times. Or there is simply some weird subplot that really doesn't fit.

For example one of his series has humanity split into different groups throughout the galaxy come under attack from an alien menance that simply outclasses them. Do two of the main groups of humanity join forces? Maybe forge an alliance based on self interest or neogitate a treaty through trade and territorial concessions? No, with humanity facing extinction the only way to form an an alliance is for a "royal" marriage between nubile teenagers from these factions political families. It's just really, really odd.