Are fantasy readers more forgiving?

[Extollager]

The makeup of fantasy readers (ie. they're more positive/forgiving/patient than me??

Interesting. I know that, for myself, though I consciously specialized in fantasy in the 1970s, I'm a lot more tolerant of so-so sf than of most fantasy. I guess I could say that with sf I'm often looking to be entertained, and I can enjoy sf that doesn't fly higher than a good old RKO noir movie, while with fantasy I'm looking for something that is like, or indeed is, real poetry. Boy, there isn't a lot of fantasy I can read any more other than some favorites, notably Tolkien, Coleridge, Lewis, etc. Conversely I can read lots of sf with adequate enjoyment.

 

[Ronald T.]

I find that the most reliable book reviews are the ones falling in the 2-4 star range. They are not quite so extreme about their opinions. So, for the most part, I tend to ignore the 1 star, and the 5 star reviews. And I always read the sample chapters offered as previews. That is my most effective factor for determining how much I might enjoy a book.

But there is no sure way of guaranteeing a pleasant read -- from beginning to end -- until you actually read the book.

And I think the popularity of series books is often based on the premise that when a story is really good, readers don't want the story and its characters to end. I know that's the case with me. In fact, most of my fantasy and Sci-Fi books are part of a series. And very few of them have let me down.

Of course, that's just one man's opinion.

 

[Dave]

There is a problem with this online reviewing in general. I've just been reading some reviews this morning about some roofing plastic sheets that I want to purchase. Reviews of exactly the same product are widely different. Then there is TripAdvisor. There was an article by a journalist about the one star reviews of London people had made - Buckingham Palace is too palatial, London Parks are too flat and don't have large animal wildlife - just silly stupid things made by people in all sincerity but who have no business making reviews.

Not sure this is the right thread for this. There are other long threads specifically on "Reviews" here but I haven't taken part in those and can't read them all. I just read something today and wanted to add to what I have previously said, because I know how much authors here agonise over their reviews.

I've mentioned several times before how little trust I put in these online reviews. This man managed to get his fake restaurant, 'The Shed in Dulwich,' to become the number one restaurant in London on TripAdvisor with 83 good reviews. I rest my case.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DQXMzhCXcAEYxh3.jpg:large

 

[chongjasmine]

Fantasy readers read to indulge themselves.
Therefore, if a writer writes a series well enough, they will give high ratings.

 

[vanye]

As with books, if you want to get something out of reviews, you've got to read them. Just counting stars won't get you anywhere. But reading a review will tell you a lot about the review, the reviewer and the book.

 

[Dave]

Something on the One Show on BBC TV right now about fake reviews. Not specifically about Amazon or Goodreads as they are more focused on TripAdvisor, and on hotels and restaurants. They quoted a survey by a newspaper that said that 30% of reviews were fake. Tripadvisor dispute that. The actually have complicated algorithms to prevent fake reviews. They contacted a firm that will post fake reviews for cash who admitted Tripadvisor was difficult. They said Facebook and Google Places were easy.

 

[Randy M.]

As with books, if you want to get something out of reviews, you've got to read them. Just counting stars won't get you anywhere. But reading a review will tell you a lot about the review, the reviewer and the book.

In days of yore on rec.arts.sf a couple of times I saw withering reviews of books that the poster hated, hated, hated -- too dark; must all the characters be gloomy; too much violence; etc. -- only to see a reply or two saying, thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. My own experience is a sort of triangulation: If the big name critics/reviewers all love it there's a good chance I will, too; if they all hate it, there's a good chance I will, too; if they're split, I have to figure it out for myself. Works more often than not.

Randy M.

 

[picklematrix]

One thought i had: perhaps Sci fi authors open themselves up to the risk of the reader being unable to suspend disbelief in regards to the science in their work, even if it was never intended to be Hard Sci Fi.
For instance, people might question an inertialess spacecraft more than they would the mechanics of a dragon flying or a wizard conjuring fire.
When using reviews to gauge if a book is for me, its useful to check if the reviewer believes they knew what they were getting into. For instance, if someone went into an Arthur C Clarke novel expecting Star Wars type action, they are unlikey to be satisfied, or write a positive review.
Thats another problem that fantasy avoids, now that I think about it. People tend to enter a fantasy book with a fairly accurate idea of what to expect in regards to the setting and rules.