Re: Hugo Shortlist 2008 (Sawyer)

Howard Brazee <howard@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>On Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:12:13 -0700 (PDT), DouhetSukd
><DouhetSukd@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>>Hey, Sawyer's not that bad an author.  He is at the very least
>>competent, something much of the SF output doesn't even reach.
>>
>>Mind you, he is mind-cloyingly politically correct.  Well, except for
>>the part about always criticizing the USA, 'cause that doesn't count
>>as bigotry to him of course.
>>
>>I recall more than a few of his books with some fondness.
>>FlashForward, Calculating God, Illegal Alien.  And even, yes, Hominids
>>(not Humans, yecch) .  OK, they are not necessarily groundbreaking and
>>earthshaking, but I can remember the basic ideas in them and they
>>weren't half bad or too too recycled.  The writing is competent enough
>>as well.
>
>I agree, except I do not remember _Hominids_ with fondness, and never
>was tempted to read a sequel.   Sawyer's also not bad to talk with in
>conventions.
>
>He's competent and has novels with interesting ideas.

He's competent at writing his kind of novel.  I don't think his kind
of novel is particularly well written, interesting, or ground
breaking.  Sort of extruded science fiction product.  Sometimes
there's nothing wrong with a little extruded product, but it shouldn't
be winning awards for best novel of the year.

-David