I agree that Leinster is far from his best - he does fail at meta, and is better to avoid it, and the 'Phillips' is rather like Thorne Smith, a high maintenance idea needing more attention. (And I don't like the nurse laughing at someone losing sanity)
But I did like the Anvil, and didn't find it in the least boring. The action bits were very well written, and the info most gracefully dumped. I enjoy the characters, too. Though I'd call them dry romantics rather than dry realists. If only from the fact they think the chances of the starmen surviving that long with their purpose intact is realistic. (And it would be even less so if it took cultural transmission through generations.) That bit about meeting people in their official capacity..! Anvil's main failing, to me, is his not giving the physical or social setting solidity or individuality; and that's probably a minority opinion.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-08-21 11:06 pm (UTC)But I did like the Anvil, and didn't find it in the least boring. The action bits were very well written, and the info most gracefully dumped. I enjoy the characters, too. Though I'd call them dry romantics rather than dry realists. If only from the fact they think the chances of the starmen surviving that long with their purpose intact is realistic. (And it would be even less so if it took cultural transmission through generations.) That bit about meeting people in their official capacity..! Anvil's main failing, to me, is his not giving the physical or social setting solidity or individuality; and that's probably a minority opinion.
Thanks for the Anvil, and skip all you want!