What’s a piece of SF that you just couldn’t get into, even though you feel like you should?
I tried to watch Babylon 5, for instance, and just couldn’t connect to it. I know it’s popular and people love it, but it never hooked me.
Another is The Three Body Problem. I tried reading it after a friend’s glowing recommendation, but I couldn’t get past the first chapter. I even tried reading it in another language in case it was the translation I couldn’t connect with, but the same thing happened.
Both are things I feel like I should like, but just don’t.
I agree about the Three Body Problem, I read it but I don’t know what I read. Could be the translation but man it really bounced off.
But I couldn’t read VanderMeer, that thing that was really popular, like his version of the Zone from Stalker. Couldn’t believe all the hype, felt like gaslighting. Maybe I’ll try it again, who knows
I don’t think you’re alone on the Southern Reach books by Vandermeer. I did read them, but holy moly it was a slog towards the end. It’s a trippy slow psychological descent. Without any concrete aspects for the reader to hang their hat on, it’s exceedingly difficult (for me at least) to get a picture of what’s going on, what’s really happening. I think they’re well written, but they are not really my thing.
Yeah, I don’t mind the lack of concreteness, but the writing felt poor considering the insane praise it got. Still, it’s been a while so I have to give them another shot. Maybe I changed in the meantime