Book #20, movie, weekend
Apr. 28th, 2013 05:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thistlechaserBook #20: Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi
I'm starting to think Old Man's War was a fluke. That was one of my favorite books, but every Scalzi book I've read since then was worse than the one before it.
Yes, somehow Fuzzy Nation was somehow worse than Zoe's Tale. That's saying something.
The author called this a reboot of the 60s Fuzzy Nation book. While I did read the original when I was a kid, I don't remember it at all, so I can't compare the two... but even with that said, I suspect I'd like the original more.
Every single character (and element) in the book was a giant cliche. The main character was a loveable rogue. The love interest was a smart woman scientist. The corporation was of course evil. The bad cops were cliche goons. There were no surprises in the plot -- the corporation tried multiple times to kill the main character, and while the character didn't know it, it was obvious to the reader that of course the Evil Corporation was behind it.
On top of all that, the writing just wasn't all that good. The alien species, the Fuzzies, were never described. Every character that saw them commented on how cute they were, but the reader couldn't do anything but take their word on it. (This isn't new to this book. He rarely described alien species or characters in his other book.)
Another thing I disliked (though can't blame him for) was that I just couldn't feel much for a species called "Fuzzy". I know Scalzi needed to use the name because the original book did, but sheesh. If I met a new alien species, I sure do hope I could come up with a better name than that!
Movie: Speaking of disappointing things... I finally watched Ice Age 4. I really liked the early movies, but 4 was just plain bad. Add on top of that that it was filmed to be shown in 3D, so watching it on a normal screen meant that for seemingly no reason at all, we got close ups of noses and wood and whatever else might have been flying out of the screen in a movie theater.
Weekend: In my quest to Get The Hell Out Of The House And So Things, I had intended to go to the movies this weekend. For years I've been wanting to see Jurassic Park in the theater again. And finally it's back! ...in 3D. I'd rather see it in its original form, but I'll put up with 3D, so I made plans to go. Then I saw the ticket prices. Then I remembered why I haven't seen a movie in theaters for years. $13 to see a 2 hour movie at 11:30 AM (cheapest time) is just unreasonable. $16 in the evening. For one ticket! I'm not going to support that.
Other than that, it's been a quiet weekend. Quieter than I intended, but that happens sometimes.
I'm starting to think Old Man's War was a fluke. That was one of my favorite books, but every Scalzi book I've read since then was worse than the one before it.
Yes, somehow Fuzzy Nation was somehow worse than Zoe's Tale. That's saying something.
The author called this a reboot of the 60s Fuzzy Nation book. While I did read the original when I was a kid, I don't remember it at all, so I can't compare the two... but even with that said, I suspect I'd like the original more.
Every single character (and element) in the book was a giant cliche. The main character was a loveable rogue. The love interest was a smart woman scientist. The corporation was of course evil. The bad cops were cliche goons. There were no surprises in the plot -- the corporation tried multiple times to kill the main character, and while the character didn't know it, it was obvious to the reader that of course the Evil Corporation was behind it.
On top of all that, the writing just wasn't all that good. The alien species, the Fuzzies, were never described. Every character that saw them commented on how cute they were, but the reader couldn't do anything but take their word on it. (This isn't new to this book. He rarely described alien species or characters in his other book.)
Another thing I disliked (though can't blame him for) was that I just couldn't feel much for a species called "Fuzzy". I know Scalzi needed to use the name because the original book did, but sheesh. If I met a new alien species, I sure do hope I could come up with a better name than that!
Movie: Speaking of disappointing things... I finally watched Ice Age 4. I really liked the early movies, but 4 was just plain bad. Add on top of that that it was filmed to be shown in 3D, so watching it on a normal screen meant that for seemingly no reason at all, we got close ups of noses and wood and whatever else might have been flying out of the screen in a movie theater.
Weekend: In my quest to Get The Hell Out Of The House And So Things, I had intended to go to the movies this weekend. For years I've been wanting to see Jurassic Park in the theater again. And finally it's back! ...in 3D. I'd rather see it in its original form, but I'll put up with 3D, so I made plans to go. Then I saw the ticket prices. Then I remembered why I haven't seen a movie in theaters for years. $13 to see a 2 hour movie at 11:30 AM (cheapest time) is just unreasonable. $16 in the evening. For one ticket! I'm not going to support that.
Other than that, it's been a quiet weekend. Quieter than I intended, but that happens sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-29 02:36 am (UTC)I don't know what-all you're interested in doing in your quest to "Get Out of the House," but here's a personal favorite of mine: birding. Go to your local Audubon chapter (just Google "audubon + your area) and find their beginners' birdwalk. Birding is a pleasant way to take a nice stroll, usually among people who are passionate about birds and who want to share their knowledge about such. Some folks are competitive, but really, almost everyone I've run into just thinks birds are fun to look at. The biggest cost is a pair of binoculars, and many branches will loan you a pair at the walk. It is completely made of win. You have a gentle walk, usually for as long as you want to put up with it, where you look at birds (and don't feel dumb if you don't know what you're looking at. Ask the person next to you. While I have run into the occasional jerk, almost everyone else wants to help you share in the joy they feel about birds. Buy a copy of Peterson's or one of the other guides. While you're hanging out wherever, page through the book and figure out what you're looking at. It's a low-cost, generally rewarding activity that translates all over the world.)
If you're still looking for something fun and rewarding, then I highly recommend volunteering for just about anything. I used to volunteer at the Lindsay Wildlife Hospital in Walnut Creek. Best damn three years I ever spent volunteering. There are tons of opportunities where you live. Teach someone to read, walk shelter dogs, play with/socialize shelter kitties, help out at any number of gardens. Volunteering is good for the soul.
And now I'll mind my own business.
no subject
Date: 2013-04-29 03:22 am (UTC)Thanks for the ideas! While I was enjoying looking at the birds at my feeder, I hadn't thought about going into the wild to do it. (Or "wild" I should probably say.) Volunteering I had pondered, then got distracted before I thought more about it. Thanks for the reminder!
I think you're likely right that Scalzi is overhyped. OMW was amazing, my favorite book in a long time. After it I read four more of his books. One was good, one was okay, two were bad/nearly awful. I have one book and a couple short stories of his left to read, but I'm going to read some other stuff first.