Meta-reviews

[tree_and_leaf]

The Grauniad has a review of China Miéville's new book, UnLunDun - as you may remember, I linked to an interview with the author a while back. It sounds even more like a blatant rip off of Neverwhere to me now, but the reviewer does't seem to notice, possibly because it sounds as if he dislikes SF/ fantasy on principle - he comments that he doesn't care about any of the characters, but it will nevertheless appeal to people who like science fiction...

Comments

[intertext.livejournal.com]

humph. (which may be applied both to the reviewee and the reviewer). Never been much of a fan of Mieville, but had looked at this in the bookstore and thought it looked interesting (though noted, like you, the similarity to Neverwhere). But I hate puns, and it sounds stunningly UNoriginal to me, or like someone trying too hard to be original. But snooks to the reviewer for the snide comment about SF readers not bothering about characters...

[tree_and_leaf]

Heck, I _like_ puns, and I think it's an incredible weak, contrived name...

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I do wish the Guardian would learn that the best way to get a sensible review of a sci-fi book is to find a reviewer who actually likes sci-fi. And that such people don't necessarily have two heads or smell funny.

[tree_and_leaf]

To be fair, they do sometimes get Jon Courtney Grimmauld (if that's the right name) to do it. But of course, all 'children's fiction' is one big indefinable mass, so it doesn't matter who you ask...

Silly Guardian.

Incidentally, that's a good icon - I really should pickup some minaverse quote icons...

[dolabellae.livejournal.com]

I think they put annoying things in the Review just to rile people when they're trying to relax at the weekend. this (http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2051677,00.html) is the last one that really got me het up, and in a cross with myself for rising to the bait kind of way...

[tree_and_leaf]

Oh, I remember that article, and I was rather annoyed, too... The book itself looks interesting (I glanced at it in Blackwells), although it's already out of date, as it starts of by lamenting the awfulness of Scream, the pub on the Plain - which has now reverted to its historic name of the Cape of Good Hope (and is much improved).