5/13/2023 0 Comments The practice effect by david brinA day after finishing the book, very few of the stories stayed in my mind. The rest of the stories read largely as philosophical lectures forced into a poorly-fitting narrative format. The only piece that really works as a fully- functioning story is a novella set in the Uplift universe that feels a bit like the second, less-interesting, Uplift trilogy. There’s very little of the zest that filled The Practice Effect, and less of the drive of The Postman. I found it hard to care what happened, and the self-consciously ‘important’ themes began to wear. Several of the stories here are acknowledged thought experiments, but almost all of them read as if they were. Brin’s writing remains intelligent, mildly interesting, and emotionally flat. I’m sorry to say that my view hasn’t changed. This new collection of stories was a chance to go back to an author I once quite liked. After Kiln People, I mostly lost track of Brin. It was intelligent and interesting, but emotionally flat. Gradually, though, I began to tire of Brin’s oppressively serious writing. I liked that, The Postman, The Practice Effect, and a few others. I started reading David Brin a long time ago – probably with the Uplift series.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |