Comments on: Cory Doctorow’s Makers gets mixed reception http://www.keepingthedoor.com/2009/10/29/cory-doctorows-makers-gets-mixed-reception/ All you can eat sci-fi and fantasy books Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:54:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Renai LeMay http://www.keepingthedoor.com/2009/10/29/cory-doctorows-makers-gets-mixed-reception/#comment-1685 Renai LeMay Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:48:24 +0000 http://www.keepingthedoor.com/?p=1010#comment-1685 Fair call Chris! I may post a review of 'Makers' and examine Doctorow's work more comprehensively. These are some good comments. Fair call Chris! I may post a review of ‘Makers’ and examine Doctorow’s work more comprehensively. These are some good comments.

]]> By: Chris http://www.keepingthedoor.com/2009/10/29/cory-doctorows-makers-gets-mixed-reception/#comment-1635 Chris Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:37:06 +0000 http://www.keepingthedoor.com/?p=1010#comment-1635 Wow, maybe read the book or his body of work before shredding the poor guy? I have read all of Doctorow's stuff. Yes, he may be a little unpolished writing wise. However, with all the SciFi I read what troubles me much more is unfinished ideas or whole novels, very well written, that do not execute properly on their ideas or are simply too short sighted. I find the 'unpolished' parts easy enough to read over and anything Doctorow writes worthwhile reading, simply because of the connected ideas on the near future. Wow, maybe read the book or his body of work before shredding the poor guy? I have read all of Doctorow’s stuff. Yes, he may be a little unpolished writing wise. However, with all the SciFi I read what troubles me much more is unfinished ideas or whole novels, very well written, that do not execute properly on their ideas or are simply too short sighted. I find the ‘unpolished’ parts easy enough to read over and anything Doctorow writes worthwhile reading, simply because of the connected ideas on the near future.

]]> By: Renai LeMay http://www.keepingthedoor.com/2009/10/29/cory-doctorows-makers-gets-mixed-reception/#comment-1429 Renai LeMay Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:56:08 +0000 http://www.keepingthedoor.com/?p=1010#comment-1429 Yeap, this is more or less the feeling I have gotten about Doctorow's work from discussing it with people more in the know than I. Great ideas, but he hasn't reached his peak yet, and probably needs to focus a little more on the writing component. Yeap, this is more or less the feeling I have gotten about Doctorow’s work from discussing it with people more in the know than I. Great ideas, but he hasn’t reached his peak yet, and probably needs to focus a little more on the writing component.

]]> By: Adam Whitehead http://www.keepingthedoor.com/2009/10/29/cory-doctorows-makers-gets-mixed-reception/#comment-1350 Adam Whitehead Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:35:10 +0000 http://www.keepingthedoor.com/?p=1010#comment-1350 Doctorow is a clever guy with some very clever ideas. But, admittedly based on LITTLE BROTHER alone, he is not a great writer. His characters are not particularly interesting and his point seems to get lost. Kids don't need adults to do things for them? But it's adults who save the day at the end. The government is creating a climate of fear out of a minor terrorist threat? Fair enough, but why have a real terrorist attack with hundreds or thousands of deaths start the book then? Is the point that there is a real terrorist threat but it's been inflated out of proportion? Why wasn't that made clearer? The fact that the sequences where the characters hack their X-Boxes to create a clandestine communications network were written with verve and enthusiasm whilst any bit involving people talking to one another in a genuinely human fashion dragged immensely is very telling. Doctorow is a clever guy with some very clever ideas. But, admittedly based on LITTLE BROTHER alone, he is not a great writer. His characters are not particularly interesting and his point seems to get lost. Kids don’t need adults to do things for them? But it’s adults who save the day at the end. The government is creating a climate of fear out of a minor terrorist threat? Fair enough, but why have a real terrorist attack with hundreds or thousands of deaths start the book then? Is the point that there is a real terrorist threat but it’s been inflated out of proportion? Why wasn’t that made clearer?

The fact that the sequences where the characters hack their X-Boxes to create a clandestine communications network were written with verve and enthusiasm whilst any bit involving people talking to one another in a genuinely human fashion dragged immensely is very telling.

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