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ianbanks's review
4.0
A really interesting collection of stories and articles. I think I may have preferred the non-fiction to the fiction but Mr Barnes creates interesting situations and has his characters react to them in ways that are all-too-human and fascinating. He is also a very honest writer and seems to be well aware of his limitations as a writer or as a futurist, although some of that may just be modesty. Here's. A lot to enjoy here: some rough material as well, but a lot to chew on.
flying_monkey's review
2.0
I have had very mixed feelings about Barnes' novel-length work. Descriptions of Barnes as the next Heinlein never sold his books to me as I stopped deifying the 'Dean of Science Fiction' long ago; indeed, in my view, Barnes' flaws often replicated Heinlein's stylistic and imaginative shortcomings. He also seemed to have a rather boring way of constructing his worlds whether they were supposed to be shockingly foregrounded or merely backcloth.
This collection managed to both surprise me and confirm some of my previous impressions. I found the author's commentaries on his stories engaging and enlightening, though I did not always agree with his opinions of his own work! For example, 'Under the Covenant Stars', a tale set in a near future USA dominated by religous dogma and fear of the outside, which Barnes describes as one of his most (thankfully) dated, I found to be still timely and disturbing. Perhaps more recent events have reawakened tendencies Barnes thought long gone. I also liked the one with the gay wolf sex! Barnes seems to encourage the reader to find this shocking - actually it isn't at all unless you have problems with the normal range of human sexuality - and is in fact quite an intriguing tale that could be read as a challenge to human speciesism, a tale of moral control, or a satire on the animal rights lobby depending on you mood and persuasions. There are a few really enjoyable and genuinely challenging stories in this collection: the first story, 'Gentleman Pervert, Out on a Spree' is strong stuff with some disturbing but worthwhile points about gender relations, although it outstays its welcome and drifts off course a little.
However there are some really bad stories too - another lengthy piece which worked hard at inverting mainstream fantasy conventions of good elves and bad goblins went on so long and aimlessly that I began to think that some publisher's trick had plunged me into the middle of another interminable fantasy trilogy. Many other tales are equally pointless or flawed: some, such as 'Stochasm, 'are just too clever-clever , others aren't as funny as they the author believes, particularly one abysmally unamusing alt-history satire about Christopher Columbus.
Interspersed with the stories are non-fiction pieces. These I found very interesting because they purport at least to be what Barnes really thinks about writing, about Science Fiction, and about world-creation. I say 'purport', because I was left unsure whether Barnes really believes what he writes and whether the pieces are merely self-justification. One example is an essay on style in SF, in which Barnes exalts good honest craft in writing over bombastic stylistic exuberance. Given that Barnes' own style is workmanlike at best and dull at worst, this could be seen merely as an attempt to give a critical gloss to an inability to write in anything more than flat prose. Likewise his essay on how to construct a world: mathematically-correct maybe, but worlds are made of more than figures - where's the cultural content, where's the poetry? Whilst I appreciate his critique of the old hyperbolic SF description piling wonder upon ever more wondrous wonder, and whilst I can see the rationale in well-constructed coherent worlds, I would have given up reading SF years ago if everyone wrote like Barnes. Simple writing about workable futures may do for teenagers - that was when I DID like Heinlein! - but as you get older you need more subtlety, more strangeness, and, more style. Give me something stylish - anything from Attanasio at his headlong flawed but lush best, or Gibson at his most ironic and Chandleresque - over Barnes' mechanical writing any day.
After my criticism, you might be surprised to find me awarding this collection 4 stars. Well, the reason is that too many author's are selective about what they present to the public. Collections often contain only the author's selection of their most uncontentious and well-liked pieces. In contrast Barnes has exposed himself completely: everything is on display, much of it unseen before. And, whether you like him or not, whether you believe him or not, like a middle-aged streaker at the Olympic Games, John Barnes has got to be admired for his honesty and daring in 'letting it all hang out' in this way.
This collection managed to both surprise me and confirm some of my previous impressions. I found the author's commentaries on his stories engaging and enlightening, though I did not always agree with his opinions of his own work! For example, 'Under the Covenant Stars', a tale set in a near future USA dominated by religous dogma and fear of the outside, which Barnes describes as one of his most (thankfully) dated, I found to be still timely and disturbing. Perhaps more recent events have reawakened tendencies Barnes thought long gone. I also liked the one with the gay wolf sex! Barnes seems to encourage the reader to find this shocking - actually it isn't at all unless you have problems with the normal range of human sexuality - and is in fact quite an intriguing tale that could be read as a challenge to human speciesism, a tale of moral control, or a satire on the animal rights lobby depending on you mood and persuasions. There are a few really enjoyable and genuinely challenging stories in this collection: the first story, 'Gentleman Pervert, Out on a Spree' is strong stuff with some disturbing but worthwhile points about gender relations, although it outstays its welcome and drifts off course a little.
However there are some really bad stories too - another lengthy piece which worked hard at inverting mainstream fantasy conventions of good elves and bad goblins went on so long and aimlessly that I began to think that some publisher's trick had plunged me into the middle of another interminable fantasy trilogy. Many other tales are equally pointless or flawed: some, such as 'Stochasm, 'are just too clever-clever , others aren't as funny as they the author believes, particularly one abysmally unamusing alt-history satire about Christopher Columbus.
Interspersed with the stories are non-fiction pieces. These I found very interesting because they purport at least to be what Barnes really thinks about writing, about Science Fiction, and about world-creation. I say 'purport', because I was left unsure whether Barnes really believes what he writes and whether the pieces are merely self-justification. One example is an essay on style in SF, in which Barnes exalts good honest craft in writing over bombastic stylistic exuberance. Given that Barnes' own style is workmanlike at best and dull at worst, this could be seen merely as an attempt to give a critical gloss to an inability to write in anything more than flat prose. Likewise his essay on how to construct a world: mathematically-correct maybe, but worlds are made of more than figures - where's the cultural content, where's the poetry? Whilst I appreciate his critique of the old hyperbolic SF description piling wonder upon ever more wondrous wonder, and whilst I can see the rationale in well-constructed coherent worlds, I would have given up reading SF years ago if everyone wrote like Barnes. Simple writing about workable futures may do for teenagers - that was when I DID like Heinlein! - but as you get older you need more subtlety, more strangeness, and, more style. Give me something stylish - anything from Attanasio at his headlong flawed but lush best, or Gibson at his most ironic and Chandleresque - over Barnes' mechanical writing any day.
After my criticism, you might be surprised to find me awarding this collection 4 stars. Well, the reason is that too many author's are selective about what they present to the public. Collections often contain only the author's selection of their most uncontentious and well-liked pieces. In contrast Barnes has exposed himself completely: everything is on display, much of it unseen before. And, whether you like him or not, whether you believe him or not, like a middle-aged streaker at the Olympic Games, John Barnes has got to be admired for his honesty and daring in 'letting it all hang out' in this way.
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