[LMB] Two Reviews

[Lois McMaster Bujold]

[LMB] Two Reviews
alayne at twobikes.ottawa.on.ca alayne at twobikes.ottawa.on.ca
Fri Sep 28 18:28:26 BST 2007


On Fri, 28 Sep 2007, Lois McMaster Bujold wrote:
 > I think it is very instructive, on a meta-level, to compare and contrast
 > these two reviews of _Legacy_: one from a skiffy-minded reader, and one
 > from a reader coming strictly out of the romance genre.

Well alixsin's review (the "skiffy" viewpoint) is so much better written
(aside from a few typos) that it's hard to compare the two. Clearly the
romance reader seems to be primarily interested in plot and relationships,
and the setting is hardly mentioned -- I don't know whether that was
actually unimportant to her or whether it didn't fit into her concept of a
review.

Alixsin's review, OTOH, is one of the best analyses I've read of
why the Lakewalker society is moribund and why the Farmer society is
necessary to the Lakewalker in terms of technology and new ideas.
Definitely worth reading.

-- 
Alayne McGregor
alayne at twobikes.ottawa.on.ca


*** Yes, more than one variable in play here.  The romance review is 
from a Ms. Ordinary Reader, the other is from a woman with a PhD and who 
writes SF herself, so they are approaching the book from two different 
levels as well as from two different reading backgrounds.  I've seen 
less perceptive SFnal reviews, and more perceptive Romance reviews, but 
these two were both on the top of their piles to hand, since I first ran 
across both in the past few days.

I could find more samples to illustrate the trend, but the trend is 
found at many levels; I find it quite striking and interestingly 
consistent over many samples.  Many romance readers (those who do not 
cross over a lot to F&SF) seem remarkably tone-deaf to world-building, 
even as some skiffy reviewers seem at least equally tone-deaf to 
relationship-building.  I may have to scratch around and see if I can 
find a couple more for illustration, better controlled for the other 
variables, but I must run out and buy the new Pratchett this afternoon...

Ta, L.