Broken Crescent by S. Andrew Swann Buy book: $6.29
College student and top-notch computer hacker Nate Black is abducted to an alien world, where magic is the rule, the gods are all too real, and a twist of fate makes him the most valuable pawn in a terrifying game of power.
Whenever I see a 'drop-into-the-other-world' scenario, it always seems to me that it would have been much better if the author had forgone dragging the protagonist to the world where he does not belong. Rarely, oh so very rarely, it works. Don't know if it would work here, since the drop-in had not happened yet... but the stunning resemblance to Matrix is already disconcerting.
Okay, so Neo... er... Black is about to enter this fantasy world. The 'fantasy' is created by an extensive useage of Thesaurus, it seems. While educational, it makes for otherwise er... despondent read. Especially, in combination with modernizms:
For example:
[quote]But it wasn't in Ehrid's nature to simply acquiesce.
"This isn't emotion. It is good sense..."[/quote]
Either 'nature to give up...' with the 'isn't emotion'; or ''tis not premonition' or some other similar cutsey wording with acquiesce...
[quote]Either side of the Armsmaster's office opened onto a balcony
circumnavigating the tower...[/quote]
Circumnavigating... was it really needed here? or would have tower's balcony sufficed.
Funny how the "matrix" was a movie first and a novel second... Seems that u may be 2 loyal too a certain movie ! This novel is no way near the "matrix" if any thing this novel is typical "sci-fi" agenre I stay away from cuz more often or not the topics are repative... Just soo u know the "MATRIX" could be preceived as a "spin off" from many sci-novels years before the "matrix's" time... Perhaps the movie "matrix" was ground breaking for certain action sequences etc.. however not ground breaking for TOPIC... This novel is no where resembling the "matrix" in any matter... Know yur material and "break it down" before You write somthing that could be deemed "dis-respectfull" Just seems that u claim, the "matrix" was the only movie or novel too discuss this certain topic....... This is not the case, U should pay homage too the novels that talked bout this topic.... !
[quote]Know yur material and "break it down" before You write somthing that could be deemed "dis-respectfull" Just seems that u claim, the "matrix" was the only movie or novel too discuss this certain topic....... This is not the case, U should pay homage too the novels that talked bout this topic.... ![/quote]
A hacker who recieves a disconcerting e-mail which eventually leads him to another world, is for me very much similar to Matrix' premise. Sure, Matrix is a derivative work in its own right, but the story told there in my opinion was much more amusing than this one and to add to it, the movie was memorable.
That is why anything with the similar plot knot will remind me of it.
In writing, there is always a danger of reusing similar relatively unusual plot devices - the worse danger than that of cliches. After all, the majority of fantasy books are written on the topic of 'the great ancient evil and how we had defeated it'.
So, unless a clever hacker working for a respectable company, getting a mysterious e-mail/message that he can neither trace, nor explain that leads him to a new world is indeed a sci-fi cliche that I am not aware of, the useage of it will be commonly associated with the pop-cultural phenomenon that is Matrix.
But even if that's the case, the awkward writing remains. It is one of the examples where an author seems to sit on the fence. Neither he is interetsed in plunging into the every-day laguage and trying to avoid 'prettiness' - GRR Martin - neither he can achieve the climax of prettiness as GG Kay does.
In Kay, the circumnavigating will look in place, here, it sticks our like a sore thumb.
The mastery of language is as important as a compelling, tight plot. Hesitant language always gives me impression of the writer being not too experienced. What I look for in a published novel is to be awed by the writer's talent. If I see something that a good level unpublished amateur can produce, it does not interest me.
I had just joined this group last night, so this is my first reading. I have to say that I enjoyed the tidbit that I was given and I am quite sad that I missed the entries from earlier this week. This seems like a novel I could really get into. ^^
