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From: Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Blue Remembered Earth. Alastair Reynolds.
Date: Sun, 8 Sep 2024 22:07:57 -0400
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On 9/6/24 11:26 PM, Titus G wrote:
> On 7/09/24 09:19, Tony Nance wrote:
>> On 9/5/24 11:52 PM, Titus G wrote:
>>> On 5/09/24 01:14, Tony Nance wrote:
>>>> On 9/4/24 1:56 AM, Titus G wrote:
>>>>> Blue Remembered Earth. Alastair Reynolds. 2012
>>> snip
>>>>
>>>> I am so glad you liked this. I read this back in May, and didn't enjoy
>>>> it as much as you did. The setting and science were great. My main
>>>> problems were with the characters, but since the next one seems to share
>>>> very few characters (if any) with this one, I plan to give it a try.
>>>
>>> I am guessing the characters were too shallow for you or maybe you did
>>> not like Geoffrey, the simple elephant man protagonist? The cousins were
>>> unusual
>>
>> You have indeed guessed correctly - shallow as a contact lens case. I
>> think, except for Geoffrey, every major character (and many minor
>> characters) were some combination of self-absorbed, self-righteous,
>> impulsive, unsympathetic, True Believer jerks.
>>
>> Geoffrey was fine, though he tends to accept/agree that every negative
>> thing in the universe is his fault.
>>
> 
> As most of the characters were powerful being politicians or highly
> ranked in their organisations or ridiculously wealthy, they were all
> used to getting their own way. The cousins were identical in their
> thoughts. 

At many points throughout the story, I thought the cousins needed to be 
jettisoned into the event horizon of a black hole. They were -- by far 
-- my least favorite characters.


> I think I pitied Geoffrey which allowed me to feel superior to him.
>
> Another aspect I liked was the suspense, the danger, the threats with
> almost no violence and no super heroes running marathons in bare feet
> with broken legs.

Yes - Reynolds does that very well when he wants to.