Book Reviews: Hunter’s Run
I seldom read science fiction and there’s a reason for that. I find it difficult to find SF which doesn’t revolve around either a future military or get so caught up in its shinies it forgets to have a decent cast of characters and storyline.
The story behind Hunter’s Run (not the storyline, but the story of the book itself) is an interesting one. It’s been through three authors in its thirty-year lifespan. I honestly wasn’t sure how that would come together.
As it turned out, I enjoyed it. There was no part where I thought, oh yes, we’ve switched authors here. The story, while it featured aliens and technology, wasn’t about aliens or technology. It was about a guy, someone not particularly sympathetic, someone who hadn’t been polished until he sparkled then got a rod jammed up his nether regions (I’m looking at you, Star Trek). Yet somehow I found myself bonding with him as the book went along until, in the end, I really wanted everything to work out in his favour. Its cast of characters was small, most of the time is spent in the wilderness but it didn’t feel incomplete or sparsely populated.
I know I should do a brief run-down but I’m notorious for spoilers, so I’m not going to go into the plot. Instead I’ll direct you here, to the Harper Collins (the publisher’s) website.
All in all, I’d say it’s worth a read.
Big News for Nerds
When I tell people my genre of choice for both writing and reading is fantasy, the uninitiated tend to edge away like I may be contagious. In truth, I might have had the same attitude were it not for what I’ve come to think of as my gateway books.
What C.S. Lewis started, Robert Jordan finished. I found fantasy through the Wheel of Time. It’s a series readers have this odd sort of love-hate relationship with. Generally, it’s considered okay to have read up to book three. In some circles, that extends out to book five. Confessing to the enjoyment of later volumes can lead to public humiliation depending upon how passionate the group is.
Now, I’m not saying I don’t see problems with the series. For starters, it’s too long. Last time I counted, there were 11 books plus three companion-piece-slash-world-guides. And yes, there’s a whole lot of story but there’s also a whole lot which could have been left out without detracting from the overall tale. But who cares? The way I see it, there’s no such thing as too much story.
Sadly, Robert Jordan passed away before he could deliver the twelfth (and final) book in the series. Legions of ner… fans have been left to wonder, will we never see how it ends, or will somebody else take on the challenge?
We’ve had our answer. The challenge has been taken up by this guy. Brandon Sanderson will write the book WoT fans have waited years for. It’s a heavy burden. Eleven books is time to kick of a lot of story arcs and he’s got one book to try and close off as many as possible, all while trying to stay as close to the original voice as possible.
Talk about pressure.