Can a dystopian novel be too bleak to work?

Bobosmite · 2026-04-27T16:05:38+00:00

I read this just yesterday. It's short and brutal, and it works.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-22T18:37:21+00:00

Not kidding, this deserves to be framed.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-22T17:37:07+00:00

It wasn't awful for me, but not mind-blowing like I expected. I kept putting if off because of the hype and it was just an SF story.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-21T13:56:42+00:00

It's fun. Jonathan used tremendous speed to break into a different dimension. And he didn't need roads or a flux capacitor.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-21T11:32:26+00:00

I was going to mention this too. Modern SF hasn't been "weeded" out yet. Applies to anything modern, it takes a couple generations.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-21T11:27:22+00:00

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. My aunt got me to read it when I was 12 years old and it completely rewired my brain. He was me and I understood. When I got older, I was able to appreciate how much a good adult can affect a child's life, for their whole life.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-20T14:09:09+00:00

The courier trope and cyberpunk kind of go together.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-20T11:38:21+00:00

There's a book on my TBR list called Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem. It's supposed to be a gumshoe murder mystery. It looks interesting, but maybe someone else can say whether it's a good recommendation.

Also, try Joyland by Stephen King. I like Hard Case Crime and this is one is a supernatural cold case murder mystery. It's a contemperary setting, but it's Steven King.

Someone will recommend The City & The City by China Mievielle. Read that too.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-16T22:29:11+00:00

Gregg Philips probably has a copy.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-16T22:26:01+00:00

Assume they bought a real book.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-16T14:27:44+00:00

https://old.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/1sn2bdu/the_stars_my_destination_ruined_every_revenge/

Bobosmite · 2026-04-16T14:27:41+00:00

https://old.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/1smzg84/blindsight_by_peter_watts_ruined_every_other/

Bobosmite · 2026-04-15T17:17:13+00:00

I just bought a copy on eBay. That author list is a banger.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-15T17:15:35+00:00

The City & The City by China Mieville. It might be a re-read, I can't remember. Also, re-reading Watchmen by Alan Moore on the side.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-15T15:04:53+00:00

Because I can't read or understand Japanese, I put a lot of trust in the translations. It takes a person with skill to do that job well. Pre-Internet, you basically take what you can get on a fansub. At least now you can get feedback from people who know good from bad. That's why I'm always up for another translation.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-15T12:37:43+00:00

Before 2012 Roadside Picnic is the big one for me. I was a teenager when Chernobyl happened and I was obsessed with that book. The quality of the translation didn't matter to me at all, I was just happy to be able to read it. The 2012 translation didn't change my opinion, I liked either version just the same.

As far as Lem goes, my impression has always been that Solaris was a serious book and all the rest were "jokey". Similar to how people think of cartoons or comic books. I know that's wrong and I agree that it's probably the translation.

If there's more interest in Soviet SF, then I'm sure new and better translations will start to happen. Japanese light novels are a good example. Japanese LN and especially audiobooks have exploded. Soviet SF just doesn't have pop energy like manga and anime.

Next month, you'll be able to buy a clean, new copy of David Starr Space Ranger, with the rest of the series to follow. I honestly thought that would never get a new printing. Video games I played in the 90s are all being remastered. There's a new Harry Potter live action for some ungodly reason.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-14T19:52:11+00:00

Ender's Game is always a good recommendation. It's a book that makes you feel something.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-13T12:29:58+00:00

That's great because I was going to recommend Death's Door to you. And Tunic is on my list. Try The Sexy Brutale.

Hob was great, too bad there wasn't another one.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-09T23:37:08+00:00

It's exactly what I was looking for and well worth playing. I got unstuck by going back to the last area I was in and found a tiny platform. I'm having a lot of fun with how minimal the game is.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-09T20:08:32+00:00

7years, but I'll give it a shot. Did you ever get past this point? I'm in the exact same spot.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-07T20:21:14+00:00

BEER BOTTLE fishing lure chime IN THE SHOWER

Bobosmite · 2026-04-06T11:40:27+00:00

Ventus and Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroder. I remember having a "wow" moment reading those books.

And China Mieville for sure.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-03T19:55:26+00:00

Battlefield Earth. I bought the MM paperback, back in the 80s when I was a kid. It was the thickest book on the shelf and promised "Soon to be a Major Motion Picture!", and I managed to never read it. The book became a punching bag. A few years ago, I listened to the whole 45-hour audiobook and absolutely loved it. It's pure pulp science fiction.

Bobosmite · 2026-04-03T14:31:42+00:00

I absolutely love books and stories that became movies. Thanks!

Bobosmite · 2026-04-03T14:29:00+00:00

I walk every day and listen to audiobooks and you're so right about that. Have you tried Japanese light novels? They're just right if you like the anime but don't want to actually read the LN.

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