Yes and no. In my experience it is usually a mistake for scientists to try to write fancy prose like a novelist. I would much rather have a dull but comprehen

Yes and no. In my experience it is usually a mistake for scientists to try to write fancy prose like a novelist. I would much rather have a dull but comprehensible paper (all short, plain and simple sentences) than any kind of highly literate ambiguity, or indeed the over-formal pomposity you rightly complain about. A scientific paper should not be a work of entertainment or showing off, but an attempt to communicate an idea. Remember that a paper is written for several audiences, and the annoying crap that you don't care about might be of vital importance to someone else. Having said that, it is nice when a paper is well arranged so that you can find what you want, but too often you just have to develop your cherry-picking skills.