4 ms·
Consider Phlebas was how I discovered the "rule of 50" (or more generally, "put down a book when you are sick of it"). The book felt like an aimless wander fro
by tbabb 8y ago
Consider Phlebas was how I discovered the "rule of 50" (or more generally, "put down a book when you are sick of it").
The book felt like an aimless wander from one scene to the next, with little overarching drive, and a bland main character without purpose. Basically a string of "and thens". The comparison to a generic sci-fi action movie is a good one-- empty (at least as far as I got into it) of character and philosophy.
- caconym_ 8y agoI remember thinking it felt a lot like a series of short stories centered around set pieces, that happened to have some degree of continuity. IIRC (could be totally wrong) Use of Weapons was the first novel he seriously tried to get published, and Wasp Factory was his first success. I always wondered if Consider Phlebas was stitched together from even earlier material.