Tuesday, March 01, 2005
The Snow Queen
by Joan D. Vinge
Rating: B
Genre: Sci-Fi
If you don’t like Sci-Fi, don’t read any further. Last night I finished Snow Queen during one of my fits of “I-can’t-fall-asleep-so-I-might-as-well-finish-my-book.” I was up until 1:30 on a school night reading this oddly compelling story.
Ok, confession: I am a person who loves Sci-Fi. I don’t read a whole lot of it anymore, but my dad introduced me to all sorts of Fantasy and Sci-Fi at a young age. I loved all the escapist plots, crazy technology and otherworldliness. He gave me Lord of the Rings and Stranger in Strange Land while I was still in middle school. I think I always identified with - or wanted to believe I was like - the protagonist who is in someway special, trying to do good in the world, but misunderstood or battling by those around them. I think it is the same thing that makes comic books compelling for so many.
Pros: I really enjoyed the world of universe of the Hegemony and Tiamat that were the background for the story. I thought that Vinge did a great job of creating an entire political system in which to place the story. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded slowly revealing the details in such a way that they were not immediately obvious (for the most part). Even though the general arc of the plot was obvious quickly, I enjoyed the ride it took me on to its conclusion. I felt compelled to pick it up and see where it was going. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but…
Cons: Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres have some big hurdles to overcome to get my vote as a really good read. Too often the characters are flat, not nearly the inner life you want in your protagonist. The dialogue and plot can be clichéd. Snow Queen definitely fell into those holes. The main character Moon had lots of action and adventure, but I never really connected and cared about her the way a good character can sink her hooks into me (I think I cared more about the supporting characters than the fate of the Moon). Even though this book was written by a woman who wanted to create strong female oriented tale, it could have easily been written by a man who doesn’t quite get it. Joan D. Vinge’s female characters (protagonist, antagonist and supporting characters) suffered from the syndrome of a characterization of a strong woman instead of the honesty of a strong woman. They were too arrogant and not well rounded enough to really ring true. The dialogue is somewhat forced and I never quite fell into the natural rhythm that makes me forget I am reading. I like to be absorbed in a book.
I would recommend the book, but with the caveat that it is not a great Sci-Fi book, but a good Sci-Fi book. Entertaining, enjoyable, interesting clash of primitive and technological worlds, quest for knowledge, truth, and love wrapped up in a compelling story.
Rating: B
Genre: Sci-Fi
If you don’t like Sci-Fi, don’t read any further. Last night I finished Snow Queen during one of my fits of “I-can’t-fall-asleep-so-I-might-as-well-finish-my-book.” I was up until 1:30 on a school night reading this oddly compelling story.
Ok, confession: I am a person who loves Sci-Fi. I don’t read a whole lot of it anymore, but my dad introduced me to all sorts of Fantasy and Sci-Fi at a young age. I loved all the escapist plots, crazy technology and otherworldliness. He gave me Lord of the Rings and Stranger in Strange Land while I was still in middle school. I think I always identified with - or wanted to believe I was like - the protagonist who is in someway special, trying to do good in the world, but misunderstood or battling by those around them. I think it is the same thing that makes comic books compelling for so many.
Pros: I really enjoyed the world of universe of the Hegemony and Tiamat that were the background for the story. I thought that Vinge did a great job of creating an entire political system in which to place the story. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded slowly revealing the details in such a way that they were not immediately obvious (for the most part). Even though the general arc of the plot was obvious quickly, I enjoyed the ride it took me on to its conclusion. I felt compelled to pick it up and see where it was going. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but…
Cons: Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres have some big hurdles to overcome to get my vote as a really good read. Too often the characters are flat, not nearly the inner life you want in your protagonist. The dialogue and plot can be clichéd. Snow Queen definitely fell into those holes. The main character Moon had lots of action and adventure, but I never really connected and cared about her the way a good character can sink her hooks into me (I think I cared more about the supporting characters than the fate of the Moon). Even though this book was written by a woman who wanted to create strong female oriented tale, it could have easily been written by a man who doesn’t quite get it. Joan D. Vinge’s female characters (protagonist, antagonist and supporting characters) suffered from the syndrome of a characterization of a strong woman instead of the honesty of a strong woman. They were too arrogant and not well rounded enough to really ring true. The dialogue is somewhat forced and I never quite fell into the natural rhythm that makes me forget I am reading. I like to be absorbed in a book.
I would recommend the book, but with the caveat that it is not a great Sci-Fi book, but a good Sci-Fi book. Entertaining, enjoyable, interesting clash of primitive and technological worlds, quest for knowledge, truth, and love wrapped up in a compelling story.
# posted by lyskie @ 9:00 PM 
