Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
This month I’m taking part in a group readalong of Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. Today is the first of two parts of discussion. This first reading took us to the end of Part II and for those of you who haven’t read the book before be warned that spoilers be contained within.
The questions follow:
1. I have hosted SFF-related group reads for books by Asimov, Herbert, Sanderson and Gaiman. This is our first group read by a female author. What are your thoughts on McCaffrey’s handling of the male and female characters in Dragonflight? Feel free to compare and contrast male and female characters and/or discuss various male and female characters in relations to others in the book of the same sex.
Well, I have mixed feelings about this. Initially I was really surprised because the stereotypes were so blatant. For example, on the Search, F’lar’s thoughts and feelings about the women, felt like he was looking over them like nothing more than cattle and to a certain extent some of that attitude seems to remain throughout the following chapters. I could have slapped him and F’nor about the hands and face carrying on with themselves about ‘we should have taken the pretty one!’ And these are the good guys (I think). And yet I wonder to an extent if this is to really get over the sense of the way people really behaved on Pern at that time (which, come on, is quite old fashioned) and then to really highlight how different Lessa really is? I could of course just be projecting my own hopes onto the author here!! I suppose if you really think about it this book was written some time ago when attitudes and expectations were different so you have to be a bit realistic about what you expect. For example, Asimov’s Foundation – in the third book the couple (apologies, the names escape me!) I remember one scene where the bloke is going shopping and I strongly suspect that this was meant as really almost innovational at the time. Just a little example.
2. F’Lar and Lessa are an interesting pair of protagonists. What do you like and/or dislike about their interactions thus far? What things stand out for you as particularly engaging about each character (if anything)?
Well, like above, I have mixed feelings. I’m like Gollum. I likes them and I hates them. I think I’ll probably like them a lot more as things progress. I mean, firstly, they have this total lack of communication where you want to just say ‘talk to each other already’! Secondly, they’re both so goddam proud it gets on your last nerve. I really liked Lessa in that she had a terrible childhood but managed to survive and also to come up with a plan to regain what she thought was hers. I like that she stands up for herself. But then she infuriates me by being so infantile – having said that she’s probably not had the best role models to look up to so I guess you can forgive her for that, she probably is still quite immature. Then you have F’lar. Yes, he’s arrogant. I certainly don’t think he’s helped Lessa to fit in. He went on his search and wanted to find someone with a bit more humph and then when he does find someone like that he tries to quell it at every opportunity. But then conversely I like the way they get on each others nerves! I must admit that when Lessa first arrived back at the Weyr and went to bathe I had this insane thought for a moment that when she’d finished cleaning herself up and stepped out to F’lar he’d be all bowled over! A proper Disney moment where the ugly duckling is finally revealed in all it’s swanny splendour and everyone is totally bowled over. I’m VERY glad that didn’t actually happen because it would have been lame and obvious in equal measure. Hopefully there’s going to be more than just fickle skin deepness to them both. I’m sort of thinking that they’ll both become much more to each other than just a pretty face. I want a bit more depth and I think that I’m not going to be disappointed. I couldn’t help wondering about F’nor – who we keep having little mentions about – is this going to be some sort of triangle??? (and not a sparkly spangly vampire in sight)
3. How do you feel about Pern to this point in the story? For those new to Pern, you may want to discuss your speculations/thoughts on the Red Star and on the between here. What are your thoughts on McCaffrey’s world-building?
Well, (yes I’m doing this on purpose), I also had mixed feelings about Pern. I feel like we’ve been given very little information but chucked in and hit the ground running. There’s clearly an expectation that you’ll have a feeling and understanding of the world and what to picture. I don’t really mind that to be honest but in terms of the Red Star and the Between, not to mention the Threads. I’m waiting for the big reveal (maybe there won’t be one). That’s not to say I’m floundering around, I have my own interpretation and I’m quite happy. What I do love about this book is the dragons. I love dragons. In stories that is (pretty sure I’d be pretty terrified if I came face to face with one!) There are lots of dragons in this so that pretty much means I’m very happy. Plus, I love the way that they choose a rider and communicate with each other. I couldn’t help thinking as the story moved on that the dragons are more advanced in some respects than the people. Not to mention pretty clever. I mean, they can all communicate with each other. They choose their rider. They’re then looked after really, fed, pampered (tickled behing the ears!) Not to mention F’lar’s dragon almost has political savvy not to mention an understanding of how F’lar should speak to Lessa! Come on, that’s pretty damn savvy, on top of which wings, flying, breathing fire and other cool things.
4. For those new to Dragonflight, was their anything that particularly surprised you with the narrative choices, etc. thus far? For those who have already read Dragonflight, how do you feel about your return to Pern? What stands out in your revisit?
Mmm, not sure if there was any particular surprises so far. I like the way the story is narrated. It probably sounds that I’ve had criticisms from the above answers but that’s not really the case. These are almost fleeting thoughts, quite insubstantial. I’m enjoying this and looking forward to what comes next. I have a strong suspicion that the first half has lulled us into a false sense of security.
5. Discuss anything else that you feel passionate to discuss that wasn’t included in your responses to the above questions.
I’m really puzzled about the science fiction element to the book and I can’t wait to see how that unfolds. Looking forward very much to the next half.
To do or not to do. A list of intentions for 2013
So, I’ve had a think about the New Year’s Resolutions I intend to make and break for 2013. Okay, that might seem a bit negative but let’s face it I’m not going to stick to everything completely. Anyway, if I manage to stick to all my resolutions perhaps I’ve been too easy on myself!!
Firstly, and really rather predictable and boring, I need to pick back up with exercise, healthy eating and doing more walking. The biggest problem with this in the past year has been the weather. Now, I know you’re probably all groaning loudly but it does seem to have rained a lot this year and frankly I don’t want to walk to work and be drenched when I arrive. It just makes the rest of the day very damp, miserable and uncomfortable. But, I’ll just have to get over myself and my aversion to getting wet because the weather certainly doesn’t show any signs of immediate improvement. Perhaps some waterproofs? Wellies – not exactly renowned for walking in! A very large umbrella – I have a vision of taking off during a large gust of wind or even worse causing some sort of accident as my umbrella is taken by a particular strong gust and whipped into the path of oncoming traffic! Okay, no brollies! The drowned rat look is going to be the new black for the next 12 months!
Okay, having got the obvious resolution out of the way – reading! Well, this year, I failed miserably on my challenges! 100 books in a year – nope, nowhere near (about 70/80ish). I did take part in a few events and readalongs however and, in my defence, I didn’t include every book on my list because a few I didn’t review and a few more I never finished (and I’m not reviewing a book if I don’t finish it because it doesn’t feel fair). It’s not my biggest pet hate when reading reviews but it does feel wrong to me so I don’t go there (my biggest peeve is people who give books 1 star on Amazon or Goodreads, etc, and then base that rating on the price of the book! What? Just no. Look, I know this can become an expensive hobby, particularly if you read quite a few books like I do, but I want to know what you thought of the book not the price. And, anyway, if you object to the price you could always wait for the price to come down or wait for your library to get a copy – don’t down mark a book because you think it’s expensive! So, do I try and chill a bit with my books. Don’t lets be silly!! I’m taking part in a couple of events in Jan/Feb focusing on sci-fi and also a read along – interesting in taking part in any of these none challenges?? Check out the details here, here and here. They’re going to be good so you should really sign yourself up. Throughout the year I’ll also be reading some books from the Mercury Retrograde’s catalogue. More details to follow on this. I think I probably will enter the 100 books a year challenge (because I’m pigheaded and don’t like to admit defeat) and I will try and be a bit more focused but, at the end of the day, my reading is just for fun, relaxation, escape, whatever. It’s not a chore. On top of that, having looked at some of the expected books for 2013 I don’t think I’ll have a problem reading lots this year and probably exceeding my challenges!
My final mission for 2013 is a bit odd. I’ve decided to actually do something with our photographs. I know that probably sounds random, particularly as we’re in the digital era and a good deal of our pictures are stored electronically but I quite like the idea of going through and selecting some (not all – that would be too big a task not to mention incredibly expensive) and putting them in some kind of order. A bit of a pain because I’ll have to start having pictures printed out, etc, etc, but I quite like the idea and it will give me the opportunity to revisit some of our past holidays.
There they are. Fairly low key really. Healthier eating, exercise, reading and something a bit family orientated.
Let’s see how well that all goes and what falls flat at the first hurdle!
Among Others by Jo Walton
Just finished reading Among Others by Jo Walton. I confess I have mixed feelings about this book which I think have stopped me from loving this as much as I wanted although I did enjoy it and thought the story was really well written.
Mori is a 15 year old girl. Her twin sister has died in an accident that also left Mori with a damaged hip leaving her needing to use a stick to walk. Mori ran away from her mother and after a short spell living at a children’s home has gone to live with her estranged father (Daniel) and his three sisters. She is despatched to the local boarding school where she struggles to fit in. The difference with Mori and the other school girls is that she believes in magic and fairies. She thinks her mother is a witch who is using dark magic for her own gain and she constantly sees and, in fact talks to, the fairies who exist all around us.
I think this is one of the areas that is really well done. I was never quite sure if the magic and fairies were just a product of Mori’s imagination and a coping mechanism or whether she was really experiencing something strange and wonderful. It’s very subtly written. The magic isn’t all about flashing wands and broomsticks but simple rituals, wards and protections and the belief that Mori has in the magic. If Mori attempts magic she’s never sure if something would actually have occurred naturally or not. There’s also the ‘wicked mother’ element – is her mother evil or is she suffering herself – you’re never quite sure. Or at least I wasn’t. For me Mori came across as a lonely character who has maybe suffered neglect, loss and the feeling of not being wanted by her family who has this whole other magical community surrounding her that nobody else can see. It’s sort of like an imaginary friend.
The method of story telling is through a diary which Mori keeps. Again, I think this is a really good form of story telling. At first you could be forgiven for thinking that some of the entries are a little bland but this is a 15 year old girl after all. I remember keeping a diary for a couple of years with some sort of romantic notion that I would later look back on these and it would be a revelation – it wasn’t. I did in fact look back as a precursor to having a good clear out and the writing was the most inane imaginable. Actually Mori’s diaries are amazing by comparison!! The only issue I had with the diary system of story telling is that you’re never really made fully aware of what actually did take place in Mori’s life beforehand. After all, she’s writing a diary about ‘now’ not ‘then’ and so this means that there is a very slow reveal to past occurrences and you never fully gather a full picture of her history. What I did question with the diary entries were that there never appeared to be a great deal of sadness about the loss of the sister – or it didn’t come across to me as though there was but perhaps I misinterpreted it?
The thing that book lovers can’t fail to enjoy, particularly science fiction and fantasy lovers, are all the references to books and authors, bookshops and libraries. I loved reading about all that although I didn’t know half the books mentioned and I’m sure a lot of references went straight over my head. I think however that this could become a little bit tedious to those people out there who are not quite as book absorbed as Mori – and OMG how quickly did she read – I’m surprised she had any time for school work (but I suppose when you consider that virtually all her time was spent in school it must be a very long day)!
I will admit that Mori puzzled me. At first, and particularly with her style of diary keeping, I wondered if she had issues with socialising – she seemed a very lone person and to an extent quite happy to be alone. She was a little bit detached and had a very black and white way of looking at things. Even when she attracted the attention of an older and rather good looking boy at her book club I wouldn’t say she came across as giddy about it like you would expect of a schoolgirl.
On the whole I think this is a lovely subtle read, a coming of age of a young girl who has suffered loss and is coming to terms with her circumstances in the best way she can and using her overpowering love of books to help her. It was great to see Mori start to interact with other people and come out of her shell and also to see how others started to respond to her and become more caring. I think if you go into this with any thoughts of all sorts of magic and mysticism then you may be disappointed. Like I mentioned earlier this is a very subtle story.
In terms of criticisms – the whole boyfriend issue felt a little too easily worked out. Everything just seemed to fall into place too easily. Mori never seemed to suffer from any sort of nerves or embarrassment and also I wasn’t totally convinced that it was necessary to the story and it somehow felt a little bit tacked on. I also thought it somehow felt a little out of character with Mori – suddenly she was all about the good looking boy and seemed to quite easily drop the other friends she had just made – okay, I can imagine that happening with girls that age – but Mori came across as different is all.
There was one other issue that I had which related to a particular episode between Mori and her father Daniel where it appeared that he made a sexual pass at her that was then dropped and never referred to again. I don’t know, I just found that a little disturbing but the fact that no further reference was made to the episode me wonder if the author was in some way trying to make the reader doubt Mori’s own diary accounts or to maybe not totally trust her telling of events? Almost as though she perhaps makes things up??
However, in spite of a few little criticisms I think this is a good read that you can’t fail to enjoy. I think you need to go into this with the right sort of expectations but with that proviso it’s a well written and very easy to read story.
Books I’m bursting at the seams to read in 2013…
29 December 2012
Filed under General Comments
Tags: Books due in 2013, New releases, Reading events
Well, it’s not like I really need to add any more books to my ever mounting stacks (not to mention growing list on the Kindle – and btw how did that happen!) but here goes. Anyway, need schmeed – books are good, books are our friend, we likes em. As with my ‘best of‘ post these are in no particular order (other than the random workings of my brain) and the expected dates or none dates are not intended as criticisms or prompts (yes, of course, I would like all my favourite authors to write a book a month if they could possibly manage it but I’m a little bit more realistic than that at the end of the day – and anyway, I’d sooner have the work finished to the author’s intended standard and not rushed out and ruined because of my eager impatience!):
- Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence – due August (AUGUST!!) (keep repeating ‘patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue’
much overrated) - Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch – according to Amazon due July??? (Maybe September??) Any news on this release date most gratefully received (keep repeating mantra from above).
- The Daylight War by Peter Brett – due Feb, conclusion of the Demon Trilogy – nope – apparently this isn’t a trilogy but a quintet – happy days (maybe even six books and some spin offs – but I could be wrong and frequently am so don’t be quoting me on that)!
- Sworn in Steel by Douglas Hulick – due Jan? *stops typing and goes to order a copy*
- Wool (trilogy) by Hugh Howey – due Jan, hearing lots of good things about this so excited already!
- American Elsewhere by Robert J Bennet – due Feb, can’t wait (will have to, but can’t – how’s that going to work out for me!)
- The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss – no idea when this is due but I’m muchly looking forward to it even it it’s 2015 (hoping sooner than that though if possible Mr Rothfuss – pretty please, in fact pretty please with a cherry on top, okay ten cherries)!
- Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman – don’t know too much about this but it’s another Angry Robots book and I like the sound of it
- The Marching Dead by Lee Battersby – ditto the above
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – June/July (*dances a jig*)
Okay, sort of looking back it does look like I’m focusing mainly on fantasy there. That was quite unintentional but what can I say – there’s some good books coming out in 2013. Just to counterbalance that I will be reading lots of Sci fi and Vintage sci fi as part of two events at the start of the year – sci fi reading event hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings and Vintage Sci Fi hosted by Andrea at the Little Red Reviewer (check them both out if you enjoy reading good books and discussion with loads of top blogging people). I’m also reading Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight as part of a readalong on Carl’s sci fi event and will be looking forward to lots of other new releases that are too numerous to go into! Oh, and I’ll be doing some fun reading ‘things’ (not yet fully drawn up) with Dark Cargo during the year!
Let the good times commence and happy reading to everyone in 2013 😀
Alien by Ridley Scott
Filed under General Comments
Tags: Alien, Ridley Scott, Science Fiction Events
So, for the month of January and February I’m taking part in two none challenging events being hosted at different blogs but both interacting with each other. Sign yourself up – no pressure, even if you only read one book – or none for that matter (just take part in the discussion) Vintage Sci-fi by Little Red Reviewer (hosted by Andrea) and The Science Fiction Experience by Stainless Steel Droppings (hosted by Carl). The beauty of both of these events is that the rules are fairly free and easy. Obviously with vintage science fiction – the books are slightly older and according to LRR anything before 1979 and with the SFE you can read what you want, when you want, as much as you want and, I think, also includes film. Which is why I’m being really cheeky and including this post in both (may contain spoilers).
Last night I watched Alien directed by Ridley Scott. I do love this film. It’s a perfect blend of science fiction, horror, good casting and excellent surprises. I distinctly remember the first time I watched this being really scared (and I do mean really scared). Perhaps these days it might not have the same impact on people although I think it stands the test of time very well. The effects still look good. The actors are all excellent, or at least I thought they were. It’s such a small cast that any major blips would really stand out. Ian Holm as Ash is really good. When you rewatch this you pick up so much more about his performance that you missed the first time around. Little looks, a bit shifty and snide, that you don’t pick up on at first. I couldn’t help seeing him as Bilbo on this rewatch perhaps because Tolkien is everywhere at the moment (I love a bit of omnipresence in my authors!) I also thought Sigourney Weaver was brilliant in this film. Her Ripley was the perfect thorn in Ash’s scheming side. She started off a bit, almost, ambitious in her role, sticking to the letter of the law in terms of what should happen on board. She pretty quickly got under Ash’s skin and she did a great job of portraying real fear and panic in the final few scenes. I think the character of Ripley is great, she obviously has a leading role (if not the leading role) in the film and, again, this seems quite pertinent at the moment given another event that I’m joining in with over at Worlds Without End (thank you Carl for highlighting this one! – what another great site.)
I’m not going to elaborate on the plot in case there are any people out there who haven’t yet seen this (what, why and pick up a copy now!) Basically the story revolves around the alien it’s named for. An aggressive (read very!) alien who it is almost impossible to kill. Imagine it like a virus. It’s trying to infect other races and planets and it’s almost impossible to eliminate. But it’s a bit bigger than a virus and has a fair few sets of teeth!
I must say that one of my favourite scenes is the scene where the alien is born. I won’t say any more than that. This is quite frankly a stunning scene – particularly given when the film was made. Watching this again last night I just didn’t have any criticisms – now perhaps I’m seeing it through rose tinted glasses but if so I’m keeping them on and updating the prescription. I remember many years ago reading a story about that scene that suggests that the actors were not informed about what would actually take place. That could be an urban myth but every time I watch it the surprise on their faces is just so real that I find myself believing the stories or maybe they’re even better actors than I give them credit for. You decide – go and watch it!
Next film has to be Star Wars. Currently reading: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A Heinlein.