Science Fiction

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Sci-fi you couldn’t get into? (kbin.social)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by stopthatgirl7@kbin.social to c/scifi@kbin.social

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What’s a piece of SF that you just couldn’t get into, even though you feel like you should?

I tried to watch Babylon 5, for instance, and just couldn’t connect to it. I know it’s popular and people love it, but it never hooked me.

Another is The Three Body Problem. I tried reading it after a friend’s glowing recommendation, but I couldn’t get past the first chapter. I even tried reading it in another language in case it was the translation I couldn’t connect with, but the same thing happened.

Both are things I feel like I should like, but just don’t.

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[–] exscape@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I'm not sure if I've given it enough of a try, but I wanted to get into the Culture series and started with Consider Phlebas. After three (four?) chapters I changed it out for a different book; I considered "The Player of Games" instead, but the plot didn't sound exciting.

Not sure if I should give it a second chance or not. After those chapters I just didn't really care what happened next, nor did I care much for the main character.
I switched to Project Hail Mary and love it.

[–] mack123@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Banks is my favourite sci fi author, but I to struggled with Consider Phlebas. Consider reading Player of Games. The culture books can be read as stand alone books without missing to much. I think Banks found his stride with Player of Games.

[–] ystael 1 points 1 year ago

Some years ago I finished Consider Phlebas and was left so depressed by the entire thing that I never picked up another Culture book. Same experience with Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space. Maybe there is just a subgenre of SF that I shouldn't read.

[–] Xeelee@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

I think Use of Weapons is the best Culture novel so I'd recommend giving it a shot. Having said that, i just loved Consider Phlebas pretty much from page one. Banks always had trouble writing compelling plots. The main attraction to me is the imaginative scope of the worlds he created.

[–] theinspectorst@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

The Player of Games is a far easier book to start with - partly because so much of it takes place away from the Culture. I originally did the same as you and started with Consider Phlebas, failed, switched to Player of Games and loved it, then went back and read Consider Phlebas and enjoyed it too. Then I read Use of Weapons which is phenomenal.

[–] MayonnaiseArch 1 points 1 year ago

I think Player of Games is not a good starter book, but I can't understand what I ever saw in Banks. The Culture is cool, but it's all a bit underwhelming on a second read