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From: bothner@Shasta.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Book Review: Emergence by David R. Palmer
Message-ID: <3597@Shasta.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 6-Mar-85 18:45:15 EST
Article-I.D.: Shasta.3597
Posted: Wed Mar  6 18:45:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Mar-85 10:23:14 EST
References: <853@topaz.ARPA> <420@harvard.ARPA>
Organization: Stanford University
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I read the 2nd novella "Seeking" last year (so I could vote
intelligently for the Hugos), and later the 1st novella. It's a
long time since I read anything else so painfully bad.
The main problem is the sickeningly cute and precocious
writing style. Palmer has a tin ear for language, style and
mood. If he's deliberately trying to write that way because
he's trying to imitate an 11-year-old genius, that only
compounds his crimes (by adding intent to the insult).

> I get the feeling Palmer analyzed his intended audience of
> Analog readers and concocted a story designed to cater to
> their tastes.

Algis Budry wrote a very entertaining analysis of a phenomenon
he called "fannish sf". This is sf which becomes very popular in
the fan community, not because of literary qualities, but
because it strikes some chord in the fannish psyche. The same
novels which win Hugos etc, might leave many people outside
fandom totally cold. This controversial article appeared in
"The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction", and was reprinted
in one of the latest antholgies of "The Best from ...".

Budry's analysis was built around a (positive) review of the first
volume of Julian May's four-volume "Saga of the Pleistocene Exile",
but I think it is even more applicable to Palmer's novel.
The obvious point of resonance is that fans (Btw, I'm one myself)
consider themselves "the people of the future", homo post hominem,
just like Palmer's young heroine. Remember that most of us are
intelligent, introverted, over-achievers who can easily project
ourselves into this kind of protagonist. I, too, might have
enjoyed the story, if only Palmer knew how to use the language.

Heinlein had many of the same themes in his novels, which sometimes
had similar weaknesses (e.g. Podkayne). But usually, his
straightforward writing style made his books enjoyable.

Another parallel is the 50's battle cry of "Fans are Slans",
inspired by van Vogt's then-popular novel "Slan".

	--Per Bothner
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