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I'm currently reading Hidden Empire by Kevin J. Anderson, and while its not the most groundbreaking science fiction I've ever read - a kind of run of the mill space opera thingy - it's got a few interesting concepts and characters that have kept me turning the pages thus far. However, I'm getting increasingly bogged down by the growing cast of characters and sub-plots, some of which are really quite dull, and I am finding myself flicking forward to get back to the main hook and plot lines that made me buy the book in the first place. There's no particular reason for me writing this other than to rant, BTW, but does anyone else find this annoying? Why do some authors feel the need to overload on sub plots? I understand you probably need a cast of characters to perform a 'space opera' but I'm up to nine already and still counting...
Posts: 33 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Ideally the subplots should reflect in some way on the main storyline...but sometimes it's just padding. 'Taint easy to make a short story into a massive novel...
Posts: 8809 | Registered: Aug 2005
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Stick with it, he does finally begin to tie some of the disparate plots together as the stories progress, but yes there are a few plotlines that could have been culled and the books and overall story would not have suffered.
If you like them though, you might want to check out Pandora's Star by Peter Hamilton.
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Never really took into consideration the editor's requirements- personally i would rather read a riveting 200 page novel than a 700 page door stop of extraneous sub-plots- but then I'm only one person.
I've read Pandora's star, and the Night's Dawn Trilogy. I think Hamiliton does the whole space opera thing better than Anderson, his characters and plots seemed more gritty, although again in Pandora's Star I was gagging to know the outcome of the alien attack on the human confederation, not so fussed about Joe Bloggs'martial problems and ailing boat business on Planet such and such.
Guess I should be more selective in the book shop.
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