I got goosed a while ago to blog more about what I'm reading. I really ought to do a huge fic rec post soon, but that's not the sort of reading the original poke was about.
Anyway, the Spouse left Phule's Paradise in the bathroom and sandbagged me. I'm guessing that he was re-reading it because of our conversation with Mel. White at Apollocon (she was co-author of Duncan & Mallory with Robert Asprin). I hadn't read it before, so I picked it up. Like most of Asprin's later stuff, it's a blazingly fast read, and pretty fluffy. I find it much harder to get invested in the Phule books than the Myth books, partially because I'm not all that into pseudo-military space opera and partly because the ensemble cast is larger, making it harder to do much character development for any particular character. Still, I haven't yet picked up anything by Asprin that made me want my two and a half hours back.
Which brings me back to an earlier point: it's short. While I'm sure it's technically a novel, I'd be surprised if it's one by much. Given the lightness of the story, this is probably a virtue - no need to be verbose when brevity would do. But I would like a little more character development, especially since we're introduced to a group of characters who did not occur in previous Phule books and are unlikely to appear again later, who get perhaps ten pages put together.
Anyway, the Spouse left Phule's Paradise in the bathroom and sandbagged me. I'm guessing that he was re-reading it because of our conversation with Mel. White at Apollocon (she was co-author of Duncan & Mallory with Robert Asprin). I hadn't read it before, so I picked it up. Like most of Asprin's later stuff, it's a blazingly fast read, and pretty fluffy. I find it much harder to get invested in the Phule books than the Myth books, partially because I'm not all that into pseudo-military space opera and partly because the ensemble cast is larger, making it harder to do much character development for any particular character. Still, I haven't yet picked up anything by Asprin that made me want my two and a half hours back.
Which brings me back to an earlier point: it's short. While I'm sure it's technically a novel, I'd be surprised if it's one by much. Given the lightness of the story, this is probably a virtue - no need to be verbose when brevity would do. But I would like a little more character development, especially since we're introduced to a group of characters who did not occur in previous Phule books and are unlikely to appear again later, who get perhaps ten pages put together.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-30 01:34 pm (UTC)They are very quick reads, though.
Never tried the Phule's series, though my parents liked it. I love the Myth series--particularly when Phil Foglio has been doodling about it.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-30 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-30 02:56 pm (UTC)Dragon's Wild (http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Wild-Robert-Asprin/dp/0441014704)
Dragon's Luck (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0441016804/ref=s9_simp_gw_s0_p14_t3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=01JGJF3HTMA8902ZX4WX&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846)
Not sure where they dug it up; might be prowling his computer/boxes--hopefully it's not stuff he didn't want out like Daisy-Head Maisy was for Dr. Seuss.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-30 08:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-30 08:12 pm (UTC)((Which makes me leery of the Robert Jordan series end thing being done posthumously--though I bogged down in the middle of book 5 on that series and couldn't get back into it.))