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Why
am I rating the SFF books I'm reading?
The idea is that if you have read some of the same books I have, and generally
agree with how I rated these books, then maybe you'll find other books
on this list that you would also enjoy. Or vice versa, I suppose - if
you disagree with my ratings for books you love, maybe you can find other
poorly-rated books on this list that you would also enjoy.
Note
that I am not just reviewing the latest works, but sampling a wide variety
of the science fiction and fantasy genre - the result is a somewhat haphazard
collection of reviews.
The
review system itself is admittedly very subjective:
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5
Stars - One of the best, most enjoyable reads of my experience and
a book I will recommend to anyone, without hardly any prompting. Excellant
characterization, a strong plot executed very well, and expressing
a theme that will leave a lasting impression on the reader. |
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4
Stars - A good book, without any major flaws, and worth reading for
the better than average characterization, plot, or theme. Oftentimes
what seperates a good book from the best books in my experiences is
a nagging lack of something, or perhaps even just a slight problem
which could and should have been caught and corrected somewhere along
the line. Potentially lacking a little in one of the three categories
mentioned earlier. |
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3
Stars - An okay book, with some problems, worth reading if you can't
get your hands on anything better and want to shoot some time. Okay
books tend to have some sort of problem with characterization, plot,
or theme that make it just sort of a ho-hum read. |
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2
Stars - There's something wrong with the book, in my opinion. Some
flaw or flaws which prevent it from rising to the level of its better
points, if any. Either it suffers in two or more of the areas I look
for (characterization, plot, or theme), or suffers so badly in just
one of these categories that it pretty much ruins everything else
about the book. |
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1
Star - This book shouldn't have made it into print, and the author,
editor, and publisher should really be pursuing different careers.
The characters might as well be cardboard cutouts of stereotypes,
the plot is something an ambitious kindergartner could beat in a contest,
and good luck finding the theme. I'm willing to be generous and give
it one star because it is a number of words strung together and therefore
somewhat more entertaining than a rock - but then again I'm not a
geologist. |
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