Anyone read "The Golden Age" trilogy by John C Wright?

[NewHampshireDem]

I was curious what you thought Wright's political bent might be. I definately thought he was pushing a particular philosophy, but I won't say which until I hear from some of you.

[phantom power]

1. I've read the first book.

I like his writing. I can't say that I picked up on any overt political ideology, although he's clearly sympathetic to risk-taking, exploration, etc.

That's not exactly rare in SF, seeing as how conservative risk-aversion does't make for very intersting idea-play, or plot for that matter.

Maybe it's just because I haven't read the next two books.

[NewHampshireDem]

2. It becomes much clearer in the second and third books ...

You probably have a bit of an inkling after the first one, though.

BTW, you will really enjoy books 2 & 3 if you liked the first. Book 2 is really quite different from the others, but worthwhile nonetheless.

[phantom power]

3. I'm looking forward to them.

At the moment, I'm expending all my free time on plowing thru Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. Hard work, but still tons of fun!

[NewHampshireDem]

4. Argh ... the word "slog" comes to mind

I've picked up and put down "Quicksilver" four times now. I love all of Stephenson's earlier work, but this one just doesn't move me. I've left off--again--about 200 pages or so into it.

[Salviati]

5. The last half of the book is definately a much easier read than the first.

So if you decide to continue, it does get better, at least in my opinion...

[SlackJawedYokel]

7. Bleh... I actually finished the first 2

started the 3rd, realized it would be just as painful and skipped to the end to see what happened to the only characters I actually cared about.

When I'm feeling stronger I'll try that last one...

Cletus

[SlackJawedYokel]

6. I read all three and liked them

but it was a while ago.
What were your thoughts on his particular philosophy?

I'll go through them again to refresh my memory.

Cletus

[NewHampshireDem]

8. He definately has a libertarian bent ...

Which I picked up on reading the books, and then I found this interview with him in which he professes it.

http://www.sfsite.com/05a/jcw127.htm

IHMO, Wright comes off as quite a pompus jackass in the interview.

[SlackJawedYokel]

9. No surprise there.

Existentialims and Libertarian thinking run through most science fiction... especially the hard science-y, space opera type like this series.

IHMO, Wright comes off as quite a pompus jackass in the interview.
That doesn't surprise me... I kinda got that from his writing.

::reading interview::
Good grief... he manages to embrace his inner jackass within 5 sentences of that interview!
lol
Wow... I'm glad I didn't read this before I picked up his books.
I'd have avoided them like the plague.
Bleh.

Ah well... I don't have to live with him...
:D

Cletus

[NewHampshireDem]

10. LMAO!

Good grief... he manages to embrace his inner jackass within 5 sentences of that interview!

:D

I googled him and found a few others ... I won;t bother to link, since they're pretty easy to find. Needless to say, that one was not atypical.

I'd like to see him and Iain M. Banks get into a fist fight. :) Banks writes the kind of "socialist utopia" Wright disdains ... but, let me tell you, Banks can write--and could probably drink--circles around Wright.

[SlackJawedYokel]

11. Check these out.

The Neanderthal Parallax(Hominids, Humans, Hybrids) by Robert J. Sawyer, Neal Asher's Gridlinked, The Line of Polity, and The Skinner and Scott Westerfelds Risen Empire series(Succession & The Killing of Worlds).

Cletus

[phantom power]

12. OK, I read the second book.

(was sick for 10 days, way too tired to tackle Neal Stephenson)

One thing that struck me in the second book: Daphne is quite a "traditional" female character, not exactly in a good way. Plucky, but not to be bothered with the manly pursuits of science, engineering or politics.

I realize he's kind of working the Victorian Culture theme, but it felt a bit over the top :-)

[NewHampshireDem]

13. Yeah ... book 2 is the weak link in the chain ...

Wright threw in every fantasy/romance cliche he could think of, from pirates (I see a role for Fabio!;)) to the damsel not-quite-so in distress. It certainly moves the plot along in the series and--without giving anything away--sets up some interesting situations in the concluding book.

I never really thought too much about the gender issue, but now that you mention it ... you have the ice princess on one hand and Daphne on the other ... hmm.