Falling out of the story is just the right phrase.
I have no problem with the Rules Of The Book. Some details of the Liaden Universe seem scientifically unlikely to me. But that’s in the nature of Science Fiction.
I first met Liad in Partners In Necessity. Agent of Change was a different kind of book than Conflict of Honors. On first reading I had no problem with Val Con’s approach to the turtles. That’s because he was a stranger. I had only first blush notions of the sort of person—and agent—he might be. It looked like a clumsy move, but I didn’t care.
The problem came with further reading. In the rest of the book, and in other books, “The Scout” was hyper-able and smart as a whip. These were essential aspects of his character. Val Con is an example of Heinlein’s “Competent Man”. It is in the light of this…what’s the opposite of back story? Front story? The more I knew him through his front story, the less the move in question fit his character.
That’s where I fall out of the story. If the authors had explained that he was overwhelmed by seeing old friends and acted impulsively, it would have worked. If he’d practiced better trade craft, it would have worked.
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mmmag
Re-rewrite
Date: 2011-02-03 05:21 pm (UTC)I have no problem with the Rules Of The Book. Some details of the Liaden Universe seem scientifically unlikely to me. But that’s in the nature of Science Fiction.
I first met Liad in Partners In Necessity. Agent of Change was a different kind of book than Conflict of Honors. On first reading I had no problem with Val Con’s approach to the turtles. That’s because he was a stranger. I had only first blush notions of the sort of person—and agent—he might be. It looked like a clumsy move, but I didn’t care.
The problem came with further reading. In the rest of the book, and in other books, “The Scout” was hyper-able and smart as a whip. These were essential aspects of his character. Val Con is an example of Heinlein’s “Competent Man”. It is in the light of this…what’s the opposite of back story? Front story? The more I knew him through his front story, the less the move in question fit his character.
That’s where I fall out of the story. If the authors had explained that he was overwhelmed by seeing old friends and acted impulsively, it would have worked. If he’d practiced better trade craft, it would have worked.
As it is, I read to that point and go “Thump!”
Raymond