The Callahan Chronicles, by Spider Robinson
I got this one (as an audiobook) because it was rated so highly on Audible. Everyone gave it five stars out of five, which I find bizarre. I didn't like it much. I guess it's a taste thing.
The writing is superb, the characters are very well done, but not much happens. It's all a bunch of odd characters in a bar swapping stories. There is a lot of humor but mainly in the form of puns, which is how all of the stories start. Then we get introduced to another strange character and learn his/her life story, then there is some kind of resolution to his/her problem. Then it's on to the next batch of puns and the next character.
If you are looking for an example of great characterization and flawless prose, it's here. However, I was looking for more in terms of plot. There is basically none.
I had a really hard time finishing it. Nothing really compelled me to keep reading, except the fact that I paid for it and I kept hoping it would get better.
Oh, there is almost no sf in it. The forewords by the author even admitted that. There is a lot of buildup and even a wind-down by the author, which seemed self-indulgent. I didn't mind it though, because it was quite interesting for me to hear a published author's experiences. In fact, I would say that was the most interesting part of the book.
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Re:The Callahan Chronicles, by Spider Robinson
I don't remember The Callahan Chronicles but I recently read Callahan's Con. I can't reccomend it. Little SF except for time travel and maybe an alien or two. The antagonist is so unbelieveable I had to force myself to finish it. Fortunatly I got it from the library so I ddn't waste money on it.
I liked the earlier Callahan short stories, even the puns. I think this is an example of an idea that has been played out but for some reason--editors wanting a book, Spider wanting money, fans asking for more--he wrote another one.
Is that use of dashes above correct? I never know how to use them.
Re:The Callahan Chronicles, by Spider Robinson
Yeah, in text you use double hyphens to make a dash -- which is used to interject an idea (kind of like parenthesis but it's more in-your-face).
However, you should put spaces on either end of the dash.
Note most word processors automatically replace a double hyphen with a special dash character -- it looks like a longer hyphen -- but of course a basic text font doesn't have that. When you save your document in text format, MSWord changes dashes back to double hyphens.
A single hyphen is only used to join compound-words or for break-
ing a word to wrap to the next line.
You also use a dash in dialogue to show someone being interrupted, e.g.
"You also use a dash in dialogue to show someone being --"
"All right Eddy, we get it. Enough already."
I'm not a complete idiot -- some parts are missing.
Re:The Callahan Chronicles, by Spider Robinson
[quote="eddycurrents"]Yeah, in text you use double hyphens to make a dash -- which is used to interject an idea (kind of like parenthesis but it's more in-your-face).
However, you should put spaces on either end of the dash.
[/quote]
I like the spaces but in the grammer books I've seen they always specify no spaces. I think that makes it look like the words belong together but that is what they say.
Spaces
I don't think I've ever heard: "Put spaces between dashes and the words" I've always squished them between the words. Not from writing classes or other writers. What makes you say TO put spaces, Eddy?
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Life is a lot like caving: Most of the time you grope around in the dark.