I think it's time that I admit to myself and the world that I simply do not dig John Brunner's writing. I've tried - multiple times now - to read his seminal works (Stand on Zanzibar, Sheep Look Up, Jagged Orit), and each time I am faced with a work I find to be devoid of plot, character, and dramatic tension.
In each of these books, Brunner seems to go out of his way to not tell a story, to be purposefully obtuse, and without any strong characterizations it's nearly impossible to remember which name belongs with which person, or what any of the characters are even doing. And this opinion is coming from someone who greatly enjoys experimental fiction and non-traditional story telling.
So maybe I should try some of Brunner's earlier works, some of his more straight-forward SF. Perhaps it's just his new wave stuff that I don't dig. I don't know, and, to tell you the truth, I'm not too keen on the idea of seeking something else out.
If you have any suggestions let me know, and I might try to track something down. But as it stands now, I think I'm done with Brunner.
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