From: rccarm00@nx19.mik.uky.edu (ron c carman)
Subject: _Nightshade_: there is simply no excuse for this...
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
X-Path: nx19.mik.uky.edu!rccarm00
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 22:59:59 GMT

Possible *SPOILERS* ahead for Laurell K. Hamilton's _Nightshade_:


     *Sigh*.  Here we have yet another loss of a novel.    
Combine the preachiness of Howard Weinstein to the poor
writing of L.A. Graf, and toss in poor editing by Kevin
Ryan (and whoever else at Pocket is responsible for this
mess), and what you've got is an exact copy of what
Ms. Hamilton has tried to pass off as decent writing.
     Let's start with the biggest problem: the plot,
or lack thereof.  I can't count on two hands the number
of times we've had two warring factions ask for peace
talks, with members of each faction "that would rather
finish the devastating conflict".  Besides that, we're
left with absolutely no explanation of how the Orianians
and the Milgians became allied in the first place.. gaping
plot-hole here.  But this atrocity of a plot wasn't enough 
to satisfy the author; she had to add in the extremely 
heavy-handed "Save-the-Earth" propaganda in the form of a 
planet ravaged by misuse.  This plot is a big 0.
     Characterization?  What characterization?  Actually,
these characters aren't two-dimensional at all, but I
almost wish they were.  Instead of characters which are
cardboard cutouts, we get people who are outlandishly
over-the-top.  Worf, instead of just being highly protective
of the captain, barely misses being insubordinate.
Riker and Worf act more like Picard's nurse-maids than
his subordinates and senior staff.  And if you thought
Troi was used badly in the TV series, be glad Ms. Hamilton
has stuck to writing books; at least they're not canon. ;-)
It seems that every other sentence is simply a flood of
"What-Troi-senses"; it ends up being a gimmick to let the
author get away with doing no real work on character-
ization.
     Just a couple other things, and I promise to stop 
ranting [;-)].  The name of the planet really bothered
me as I was reading, because I kept seeing Organia, 
instead of Oriana.  I guess that's a minor point, tho.
Now a few nitpicks that really got on my nerves:

          1) Editing.  Do we really have to read sentences such as:
                
                   "They were orbiting the planet, Oriana."
             
             No comma belongs in that sentence.  I wouldn't even 
             mention such a minor point, except that there are
             literally dozens of instances of the same type of
             mistake.  
                In one sentence one might read "You were
             suppose to be..." and in the very next, the phrase
             would go "You were supposed to be...".  The 2nd
             form is the correct one, but both are endlessly
             interchanged throughout the book.
                Also, the name of one of the factions kept 
             changing.  First it was "Venturies", and then it
             was "Venturi", and switching endlessly back and
             forth...

I'd better stop now, before I really start to rave...

RC Carman

--
/=======================================================================\ 
|     Ron C. Carman          ||  Quantum physicists get all the girls.  |
| rccarm00@mik.uky.edu       ||  Al.  Is he live, or is he a hologram?  | 
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