fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2564 ]

[ SECRET POST #2564 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2564 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 013 secrets from Secret Submission Post #366.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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02. http://i.imgur.com/5g0m4tp.jpg

Why is this a secret? Does everyone else love it? I've never even heard of it.

Or are you actually trying to get people to read it?

It's one of those 'love it or hate it' books.

People who love it say it's very well-written and subverts fantasy tropes right and left.

I say yeah, technically it's well-written, but I couldn't get into it at all, and I didn't see it as some amazing trope-subverting champion.

What is wrong with me that this makes me want to read that book?

Me too.

Which is why I think that is exactly why the OP made the secret. To draw attention to an obscure book and get people to read it.

I don't really care one way or another, but this comment sounds a little paranoid.

Then again this IS F!S so some paranoia may be warranted...

Why is it paranoid? Hardly the crime of the century to want people to enjoy what you're enjoying.

It is not actually obscure if you're into contemporary fantasy literature. Despite the 80's look of the cover.

It is also really not very good, unless you're into the sexualising of minors.

I haven't read it but I liked Stations of the Tide a whole lot. So I guess I doubt it just on those grounds? IDK though. Kind of depends what your issues were.

That's... disappointing, because I've been on a years-long quest to find this book in a used bookstore. I read a short story in the same universe years ago, and have been searching out a copy of The Iron Dragon's Daughter ever since.

And yes, I know, I could just get it online, but at this point, it's become A Quest! for me, and it'd feel like just giving up if I don't find it, myself, in a bookstore somewhere.

Don't sweat it, I say. Random person on the internet hated it - their tastes might be completely opposite of yours.

Carry on with your quest, anon!

Here you go, anon - more copies than you can shake a stick at!
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/The-Iron-Dragon-27s-Daughter-H0.aspx?SearchTerm=The+Iron+Dragon%27s+Daughter

OH MY GOD, YES!

I HATE THIS BOOK SO FUCKING MUCH, IT'S JUST SO GROSS AND CREEPY AND SHE NAMES HER CLIT AFTER HERSELF AND JUST UGHHHHH.

what

I looked it up on TV Tropes. It says she has a "naming ceremony" to make "Little Jane" a "friend for life." SF Site adds that there's a lot of sex, violence, and profanity that seems to be there just to make the world "gritty" rather than to serve a narrative purpose.

*raises eyebrows*

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2014-01-10 03:28 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2014-01-10 20:03 (UTC) - Expand

whatwhat

someone please tell me what about this book is so creepy!

(besides the clit thing.)

I found that book really well written and really disturbing. I'm glad I read it and will never read it again. So there's a different random internet opinion.

Interesting. Also, thanks for the reminder that I still need to buy this book for my brother. He's been wanting to read it. =)

Idk, never heard of it but I've read 'Save the Pearls' and it's still number one on my list of "bad concept and bad execution and all around bad". But maybe I'm just not reading widely enough.

I've wanted to read that but I'm not sure if I'd be able to make it through it for obvious reasons.

Download it for next time you have to go on a tediously long trip of some kind (or just sitting around waiting somewhere).

NGL, it's not well written, hypocrisy exists from page...3 I think it was and, well, the entire concept behind it is pretty stupid. It wasn't even an entertaining read, it was just boring and icky feeling, like watching someone yelling at a kid for no reason and not being able to stop it.

There speaks someone who has never attempted to read Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard, the book which taught me it's OK not to finish every book you start... ;)

Having said that, I didn't finish The Iron Dragon's Daughter either, but for different reasons. I'd heard it praised to the skies on a Usenet sf group but it just wasn't to my taste.

Edited 2014-01-10 09:01 (UTC)

I'm just amazed to see a secret about this book. Very few people know about it considering that it is only re-printed once in a great while. My absolute favorite stand alone fantasy book. It's so devastating and horrific, I love it to bits. Swanwick is a master of bringing to light the ugliest aspects of humanity. Read it when I was 10-11 years old. Kind of stunned to see it mentioned at all.

I met Michael Swanwick at my very first SF convention and he was super cool to me. He even gave me a reading list of books that he thought would help me with my own novel. That said, I only got halfway through one of his books (not this one, however) before putting it down and saying "not for me." His prose is good and his ideas are really cool but I lost interest after a bit.

And, yes, he has some pervy ideas for women in his work but I think every author, especially in SF, is allowed to perv just a little. His perving was very mild and easy to ignore since it was a one off description that added flavor but could easily be ignored.

TL;DR Michael Swanwick is my friend so be nice to him!

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