when i read books these days i often get the feeling that the author is wasting tons of words on trivial shit, like the details of traveling from one place to another.
unless the author is doing something interesting along the way, maybe deepening some themes or fleshing out characters, i don't see why that would be entertaining.
it's so hard to know what sci-fi / fantasy books are truly great these days versus just strongly marketed and overhyped. i feel like the mass audience isn't super discerning in a lot of cases, which makes getting reliable recommendations challenging.
@alyx The problem with recommendations is always that not only is everyone different but something I read at a certain time in my life and enjoyed might be something I would have hated at a different time. Like sometimes all I want to read is predictable fantasy with worn tropes so I can just enjoy some nice words and characters doing stuff without any surprises.
I believe there is no book out there that is "truly great" all the time. Just the ones that work for you or that do not work for you at a certain time.
@schonwiedersamstag those are definitely factors, agreed, but i think there is also an inherent quality or lack thereof in any given book. bad writing is bad writing. i will never enjoy a mass-market star wars novel (tried some acclaimed ones) or the latest six-monther from R.A. Salvatore
my ex, on the other hand, ate that stuff up. our book tastes were different.