The Speed of Dark

Elizabeth Moon
The Speed of Dark Cover

The Speed of Dark

Alexa
7/25/2015
Email

This is compelling storytelling, yet her characters seem lacking in nuance; with the exception of her protagonist, her characters tend to be rather two-dimensional. And the combination of evilness with stupidity is just too convenient. Most of the self-centered, uncaring, ambitious-at-all-costs folks are quite capable of going about their evil manipulations of others without being quite such fools; this is setting up straw men, who are a bit too easy to push over, and is a disservice to those who might want real-world insights into just how one might deal with them. It's also a bit too preachy; at times she simply seems more interested in making sure her message comes through loud and clear than she is in giving us any insight into reality and all of its shades of grey. These are the same flaws I found in Remnant Population, which leads me to think I won't be picking up any more of her work. I prefer my fiction a bit less pedagogical, a bit more nuanced, and a bit more thought-provoking rather than this almost simplistic presentation of truisms.