Thursday’s Top 4 is a bi-weekly meme hosted by Ally @ Ally Writes Things. It’s got all the best parts of a weekly Top [insert number here] list, without the weekly commitment. What’s not to love?
This week, we’re discussing books we’d like to rewrite. Whether it’s tweaking an ending or starting from scratch with a really cool concept, certain books just make you wish they had asked for your opinion before editing. Honestly, who are these people that don’t want my opinion?
Dayfall
This one had such tremendous potential. The sun hasn’t been seen for decades… until now. The execution, however, just wasn’t for me. It was taken in the direction of a cop trying to solve a case while this was going on. I’d rather see it written from the perspective of the everyman who’s just trying to live life while the city is freaking out.
The Sky is Yours
Another tremendous concept. Two dragons circle the city/world endlessly, charring everything in sight. No one knows why. I guess I’d just re-write it to be more about the dragons. They really didn’t play that much of a part. They could have been replaced with torrential rain, or some other annoying circumstance.
Snow Crash
True sci-fi fans would cut me for having the gaul for putting this one on the list, but hear me out. This book did so many things right, I honestly just want to give it a quick edit and cut some of the parts that explained how code and religion were connected throughout the ages. Not to censor anything. I would never. But a rather simple concept in this book was address for pages, and pages, and pages. Then we’d go see what someone else was doing, and then back to more lessons from the Redundant School or Redundancy.
Lock In
I don’t quite know what I was hoping for from this one, but I didn’t find it. The disease that locked people in their own bodies was such a cool concept, I just wanted to hear more and more about it. But instead we focused on a murder case. That’s like your high school math teacher giving a talk on the isosceles triangle while acrobats and juggling flaming chainsaws right outside the classroom window.
I tried reading the Sky Is Yours… gave up after 30%
I really liked the idea but I got annoyed with the main character (the dude, don’t remember his name) so much. And it just seemed super silly…
Yeah, it was a slog to get through
I’m a huge SF fan, but have never read Snow Crash and never will, like Scalzi, I’m just not a fan of their work.
I love this post, there are so many that lots of people will have an opinion about and I’d love to read more of these. Maybe add a small synopsis recap of blondes like me who haven’t yet read some of the books – it will give us some background on the idea behind the books. ♥ Do another one?
I like Neal Stephenson but not this one. What’s with having two dragons circling the globe and the story not be about them?! ❤️ Great suggestions!