Fake tan is the work of Crowley, and Iron Sunrise

[louiselux]

The fake tan on my legs is streaky! Gahhh.

In other news, I've just finished Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross in my bid to read the Hugo nominees before Worldcon. It was okay, indeed a 'carnival of ideas' as someone said on the back cover and I very much liked the character of Rachel Mansour. What a great name. It's not often, ever? that you see an old woman as protagonist. She might not look it, but there's a nice contrast in life experience between her and another far younger female character. Wednesday Shadowmist, with the joke Mary Sue name, felt oddly like a Mary Sue herself sometimes though.

I suppose one of the things science fiction, or any fiction, needs to do is introduce the reader to a new world and to make the reader believe in it. It's certainly vibrant, but sometimes there was a touch of what I think of the Jake Arnotts. If you've ever read a book of his, you'll know that he won't leave period detail alone, to the point where you just want him to shut up about the clothes and the cars and the music and all the other little things he puts in so you know, yes very well thank you, these people are 1960's mods. There was a bit of that going on in Iron Sunrise, too much being shoehorned in, but then, if you're creating a world, how can there not be huge amounts of detail? I suppose it rests on how you get those details across, how much and when and how good they are.

I was disappointed by the end. I had a real sense that the plot, which raced along for about two thirds of the book, just overreached itself and fell flat, fizzled out, whatever. By the end I was glad to put it down and wasn't sure that I liked the blatant setting up for a sequel. But there were lots of nice ideas. Lots and lots of them.

Comments

[villainny.livejournal.com]

The intense amount of detail is why I don't tend to read science fiction - I've found that once they've created something, spent time deciding how it works, an author wants to let you know the amount of work they put into it. And that doesn't really interest me. I like bare descriptions. I love that Terry Pratchett so rarely describes his characters, and when he does it's more analagous than physical listings. I enjoy being able to use my imagination when reading, and I think that kind of detail obsession undermines that. You can research all you like, but you don't need to get it all in there.

*grins*

And I realise I was rambling. I've been without the internet for a day or two, I'm overcompensating. ;)

Streaky streaks!

[gloria1.livejournal.com]

Last summer I put tan-fastic on my legs and it was amazingly streaky and orange and it seemed to last until Guy Fawkes Night. I followed all the instructions and everything... sigh. I've been using that Johnson's Baby Lotion Summer Skin thing this time though, and as long as I put lots of ordinary moisturiser on about 10 mins before, it doesn't streak. It does give a lot more colour than you think though, its not a "hint of a tan" as it claims on the bottle.

Re: Streaky streaks!

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Ah, I saw the Johnson's stuff yesterday and was wondering if it was any good. I might give it a go.

What is it with fake tan? I followed the instructions too and yet-- streaky bacon! And it won't go away. Wah!

Re: Streaky streaks!

[gloria1.livejournal.com]

The Johnson's stuff is thick and gloopy, be warned. A little goes a long way, it doesn't really moisturise all that well and gives a much stronger 'tan' look than you expect. The not-streaky part of this product is good, but its no great shakes otherwise.

Caution: my sister went for a 'professional' tan paint job at her local (expensive, upscale) salon and yes, she too is as streaky as a streaky thing. She's now buying loofahs by the bag-ful!