I haven't read any XF fic in ages and ages but I was drawn to read this last night and I'm so glad I did.
I've always liked Penumbra's writing but, unlike a lot of other people, found her use of language to be a bit much. I'm not feeling very articulate this morning because I just started in on my coffee, so I might not be able to express this as clearly as I'd like to. Anyhow, in her previous stories, especially Parabiosis, I found the ornate language to be distracting from the actual story. Kind of like listening to a beautiful symphony that features a violin soloist who goes way over the top. It frequently pulled me out of the story and, in the end, it was kind of exhausting.
Anyhow, what I loved about Fathoms Five was that the language was beautiful but reigned-in. It allowed me to lose myself in the story. Kudos for that.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-01 01:27 pm (UTC)I've always liked Penumbra's writing but, unlike a lot of other people, found her use of language to be a bit much. I'm not feeling very articulate this morning because I just started in on my coffee, so I might not be able to express this as clearly as I'd like to. Anyhow, in her previous stories, especially Parabiosis, I found the ornate language to be distracting from the actual story. Kind of like listening to a beautiful symphony that features a violin soloist who goes way over the top. It frequently pulled me out of the story and, in the end, it was kind of exhausting.
Anyhow, what I loved about Fathoms Five was that the language was beautiful but reigned-in. It allowed me to lose myself in the story. Kudos for that.