Biblical (frequent quotations)
Norse mythological (The Broken Sword etc)
Shakespearean (A Midsummer Tempest)
Frankensteinian (Genesis)
Wellsian (time travel; future histories; future wars)
Stapledonian (Genesis again)
Heinleinian (Heinlein-model future histories; Operation Chaos)
historical fiction (The King of Ys; The Last Viking etc)
detective fiction (Trygve Yamamura trilogy etc)
On these bases, we compare Anderson with other authors. I have just collected Camino Ghosts by John Grisham from the Public Library and this leads to a further distinction. Any given novel can be:
(i) enjoyable but forgettable, to be reread at most once;
(ii) enjoyable and substantial, rereadable many times.
Many successful authors are (i). Anderson is mostly (ii).
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Who would some of those writers be that you placed in Category 1, enjoyable books read only once?
Some writers, of all genres, at least some of whose works I've read more than once would be: Asimov (despite me no longer liking his novels), Anderson, Reginald Bretnor, Avram Davidson, Lanier, Niven, Pournelle, Stirling, Tolkien, Robert van Gulik.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Or reread at most once. I gave one clue!
Thrillers by John Grisham, Anthony Horowitz, Donald Hamilton or John Gardner.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Of these authors I've read only some of Grisham's books. I liked many of the mysteries of Allingham, Chesterton, Carr, Rex Stout, Ellery Queen (some ghosted by other writers, like Davidson).
Ad astra! Sean
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