I also read that novel as an atheist teenager and came away thoroughly unimpressed - the plot seemed to amount to "woman goes back in time to the Black Plague, realizes that she can't actually help anyone, and watches people die." Maybe I just didn't get it? I didn't particularly notice anything that made me think of theodicy or criticism of organized religion. One thing I usually like about science fiction and fantasy is that it's much less inclined to let the reader miss what the story is actually about than literary fiction - as Larry Niven said in his laws for writers, if you have something important to say, say it clearly and precisely: if the reader doesn't get it, don't let it be your fault!
I'm not sure how one could miss the criticism of organized religion in "Doomsday Book." Maybe it's because there is so much blatant and over-the-top aggression against organized religion in SF that anything less is, functionally, subtle. I don't like most Niven, though some of his collaborations are okay. I also don't mind if a reader doesn't get something and I particularly like it if a book rewards re-reading. Sounds like we have different tastes!
I also think most of Niven is meh. But I think I took those parts of Doomsday Book as being descriptions of history rather than as criticism to think about.
My favorite author is Terry Pratchett, incidentally.
Count me in as one of the people who might be interested in such a book club
Awesome!
I also read that novel as an atheist teenager and came away thoroughly unimpressed - the plot seemed to amount to "woman goes back in time to the Black Plague, realizes that she can't actually help anyone, and watches people die." Maybe I just didn't get it? I didn't particularly notice anything that made me think of theodicy or criticism of organized religion. One thing I usually like about science fiction and fantasy is that it's much less inclined to let the reader miss what the story is actually about than literary fiction - as Larry Niven said in his laws for writers, if you have something important to say, say it clearly and precisely: if the reader doesn't get it, don't let it be your fault!
I'm not sure how one could miss the criticism of organized religion in "Doomsday Book." Maybe it's because there is so much blatant and over-the-top aggression against organized religion in SF that anything less is, functionally, subtle. I don't like most Niven, though some of his collaborations are okay. I also don't mind if a reader doesn't get something and I particularly like it if a book rewards re-reading. Sounds like we have different tastes!
I also think most of Niven is meh. But I think I took those parts of Doomsday Book as being descriptions of history rather than as criticism to think about.
My favorite author is Terry Pratchett, incidentally.