It’s not you, it’s me. There are some authors that I just can’t read. It’s not that their books are bad (they are award winning authors which is why I keep trying to read them), but I just can’t get into them. They leave me cold and disinterested and I just can’t bring myself to read their books any more. I know other people who love their writing, so I know it’s not them it’s me.

China Miéville is the first author. I’ve tried reading Perdido Street Stationand The City & The City, but gave up on both after 30-40 pages. Both books have won numerous awards and are roundly celebrated in science fiction circles, but I can’t bring myself to finish them. Perdido Street Station was slightly weird to me and I just couldn’t get into it, but The City & The City seemed like it would be right up my alley. It’s a science fiction detective story and I’m a sucker for those books. But 40 pages in, I was bored and couldn’t bring myself to continue reading.

William Gibson, author of Neuromancer is another one. I love Neuromancer and have read it multiple times. But when I try any of his other books (such as Spook Country, Pattern Recognition, Mona Lisa Overdriveor Idoru), they just don’t grab me the same way. I did enjoy The Difference Engine, which he co-wrote with Bruce Sterling, but I can’t make it 50 pages into anything else. But everytime he comes out with a new book, it will be roundly applauded and I’ll try again. Maybe one will catch on someday.


True Names brought Vernor Vinge a lot of attention for his description of virtual worlds and it is an amazing story. I managed to finish A Fire Upon the Deep, but nothing else has worked for me. I tried the sequel A Deepness in the Sky as well as the recent Rainbows End, but didn’t make it through either one. Vinge has been honored with science fiction’s most treasured awards for his writing, but I couldn’t make it past half way for either book.

One day I hope that I’ll be able to enjoy these writers like others do. But until then, it’s not them, it’s me.