Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I ordered A Galaxy Unknown based on good reviews without trying a sample first. I had a sinking feeling in the first paragraph. Here it is, in full: "A dizzying montage of abrasive red and white splashes from the overhead light slathered the room and savagely doused her sleeping form without effect. But when the red alert horn's undulating shrieks stabbed mercilessly at her body and knifed their way to the marrow of her bones, consciousness aggressively irrupted into Jenetta Carver's sleep-anesthetized brain." Where does one start critiquing that? If they are having no effect, why are the lights "dizzying," "abrasive," and "savage"? Why would sound knife to the marrow, which is not found in bones anywhere near the ears? Why is consciousness, not sound, aggressive? Is consciousness so different from the brain that it can intrude upon the brain in an unevenly increasing manner? (Got thesaurus?) Sentences like "... it greatly increased an already heightened state of agitation." and "The gymnastic movement evinced a legerity that contrasted markedly ..." Irrupted? Legerity? The author should tattoo Stephen King's words to the inside of his forehead: "Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule." Then the author wouldn't use words like "immurement," "pertinacious," and "sedulous." To be fair, the writing gets a little less overwrought as the story progresses. Still bad, but better. OK, enough about the writing. What about the science, the immersion in a different time? In a word, dismal. During this time they have zero gravity, faster than light travel, and faster than light communication. But picture frames are "black anodized aluminum", mirrors and viewing ports are polycarbonate, explosive bolts hold on a protective cover on "a small radio telemetry array" (necessary to compute basic nav data, for some reason) and after a training exercise in which a power unit's "circuit rods" are replaced by our heroine, it bursts into flames. Inconsistencies abound. Jenetta's rescue pod is almost out of power, but has maintained an artificial gravity field for 10 years (which later on is said to require significant power.) Computers can bring an FTL space ship into normal space and not let it resume FTL travel, but torpedoes have to be guided manually. Jenetta is programmed to enjoy pain (don't ask) while unconscious and is later deprogrammed in a few hours, but it takes eight to ten years to completely rewrite her DNA. Generally the science has the feeling that it is made up on the spot to satisfy a plot requirement, then dragged, kicking and screaming, through the rest of the book, leaving implausability in its wake. OK, enough about the science. How about the plot? Here is where the glimmer of hope emerges. Not because it is anything but preposterous. But because after despairing at the ambiguity and obscurity of much modern science fiction, there is something refreshing in the naivete of a plot like the one in "A Galaxy Unknown." (Spoiler alert!) The more hopeless her situation, the more Jenetta triumphs in the end. Tattooed, trapped, brainwashed, and abused in a detention center in an enemy's hollow asteroid surrounded by 18,000 enemy? Of course she is going to escape in command of not one but two of the most most powerful ships in the known universe and blow the base up behind her. The greater her triumph, the larger the challenge that comes next. Returning Space Command's two lost ships? Of course Space Command is going to shackle her and put her up on charges for desertion, murder, impersonating an officer, etc. I did end up reading the whole thing. But I really have some trouble understanding how anyone could say A Galaxy Unknown was well written in any way. How about a button like the "Prime Eligible" one that filters out anyone who gave this book four or five stars from affecting the reviews I see? I might start to trust reviews again. Still, I'm envious of anyone who has rated this book highly because they have obviously never read any good science fiction. What I would give to be able to have all of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Robert A. Heinlein, Larry Niven, Vernor Vinge, Greg Bear, Orson Scott Card, Daniel Keys Moran, etc., in front of me? A lot. If, after what I wrote, you still want to get A Galaxy Unknown, you should. And if I'm wrong anywhere, please comment. I haven't forgotten that Thomas DePrima has written and completed books that people enjoy. That is a significant accomplishment in itself, and one that I admire.