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Hellhole (Hell Hole, #1)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Youll, Stephen
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Youll, Stephen
Plot holes are like pot holes some time you go over them and sometimes they swallow you whole. To me they were big ones.
The first is the planet hellhole itself. While it is meant as a penal colony and as harsh place to live. The progression from that to the transport hub and not to bad a place to live within ten years on a population of 100,000 and ten years. Certainly there explanations and descriptions to flesh out and explain this miracle but it was all just too good to be true.
The second was the layout of the interstellar transport network. While it is a clever idea some more work on the background could have sorted out the kinks. As probably the largest engineering project in human history bad guys use its cost as an excuse for high tribute payments yet the good guys build one out of bits that fell off the back of a truck. The gap between cost of the two projects is excessive and while bad guys greed is meant to fill in the difference instead it rings hollow.
While the idea of secret mine full of pixie dust works. The idea of the pixie dust being found, the mine being developed and finished product being used all within ten years and in secret. No its just too easy.
Finally the bad guys. Now they are meant to be dumb otherwise how can good guys beat them. But ten years after a major rebellion it comes bigger and better than ever and nobody is any the wiser. I suppose it has to happen when the empress of the known universe( 76 planets ) has a dirty tricks department of two people.
Look I know I am being pedantic and I accept that suspension of disbelief is an essential element of any good fiction but these were just two big to ignore and ruined the story for me.
The first is the planet hellhole itself. While it is meant as a penal colony and as harsh place to live. The progression from that to the transport hub and not to bad a place to live within ten years on a population of 100,000 and ten years. Certainly there explanations and descriptions to flesh out and explain this miracle but it was all just too good to be true.
The second was the layout of the interstellar transport network. While it is a clever idea some more work on the background could have sorted out the kinks. As probably the largest engineering project in human history bad guys use its cost as an excuse for high tribute payments yet the good guys build one out of bits that fell off the back of a truck. The gap between cost of the two projects is excessive and while bad guys greed is meant to fill in the difference instead it rings hollow.
While the idea of secret mine full of pixie dust works. The idea of the pixie dust being found, the mine being developed and finished product being used all within ten years and in secret. No its just too easy.
Finally the bad guys. Now they are meant to be dumb otherwise how can good guys beat them. But ten years after a major rebellion it comes bigger and better than ever and nobody is any the wiser. I suppose it has to happen when the empress of the known universe( 76 planets ) has a dirty tricks department of two people.
Look I know I am being pedantic and I accept that suspension of disbelief is an essential element of any good fiction but these were just two big to ignore and ruined the story for me.
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Have not read much KJA to comment on. I think I read one of the seven suns series many moons ago and I am thinking of trying the terra incognita series. But I do find large multiple focus stories take the fun out of reading.
Thanks, but I have read it. It's the series that helped kill my interest in multiple focus. While the story is good and generally well told. You get the impression that the story is too big and complex ever to be finished.
This is true, but I think what you are looking for as to why KJA is such a (pardon me) shitty writer is because he demands a suspension of common sense in addition to disbelief.
AKA Vineyards on Hellhole.