Aug 2023 LIMITED Working Class by Lowell

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

The August 2023 Limited Pick is Working Class by Nathan Lowell. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

Official description:
A Brand New Ship
A Brand New Crew
What could possibly go wrong?

When Ishmael takes a crew of academy cadets into the Toe Holds, he's unprepared for the level of trouble green hands can get into.

Meanwhile their academy liaison discovers what can go wrong when you learn the wrong lessons and try to teach the wrong students.

Will they all make it back to the academy before somebody accidentally takes a short walk out the air lock without a suit?

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

I really enjoyed this book, enough that I have already read it twice and it was just published a month ago. I’m looking forward to the discussion.

[Betsy]

I finished this book about a week ago. I enjoyed it, though nothing much happens. However, it contained some references to preceding books that I didn't quite remember, so I immediately went back and reread the Seeker's Tale trilogy, and the first book of this trilogy, School Days, and then reread this book. It helped having it all fresh in my memory. Still, nothing much happened. This book was all conversations and character development. I still enjoyed it, but I'm really looking forward to the next one.

[Betsy]

Many readers of sci-fi complain about lengthy "info-dumps". Throughout this book, I got the feeling that the whole book was an info-dump. That's what all those conversations were. Especially the ones with the Academy curriculum designer. Lots of history of the Western Annex and the politics of the Toe-Holds and the CPJCT.

And speaking of the curriculum guy (can't remember his very Gaelic name), I couldn't help but wonder how much he is a self-portrait of Nathan Lowell himself.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Here’s a link to the review I wrote the first time I read Working Class.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Trike]

Betsy wrote: "Many readers of sci-fi complain about lengthy "info-dumps". Throughout this book, I got the feeling that the whole book was an info-dump. That's what all those conversations were."

Are you saying that was bad in this instance? I own Quarter/Half/Full Share but haven’t read them yet, so I didn’t want to get into later books.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

It didn’t feel to me like an info dump, because the info came as a natural part of dialog and didn’t go into gory details. But then I am more interested in dialog and characterization and having characters that are trying to puzzle out something tricky than I am in fight scenes. And I’m a fan, so the brief mentions of things that happened in previous books triggers memories of those books.

[Betsy]

Trike wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Many readers of sci-fi complain about lengthy "info-dumps". Throughout this book, I got the feeling that the whole book was an info-dump. That's what all those conversations were."

A..."

Not bad exactly. Like Teresa, I usually like dialog because I'm most interested in characterization. And Lowell does dialog very well. I just thought it was a little strange that the book seemed to be almost entirely dialog.

[Betsy]

Another thing that bothered me a little: Many authors add, usually in the midst of dialog, some little action that is designed to bring the scene to life. For instance, in one book (I can't remember what, but not Nathan Lowell, I don't think), a couple of characters were talking over a beer and one of them, who was apparently nervous about the discussion, sat their peeling the label off her beer bottle. That painted a very vivid picture to me, making her emotional state more obvious than if the author had said something about it.

Lowell does this a lot, but in Working Class, I think he got a little carried away. It seemed every time Ish had a meal with someone, which was often, Lowell would describe the mechanics of them eating. It seemed like every few sentences of the dialog were interrupted by a description of them spearing their steak with a fork, or sipping their beer, or the waiter delivering their next course. As I said, a little bit of that kind of thing makes it more real. But I think Lowell overdid it. It was distracting. I found myself noticing those actions more than the discussion they were having.

It's not so bad that I wouldn't reread or recommend the book. It just seemed unusual.

[Karl]

Betsy wrote: "Another thing that bothered me a little: Many authors add, usually in the midst of dialog, some little action that is designed to bring the scene to life. For instance, in one book (I can't remembe..."

Aye, it's a fine line between dialogue tags, skipping them because it is alternating speakers, and sometimes replacing them with an action that indicates who is speaking (or listening). Too many of one and it can become stilted or repetitious. A thing we all have to look out for in our writing!

[Audrey]

I liked Working Class. More character oriented than action oriented. I did wonder why Ish kept refusing dessert, though. Starting to feel his age and watch his waistline?

[Betsy]

Audrey wrote: "I liked Working Class. More character oriented than action oriented. I did wonder why Ish kept refusing dessert, though. Starting to feel his age and watch his waistline?"

Yes, I noticed that too. There were several references to his age, and his questioning his direction in life. The next book should be interesting.

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

Next book is interesting so far. Just out today!