The Faded Sun Trilogy
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Is this worth reading?
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Jason
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Aug 26, 2011 09:21AM
I have this trilogy on my "To Read" list. I have read only one novel by Cherryh & even though I was not impressed by it, I found myself drawn to this series. Since it is a trilogy--complete & not a long epic of 10 books or more--I find the plot synopsis interesting. But based on my last experience with Cherryh, I have to ask: Is it worth it? Please--be deathly honest. If you truly HATE it, tell me why. If you truly LOVE it, please explain in detail.
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I LOVE this trilogy. It's been a while since I last read it, so I can't give too many details, but I'll start with: the story is intelligent & there's some thought behind it (a fascinating exploration of memory and language), but you're still drawn in by the characters & action. Although much of the story is developed through the interpersoal (liberal use of "person") relationships, things do happen -- and on an epic scale.Out of curiosity, which Cherryh novel did you not care for?
Hillary wrote: "I LOVE this trilogy. It's been a while since I last read it, so I can't give too many details, but I'll start with: the story is intelligent & there's some thought behind it (a fascinating explorat..."The novel was WAVE WITHOUT A SHORE. I found it to be a cure for insomnia. I know that's harsh but to me it's true. I don't want to judge her on the one failed attempt & THE FADED SUN TRILOGY intrigues me. I like epic sci-fi & I can handle sci-fi novels which are heavy on philosophy, science, sociology/politics, etc. I mean, if I'm a fan of the novels, GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE & GRASS, then I think I can handle a "heavy" sci-fi story. From the looks of it & based on what I've read about it, THE FADE SUN TRILOGY falls into the "heavy" category. This is why I'm asking for other peoples' opinions.
If you have any other Cherryh novels you think I might like, please, suggest away. & thanks for responding, Hillary.
I can't remember whether I've read that one (Wave) ... The Faded Sun trilogy is probably be my favorite Cherryh. While I really like her work, I do find the reading can be kind of slow at times ...I liked the Morgaine Cycle (fascinating although sometimes hard to truly connect with the characters). I also liked the Chanur books (these are pretty straightforward space Westerns at heart; to me, they're just fun). In general, I've liked most of the Alliance-Union books I've read, but I have a lot of those still to read.
I like the Foreigner books, though I sometimes find them slow. (This series is a kind of a West-meets-East encounter, but with aliens.) While I did enjoy Cherryh's fantasy series, Fortress in the Eye of Time, etc., I was frustrated by the pace...
Hillary wrote: "I can't remember whether I've read that one (Wave) ... The Faded Sun trilogy is probably be my favorite Cherryh. While I really like her work, I do find the reading can be kind of slow at times ......"If you like Cherryh, might I recommend Sherri Tepper. When she's on her game, she's fantastic. I read her trilogy: GRASS, RAISING THE STONES & SIDESHOW--& found them to be fascinating. I especially liked the first two novels. She tackles feminist themes & especially how women are persecuted by religion--all this is rampant in these books. The 3rd novel, SIDESHOW, is very, very surreal but I love how in all her novels she presents a planet & it society--each one vastly different from the last. They can be heavy on the sociological themes, as well as politics, so the action is loose--making them cerebral novels more than getting pumped up for some space opera style sci-fi. I started her novel, SIX-MOON DANCE, but never finished it. I do intend to go back to it though. I also have SINGER FROM THE SEA on the pile of books I need to get to. I just o.d'd on Tepper to the point I needed to take a break.
Thanks: I loved Grass, but I didn't realize it was part of a trilogy! I often have a hard time figuring out how/if Tepper's books relate to each other. It's been a long time since I read Beauty, but I remember it absorbed & chilled me.
Hillary wrote: "Thanks: I loved Grass, but I didn't realize it was part of a trilogy! I often have a hard time figuring out how/if Tepper's books relate to each other. It's been a long time since I read Beauty, bu..."GRASS is the first book in Tepper's ARBAI Trilogy. I loved the 2nd book, RAISING THE STONES, which has the appearance of the Hobb's Land Gods--which then bleed into the 3rd novel, SIDESHOW. Very strange, but cool, sci-fi.
This series is a little trickier to read than some- but soooo well worth the effort. I remember having a harder time following who was who and sorting through the complexities. this is not a fault of the writing/ author. There is just a more complex weave of things worked into this series... but once you find your footing.. the story flows quite well and easily.. and leads you along for a great ride that does not take you where you thought it would- delightfully so!
Teri wrote: "This series is a little trickier to read than some- but soooo well worth the effort. I remember having a harder time following who was who and sorting through the complexities. this is not a faul..."Thank you for the positive feedback on this series. I'm starting to feel it's not going to be a daunting task--like a novel by Peter Hamilton or Michelle West. I noticed you read a lot of Cherryh's novels. Any others I should look into? I try to make it a point to read more than one novel/series by a sci-fi/fantasy author.
Jason,almost anything by cherryh is worth the read. Suggestions to start with would be:
fortress in the eye of time - series
gate of ivrel- series
foreigner- series
tree of swords and jewels? stones( forget exact title ATM:)
Cherryh has a very distinct style, I remember taking a little bit of time before really getting used to it. not difficult at all, just dense with info and very tight writing. sort of like moving to the south and even though you speak english, needing to get used to a slightly different accent/ dialect of the same language. a brief period of "familiarising?" maybe..? once you have that.. all her books go down like very well aged brandy, and while super satisfying and complete, will leave a part of you wanting a little more from each storyline- the mark of truly gifted writing:)
I found the Faded Sun trilogy to be deeply moving, and more accessible than some of the rest of Cherryh's stuff. I just cared so much about the characters. While I enjoy the Foreigner series sometimes it can be a bit cerebral. Fortress series was fun, but not quite as meaningful. Along the same lines of deeply moving books would be Carol Berg's Rai-Kirah series.
The first book in the Faded Sun is one of my favorite Cherryh's. It's a classic coming of age tale of the Mri boy Niun. On the desert world of Kesrith, the warrior mri people, the regul and humans have to come to terms with each other at the end of a long and brutal war. The descriptions of Kesrith and the native beasts are some of my favorite in sci-fi. The next 2 books are less action oriented. They are more about the fate of peoples over arcs of thousands of years and about the internal changes of a very few people. It is worth it, but there may be sections that a reader could doubt.
I love Faded Sun Trilogy. The first book, Kesrith, has the most action where humans, reguls and the mri are in conflict. The book was very moving. The second book is a little slow but shows how Sten begins his transformation to the mri way of life. The third book, I love as well. It is about the fate of the people but also we learn more about the mri ways and culture. The world building is awesome. Some say Cherryh Mri are a combination of Native Americans, Japanese Samurai, and Berbers.
So, have you taken the plunge Jason?Wave is a really tough intro to Cherryh's work.
As for other Cherryh work I am a huge fan so can only endorse most of the above recommendations, except the Fortress Series which starts very promisingly but , imo, falls off rather badly during the 3rd book.
Morgaine and especially Vanye are two of my favourite characters in all sf. It is Cherryh's ability to make aliens so much more than simple 1 dimesional stand ins for a Terran minority that appeals to me.
Lee wrote: "So, have you taken the plunge Jason?Wave is a really tough intro to Cherryh's work.
As for other Cherryh work I am a huge fan so can only endorse most of the above recommendations, except the F..."
No. I haven't taken the plunge. I'm reading a massive 1,200 page novel--THE BONEHUNTERS, Steve Erikson. Once I finish, I'm thinking it's time I quit circling the pool & just jump in.
My favorite Cherryh's are the Company Wars and the ones from just after: Heavy Time to Regenesis (the reading order not the publication date order). These are pretty classic old school space opera.I actually quite liked Wave without a Shore.
I don't enjoy the Chanur stories (cat analog too strong for me) and I gave up on Foreigner series--I found they were too much work for limited pay-off.
And I tend to not read fantasy.
To me Cherryh is a very uneven author. Stuff like the Chanur books I zipped through while others are like wading through mud.(Heavy Time I'm looking at you) So your experience with one Cherryh book may be very different than another. But I'll add my recommendation for the Faded Sun Trilogy.
The vast majority of Cherryh's work is more engrossing than Wave, although there are a handful much like it. Her best are the merchanter's alliance books. Start with Merchanter's Luck. It should change your opinion of her writing.
C.J. Cherryh is one of my favorite authors and I generally have no problem with picking up and reading any of her works. Some are, of course, better than others (was not too impressed with "Goblin Mirror"). The Faded Sun Trilogy made a very good impression on me. I agree with others that it was both a very personal tale - particularly at the beginning - but also gave you glimpses into a very large universe and a large span of time. A frequent theme of many of Cherryh's books is that of Leadership, friendship, betrayel, honor, and duty and associated struggles with those by her main characters.
I finished this trilogy just a few days ago, and I wish there was more! It wasn't an easy read, sometimes I was a little lost about what was really going on, but the story is compelling on an instinctive and emotional level. Cherryh is really a master at bringing to life alien characters from their own viewpoint.
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree!
Yes! I read this trilogy several years ago and the story is still with me. Many of C.J.Cherryh's books are among the best in the genre and this is one of them.
I also read this trilogy many years ago and, yes, it is complex, but the characters really stand out. I recall the transformation of the human as he began to understand another way of life and how this impacted his own development as a person. Towards the end of the trilogy, he is an elder (for want of a better word) and well respected in his adopted home. This speaks to the fact, I think, that his transformation was successful.
The Faded Sun is one of those series that is wordy and dense at the beginning, because Cherryh doesn't ever spell out what alien words or technology translate to in 21st Century (or 20th Century) terms. You have to figure it out through context...and there's always a lot of context. It adds to the sense that the world you're reading about is not your own.Once you get in the swing of it, though, this series is stunning. I first read it in high school and it's one of my favorite trilogies to this day. (Although I think certain parts could have been shortened or omitted and the book wouldn't have suffered for it...)
If you love cultural studies, and unlikely friendships, and gigantic bear-cat animals, read this.
The Faded Sun trilogy grows on you - it's pretty good. But I recommend The Chronicles of Morgaine (3 + 1 extra book i.e. a complete story) as her best works (IMO).https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
Well, now you've intrigued me! I thought I had read those, but now I'm not sure. Even better than the Faded Sun? OK, they're now on my read ASAP pile!
Pretty much anything by CJ Cherryh is worth reading....
Now that's one I've never seen before! Another stand-alone of hers that I really enjoyed was The Paladin.
well, I used to be a huge Cherryh fan, but have moved on. I still have my Faded Sun trilogy. I might read it again, but it's uncertain. The thing about Cherryh is that she is a one trick pony. Every novel is built the same; long, slow introduction, building in speed to a tense, five page, ten minute feverish climax that is as confusing as it is engrossing. And then it's over. Faded Sun and the Morgaine cycle are the best of what she can do. Her Downbelow Station and its sequels were what I loved best when younger, but I would not recommend them now.
Back in my wild years, I lost pIII on a train, now finally going to re-read and finish off!... quite into it after 3 chapters...
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