tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625938726369573756.post40914995637686887..comments2024-01-15T03:58:39.046-05:00Comments on Sci-Fi Fan Letter: What Makes a Good Review?Jessica Striderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375221959854098665noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625938726369573756.post-26394988377995464092011-09-23T10:36:30.685-04:002011-09-23T10:36:30.685-04:00I think SF Signal has a good reviewing format (hen...I think SF Signal has a good reviewing format (hence, why I stole pieces of it for my blog). As you say, the mix of techniques helps readers decide what's right for them and forces the review to be more than just, 'that was awesome' or 'worst book ever'. <br /><br />I was actually wondering this morning if I do readers more of a disservice than I thought by not posting more negative reviews. Again, just because I don't like a book doesn't mean others won't. The problem here being that if I dislike it that much I probably won't finish it, and it's hard to give an honest assessment of an unfinished book. On the other hand, the reasons I couldn't finish might be the same reasons someone else will love the book... Something to think about.Jessica Striderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13375221959854098665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5625938726369573756.post-66657348905033087352011-09-22T22:00:13.523-04:002011-09-22T22:00:13.523-04:00One reason I use the format I do (star ratings, Pr...One reason I use the format I do (star ratings, Pros/Cons) is that it keeps me from being a lazy reviewer.[Well, more lazy than usual. :)]<br /><br />Oftentimes, when I read someone's review, they list what they liked and what they didn't, but there is no way to judge whether they like the book overall. Or, they talk about the book, but it's hard to tell whether they thought those were good or bad qualities. Using my format forces me to organize my likes/dislikes and assess the book, and forces me to back up my assessments as best as I can. (That is, there is not a pro/con that doesn't have an explanation in the larger body of the review).<br /><br />The negatives of using this system (people using different scales, or people reading the summary and moving on without reading the full assessment) are things that are simply outside my control. I can't force someone to read the entire review (summary or not) and there's no way the entire reviewing community will agree on a consistent rating system, much less use it. But that's not a big surprise, is it? Don't review readers (or readers of any article) have the obligation to ask about the writer's subjective frame of reference? if someone says a book is the best thing they ever read, I wanna know how well read they are, or the claim is meaningless. Over time, review readers come to either trust reviewers or distrust them. The best I can do as a reviewer is give an honest assessment of my reading experience.John D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03315231512528211559noreply@blogger.com