Steve Alten's Meg Series and Novels

[MysteryMike]

Hey guys. This is a thread about Steve Alten who wrote about the Meg Series and other Books. If you have something to say do say something. Now what I want to say is that the Meg books and his sequels are awesome. Also Hear about the upcoming book called Meg: Hells Aquarium. Can't wait as it will even feature a Liopleurodon.

Also his novel the Loch was great. Instead of Nessie being a Plesiosaur. It was an unknown species of giant Eel.

So anyone have something to say.

[crtDzyn]

"We're going to talk to the magical Liopleurodon, Charlieee!! He's going to tell us the way to Candy Mountaaain!!"

"There's no such thing as a magical Liopleurodon."

"Shun the nonbeliever. Shuunnnnnn... Shuuuuuuuunnnnnnn"

Edited March 27, 2009 by crtDzyn

[crtDzyn]

Oh, sorry. Regarding the OP, I have not heard of Steve Alten. Your mention of the Liopleurodon just got me too excited to resist posting that.

[MysteryMike]

Oh, sorry. Regarding the OP, I have not heard of Steve Alten. Your mention of the Liopleurodon just got me too excited to resist posting that.

That's alright.

[Undeadskeptic]

I usually avoid reading crap, but I heard he was alright. Having finished MEG I attempted unsuccessfully to kill myself. IT WAS THAT BAD.

The storyline was cliche. The characters were bland and uninteresting. There was no depth to the plot at all. The action moments were few and far between and were badly written and boring.

The science was ROTTEN. It was an insult to the scientific community, the nonsense Alten presented in his book as academic thinking.

Bad book.

[Tia]

I didn't mind Meg though it was a long while ago since I read it.

[The Caspian Hare]

Meg might be the worst book I ever read. like reading the script to one of those stupid sci fi channel movies. I think your average guy on the street could write better than he did. It was so bad I actually threw the book away

[GreatFenris]

Honestly? Reading anything by Alten makes me feel dirty. I read the first 3 books in the Meg series, and the Goliath one...First one all;

Plot: Alten is a horrible writer when it comes to plot. His boks really reads like B-movie scripts.

Characters: Let's focus on MEG here first...Am I supposed to feel empathy for an overweight old man who think's he's a mix between Indiana Jones and James Bond? Seriously, Johnas is a b*stard and one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever met.

Furthermroe the female stereotypes Alten uses leaves a dirty taste in my mouth..Most females either come up in the "filthy evil skank who deserve to die" or the "helpless wench" category. In Goliath that is even worse. THe strong officer-woman is just there to be tortured or frightened by the evil crew or shagged by her manly Han Solo meets John Rambo meets Captain America ex lover. Oh, and of course Alten feels to need to really empathize that the AI, after turning evil has a very feminine voice.

Writing: Let's take Meg book number three as an example, as that's the one I read most recently. Alten honestly uses "KABOOM! BAAAANG! WHAM!"...Is this about a giant shark or about Adam West's Batman?`Furthermore, in book three he really spends alot of time focussing on the meeting between a pregnant meg and a young bull meg...And then that just vanishes. No conclusion, no nothing.

Oh, and let's not forget his conservative moralistic view on things. people who die usually really deserve it on a moral scale: Johnas' wife; evl skank. Check. Benedicte; Evil corporate Al-Quaida henchman. Check. Celeste; Evil skank, check.

In GOliath that is just taken to humourous levels as the good terrorists fight the three evil nations(Iraq, Libya and China..WTF?)

Overall: Christopher Paulini writes better books than Alten. He seems to be a decent guy towards his fans, if a bit ego-centric at times. If you go to Imdb.com's Meg board he posts there uner the nick Steve-lotsofnumbers.

[MysteryMike]

Meg: Hell's Aquarium is going to be released on May 19, 2009.

Anyone planning on getting it. Just thought I let you Meg fans know about this.

[TheResearcher]

"We're going to talk to the magical Liopleurodon, Charlieee!! He's going to tell us the way to Candy Mountaaain!!"

"There's no such thing as a magical Liopleurodon."

"Shun the nonbeliever. Shuunnnnnn... Shuuuuuuuunnnnnnn"

LOL. Good old Charlie the Unicorn.

[InfraredCow]

"We're going to talk to the magical Liopleurodon, Charlieee!! He's going to tell us the way to Candy Mountaaain!!"

"There's no such thing as a magical Liopleurodon."

"Shun the nonbeliever. Shuunnnnnn... Shuuuuuuuunnnnnnn"

We're on a bridge, Chhhhharliiiiiie!

-Natalie

[MysteryMike]

I'll just ignore those posts. Anyway. It was also revealed on the book's official website that a dunkleosteus will appear and also the book will see the death of a main character, possibly Mac or Terry.

After reading all three of his books. I really want to read this one next. Can't wait. Anyone else as well? I am.

Edited May 6, 2009 by MysteryMike

[Drago]

I have to admit, I read MEG. And I liked it. o_0

Yes, it was everything negative everybody in this thread has said about it. But I didn't go into it expecting to find solid science. After all, if we went into the book expecting solid science and fact, there wouldn't BE a book because the Meg would be deader than a sackful of orphans with a cinder block in it tossed into a river.

I went into MEG expecting exactly what I got: Camp, fun, and a giant ****ing shark slaughtering everything in its path, INCLUDING THE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE. *Horns up + headbang*

I can't comment on later books in the series, but for me MEG was like a Godzilla flick. You don't watch it for solid science or great acting or awesome scriptwriting or badass characterization. You watch it see a giant dinosaur with thermonuclear death-breath tearass around Tokyo and then eat another giant dinosaur.

[ShadowSot]

I can't comment on later books in the series, but for me MEG was like a Godzilla flick. You don't watch it for solid science or great acting or awesome scriptwriting or badass characterization. You watch it see a giant dinosaur with thermonuclear death-breath tearass around Tokyo and then eat another giant dinosaur.

/\ Got a point. I read the book, know it's bad, read the rest of the books, equally as bad, still.

Science and all was tossed out the window.

So? Look at Jurassic park and Spiderman.

[Famke]

Right on, write on about whatever you feel best.