Miraz: Multiple errors in any piece of fiction really annoy me. But editing errors only make matters worse. Too bad these errors are what really sticks in your mind about this book.

The story is about humans in the future and on other worlds. At one point the ‘Highlanders’ arrive, in their kilts. They are fierce warriors. Clearly these are proud Scots. Yet the author repeatedly refers to them as the ‘English’.

I simply cannot imagine a future where any Scot would countenance being called ‘English’.

Mind you, the book was also marred by sloppy editing, with spelling errors and confused words, but the Scots / English thing is what I’ll take away for ever.

Here’s how it went down:

World blacks out (chopper pilot included). Everyone’s out for 2+ minutes. Everyone wakes up. Helicopter flies into building in level flight.

It felt wrong to me because I didn’t think a typical helicopter would fly straight and level if left uncontrolled for 2 minutes.

Thoughts on that one? If that outcome is feasible, then I’ll have new respect for the writers. Otherwise, it’s a hole that they were too lazy to sanity-check.