Paul
This book really played games with me. In an age where science fiction is often either dystopian or hopeful, this book is kind of both and kind of neither. I felt like I never quite knew what the book was leading up to or why the story was moving in the direction it was. But rather than feeling frustrated, I always wanted a little more. It often felt like an “unreliable narrator” story, except that it wasn't a character that was unreliable so much as the plot itself. Every time I thought I had a grip of what was going on, it slipped into something else entirely.
Much of the history is based on real places and events. The bits about the crime read more like a non-fiction story about an interesting trial, complete with photos and examples of evidence. Likewise, the future chapters are well researched, though often painfully bleak. That said, it's bleak for a reason, and is not totally without hope.
This book really hits the mark in the “makes you think” category. The main characters seemed to affect one another's consciousness in ways that left me wondering about the story well after I finished reading it. However, I wasn't a fan of the sparse and often dry writing style, or the story's tendency to leave strange events unexplained. That's not to say it's poorly written; it represents the first-person perspectives of the characters, none of whom had a clear idea of what was going on. I don't always mind restrictive perspectives or sparse writing, but perhaps because I didn't care too much for the characters - I found them generally uninteresting - it was hard for me to embrace their perspectives. I always considered myself a “concept-driven” reader, but these days I need a character with some depth to them as well to really enjoy a book.
This continues to be the most unpredictable story of all time, I feel like I'm getting intellectual whiplash! I'm totally in to finish this and see where it goes, but I'm a little surprised that there are just more upon more secret abilities of titans. I feel like that's the one big weakness of this storyline, but I don't mind, because it tells the story well.
This gorgeous retelling of a classic Arthurian tale perfectly balances the 21st century with the 6th century. The writing style seemed to instantly transport me to that world, and engulf my senses.
Starting as an unusually tall and strong girl raised in the woods by her mother, Peretur - classically known as Percival - easily passes as a handsome man and fawns over young women, earning a reputation as both a warrior and a heart-breaker. Lanza (Lancelot) is a disabled foreigner who fights like a centaur when mounted. None of this inclusive revising of the story felt forced though. It seems only natural that LGBTQ+ people existed then as they do now, and more than likely that in a time before medicine, disabled people would be very visible. And why is Peretur unusually big and strong? Oh, you'll find out.
Griffith keeps a feeling of authenticity to the story by using Early Medieval names, and integrating Celtic mythology from that time. The mix of religions and cultures in this story was particularly refreshing to me. Christianity, only just introduced to England, was only established in some communities, and Pagan gods mix into the tale in fascinating ways. Griffith melds the treasures of the Tuath De with many of the mythical objects in the Arthur legends so seemlessly that it feels like the story should have always been told this way.
These changes brought the story to life such that, in spite of the magic and myth, it felt like reading history, only better.
The story takes place in Victorian Era Oxford, but its relevance to today's world is undeniable. Mirroring the industrial revolution, Babel plays out an alternate version of British colonialism wherein silver - not coal - drives the world order.
Oxford scholars have used silver to harness the power of language and translation to perform fantastic feats. As a result, linguists are some of the most valuable and powerful people in the world, and the more languages they can harness, the more power their silver bars can create. To gain more linguistic knowledge, Oxford is doing something unthinkable: letting people from other cultures into their school!
The way this book deals with racial and cultural tension is indescribable. The injustices the Babel students faced were very nuanced, but at the same time very obvious. The privileged classmates and professors ask what they have to complain about since they have things so easy - better than most Englishmen, let alone people of their own race - so how dare they complain about colonialism. But they see exactly what it's doing to people just like them. They see how easily wealth and power could be distributed, and how petty the reasons for withholding resources and aid are.
These characters and situations are so perfectly orchestrated that it allows the reader to clearly see all the perspectives enmeshed in the messiness of colonialism. With the way the characters of colour interact with the others, unintentional racism is also portrayed in a visceral way. Even the most well-intentioned characters would do things that would make me cringe, because though I may not have felt it through my own lens, experiencing the interactions through their lens made the awkward moments so potent, I could practically taste the unintended insults.
Some of these concepts might sound intimidating and heavy, but they are approached with a masterful tact, sticking to the story and the perspectives of the times, and focusing on the characters. The main story is then peppered with historical details and anecdotes in fun, and occasionally vicious footnotes. When footnotes are done right in a novel, they can be such a spectacular delight, and this author nailed it.
While the story builds gradually, the groundwork it does to make the four main characters so familiar pays off in powerful ways. When the tension rose, Robin and his friends tore at my emotions in ways I couldn't begin to predict. This book is an unstoppable force, and I am telling any person who will listen that it is THE must-read book. Stop reading this review, and get your hands on this book!
This book really makes you see... or should I say sense... the world differently. I feel like I have an entirely new sense of awe regarding the world around me, and also has made me full of weird facts about animals (the best kinds of facts).
I highly recommend it. My only conceit is that it is VERY full of information, and I found if I read too much, my brain wouldn't be able to take it in. So I read it in chunks of one to two chapters at a time, and took breaks in between. I also never read for more than maybe half an hour at a time.
Many say that anyone who likes Dune must read Dune Messiah, because it completes the story. I respectfully disagree. I enjoyed this book quite a lot, but after finishing it, I think I would have been completely satisfied leaving the original Dune story as it was.
The writing has a magic quality in that Herbert creates very complex and strange types of characters. Some are living computers, some have prescient senses, some have the consciousness of other people, there's body manipulation, gene manipulation and all manner of other weirdness, but it all makes intuitive sense somehow. This is evident in Dune, and he doubles down on that in Messiah.
But I did find some of that combersome on the plot. The Ghola Hayt is a perfect example of that: a type of robot mind programmed to think like a Mentat and given knowledge of a Philosopher, but the genes of Duncan Idaho and secret coding to override his brain. The character was a walking personality disorder, and though I liked his development, it felt like a bit much.
To me the plot itself was quite thin. When all was said and done, I felt that not much happened. Of course, I'd argue that similar can be said about the second half of Dune. The focus is more on the exploration of characters' minds and the world and people they interact with. And I thoroughly enjoyed that. I think I'm just too jaded on Great Man narratives to fall in love with Dune the way so many do. Maybe if I were younger.
One thing I did feel was much more evident in Messiah was the allusions to the birth of Islam and the role of Mohammed in Middle Eastern history. I'm sure many academic essays have been written on the topic, but that was very fun to think about while progressing through the story. Probably that was my favourite part of this book: meditating on what it means to form and run a government founded on a newly created religion; the leader both Prophet and Head of State. I think that stuff was brilliantly told.
In the end, I'd say Dune is a ground breaking coming of age story, emulated and retold countless times, while Messiah basically gears up the world for a large epic series. There are new characters, new systems of mental and technological wizardry, and an ending that feels less like a conclusion, and more like a preface for a much bigger story. If you liked Dune for what it was, you can stop there, but if you want to go all-in with Moadib and find out what comes of this universe, dive right in and enjoy!
This was a wonderful love letter to a precious career. As an amateur astronomer, I loved the descriptions of the crazy-large telescopes, and the evolution of how astronomers used them, and how the technology changed their relationship to the cosmos. Her final chapter which mentions that pretty much every person she interviewed pursued this career after looking through a backyard telescope invigorated me to continue to inspire young people by sharing my hobby.
Her book also has made me a more educated reader of astronomy news, now that I have a fuller understanding of the tools and the people behind them. Since reading this book, all the new discoveries about black holes and gravity waves are just that much cooler.
I hold back on a higher rating only because the writing style seemed a little bland to me, and I think if I was less personally invested in the information, I would have gotten bored of the long list of anecdotes and telescopes. When it came to the author's reflections and insights, it felt a little restrained.
In short, this book gave me exactly what I wanted... and nothing more. Maybe that makes a 3-star rating a little harsh, but like how I felt about Chris Hadfield's memoir, I think a personal perspective on an unusual career needs to be a bit more personal. I loved what I learned, but I guess I just expect to be challenged a little more when I read non-fiction.
A Perfect Far Future SF Tale
After feeling that Becky Chambers' Space Adventure books felt a little too soft and shallow, this story filled the void I didn't know existed.
The philosophical concepts both personal and political were fantastically fleshed out: free will, identity, what a perfect society would be, how much government control is too much. All these concepts were pushed to the edge, but in a way that never felt preachy.
At the same time, the story was excellent and gripping. I never felt like I knew what would happen next, and the stakes kept growing in unpredictable ways. It really blew me away.
I'm a big SF fan and this is possibly my new favourite book. I've already bought the sequel, and may just have to become an Elizabeth Bear completest.
Despite the dystopic future setting, this story is very down-to-earth. In many ways, it's a classic “coming of age” story, about having to grow up too fast and make big important decisions where every option feels like the wrong answer. It's particularly relatable for anyone faced with having to leave behind the world they knew to pursue their future.
Reid's perspective is that of a bright young person who is suddenly excited and overwhelmed with the immensity of the world, and unsure what her place in it will be. Her story and much of the imagery seemed to relate closely to modern tensions about being from a colonized or oppressed group, and being offered a chance to learn or work in one of the colonizer's own institutions. There are feelings of resentment - betrayal even - but also opportunity.
I felt like the ways in which she wrestled with her feelings to be incredibly genuine and touching. How she feels towards her mother and her home, and how uncomfortable she is around people supporting her, even her willingness to doubt what she knows is true; these are all feelings we deal with when making consequential decisions. Too often, protagonists will be sure-headed about doing the right thing, but Reid's emotions felt much more real.
All this is portrayed in a short book with a darkly meditative and occasionally haunting style. If I was disappointed in anything, it's that the story stops so soon. I would have enjoyed more exploration of the world, though I respect the author's choice to stop where she did. Also, some might find the near-future setting was unnerving, and the themes of climate and disease a bit too close to home. But all in all, I will definitely be seeking more from this talented writer.
Broke my heart a little to say goodbye to this series, but it was such a fantastic finish. It could easily have been two books, but it moved at a breakneck pace keeping my ears glued to the story (because audiobook) while still going deep in concept and character.
This series is a true masterwork of science fiction.
This was a fun read. It was my first foray into Brandon Sanderson, so I had no idea what I was getting into. The magic system was quite detailed and a very cool concept, but because it's a short book with such complex magic, there were points where I felt like describing how the magic worked seemed to take up too much space. That said, it was mixed into the story in a way that didn't make it feel like I was reading a text book on magic. It was a good story that ran at a good pace, and I can't deny I was thoroughly entertained.
Part puzzle, part character study, part adventure, it ticks all the boxes of a solid stand-alone novella. The story mostly centres around a young prisoner. The only thing keeping her alive is her singular ability in the use of Forgery: a very unique type of magic that can rewrite the history of an object. Because the nature of the magic is based essentially in trickery and the changing of history, the protagonist always keeps other characters - and the reader - guessing what is true, what is a lie, and what she's planning. This all builds up into a real page-turner of a climax, all while building a unique relationship between characters.
In the afterward, Sanderson said that he was inspired by Korean history, and it seemed to do justice to that style of rule without being blatant or overstepping and acting like he could write a Korean story. I felt that the emphasis on the power of the ruling clans was a dynamic that was very well played out. I worried that because of Sanderson's prolific nature, the fantasy would be generic or predictable, but on the contrary, it was a very original story.
The only thing that I found odd about his style was his aversion to violence. The climax was very high action, but everyone who got hurt or attacked was hurt or attacked in a way that conveniently reassured the reader that they would be ok, and I actually found the unnecessary detail a bit distracting. Overall though, it was a very fun and fulfilling fantasy story, and I will definitely revisit the Cosmere at some point.
The introduction speaks about the fear people have of a post-apocalyptic world, and how for indigenous people, the world has been post-apocalyptic since colonization. I never considered that perspective before, but when I thought about fictional dystopias, it suddenly seemed obvious.
These stories reveal the dystopic world indigenous people have endured. However, the stories also contain hope and optimism. They have an overriding theme that despite centuries of trying to erase indigenous culture and traditions, the people stay strong and come together to support one another. And it shows how their resolve has resulted in positive change.
I think what makes this collection so special is that some of the history was new to me, some of it was not, but learning historical events wasn't the point. It took known historical moments and characters, and changed the lens, moved the perspective, made me see the events I knew in a way I didn't properly consider before. And it changed me. It changed the way I look at this country. It changed the way I read history.
This is a fantastic achievement, put together by incredibly talented writers and artists, and I can't recommend it enough.
I really loved getting to know Tetley (the voice of the narrator), and learning to understand the way she sees her world. And it really is her world in a way. In a world made out of cleverly arranged floating garbage on an unending ocean, a small town of sorts has been built up, and she loves this world. But it does not love her back.
Despite being the town's outlet for their rage, she maintains that she is the happiest person in the world. Everyone else is so busy wanting what they can never have, and dreaming that the world will go back to what it once was. She likes her little garbage world though, and wouldn't want the world any other way. That is, until she makes a new friend, and her cheery resolve becomes challenged.
I found this a very emotionally calming book in a weird way. It could be heartbreaking at times, but Tetley's resolve to see the whole world as it is and love it kept the story from feeling sad. The writing is poetic and fun (and peppered with profanity that no longer counts as profanity). It's post-apocalyptic insofar as there clearly has been an apocalypse, but really it celebrates life and perspective and the hunt for a shared humanity. One might even say this book is inspiring. Maybe.
Way better than I expected it to be! I picked this as a short silly book to breeze through as something of a palette cleanser between serious books, but dang, I got so wrapped up in this, I just couldn't stop talking about it.
It nails the murder mystery sensation of making you suspect every single suspect and getting to the reveal having no idea whodunnit, not to mention having a great multidimensional detective with a brilliant backstory. The sci-fi element is really intriguing and while it his out in the background for most of the book, it was quite a strong story in itself. And it was really touching too. Sam Miller's blurb on the cover was really on point: by the end of the book, I was really emotionally tied to these half-animal young men in a way I definitely did not see coming. Every character in this story is very well developed. And how it does all this in such a short story is a bit of magic in itself.
Oh and the animal puns were horrible in the absolute best way. Well done, Mr. Gregory!
There were so many talented writers in this selection of short stories, and I really enjoyed all the different takes on what a post-climate change world would look like. Some were more rooted in reality than others, but almost every one of these stories was enjoyable in its own right.
What I valued most though was just the opportunity to get snippets of so many well-known and up-and-coming SFF writers. It really helped me to get an idea of whose writing appealed to me more. Kim Stanley Robinson and Charlie Jane Anders topped the list for me, but I also loved the stories by Paul McAuley, Ken Liu, Lavie Tidhar and Catherynne Valente, and am now eager to read more of their work.
I think it really says a lot when you ask an author to write about a specific theme, and see what they come up with. And to see how diverse all the stories ended up being was a total pleasure, despite the bleak subject matter. Also, a surprising amount of the stories were light-hearted (or at least had light-hearted moments). The future is not all doom and gloom, even if in retrospect, maybe not causing global warming would've been nice.
I think Valente put it best at the end of her story, which was also the end of the book: “We can't go back, not ever, not even for a minute. We are so lucky. Life is so good. We're going on and being alive and being shitty sometimes and lovely sometimes just the same as we always have, and only a Fuckwit couldn't see that.” - Well said!
When the internet was just starting to become a thing, no one knew quite what it would do to society. Stephenson took a guess, added some William Gibson and some humour and swords, and created a really fun story. (He was WAY off though.)
It did feel a little dated of course, not just because it takes place approximately now, but is nothing at all like our present day, but also the relationships were a little iffy and the gang and racial factions were a bit hard to swallow. I recognize that this is extrapolated from LA in the 90s, which was consumed by gangs and racial factions at the time, so I wouldn't say that it is problematic, but I think Stephenson would agree that if he applied this concept of a neural linguistic virus in the near future now, it would come out very different.
That said, Stephenson's trademark ability to combine humour, excitement and fascinating details over larger-than-life, mind-bending philosophical concepts is very evident here, and I certainly enjoyed the ride.
I listened to the audiobook, which I wouldn't recommend too highly. Stephenson books are tricky on audio because he adds a lot of details and multiple perspectives, including the perspective of a cyborg super-dog in this case, so while I usually listen to books a little sped up, I couldn't in this case. Also, the intermission between chapters is odd and feels a little racist, though it turns out it's just an approximation of what Sumerian would sound like, but all this meant I wasn't too thrilled with the audio. Also, the narrator did a bad job with the lead character's voice in my opinion.
But overall, it was a fun and exciting read for sure!
Oh, and I just want to add, Neo from the Matrix is a total rip off of Hiro.
This book gets filed under “books that changed how I see the world.” And I honestly think that the more people who read this, the better our odds of having a future worth fighting for.
It's not an easy read. It gets into the weeds about topics from sociology and glaciology to economics and monetary theory. In fact, at times it felt more like non-fiction than fiction. And the style this book is written in takes a little getting used to, but the effect it had was pretty undeniable for me.
To sum up the book in a sentence: Regarding climate change and global inequities, things are obviously going to get worse, but then they CAN get better - must get better - and it is possible using tools that already exist combined with a sufficient amount of collective will power and gulp bureaucracy!
And I believe it. The future of Earth doesn't have to be a drowning burning dystopia with capitalist rulers pitting poor people against each other in death games. My hypothetical grandkids MIGHT just live in a better world than I do. We just have to buckle down and make things like government and scientific advice mean something again.
Also, I want to visit Switzerland now...
Just a stunning story. The pacing, the protagonist, the depth of the world, the complexity of the conflict, and the end! Wow.
This series is going to be really something. It's got some pretty shockingly gory moments, so it's not for the squeamish, but if you want something with the depth of Name of the Wind, but with better pacing, a more complex character, it's golden.
The first 2/3rds of the book felt like such a betrayal of the first book's amazingness that I was getting legitimately upset. I thought “how could such a great story by such a captivating writer go this wrong?!” It was confusing and weird and not even that interesting.
But SOMEHOW it was all worth it in the end, and once finished, I considered it a total triumph, except possibly that it leaned pretty hard towards being too much of a mind-f√¢£.
Still, I feel like making me slog through 14 hours (I'm guessing ~350 pages) of subtle torment is a little too unforgivable to allow a 5-star rating.
Delightful, and definitely something I will read to my daughters one day. The ending was a little too conventional and slap-dashed together for me, but it works in a classic fairy tale kind of way. It's fun and quirky and entertaining, but I'm just not great at honing in my inner child enough to appreciate it in the same way I might have when I was twelve.
VERY different from the movie though, so don't think you know the story because you've seen the movie.
Man, this story moves fast compared to the books. I feel like I'm nearly caught up to where I left off (the end of Season 2), and it's really nice to be able to go back and see how everything unfolded. This series was fun to watch for the action, but to follow the story, I think the books are best in this case.
A Hypnotic Dive into a Beautiful World
This might just be the perfect book to choose as a COVID companion. At its core, this is a story about a man who sees his world for what it is, and loves it dearly. His world is not ours though. It's an endless maze of halls packed with unique and intricately detailed statues. And he is one of two known living humans in this world. Because he knows nothing else, he does not find this odd.
Fashioning himself a scientist, he studies the world relentlessly and finds beauty in all of it.
Contrasting this is the Other. He tries only to utilize the world. He believes there is ancient power to be harnessed in these halls, and tries tirelessly to manipulate the world to its will. Because he has such a singular and selfish goal, he fails to see the beauty and perceives the halls as only a prison.
The first half of the book is beautiful and meditative, familiarizing the reader with this strange world. Meanwhile, the writing leaves a bunch of curious tidbits and clues that there is much more to the world than what's being revealed. Then slowly but surely it picks up momentum, as more puzzle pieces fall into place, until the tension silently builds up into a gripping climax.
Seemingly out of nowhere, this pleasant little book becomes a total page turner, and by the time I was done, I knew it would be a long time before I read a book this fantastically woven together. I call this a perfect COVID companion because first and foremost, it always elevated my mood and enveloped my mind completely. But also, it brings a unique perspective to concepts such as solitude, and the separation between oneself and the world. Long story short, this book did much more than simply entertain me, and I highly recommend it.