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| B07DT33BQS
| 3.36
| 14
| Jun 26, 2018
| Jun 26, 2018
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This is our next short story! A little bit more about it, from the author: An African American girl “wins” an alien in the 1970s who comes to live wit This is our next short story! A little bit more about it, from the author: An African American girl “wins” an alien in the 1970s who comes to live with her family. What could possibly go wrong? I like to think of the tagline for this story as E.T. meets Fatal Attraction. I didn’t intentionally set out to write an anti-E.T. story. I was probably the same age as the main character, Lindsay when I saw E.T., around twelve or thirteen. Like many, I enjoyed the movie despite its saccharine feel. And, like the speculative fiction media that shaped my early life (e.g. Lost in Space, Bewitched, The Bionic Woman, Star Wars, etc.), themes of race and gender as well diversity in casting were habitually absent. So while speculative media served as a fantastic conduit to imagine different realities, it didn’t give me the conceptual tools or language to understand the inequities that I experienced as a young black girl that were a feature of my everyday life. On some level, I noted that absence. At the same time I was absorbing fantasy and sci-fi end when I was young; I was also deeply into horror. My mother was a serious horror fan and I think my younger sister can quote most of Steven King’s work. Typical of my generation, I watched and read material that was definitely age inappropriate. I credit my early horror interests in giving me an alternate way of looking at the world, one that is grittier and less idealistic. I’ve gravitated more toward horror tropes in my writing as they provide a powerful way to dig into the complexities and contradictions of race and gender. The kernel of this story was inspired many moons ago by the biting, incisive comedy of Paul Mooney. He did a famous bit on racism, sci-fi movies and how some white people would rather embrace an alien living as a neighbor, next door to them, rather than an African American family. His routine challenged me to reflect on the absolute irrational nature of racism and explore that irrationality through storytelling. The structure of Nussia allows me to play with the external challenges that the Fields family faces as they host Nussia, and the way each family member responds to that pressure. I am generally interested in themes of paranoia, obsession, conspiracy theories and the intricacies of race and gender. You’ll find many of those themes in Nussia. It’s also an intimate story in that much of the drama and conflict happens behind closed doors. Voice and character usually come first for me when writing. Once I had the frame of the story, Lindsay’s voice came to me pretty easily. I had a lot of fun remembering what it was like being a thirteen year-old girl and even though I didn’t grow up where Lindsay did, I did grow up during that time in the Bronx. I loved that I got a chance to do some sci-fi world-building in developing the Fike and the challenges Nussia faces as being a representative for her people at such a critical time in her life. The story also combines several interests that recur in my writing: rites of female adolescence, mother and daughter relationships, and female friendships. Imagining and wrestling with this story helped me, and hopefully my readers, to see some uncommon angles by which we can all deal with the perceived alien differences in ourselves and others. ...more |
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| 1616961791
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| 3.85
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it was amazing
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Original review Last year I went to Fantasy Con in England where Kate Elliott was a Guest of Honour. Actually, scrap that, I attended Fantasy Con becau Original review Last year I went to Fantasy Con in England where Kate Elliott was a Guest of Honour. Actually, scrap that, I attended Fantasy Con because Kate Elliott was a GoH. Over the course of that weekend, I attended several of her panels as well as an incredible In Conversation With Kari Sperring event. In those, the author talked the many themes explored in her fiction; how much thought goes into creating the worlds in her novels especially how every single decision affects worldbuilding in a domino effect – everything has consequences, everything is choice. One of the most important themes in those panels and presentations was the depiction of women in her fiction, the importance of featuring a variety of portrayals, settings and arcs as a means to represent the varied, rich lives of women. I don’t write fiction but as a reader, editor and budding publisher, I was able to take away a lot of useful, thought-provoking information from simply being there. Now, many months later, I could see how all of those were put in practice in her fiction when reading The Very Best of Kate Elliott. The collection is the first from an author who has published over 20 novels in the course of a successful career that spans almost 30 years and it assembles twelve short stories and four essays. All stories read well as standalone although a few of them are connected to her novels. From horror to comedy and from science fiction to fantasy, from young protagonists to more mature ones, from girls in positions of power to women whose power and choice have been stripped from their hands, the stories presented here cover multiple genres and narrative voices. The most delightful light story is the comedic “To Be A Man”, set in the Spiritwalker world in which a secondary character of that trilogy has a sexual encounter with a couple of ladies. The most harrowing, heart-wrenching one that basically destroyed my soul (then put it back together) is “The Gates of Joriun”, where a woman is serving a horrible, unfair sentence, trapped in a cage hung from outside the gates of a city that hates her and doesn’t even know how long has it been – this is a story where it’s possible to think about agency even if the character stands from a constricting point of view. It makes me think of all those times one criticises the lack of agency of female characters in stories only to then be confronted with the excuses of this is how the world is – well, in “The Gates of Joriun” this is how the world is and yet, look at the character, and the many ways the story remains about her and her choices. It is possible to have the entire world against a character and still make it all about them – the internal lives of women can still be rich and varied even if external forces restrict them. But I digress. “Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine”, an older woman goes on a quest to save her town and uses nothing but her wits whenever difficult situations arise during her journey. In “The Queen’s Garden”, sisters faced with their father’s patriarchal tendencies in a matriarchal society take the matter in their own hands to a deliciously twisted conclusion. “Riding the Shore of the River of Death”, a Crown of Stars story, opens the collection with a bang: a young protagonist from a society with strict gender roles learns of a possible, different, other future and goes after it. There is even one story – “My Voice is in My Sword“ – that is all about the dynamics within a theatre group as they prepare to enact Macbeth to empathic aliens. It’s fantastic, because that fraught dynamics becomes the focus of the narrative in an unexpected way. And then we have the essays. There are four, previously published online (one of them was included in Speculative Fiction 2013) and they ponder the themes present in the story: from problematic male gaze to questioning the status quo, the essays are a treat and the perfect way to end the collection. The framing of The Very Best of Kate Elliott is clear: feminist stories featuring a diverse group of female characters presented in a variety of roles and journeys. The most obvious extrapolation here for me given my personal interests is how topical and important this collection is as it fits into an ongoing conversation about places for women – as writers, readers and characters – in SFF. The fact that I absolutely loved every single story and every single essay is just the cherry on top of Mount Awesome. There is a little bit of everything here and something for everybody. This is a great collection, a fun collection, an important collection, a highly recommended collection. The Very Best of Kate Elliott is the very best that genre fiction can offer. ...more |
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Feb 06, 2015
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| 1936896060
| 9781936896066
| 1936896060
| 3.67
| 211
| Oct 10, 2014
| Oct 13, 2014
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it was amazing
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Most excellent, into the Hugo ballot it goes.
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Jan 22, 2015
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| 4.08
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| May 01, 2006
| Nov 11, 2014
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it was amazing
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Ana’s Take: During China’s Cultural Revolution, young astrophysicist Ye Wenjie watches her father be executed in the name of progress in front of her v Ana’s Take: During China’s Cultural Revolution, young astrophysicist Ye Wenjie watches her father be executed in the name of progress in front of her very eyes. This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind. A few years after that she is co-opted to participate on a top secret governmental project that ostensibly studies satellites. The truth is something else (and out there). Decades later, scientists start killing themselves. In the near future, nanoscientist Wang Miao is asked – by a multinational military-police task force – to infiltrate a seemingly innocuous scientists club. He starts playing a virtual reality game named Three Body and becomes increasingly obsessed with it. The game follows the rise and fall of a civilization – let’s call it Trisolaris – over and over again as its players try to solve an abstract problem that has befuddled scientists for centuries: how to predict how three objects will orbit each other in a repeating pattern? The potential solution to that problem is essential to save the Trisolarians and to win the game. And then the countdown starts. Written by Cixin Liu and translated into English by Ken Liu, The Three-Body Problem is – and you have to forgive me the cliché – a tour-de-force. The story goes back and forth in time, following two main characters and bridging all the aforementioned disparate plotlines into a cohesive whole that blew my mind away. Because The Three-Body Problem is exciting as it is thought-provoking. As a science nerd as well as a puzzle enthusiast, I gobbled this book up like it was a box of Lindt chocolates. It is not immediately obvious what exactly is at stake here, the revelations happening with every twist and turn, as the story progresses and as the connection between the different elements become clear – or every time Wang entered Three Body and played a round. The evolution of this story is phenomenal, especially how it connects history, hard science and sociology in a readable, engaging way. Then we have the basic premise of the novel which is based on two principles: one, that first contact between civilizations doesn’t need to happen in actuality for things to change; and two, that an encounter with an alien race will not end well because why would it? Those two are the foundation on which the author has written this tome. With the cat out of the bag – yes, this is a novel about aliens, or rather, about first contact – the question becomes what Will Happen Next, as humans find themselves in separate sides of this pending war: some welcoming our new overlords, others wanting to fight to the very end. Even those factions are not as evenly split as that, within each of those there are One of the most impacting things about The Three-Body Problem is how the utterly personal, how one small independent action by one person can impact the lives of so many. Ye Wenjie’s decisions are completely and absolutely understandable as they are completely and absolutely unforgivable. And every single one of her actions can be traced back to that opening moment in the novel. If Ye Wenjie is a fantastic character, the same cannot (unfortunately) be said about the remaining characters. Wang Miao for example never becomes more than “eyes” – through him we see everything that is happening but he is never fleshed out enough to become an entity on his own. It is possible to argue though that the main character of the novel is not one single person. Rather, the main character is Earth – or, humanity as a collective. That’s who or what we are to root for (or against, depending on where you stand when it comes to appreciating how much our planet is worth). That’s another fabulous side of The Three-Body Problem as it’s almost a choose-your-own-adventure: you can choose sides and play this game any way you want. With all that said, the book does have a few structural problems. There is a lot of info-dump but I was happy to give those a pass given their fascinating content. The exposition though, was quite clumsy. At one point a major character says, literally in the middle of a stand-off, “let me tell you what happened in the past” and proceeds to tell another character What Happened Then. Finally, there is the question of the added translator’s notes at end of each chapter rather than as footnotes or at the end of the novel. This might sound incredibly nit-picking but the placement of those notes at the end of each chapter was intrusive as it broke the flow of the story as one has to stop and read them – with such a placement it became a matter of having to read them rather than choosing to read them because it felt like one would inevitably miss a piece of VIP information if not reading them there and then. But those are minor criticisms because The Three-Body Problem is easily one of the best books I read this year. I enthusiastically recommend it. The sequel cannot come soon enough. Thea’s Take: I confess that, initially, I was not particularly excited about The Three-Body Problem. The book’s synopsis (and frankly, package) isn’t very grabbing, and although there were many glowing author blurbs attached to the title, the story sounded incredibly broad and hard to get excited about or truly fathom. But then trusted folks – mainly, dear Ana – told me to give it a try, that I would love it, etc. I’m glad I listened. Let me put it this way: The Three-Body Problem is the best science fiction novel I’ve read in 2014. It might be the best novel I’ve read in 2014, period. The story is thus: During the frenzied height of the Cultural Revolution, a university student watches as her professor father is murdered by the zealous Red Guard. Booted from her own physics research, Ye Wenjie is sent to a remote countryside observation station where she eventually begins her work anew, under the careful watch of the government. Many years later, in the near future, prominent physicists are killing themselves – all are tied to an organization called Frontiers of Science. A scientist named Wang Miao is asked to join the club in order to get to the root of the deaths, when he stumbles across a virtual game called Three Body… and weird shit starts to go down. I don’t want to spoil the particulars of The Three-Body Problem, because there are many different revelations that coalesce and crescendo throughout the text – these are best discovered and realized on one’s own. (In fact, I kind of hate that the book description reveals that the strange world of Three Body is actually a representation of alien world Trisolaris, and the extremes it faces with its tri-solar environment. But that’s just me.) What you need to know is this: The Three-Body Problem is a book that is, like its namesake virtual game, rich with nuance and detail. It’s a story about first contact between humanity and an intelligent, doomed alien species in the strangest possible way; but more than that, it’s a human story about the flawed people who make decisions that ripple outward and change the course of time and history. This is a science fiction novel, but it’s also a story about the changing narrative of history, really – at one point in the book a story is told about an adult who explains to a child that the pictured people are not heroes or villains; they are history. On a much larger, metatextual level, this analogy holds true for Ye Wenjie, Yang Dong, Wang Miao, Captain Shi Qiang, and the whole assorted cast of the novel. This is a visionary look at history and the narratives that people impose and write over space and time. The Three-Body Problem is told told from a Chinese perspective, set during and after the Cultural Revolution. As Ana says, Ye Wenjie is forever changed – her heart frozen over – after watching her father’s death at the hands of the Red Guard. This is an integral part of her growth and decisions as a character. Beyond Ye Wenjie, however, The Three-Body Problem shows the profound impact that the Cultural Revolution had on scientific accomplishment and progress, on social, economic and interpersonal relationships from the smallest particle, to the grandest extrasolar levels. Again, the roots of this story lie in history – specifically Chinese history, but also on a grander scale of interaction and reaction of beings (and unstable bodies) that circle and coincide with each other. The Three-Body Problem is a hard science fiction novel, rife with exposition. This has the potential to be very good, or very bad. You do not need to be a physicist to read or enjoy this book, but if you do not like science, math, puzzles, or lengthy discussion about such things, you might not be as fond of this book as Ana or I. As for me? I loved the lessons in transmission of energy and broadcasting signals, the chaos and possible stability of three suns, the potential applications of nanotechnology and interstellar possibilities. Oh, I should also say The Three-Body Problem is a weird book – from the first time you enter Three Body, read the chants of de-hy-drate and meet the various philosophers, scientists, and emperors who make their own cameos, you’ll see just how weird the book can be. But it’s a beautiful, enchanting, dreamlike weird. And I mean that in the best way – it’s been a while since I’ve been fully blown away by true originality in SFF (that sounds so jaded, but it’s true). The Three-Body Problem is wonderfully, memorably different. And I loved that. The Three-Body Problem has some issues with clunkiness. I’m not sure if that is translation or syntax, or if it’s just a poor editorial choice to include footnotes throughout the text in the manner of an academic paper. I like that there are notes from excellent translator Ken Liu throughout the book; I am less enamored with the fact that these are represented as footnotes that interrupt the flow of reading. I agree that had these comments come in the form of end-of-chapter notes (see Losers in Space by John Barnes, for instance), the reading experience of The Three-Body Problem would have been improved. That said…the book is so damn awesome, I really cannot find other fault. For me, it’s a Top 10 book of the year – and I absolutely, wholeheartedly, enthusiastically recommend it to all. ...more |
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Nov 19, 2014
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Dec 12, 2014
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Nov 19, 2014
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| 0316246654
| 9780316246651
| 0316246654
| 4.08
| 58,407
| Oct 07, 2014
| Oct 07, 2014
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it was amazing
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Warning: spoilers for Ancillary Justice. If you haven’t read the first book yet (OMG WHY NOT), avert your eyes right now. Ana’s Take: It’s probably not Warning: spoilers for Ancillary Justice. If you haven’t read the first book yet (OMG WHY NOT), avert your eyes right now. Ana’s Take: It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that all SFF eyes are on this book right now. Given the immense success of Ancillary Justice – it won all the major awards and yes, this includes a rare Book Smugglers Double Ten Review – I bet everybody is thinking: will the sequel be as good as the first novel? Well, the answer is a resounding HELL YES. From a plotting perspective, Ancillary Sword is at first glance, a rather straightforward affair. The story picks up where we left off at the end of Ancillary Justice with The Lord of the Radch still at war with herself and Breq as a newly-minted ship captain on her way to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn’s sister lives. At the station, Breq gets involved with the station’s day-to-day management and with the petty – and not so petty – relationships between its different sections. At the end of the day though, Breq is there to make amends – to atone for what she did to her beloved Lieutenant Awn. The first thing to note about Ancillary Sword is how it has a largely linear narrative and a very limited point of view. One of the most important aspects of Ancillary Justice was its alternating narrative between the now and the then, with the latter offering a taste of what it was like for Breq to have its consciousness split between multiple viewpoints. This is all but gone in Ancillary Sword and all we are left with is the Breq from now – the Breq that needs to come to terms with the fact that she is now a one-bodied ancillary (an ongoing journey started 20 years prior to the events in Ancillary Justice). She is occasionally able to experience multiple-bodied viewpoints that the ship Mercy of Kalr shares with her (and Ann Leckie continues to handle that head-hoping with aplomb) but those moments are brief and almost too elusive and end up amplifying Breq’s sense of separateness. This is perhaps the most striking thing about Ancillary Sword: how it manages to be a deeply personal, emotional book without losing track of any of the larger issues that continue to be explored here. Breq is an AI, not human – and it’s interesting that the sense of her being not-entirely human really hit me more strongly here in this second book, ironically, just as Breq becomes more and more human. Although one could – and should – make the argument that the AIs and the ancillaries and the ships in this series are not completely separate, emotionless beings. The moments that resonate the most are in fact, the ones when these supposedly unemotional beings show they have a remarkable sense of compassion, justice and feeling than the supposedly civilised Radchaai should have and in fact, are said to be the only ones to have. This is one of the strongest ongoing themes in these books: the examination of what it means to be a Citizen, what it means to be civilised, with a confrontation of internalised assumptions and prejudices from both a personal and social point of view. That all of this happens whilst Breq not only investigates threats from aliens as well as from internal forces within the empire but also confronts aspects of the Radchaai that include the hidden truths of exploitation and slavery of different peoples? It’s basically genius. GENIUS, I say, because the narrative might be linear, might be reduced to mostly Breq’s one point of view but it still captures SO MUCH, in a complex way that is, at the end of the day, also incredibly fun. I could list a few criticisms: perhaps there is some unnecessary, repetitious considerations from Breq. Perhaps, the question of slavery was more heavy-handed than necessary (or perhaps not, some things should be faced HEAD-ON after all). THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH BROODING SEIVARDEN. But to me, those are minor flaws in an otherwise perfect book. Once more with feeling: ALL THE AWARDS. And also a top 10 spot for me. Thea’s Take: Please allow me a brief moment to be incredibly unprofessional and fangirly because holy effing crap. Ancillary Sword, you are amazing. I have to add my voice to Ana’s, singing the praises of both Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword and marveling awestruck and stupefied by Ann Leckie’s writing prowess. Holy effing crap. Can I take a step back and examine the text in context? As Ana says, Ancillary Justice won ALL the awards last year – taking home the Nebula Award, BSFA Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award, Locus Award, and the Hugo Award. This is success on a near unprecedented scale, especially for a debut full-length novel. Suffice it to say, there is a lot of expectation when it comes to follow-up novel Ancillary Sword. How could anything top the glorious mind-bending, challenging, award-winning marvel that is Ancillary Justice? Perhaps Ancillary Sword doesn’t quite live up to the same rush, the same unexpected in-your-face challenge that Ancillary Justice posed – but it’s still an amazing, thrilling, provocative novel that forces readers to question their own humanity. And I loved it. OH, how I loved it. In Ancillary Sword, Breq – the Artificial Intelligence that was once grand starship Justice of Toren, brought low to a single body, hungry for vengeance – has been given its own command and her own mission by none other than Anaander Mianaai, Lord of the Radch. On her new ship, the Mercy of Kalr, Breq makes quick use of power as Captain as it sets course for a distant star system in an “uncivilized” part of the galaxy. There are conflicts aplenty in Ancillary Sword as Breq deals with administering its power on its new ship (without becoming too enmeshed in the consciousness of said ship), the inter-personal tensions of the Radch and the Lord of the Radch’s own splintering consciousness, the tensions and conditions of colonized people on a distant planet (a parallel to the enslavement and former forced ancillary procurement of conquered peoples), and the appearance of a new external threat that can challenge Radchaii hegemony. Needless to say, there’s a LOT going on in Ancillary Sword. And yet, for all of these plot threads, this second book is one that is extraordinarily intimate. As Ana says, a large part of this is because we are now with Breq as it is now, without the alternating narrative into the past. We, readers, are entreated to Breq’s current thoughts and feelings, its emotions and burning sense of justice and understanding of anger as it deals with tensions both personal and interstellar. It’s also kind of funny, because though Ancillary Sword is a much more intimate book, it’s also one that illuminates just how different Breq is – not quite human, but a far cry from the conscienceless killer robots, or the anthropomorphized human-like androids of science fiction’s past. Breq is… Breq. The development of this particular character and its struggles – I particularly want to call attention to Breq’s reluctance to entwine fully with its new ship, and Breq’s treatment of Lord of the Radch ancillary Tisarwat – are the driving factors that make Ancillary Sword so successful and resonant. At least they are in my mind. On the plotting and overall trilogy arc-moving front, Ancillary Sword is, admittedly, a bit weaker than its predecessor. There are plot threads aplenty in this second book, but there’s also a bit of heavy-handedness (particularly when it comes to the effects of colonialism in space), and a sense of in-between-ness as there are so many stories to be resolved in the next book. These quibbles are but footnotes, though, to a truly spectacular sophomore novel. I loved Ancillary Sword, truly, madly, deeply. It is absolutely a top 10 pick for me this year, deserving of all the awards, and all of the praise. Do yourself a favor and read it immediately, Citizen. Rating: Ana: 10 – Perfect and a top 10 book of 2014 Thea: 10 – Perfection ...more |
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Oct 06, 2014
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| 1607014017
| 9781607014010
| 1607014017
| 3.59
| 1,688
| Jul 22, 2013
| Dec 04, 2013
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really liked it
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This is what you need to know about Ascension, in a nutshell: a main character who is a queer woman of colour, grappling with a debilitating chronic i
This is what you need to know about Ascension, in a nutshell: a main character who is a queer woman of colour, grappling with a debilitating chronic illness in a context of poverty, who has a difficult relationship with her sister and starts to fall in love with another awesome female character who is polyamorous. IN SPACE. If the above is not the definition of “shut up and take my money”, I don’t know what is. Alana Quick is a sky surgeon in a crumbling shipyard who is forever worried about making ends meet. Hardly any vessels need to be fixed these days and Alana hasn’t been able to get a secure job on any ships so far. It doesn’t help that she has a painful chronic illness that is kept in check with expensive pills and whose cure looms in the horizon if only she could afford it. Then a cargo vessel drops by looking to hire the services of her sister Nova (who is a spiritual guide) and Alana doesn’t think twice before stowing away. Maybe she can use the knowledge of Nova’s whereabouts as leverage to join the crew (this strange, strange crew that includes a fading girl, a wolf-man and a hot [HOT] captain) maybe she can join them on their quest to find a cure for their ailing pilot (and help herself as well). But things are not that easy or as romantic as Alana expects them to be. There is real danger out there: the people who want Nova’s help don’t necessarily have her best interest at heart. When the unthinkable happens, all of a sudden they are all on the run for their lives. There is a lot that is pretty awesome about Ascension including the way that Alana falls in love with ships, the hot (HOT) romance Alana and skyship captain Tev and the way that relationships and people are portrayed as fluid and ever evolving in a myriad of positive ways. But I was particularly impressed by its treatment of chronic illness and the fraught relationship between Alana and her sister Nova. With regards to the former, it is in the way that Alana pushes herself mostly because she needs to not only because she loves her job so much and nothing can stop her from performing it but also because she is poor and doesn’t have a choice but to work to pay for her meds. The contextual background of poverty is one that informs a lot of her decision-making and in a way this book could have been set right here, right now. I especially liked how these two strands are so intricately linked in the way that their difficult relationship taps into the way both have learnt to relate to their bodies. Alana’s disease and the very real presence of pain makes her cling to her body whereas her sister wants to let it go. But for Nova, of course, it goes beyond that. It would be also so easy to reduce Nova’s decisions simply to a reaction to Alana’s illness but the story actually avoids this by making it a point to explore the topic of able body privilege. In this context this is a difficult topic because of how close both women are and the fact that Alana has limits doesn’t (shouldn’t) preclude Nova from having a choice to do what she wants with her own body regardless of how Alana feels about it. It is a strained, difficult relationship as a result and I loved this arc. But there is not all there is to it. Alana’s narrative is one that is forged from her own experiences and prejudices and one that often exudes a certain level of naivety – part of her arc is that she still has a bit of growing up to do by learning to relate to other people. So in way, it is completely understandable that she’d behave the way she did, irresponsibly leaving her aunt behind on her own to join the crew of the Tangled Axon because of the dream as well as the possibility of a cure. That said, it is not all rainbows and ponies. There is a certain lull in the narrative half-way through the novel and a certain tendency of the text to rely way too much on people not communicating with each other. At times it seemed that the plot only moved forward because of secrets that were kept for no good reason other than to prolong the dramatic tension. But in the end, this was a pretty good novel. I can’t wait to read more adventures with the Tangled Axon crew. ...more |
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Aug 23, 2013
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| 1408316285
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| 1408316285
| 3.91
| 2,395
| Mar 01, 2013
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Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers **WARNING: This review contains slight, but unavoidable, spoilers for Ultraviolet. You do not have to have re Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers **WARNING: This review contains slight, but unavoidable, spoilers for Ultraviolet. You do not have to have read Ultraviolet to read Quicksilver, but if you want to be unspoiled for the first book, you should probably start there.** Review: Three months ago, perfect, popular seventeen year-old Tori Beaugrand disappeared into thin air. And then, just as inexplicably, Tori returns home, bloodied and beaten, but alive and whole. Tori's disappearance is a mystery to the police and her friends, and she claims that she cannot remember anything of her abduction, or the weeks she was gone. More than anything, Tori wants everyone to forget, and to move on with her life as though nothing has happened. Of course, the truth isn't so simple. Tori's disappearance is one that spans time and space, her secret one that no one - save for friend Alison and scientist Sebastian Faraday - can ever know. You see, Tori isn't like anyone else on Earth. And now she's being hunted by scientists who want to study her unique DNA, by a rogue cop that can't give up without knowing Tori's story, and by one of her own kind who will stop at nothing to continue his grand experiment. Tori and her parents uproot themselves, changing their names and their appearances, in the hopes that they can stay safe. Now, Tori is Nikki - a brunette with a pixie cut and dark gray-blue eyes, who is homeschooled and works a part-time job at the local supermarket, trying to keep under the radar. All that goes to hell when Sebastian Faraday shows up in Tori/Nikki's life again, enlisting her help to build a device that could end their trouble once and for all. But to be successful, it will take every ounce of Nikki's unique skills - but more importantly, it means she will have to place her trust in others. The companion book to 2011's Ultraviolet, Quicksilver is a fantastic science fiction novel from R.J. Anderson. Featuring yet another awesome heroine and a surprisingly high-stakes, unflinching plot, Quicksilver, to put it plainly, rocks. In other words: I loved this book. As I've noted before, you don't necessarily have had to read Ultraviolet to dive into this book, but I strongly suggest you read that novel first in order to have a fuller understanding of the events and key players in Quicksilver. While Ultraviolet was synesthesiac Alison's book, about her false confession of murder and her institutionalization, Quicksilver tells the story of the girl who Alison supposedly killed - the perfect, beautiful girl who has it all, Tori. Except, Tori doesn't really have it all; in fact, her life is a carefully constructed façade. Adopted as a small child by her loving parents, Tori has always been a bit different - she's got unparalleled skill when it comes to assembling, visualizing and modifying technology, and a knack for memorizing numbers and easily solving complex mathematical problems. But more than her mechanical skills, Tori guards a much deeper secret - she's from a place far, far away, sent to Earth as a baby as a kind of twisted experiment. Yep, that's right. Just like Ultraviolet before it, Quicksilver is a psychological thriller but it's also firmly a science fiction novel, complete with transporter devices, wormholes, and, yes, that eponymous element of quicksilver. And I'm happy to say that both the science fictional elements and technology elements are executed beautifully. Similarly, from a plotting perspective, Quicksilver rocks. Equal parts fugitive thriller and scifi blockbuster, you could say that this novel is kind of a page-turner. That's not to say that depth is sacrificed for action - quite the contrary. There are betrayals and hidden motives and resonant emotional connections. And the stakes are HIGH, people! The book kicks into high gear and the last quarter of Quicksilver is crazy intense. (In particular, Tori makes a gutsy, terrifying choice in the late chapters of the book and my goodness is it dramatic.) And then there are the characters. I loved, loved, loved heroine Tori. And now, this COULD be considered a mild spoiler, but I'm divulging anyway because I think it is a vitally important part of (and draw to) the book. That is: main character Tori is an asexual protagonist. “Milo,” I said, “I’m going to tell you something I’ve only ever told one other person. And when I do, I . . . I hope you’ll understand.” Passionately hoped, in fact. Because if he said any of the things Lara had said to me when I told her, it would be hard to forgive him for it. Tori's not celibate (which is a choice); she's asexual (a type of sexual orientation).[1. If you want to read more about asexuality, check out www.asexuality.org.] It's rare to come across an asexual protagonist in fiction - especially in YA fiction! - but Anderson does a phenomenal job of carefully portraying Tori's asexuality, without making this Tori's Sole Defining Characteristic, or worse, portraying her asexuality in a superficial or offhand way. I love the careful distinction that shows Tori is a young woman who feels love, and rage, and loneliness - she's not sexually attracted to anyone, but she feels and yearns for emotional connection (I should also note that Tori is asexual but not - to my reading - aromantic). And finally, I love that Tori's asexuality is NOT misunderstood or treated as a part of her unique DNA, or as the result of some childhood trauma, or some other such humbug. I love that author R.J. Anderson directly addresses and refutes this in the book. That is awesome.[2. On that note, R.J. Anderson wrote a great post about Tori's asexuality HERE. I highly recommend reading it in its entirety!] And you know what else is awesome? Tori's new friend, Milo, is a Korean Canadian, and the book skillfully deals with questions of interracial relationships and pressures, once again without feeling false or superficial. The relationship that unfolds between Tori and Milo is complicated, to say the least, but its one of my favorite YA relationships in a very, very long time. Heck, I'll just come out and say it - Tori and Milo are one of my favorite pairs of characters...ever. With its skillful genre-busting, plotting and standout characters, Quicksilver is every bit as wonderful as Ultraviolet. Heck, I think I may even love it more than that first book. Absolutely recommended, and in the running for one of my favorite books of 2013. ...more |
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Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Nearly 800 years in the future, Earth and the rest of the universe is a very different place. Thanks to scien Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Nearly 800 years in the future, Earth and the rest of the universe is a very different place. Thanks to scientist Thaddeus Wallam-Crane, humanity is no longer limited by accelerated particle engines, or the restrictive harness of speed-of-light travel - Wallam-Crane's invention of "portals" mean that humanity can conquer the most distant stars, unrestrained by space and time. Well, that's true for 99.9% of humanity. That remaining fraction, that niggling 0.1%, is Handicapped. Landlocked. Earth-bound. While the rest of humankind has taken to distant star systems and split into different subcultures with different beliefs and taboos and mores, only the Handicapped remain on Earth. Mocked and ostracized by the rest of society, these Earthers are labeled "Apes" and mercilessly portrayed as unevolved, unintelligent, and undeserving. Jarra is one of the 0.1%. After her birth on some distant star system, Jarra's immune system immediately failed. Portaled to Earth and made a ward of the state (her parents, naturally, gave Jarra up as they had no desire to raise an ape child), Jarra's life hasn't been bad - she has close friends, a great ProMum, and a passion for knowledge. And she has a plan. At the age of 18, all humans become adults, and can choose a field of study. For Jarra, studying ancient Earth history is a no-brainer - but unlike the rest of her friends, Jarra is not content to go to an Earth university. Instead, she concocts an elaborate, brilliant scheme to attend University Asgard - a prestigious off-world college, with a first-year program excavating ruins on Earth. Masquerading as a Military child, Jarra's plan to fool her classmates - "norms" or "exos" - into thinking she's one of them. Then, when the time is right, Jarra will reveal that - HA! - she is an APE, and she plans on savoring the dumbfounded looks on those exo faces. But, as Jarra continues with her program she gradually learns that not all exos are horrible bigots - and she begins to want to WANT to stay in the Asgard program, to continue her career as a historian, and to befriend the norms in her class. The debut novel from Janet Edwards, Earth Girl is an impressive, richly detailed work of science fiction. I mean, wow. Not only is the premise of the story, especially society's bifurcation between "exos" and "apes," masterfully executed, but there's a level of amazing nuance and refinement with regard to the history of this future human race and its reach across the universe. Make no mistake - slightly kitschy US cover or no, this is an honest-to-goodness work of science fiction, with different sectors, complex social strata, laws, and principles.[1. Ok, on the cover, I like the idea, but the girl wistfully cradling the Earth with the symbolic CHAIN! is a bit much. And the Jarra in my mind from reading this book? I don't think she'd be so artfully delicate and nostalgic. Not at all.] To me, this worldbuilding respect is Earth Girl's greatest strength - we learn about the history of Earth and humanity's journey to the stars in very clever, non-info-dumpy ways. Namely, this information is relayed through Jarra's voice, through classmates in her university course, through vids and assignments - all in ways that feel organic and genuinely interesting. But more than a science fiction text, Earth Girl is also - wait for it - an archeology book. That's right. Archaeology. Similar to Indiana Jones, cowboying it up in his death-defying quest for the Ark of the Covenant, Sankara stones and the Holy Grail, Jarra is a member of an elite group of science fictional historical excavators who venture out into Earth's dangerous and crumbling infrastructure to find sealed relics of the past for research and posterity. And like Indy, Jarra's job is freaking awesome. We learn a lot about this future brand of archeology, the different techniques and teams involved in a dig, and it is all fascinating, wonderfully detailed stuff.[2. Seriously. I never thought I'd be so captivated by excavation technology, policies and procedures, but Earth Girl makes it at once believable and fun.] The other huge standout for Earth Girl is its heroine, the defiant, know-it-all, unapologetic Jarra. I loved Jarra. Her wry sense of humor, her pride and strength of conviction - heck, I even loved her ridiculously complex false backstory and web of lies. If there's one thing Jarra is, she's thorough, and I can respect that. It's Jarra's voice that narrates and propels the novel, it is her struggle of identity and her own personal crisis of belief that sits at the novel's heart. Of course, there are a few things that pointedly didn't work in Earth Girl. Most notedly, those were Jarra's exceptional skills, the plot twists (especially regarding Jarra's parentage, and particularly towards the end of the book), and the surprisingly fuzzy and unfulfilled theme of minority rights or equality. Most disappointing, to me, is the last - because it would seem that Earth Girl should be a cutting explication of a future society that heavily discriminates against a minority population. But, surprisingly, Earth Girl is much more content to tell the story of the exceptional Jarra - a heroine that time and time again, proves that she is brilliant. Not only is Jarra leagues smarter and more capable than her exo classmates, but she's also exceptionally talented compared to full-fledged adult historians. She has countless hours logged on dig sites. She can put on her cumbersome impact suit faster than the standard 2-minute military time. She is a brilliant tag leader, with a deep, unprecedented understanding and passion for history. She can nail targets with a single shot, fly a plane, and save lives. This is exacerbated by later plot twists, in which Jarra's family history is revealed, and at the end of the book when she is miraculously absolved of her deceptions (without even having to break the news to those she's been lying to for months!). I was not a big fan of the way the book concluded - too rushed, and Jarra doesn't really come to a reckoning for the lies she's told. That's kind of a big deal. There's also the uncomfortably quick turnaround from Jarra's PTSD break back to reality - this also feels rushed and inauthentic. But, while the conclusion of the novel feels too pat, the fact that there are future books in the series gives me hope. Plus, the parts of Earth Girl that are good are really good. Even with its shortcomings, this is an utterly engaging, memorable, wonderful book. Definitely recommended, and I cannot wait for more from Janet Edwards. ...more |
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Original review posted over at the Kirkus blog On a Red Station, Drifting is a science fiction novella by Aliette de Bodard, and its recent nomination Original review posted over at the Kirkus blog On a Red Station, Drifting is a science fiction novella by Aliette de Bodard, and its recent nomination for Best Novella in the 2012 Nebula Awards put it on my radar. I'm glad, since this proved to be a remarkable read. At first glance, one can see familiar science fiction trappings in its setting and basic premise: At some point in the future, Prosper Space Station is at a crossroads point of its long existence. Its resources are depleted as one of the consequences of an ongoing war, its greatest minds called away to join the fight for the Dai Viet Empire. Worst of all, its artificial intelligence, the Honoured Ancestress, once the mind that connected everyone and offered guidance and protection, is now faltering, ailing and wilting away to unpredictable results. This familiar setting is just a departure point from which to deeply explore aspects of this imagined future in meaningful ways that combine the private and the public. The excellence here comes from the realm this novella chooses to concern itself with, as well its narrative focus. The former relates to family, tradition and ancestry and how they affect people's lives. Everyone in Prosper Station is related and interconnected both by blood and by the AI’s always present company. To some, this is a positive aspect that offers comfort. To others, it’s a prison that is worth questioning. Ancestry is so important as to be literal, real: To those who are worthy, there are mem-implants of their Ancestors offering guidance and counsel. The more mem-implants one has, the greater the individual. Of course, the question of what exactly makes one worthy is central to this story. In this version of the future, people are tested for their abilities; those who fail these tests are forever branded as lesser beings, unable to have mem-implants of their Ancestors, often saddled in marriages against their will to greater partners and discriminated against what is perceived as lack of achievement. Interestingly, gender plays no role in this: Lesser and greater partners can be either male or female and a great number of lesser people left behind on Prosper Station are actually male (their greater wives off to war). These social, cultural, historical strands are examined closer—privately, personally—in the lives of two women, the two main characters that share the narrative focus: Station Mistress Quyen and her distant cousin, a visiting Magistrate named Linh. Linh is an educated official, used to exert power, who shares her mind with several mem-implants of her Ancestors. Her arrival at Prosper Station is what sets things in motion—the reasons for her coming there are a matter of life and death. Quyen effectively runs the Station but, as a lesser individual, she is burdened by her own sense of inferiority which shapes her interactions with most people. Quyen is the only one who truly understands what the Honoured Ancestress’ ailment really means to Prosper. These two characters are believable, incredibly strong female characters whose strengths lie in how their characterisation allows them to be complex, flawed individuals. Their interactions are fraught with tension and miscommunication stemming from their different sense of self-worth. And each woman’s arc eventually leads her to make choices, those choices a balance of questioning and acceptance. This is an extremely political story in every sense of the word: on a macro scale of fighting for one’s beliefs in impossible situations and within the microcosm of the domestic, the individual—this dichotomy not really a dichotomy at all, as the micro and macro often intertwine in an inextricable tangle. This is a beautifully realized story and the characters, plot, theme and writing are expertly crafted. My one regret is that I did not read it before we sent out our Hugo Award Nominations. …And then, one day in the not so distant future, once On a Red Station, Drifting inevitably becomes the SciFi classic it’s meant to be, we can all look back and remember this horrendous cover with fondness. Maybe. ...more |
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| 2.89
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| Feb 21, 2013
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really liked it
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Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers On a small tropical island in the middle of the ocean, Veronika lives with three other girls and two caretake Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers On a small tropical island in the middle of the ocean, Veronika lives with three other girls and two caretakers. The four girls are the exact same size and weight and age, distinguished by their different hair - Isobel with her lemon yellow hair, Caroline with her coconut brown hair, Eleanor with her black hair the color of wet tar, and Veronika with her rust red locks. Every day, Veronika and the other girls go on walks to observe and report back their findings to Irene and Robbert - two adults who look after the girls after their parents died in a plane crash - asking questions about what they've seen and learned. Every day follows the same pattern: wake up, go to class and ask questions, prepare dinner, sing, and sleep. One day during her assigned walk, Veronika discovers something different - a girl lying in the sand that looks nothing like Veronica and the others. This mysterious girl has dark freckled skin and tangled long hair. As she wakes up, Veronika learns that this girl is the victim of a shipwreck and her name is May - and May is like Irene and Robbert with her soft skin and flesh and blood. May is different in other ways, too - she acts without thinking and considering, and she lashes out at Veronika and the others in fear and anger at times. May's arrival means more for Veronika, the other girls, and their caretakers - others have discovered their island home and are coming for them all. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading The Different Girl - the description makes the book sound like a familiar dystopian YA setup. Jaded as I am, I half expected this book to be about a group of (beautiful and innocent, of course) cloned girls, brainwashed and jolted into awareness of their prison by the arrival of an outsider (with a tepid insta-love romance thrown in there at some point). Thankfully, this is decidedly NOT the case. Narrated in the stunning and perceptive first person point of view of Veronika, The Different Girl is, well...different. In a very, very good way. This is a true science fiction novel, about what it means to be alive - to be a "girl" - and the world in which these particular girls live. It's a challenging and refreshingly subtle read, filtered through Veronika's own focused and distinct observations. And because of this, it's the kind of book in which information is revealed very slowly, only gradually revealing the full picture. I'm trying my very best not to spoil, because this is the kind of read that depends on the reader making these observations and discoveries throughout - suffice it to say that when you start this book, it's best NOT to know too much about Veronika and her sisters. From a stylistic and character perspective, I love Gordon Dahlquist's decision to tell this particular story from Veronika's point of view. The obvious narrative choice would be the newcomer May's viewpoint, and through her perspective we'd probably learn so much more (e.g. exactly WHAT Veronika and the girls are, the state of this post-apocalyptic world, etc) in point-blank fashion. In contrast, Veronika has only ever known the island and the routine she and the other girls undergo each day, the questions and tests she runs through each day, and the incomplete information about the past that she has been given by Irene and Robbert. May's arrival sparks something new and different within Veronika, and we see her thoughts and actions subtly change as she accommodates the new information brought in May's wake. I love the camaraderie that exists between Veronika and the other girls, the layered relationship between Veronika and her caretakers (Irene with her warmth, and in contrast Robbert with his frustrations and his demanding questions), and most of, the tension between Veronika and May. While Veronika's narrative is stilted and focused on strange minutia, it's also wonderfully written and believable - I loved every second of Veronika's thoughts, we we readers glean little nuggets of information about her and her world as she learns. I love the tone of the writing, too, with its strange and stilted voice and Veronika's inherent unreliablility - she's not unreliable because she's lying to herself or to others, but because she is a very different kind of girl, and focuses only the information that she needs for the task or question at hand. I should also note that while we do get answers to some of the questions posed by the text and gradually see more of the larger picture, there are plenty of questions that are left unanswered - in my opinion, this is a good thing and I like the intentional vagueness and open-ended nature of The Different Girl (that said, your mileage may vary). In short, I loved this book. The more I think about it, the more I love it. I love that this is a quieter novel about thoughts and characters, without much of a driving forward plot but plenty of food for thought. In many ways, The Different Girl reminds me of Genesis by Bernard Beckett (one of my favorite SF dystopian novels, ever) - both are shorter novels, but packed with ideas and challenging questions and complex relationships. The Different Girl is both a frustrating and rewarding read, and one that is refreshingly unique compared to the sea of bland softball sci-fi dystopia novels on the YA market today. Absolutely recommended - and in the running for one of my notable reads of 2013. ...more |
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| 3.80
| 6,599
| May 14, 2009
| May 14, 2009
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really liked it
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Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Since the age of eleven, all Aerin has known is pain and brutality. After their ship crashes on the x-factor Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Since the age of eleven, all Aerin has known is pain and brutality. After their ship crashes on the x-factor planet of Vizhan, Aerin's father - the only family and other person she knows in the entire universe - dies, and Aerin is sold into slavery. Six years have passed since that terrible day, and Aerin has learned to fight, to fend for herself, and, most importantly, how to break free. Making a desperate last gambit for her freedom, Aerin is able to salvage her father's crashed spaceship and escape Vizhan. But escape is only the beginning - and Academy 7 is not about Aerin's daring escape. It is the story of what happens after she is intercepted by an Alliance ship, and she tests into the most prestigious school in the civilized universe. Like Aerin, Dane Madousin is brilliant and resourceful; unlike Aerin, Dane has grown up with privilege and power (albeit with a controlling, hateful, and abusive family). The son of a powerful Alliance General and Council Member, the roguish Dane has also made the tough academic cut to get into Academy 7 - and it is here Dane and Aerin will meet, where the unlikely pair will become friends, and where they will learn that their pasts intersect in unexpected and tangled ways. Academy 7 is the first book I've had the pleasure of reading from Anne Osterlund, and holy freaking crap, Han Solo, I loved it. The first thing that needs to be said - and I know every review has pointed this out, but it NEEDS to be emphasized - Academy 7 is a science fiction book. I know, the cover makes it look like a YA boarding school paranormal romance, possibly set in the past (not that there's anything wrong with historical or PNR!), and I get that the publisher wanted to capitalize on Osterlund's brand and made this book look very much like Aurelia and Exile . However, this packaging is incredibly misleading, because (I repeat): this is a science fiction novel. It's not a half-hearted science fiction novel, it's not a fantasy novel with loose SF elements, it is an honest to goodness science fiction novel. With spaceships. And different planets. And souped up technology (ok, mostly science fantasy technology, but don't let that put you off). Now that we've got genre classification out of the way, on to the good stuff - the story proper, and the wonderful dual protagonists. I love the actual writing style and plot of Academy 7 - yes, this is a book set in a boarding school (think more Hogwarts than Vampire Academy), but it is an incredibly competitive and selective academy that has nothing to do with one's birthright or money and everything to do with one's scholastic aptitude. And, as luck would have it, the two top students in the school are our main characters, Aerin and Dane, who vie for the top marks in all of their classes. I love that the two are not thrown into insta-love/super-magnetic-attraction mode when they first lay eyes on each other, and they become gradual confidants and friends - with romance only coming much, much later as a slow-simmering build up. Even better than that, Aerin and Dane are separate people, that exist and breathe and come to life outside of a relationship with each other - I love the fire of Aerin's convictions and her opinions about intergalactic politics and her need to make the most of the chance she's fought so hard for, just as I love Dane's warring desires to do well and defy his family, tempered with timidity of actually breaking away from his family once and for all. We sympathize with Aerin as she grapples with the trauma of her past, the lessons she has taken to heart to survive and finally live as a free woman; we ache with Dane as we learn the truth of his family, and the cruelty of his father and brother. And we are so, so happy when Aerin and Dane find and confide in each other, two lonely souls that are able to find some peace together. And then there's the actual story and world, too. The plot is surprisingly insular, more about two students trying to find their place in the world than about big action or explosions or conflict (which suits me just fine). The underlying mystery and driving force of the book is Aerin and Dane's relationship, and the secrets that lie in their pasts (and their uniquely intertwined family heritages). From a worldbuilding perspective, there is plenty going on to satiate the keen SFF fan. The universe of the Alliance is one fraught with internal tensions and political complications. The Alliance relies on an idyllic Manifesto that is great in spirit but often conveniently ignored when it comes to tricky situations or economic motivations - turning a blind eye to x-planets like Vizhan and its validation of slavery. There's a cutthroat Trade Union that is amassing power and opposing the Alliance at every turn, and much at stake for the future of intergalactic peace and travel. In the middle of all this turmoil, Aerin, Dane and their fellow cohorts at Academy 7 are being challenged and educated to grapple with these incredible challenges, which is really, really cool. In terms of shortcomings, I only have a few, very small nitpicks when it comes to Academy 7. Aerin's father's story and the reason for his exile from the Alliance feels a little underdeveloped, and the answers all come very conveniently (via magical hologram/simulator technology, no less). The writing leans a little towards the overwrought end of the spectrum. Finally, so much of the action happens off screen, related in class lessons or simulations - and that's all fine and good, I do wish that there was more going on in realtime with Aerin and Dane. All things said, I truly loved this book. Academy 7 is a great choice for readers who might be a little tentative to dip their toes into the science fiction genre - but it's also a great book for longstanding fans of SF, too. All in all, I loved this book and absolutely recommend it as a notable read of 2013. (So...I'm guessing Aurelia is worth the time and money? I'm excited to read more of Anne Osterlund's work - if you've read her books, please let me know!) ...more |
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| 0987056492
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| 4.00
| 3,946
| Mar 01, 2011
| Mar 20, 2011
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really liked it
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Original review posted on The Book Smugglers "I walked into adventure and adventure has given me blisters." On the last day of high school, Cassandra Original review posted on The Book Smugglers "I walked into adventure and adventure has given me blisters." On the last day of high school, Cassandra Devlin walks away from her exams and just like that, stumbles into another world. She is only sure of two things: this is not Earth and that she must do everything to survive. She eventually finds an abandoned city where she plans to settle down for the time being. Then one day she wakes up to find herself staring at two people who definitely look human but who don’t speak any recognisable language. They whisk her away to a world technologically advanced, where nanotechnology abounds and computers are inserted inside people’s heads. Now with an inbuilt dictionary that allows her to at least understand those around her, Cass comes to know that she has crossed one of the many gates between worlds and is branded one of the many “strays” lost between worlds. As she spends more time with the Setari – the equivalent to an army that defend this world from attacks – and learns more about not only their special gifts but her own surprising effect on them, she understands that finding a way home might be within her grasp. If only she can make sure that 1) they will let her go and 2) going home doesn’t mean putting Earth in danger. Stray , the first book in the Touchstone trilogy, is a Science Fiction story of a displaced teenager. Written in epistolary format, it chronicles Cassandra’s adventures as she writer in the notebook she had been carrying in her backpack when she crosses over. Writing is I believe, what keeps her going, giving her footing, allowing her to express her thoughts and feelings in her own language- this is fundamental to the story and to her mental health once she discovers that having a computer implanted in her brain means that anybody can assess her at any time. The first few entries essentially tell a survivalist story: following Cass as she get to grips with where she is, attempting to understand what could have happened to her and trying to find food, water and shelter. It’s a really clever narrative too, effectively depicting both the sense of wonder and fear that Cass feels as well as her impressive surviving skills which stem from very clever decisions based on common sense. The latter entries chronicle her days with the Setari, the attempts to understand one another including the necessity to learn their language and the intense physical training she undergoes. It’s awesome that her internal dictionary doesn’t automatically mean that she can speak the language which means she spends most of the story going back to basic schooling – frustrating as it is since back home, she had just graduated. All of this punctuated by the fact that Cassandra is in reality a lab rat for these people – despite the fact that she does indeed creates several bonds among them (and when she does, so does the reader). The question is: are any of those, real bonds at all or born out necessity from both sides? Because one of the more interesting aspects of Stray is the question of narrative reliability: Cassandra’s loneliness, her sense of displacement leap from the pages and even when she does not say these things outright those are very real in the manner that she connects with characters. She sees one of the main female characters almost like a mother figure, for example, which is speaks to how much she misses her family. But her usefulness to the Setari is very real as well and the fact that there is such a high level of control over people’s lives does put forth the question of how much of the decisions she makes are real decisions at all? Those are incredibly engaging, thought-provoking aspects of the story and even the inevitable lull in the narrative when things settle down in the middle of the story offers some interesting observations about Cass and the new life she is living. Finally, I believe that the success of Stray depends entirely on how much a reader will connect (or not) with Cass’ voice and character because so much of the story depends on that. I loved Cass: her no frills attitude, her self-reliance at the same time that she acknowledges the importance of help from others and her extremely observant – and often funny – viewpoint. This is yet another incredibly strong story from Andrea K. Höst, and I can’t wait to pick up the next entries in the trilogy. ...more |
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Jan 21, 2013
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Jan 21, 2013
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Kindle Edition
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| 4.17
| 20,848
| Dec 1995
| Oct 01, 1996
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really liked it
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Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Miles Naismith Vorkosigan has come a long way since his miserable attempt to qualify for the Barrayaran Milit Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Miles Naismith Vorkosigan has come a long way since his miserable attempt to qualify for the Barrayaran Military Service Academy - since then he's created a commanding (if solely based on smoke and mirrors) mercenary fleet, saved the Barrayaran Emperor, and thwarted a full-out war. Officially serving out a position as Imperial Security Courier, the brilliant (if physically less-appealing) Miles and his cousin the handsome (if decidedly less-brilliant) Ivan Vorpatril are sent on a diplomatic envoy to Cetaganda to attend the state funeral of the late Celestial Empress. Trouble starts immediately, however, when Miles and Ivan's ship is boarded by a Ba (the genetically engineered, genderless servants of the Haut class of Cetagandan women), who leaves behind a strange object. When that same intruder, known as the Ba Lura, is found dead shortly later - an apparent "suicide" - the plot thickens. Apparently, Ba Lura was the most senior and trusted of the late Empress's servitors, and the object left behind on Miles' ship is a unique key; a Cetagandan artifact of paramount importance. Someone is trying to frame Barrayar for stealing the key, and it is up to the brilliant Miles to figure out which Cetagandan lord is playing at war and thwart his efforts before Barrayar is drawn into the mix. (OK, there's also the added motivation of Miles trying to look impressive in front of a beautiful Haut lady, too.) Miles Vorkosigan remains one of my favorite characters in all of science fiction (heck, probably in all of fiction) - and Cetaganda only solidifies this elevated position. Miles may seem like he has the world going for him - he's the only son of a wealthy and admired military father and mother - but in-utero was the victim of a poison gas attack, which resulted in physical disabilities for Miles (namely, his stunted height at under 5' tall and his extremely brittle bones), even more glaring because of the importance that Barrayar places on physical prowess. In the first books of the series, Miles is frequently referred to by his fellow Barrayans as a mutant because of his appearance which deeply affects the way Miles perceives of himself (even if this is subconscious) and his urge to prove everyone wrong with his superior intellect. In Cetaganda, the internal desire that Miles has to please and to become a proper hero has never been more glaring. In this world, where beauty is a genetically-engineered given, where the Haut females are so breathtakingly gorgeous and elevated that they mask themselves from any lower lifeforms behind their protective bubbles, Miles is utterly out of place. And for the first time in the series, it becomes clear that Miles' decisions are eminently self-serving - he needs to prove himself a hero, to impress the beautiful Haut Rian on the one hand, but also to show that he can do it all alone. This added depth to Miles' character is remarkable, and in my opinion makes Cetaganda all the more memorable. I should also make sure to say - this somewhat uglier side of Miles' personality does not come at the expense of the entertainment value of the book. Because people. Miles is hilarious. As per usual, there were many parts of Cetaganda that caused me to laugh out loud because of Miles' (or should I say, Lois McMaster Bujold's) superior wit. Ivan Vorpatril also is inching his way up in my heart as a favorite character because he is so single-minded (but charming in the extreme, of course) in his pursuit of a good time. His particular conflict in Cetaganda - the victim of a practical joke instigated by Cetagandan ghem lord Yorobev - is hilarious, as he earns a reputation as a tireless, lady-pleasing giver in bed. And I have yet to say anything of the story itself! I loved the world of Cetaganda with its varied, stringent rules and rigid social hierarchy of Ba, Ghem and Haut. The power struggle within the Cetagandan empire, with the Haut women atop the social structure (if completely behind the scenes) is fascinating, and the preoccupation with genetic perfection - no matter how far it takes them from human - is also beautifully conceived. What paled in comparison, however, was the mystery of the Ba Lura's murder and the identity of the Cetagandan rabblerouser. While the progression of the mystery is well done and well written per Bujold's normal high standard, the storyline wasn't as captivating as The Warrior's Apprentice or The Vor Game. Of course, your mileage may vary - as a lighter standalone adventure, Cetaganda certainly feels like the kind of book I would read over and over again. Suffice it to say, I loved Cetaganda. Good thing I have Ethan of Athos lined up on my ereader next... (although it appears this next book is Miles-less?! Fellow Vorkosigan fans, any insight you can give me?!) ...more |
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not set
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not set
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Jan 20, 2013
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0345534050
| 9780345534057
| 0345534050
| 3.61
| 5,434
| Feb 12, 2013
| Feb 12, 2013
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really liked it
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Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers REVIEW Ana's Take: I loved Karen Lord’s debut Redemption in Indigo and had been highly anticipating Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers REVIEW Ana's Take: I loved Karen Lord’s debut Redemption in Indigo and had been highly anticipating The Best of All Possible Worlds. The two books could not be more different but I was not disappointed in the least. In fact, I haven’t loved a book this much in a while. Definitions are hard but one could definitely pinpoint The Best of All Possible Worlds as an Anthropological Science Fiction Romance. It’s set at some point in the future and Cygnus Beta is a planet where different variants of human species have ended up, all somewhat related to the old Terran humans. As such, it is believed that some surviving genetic elements from the Sadiri – a highly developed lineage of proud, reserved and telepathic beings – still linger. Which is why Cygnus Beta sees the arrival of a small group of Sadiri settlers in search of a new home after their homeland – and most of their people - is wiped out in an unprovoked attack. It’s about survival: the Sadiri settlers hope to preserve their way of life by replicating their genetic make-up by finding Sadiri-related wives amongst the population of Cygnus Beta. Led by a Sadiri councillor named Dllenahkh, the young male Sadiri stomp around Cygnus Beta at first, desperate to start new families, guided by the basic instinct to procreate and continue their species. Until the obvious truth becomes clear as day: that they are going about it the wrong way, that Cygnus Beta’s inhabitants have their own cultural/social practices. An initiative is started in which a group of government officials as well as and a number of the Sadiri are to travel Cygnus Beta’s settlements and get to know its people. It’s a travelogue, most of it narrated in first person by a minor government biotechnician named Grace Delarua, whose account of the (roughly) two year period since the Sadiri arrived in Cygnus Beta is incredibly engaging, astute and funny. Delarua is an awesome character: smart, outspoken, resilient, compassionate, passionate. Her narrative voice is possibly one of the best things about The Best of All Possible Worlds and I loved her outlook: "Remember your ancestors, dream of your descendants, and work hard while you're living." It’s not strictly a plot-driven or character-driven novel: it is rather, a collection of linked episodes, some of them relating to Delarua, some of them relating to the Sadiri. There is a huge scope here not only in terms of what this travelling about present the characters with (diverse, different societies) but also in terms of storytelling – in fact, to have a play of words with the title, the novel presents the best of all possible stories because it features everything, its tone altering accordingly: there is adventure and romance but also tragedy and corruption. It can be an incredibly fun book at times (TIME TRAVEL! FLYING MONKS! RANDOM SURPRISE FAIRIES! [1. But not like you think]) but one that never ever stops being thoughtful. I loved how its genre bending, how it depicts a variety of female characters always in positive ways, how it examines different types of bonding; the terrible circumstances of unthinkable tragedy and the myriad of ways that it can affect people; how it addresses slavery and wrongdoings. And then there is the romance. Oh, MY. Here is where any semblance of coolness and level-headed review-writing goes out the door. Because this was so FREAKING good and I loved the slow progression of Delarua and Dllenahkh’s relationship. It included friendship, respect, admiration, bonding, understanding and navigating each other’s characteristics (one is impulsive, the other so restrained, etc) as well as sexy-times (who KNEW that mere HAND HOLDING would be so freaking hot? Also: neck biting. Wowza). And even though I’d personally have huge problems with the type of telepathic bonding the two were getting into, I loved how they discussed and analysed what it meant for them both and how it was about negotiated choice and consent. All that said, I did wonder about a couple of things. First of all, there is a choice here to focus exclusively on the male Sadiri survivors and their need to bond with a female. I would have certainly welcomed the opportunity to not only see how female survivors would have fared in this scenario but to see at least one LGBT character in that situation too – the impression I got was that in the Sadiri society the bonding between couples was primarily (if not exclusively) male-female. Please note, I am not saying that the story is heteronormative, because I don’t think it is. In fact, it is very clear that the story welcomes diversity – one of the main characters identifies as asexual and gender-neutral; Delarua’s mother is about to embark on a bi polyamorous relationship with a couple – it’s only the Sadiri culture which seems to be solely heterosexual. All things considered, I loved this book SO MUCH. It features a richly imagined diverse world where things don’t have right or easy answers, awesome characters and a great narrative. And reader, I won’t lie: the romance hit all the right spots for me. The Best of All Possible Worlds is definitely a Notable Read of 2013 and even though it’s early days, a serious contender for a top 10 spot. Thea's Take: The Best of All Possible Worlds is the first book I've read by Karen Lord, and certainly won't be the last. This is a... strange book. It is a book that really defies classification or convention, or even basic summation. It is a science fiction novel, but it's not really focused on a central conflict or forward-moving plot. In fact, it reads much more like a loosely connected string of episodes (as Ana says), or short stories, as polyglot/biotech geek and mid-level government employee Grace Delarua is partnered with Dllenahkh, a Sadiri councilor, as he embarks on an exploratory mission to find pockets of (female) inhabitants across Cygnus Beta, with genetic backgrounds that closely match/are linked to the Sadiri, so as to produce offspring that are as close as possible to Sadiri in blood and appearance. You see, the Saidiri have been the victims of genocide on an unimaginable scale - the remaining survivors (mostly men) are now searching Cygnus Beta for suitable female partners for procreation, and Delarua's empathetic (and linguistic) skills make her a perfect candidate for a years-long road trip around the planet. What ensues, of course, is a string of adventures (some more exciting than others), and the blossoming of an unlikely - but let's all be serious, we see it coming from lightyears away - romance between the passionate Delarua and the controlled Dllenahkh. I agree with almost everything Ana has already said; The Best of All Possible Worlds is an undeniably fun book, one of those books that during the reading you get a silly smile plastered on your face because it's sweet, and funny and a little bit gooey (in a good way). Although I usually like a little more plot in my science fiction, its absence in this book is actually completely fine because of the detail of the world - most importantly, the people - of Cygnus Beta. I loved the insight of these different cultures and customs, the complications of bloodlines and ancient struggles And yes, the romance is really wonderfully done, too. Both Delarua and Dllenahkh are compelling, lovable creatures (albeit slightly familiar ones). Delarua's sense of humor is reminiscent of certain urban fantasy heroines, while Dllenahkh is kind of, well, Vulcan-esque (in a good way, again). What I wanted to touch on a little more concerns the premise of the book - Ana mentions it in her part, and I agree with her: the driving force behind the book is the Sadiri's need to create a future - their population has been largely annihilated, and the survivors (mostly virile, long-lived men) must find female partners with whom they can procreate and continue their genetic line. Not only does the exclusively male-female aspect of this make me a little uncomfortable, but the genetic line part is also food for discussion. In this future science fictional world, our protagonists go to great lengths to find "suitable" females (with taSadiri origins) with which the Sadiri can pursue reproductive relationships - I quote one character: I want a wife, and children, and a family of my blood. I want sons and daughters who will look like my brothers and sisters who are gone, who will speak Sadiri and learn of Sadira and practice the mental disciplines. I want to see them married and grow old enough to see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am the last of my line, the sole survivor of my family, like so many others on the homesteadings. I am of two minds. I understand the need to preserve a culture, a people, the remnants of home. I get the struggle that Dllenahkh and his people grapple with, and I respect that. However, on the other side of that coin is Delarua and her argument, that "purity" is not the goal with which the Sadiri should be concerning themselves. It's fodder for discussion anyways, and I think worth bringing up.[2. And, on a deeply personal level (possibly inappropriate but my own opinion), as someone that is of mixed race, that looks NOTHING like one side of my family, this stings and bothers me.] All in all, The Best of All Possible Worlds is a fun book, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Recommended. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Jan 21, 2013
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not set
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Jan 11, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 0763662585
| 9780763662585
| 0763662585
| 3.94
| 68,965
| Sep 01, 2013
| Sep 10, 2013
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really liked it
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Here is the boy, drowning. He is in the ocean and he feels the waves and the cold. He feels the rock when it smashes his skull. He dies. He wakes up and Here is the boy, drowning. He is in the ocean and he feels the waves and the cold. He feels the rock when it smashes his skull. He dies. He wakes up and he is naked, tired, thirsty and – unbelievably – alive. He is also back to the house where he lived as a child before the tragedy that hit his family. Before they moved to America. He is all alone. The town is empty. Everything is covered under a layer of dust that alludes to the passage of time. Every time he falls sleep he has vivid, agonisingly real dreams that make him feel like he is being tortured. He dreams of his family and the walls built between them. He dreams of the boy he loves. He dreams of the bad times. He dreams of the good times. Sometimes the good dreams are worse than the bad dreams. He wonders if this is hell. And he wonders if there is more than this. +++ Here is the woman, writing. She is staring at her screen because she doesn’t know how she is going to write this review. Any further elaboration on what happens next is one step too close to spoiler territory. She does knows that what happens next is plot and plot is like a tiny island in an ocean of feels when it comes to More Than This. +++ More Than This is divided in four parts. The first part is the one where the main character wakes up in a (new?) world and he is all alone and doesn’t know anything, not even his own name – Seth – to start with. This is one of the most terrifying, claustrophobic, sad, bewildering and impressive bits of narrative that I have ever read. The second and third parts attempt to shed some light on what the hell is going on and it’s when things get simultaneously simpler and more complicated when Seth meets two other characters, Regine and Tomasz, in this hitherto empty world. Are they real? Is Seth making them up because his mind is fragile and needs reassurance that he is in fact, alive? Are the answers they come to find, true at all? The fourth part not only questions everything you thought you knew but wraps it all up in shiny golden Words of Emotion. I can’t stress enough how beautiful and hopeful the last two pages of this book are. A conceptual book with heart. A heart-warming, hopeful story swimming in stylish structure. It is inescapable, I am always coming back to these two main points: the narrative and the emotional core of More Than This. I think they are what make this book such a success. Is this a dystopian post-apocalyptic setting or a contemporary novel or even a third option in all of its meta-glory (metafictional, metaphorical)? It doesn’t matter – it doesn’t matter at all in the end (or at least it didn’t for me) that there are no concrete answers apart from those YOU choose to have. More Than This: choose your own adventure. (Oh gods, what am I writing, I am making a right mess out of this.) It’s also interesting the way that Seth is aware of how stories are told, and how they can be constructed. So in a way this is also about narratives and stories and how to make sense of your own story and about things you tell yourself. In the end, Seth does make his own choice, one that I thought was brilliant because it was so hopeful after so much despair. And it feels like what I am saying is that this book is all doom and gloom but it’s not. There is so much beauty in Seth’s memories – especially those romantic ones with the boy he loves. And in the end it is a hopeful book because it has a clear point of departure from Seth’s sense of isolation and his terrifying suspension on the right now to arrive at a place where different stories, different perspectives and the future have meaning and matter. The “more than this” in the title appear multiple times and in a variety of ways. It is also a revelation the way that my reactions to the book emulate perfectly those of the main character as I felt what he felt in his journey: confusion, terror, acceptance, back to confusion and finally revelation. And if the middle parts sag a little bit and if the story at times, felt overlong and protracted with a lot of “let’s talk about this later” when “later” is a luxury the characters obviously really didn’t have, these were not enough to detract from the powerful thematic core of the novel. I did have a big “Oh-No- NO moment” when it comes to Tomasz’s – a Polish mother tongue speaker – speech pattern. I am in completely agreement with what Things Mean a Lot’s Ana has to say about it: “The last point I want to make is about the one aspect of More Than This that didn’t quite work for me. I’ll start by saying that I loved Tomasz and Regine — I loved them for who they were, I loved their friendship, and I loved the fact their being allowed to exist as more than lessons for the protagonist is so crucial to the story. However, my belief in Tomasz as a character was undermined by the fact that the way he spoke didn’t quite ring true for me. I don’t mean the Polish, which I’m not qualified to talk about, but rather the kind of mistakes he made when he spoke English. I say this not only as a fellow non-native speaker who learned English at around the same age as him, but as someone with a bit of a background in linguistics. I spent a year as a research assistant working on a project about non-native speakers learning English, and although speech patterns will be different depending on what your first language is, Tomasz’ came across as very caricatured to me, and unfortunately this kept pulling me out of the story.” +++ So. Here is the woman, writing. She doesn’t know what else to say apart from: more, like this. ...more |
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Sep 06, 2013
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not set
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Jan 11, 2013
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Hardcover
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| 1451637470
| 9781451637472
| 1451637470
| 4.06
| 5,245
| Oct 04, 2011
| Oct 04, 2011
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really liked it
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Originally reviewed on Kirkus' Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Stephanie watched the intruder vanish with a sense of wonder which only grew as the creatOriginally reviewed on Kirkus' Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Stephanie watched the intruder vanish with a sense of wonder which only grew as the creature disappeared. It was small, she thought—no more than sixty or seventy centimeters long, though its tail would probably double its body length... The celery snatcher might look like a teeny-tiny hexapuma, yet that net was proof the survey crews had missed the most important single facet of Sphinx. But that was all right. In fact, that was just fine. Their omission had abruptly transformed this world from a place of exile to the most marvelous, exciting place Stephanie Harrington could possibly have been, for she’d done something tonight which had happened only eleven other times in the fifteen centuries of mankind’s diaspora to the stars. Stephanie Harrington, the many-times over great-grandmother of Honor Harrington, is 12-terran-years-old and frustrated. Her family has freshly relocated from the major planet of Meyerdahl to the relatively uninhabited planet Sphinx in the Manticore system—well, uninhabited by humans, but home to a number of species of dangerous alien wildlife. Sphinx’s relatively small human population wouldn’t be a problem if Stephanie were allowed to explore the woods surrounding her new home or if her parents weren’t so busy working all the time, but alas, she’s placed under house arrest alone. Left to her own devices, Stephanie decides to tackle a seemingly innocuous mystery—celery stalks are disappearing from greenhouses all over the planet—and takes it upon herself to catch the intrepid thieves. What she finds, however, will change everything: an intelligent, tool-wielding, feline species. More than that, this new ‘treecat’ species is eloquently telepathic and can form bonds with humans—like the one that forms between Stephanie and her celery thief, a treecat whom she names Lionheart (but is known as Climbs Quickly to his kind). Stephanie’s discovery, though marvelous, comes with dire consequences for the treecats. The hotly contested creatures are pursued by greedy politicians, unscrupulous scientists and humans who mistakenly think of the ‘cute’ treecats as pets and not a sentient species. Climbs Quickly’s clan is also wary of the two-legs that have taken over their planet and the danger they could present for the treecat population overall. It is up to Stephanie, her family, Climbs Quickly and his allies within the treecat clan to define the bond between the two species protect the future for generations to come. I have a major confession to make: I have never read an Honor Harrington book. Before A Beautiful Friendship, in fact, I’d never read a David Weber title. This is a horrid deficiency in my SFF reading, worthy of gasps of indignation and chucked rotted produce. BUT, fellow science fiction fans, let me assure you this is a deficiency that I intend to rectify immediately because Weber’s A Beautiful Friendship, the first in a new prequel series set in the Honorverse, is freakin’ fantastic. I can safely say that A Beautiful Friendship is an excellent crossover science-fiction yarn that offers something for everyone—adventure-seekers, fans of political and military science fiction, animal lovers, young readers yearning for a central pair of awesome heroes. Weber gives precocious heroine Stephanie and treecat hero Climbs Quickly strong voices that are as fantastically engaging as they are clearly distinct—Stephanie with her impetuousness and passion, Climbs Quickly with his more seasoned and wary instincts. I love that A Beautiful Friendship shows not just the human side of the ensuing tensions, but treecat politics and interactions as well. The different treecat clans, customs and mores are all fascinating; for all that Climbs Quickly and his ilk are six-legged telepaths, treecats are not that different from the two-legged humans who have taken to their home planet. As the stakes get higher over the course of this first novel—with a whole universe of books involving the descendents of Stephanie and Climbs Quickly spanning distant star systems to come—I cannot wait to see where Weber steers this pair of unlikely friends next. Even though I’m just discovering the Honorverse, I can safely say that Stephanie and Climbs Quickly are wholly deserving ancestors of Honor and Nimitz. Bring it on, Fire Season. In Book Smugglerish, a resounding 8 out of 10. ...more |
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Sep 26, 2012
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not set
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Sep 26, 2012
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Hardcover
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| 034537231X
| 9780345372314
| 034537231X
| 4.28
| 132
| Jan 01, 1991
| Aug 13, 1991
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really liked it
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Originally reviewed on Kirkus' Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog When Ana and I sat down to figure out what old-school, non-white/European science fiction Originally reviewed on Kirkus' Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog When Ana and I sat down to figure out what old-school, non-white/European science fiction novel to review next, one childhood favorite immediately jumped to mind: Reefsong by Carol Severance. I couldn’t recall much of the novel, other than that the protagonist had crazy biologically engineered tentacles for hands and the book was set on a distant planet inspired by Polynesian cultures. And, oh yeah, I remember that I really loved the book. Thanks to the power of ebooks, Reefsong has been saved from out-of-print purgatory and is the subject of today’s review. Thea’s Take: Re-reading a childhood favorite is a terrifying thing—it’s nigh impossible for it to live up to sentimental expectations. Amazingly, Reefsong not only passes the test of time, it was even better than I remembered. Reefsong tells the story of Angie Dinsman, a UN peacekeeper and skilled fire warden in the employ of the World Life Company on a future version of Earth. After Angie nearly dies in a rescue attempt on the job, she awakens to find her body irrevocably modified: The World Life Company, owning 10 years of Angie’s life on a contract, has replaced her burned hands with tentacles and given her gills. Angie has unwillingly become a “squid” and, as part of a desperate gamble by the company, she is sent to recover sensitive, top-level research hidden in the algae blooms on the distant water planet of Lesaat. Needless to say, Angie is pissed at having been experimented on against her will, but grudgingly agrees to help—if only to find a way to find a way to tear the company down from the inside. Featuring capable, intelligent heroines (Angie and her 14-year-old cohort, Pua) and a respectful take on a Polynesian-inspired culture, Reefsong excels on both the character and world-building fronts. Angie is a no-nonsense protagonist betrayed by someone close to her and finds herself victim of the company’s nefarious schemes. But instead of crumbling, she rallies. She must also confront her own prejudices and fears: her distaste for those who have gills and webbed (or now tentacled) hands and her fear of drowning. The world of Lesaat and the role of the Company in this future dystopian universe is well defined, as Reefsong grapples with issues of exploitation and ecological degradation without slipping into didacticism. While some of the writing feels slightly dated—there’s an interesting use of exclamation points, and expletives are sanitized with phrases like “fire-loving” or “spit!”—the technology, genetics and science fiction aspects do not. In fact, Reefsong is easily better than any number of current SFF dystopias (especially those of the YA-crossover variety). Basically, Reefsong rocks. Absolutely recommended to readers of all ages and eras. In Book Smugglerish, a cool 8 out of 10. Ana’s Take: Unlike Thea, I had zero familiarity with the novel and the only real expectation I had came from a preoccupation with cultural appropriation since the novel uses elements from Polynesian culture in the creation of its world. I also had fingers (and toes) crossed that this 1991 novel would not be as dated as a The KLF album. Thankfully, Reefsong turned out to be a pleasant surprise. In fact, I absolutely loved it. A futuristic dystopian world controlled by a company whose tentacles spread across the universe and whose influence is felt deeply in the lives of the citizens under its tutelage, this is a book with teeth. From its opening chapter, it is easy to see how no character is safe and that this company really means business when it comes to the control they try to assert. Breaking this control is, of course, inevitable and the fun centers around how the characters develop their plans. Plot and character development merged successfully, and as one progressed, the other followed suit. I loved the book for its plethora of well-developed, fully fleshed main and secondary characters—most especially its portrayal of female characters. I loved that Pua, one of the main protagonists, is a pragmatic, headstrong, obstinate 14-year-old girl who has a clear plan for the future of her people. I loved that there is no sign of any false dichotomy between the pursuit of science and respect for nature; both are intrinsically linked. I loved the respectful way that Pacific cultures and peoples are incorporated into this story with a strong voice and active presence. The things I listed above should be minimum requirement for any well-conceived sci-fi book. But when you read (or try to) as many dystopian sci-fi YA novels as we do, you come across false dichotomies and ridiculous, badly conceived premises that crumble under any amount of scrutiny. Books like Reefsong come as a breath of fresh air. Absolutely recommended. In Book Smugglerish, 8 out of 10. ...more |
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Aug 23, 2012
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Aug 23, 2012
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1936460327
| 9781936460328
| 1936460327
| 3.67
| 54
| Jan 01, 2012
| Aug 2012
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it was amazing
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Note: I chose NOT to include huge spoilers for the series so that anybody can read this post in which I try to tell you WHY you should read this serie
Note: I chose NOT to include huge spoilers for the series so that anybody can read this post in which I try to tell you WHY you should read this series. You’re welcome. Let me start by saying: wow. WOW. I just can’t get over how good The Spark is. I’ve finished reading it a couple of days ago and haven’t recovered from the experience yet. ***** Roughly, this is what happens in The Spark: Valen, roughly one year since events at the end of Fly Into Fire. Penny “Broken” Silverwing and Sky Ranger now have a baby son, Amos. Teenager Dee is trying to take control of her powers of fire. Along with the few surviving extrahumans they have made a life for themselves apart from everything and everyone, an oasis of presumed tranquillity and as it eventually turns out, unwise recklessness. An ally and friend betrays their location to the Confederation and shit hits the fan monumentally. And then ten years pass. !!!!!!!!!!! I know. I couldn’t believe it either. ***** I sat down to write a regular review but all of a sudden…the review became something else. Because I realise that not everybody has read the first two books in the series, because I want more people to read then, I thought: instead of writing a regular review of this third book, I ought to write about the series as a whole and why I love them and why I think ALL THE PEOPLES should be reading this. I have been reading and raving about this series since last year but with The Spark it reached a level of awesome that is off-the-charts. ***** Read this series if you like Scifi: like, proper, well-developed Scifi complete with space travel and superpowers and alien races. But also: dystopias. Proper, thought-out Dystopias with a government that seems to be on your side but it really are not. A government whose tentacles seem inescapable and there is real danger out there. One does not simply fight the Confederation. There are always consequences. Read this series if you like politics: read this for the politics of the Confederation and how it controls many places at the same time but also how it attempts to control the lives and minds of people. Read this for the unrest, for the realisation that there can be no complete stability when people are exploited and subjugated and controlled. Read this for the resistance – in all forms and shapes – and for the beginning of an awesome revolution. Read this series if you like awesome, complex characters. I just can’t even begin to describe how awesome this group of characters is and how their arcs evolve and progress beautifully. How there is angst, and sacrifices, and choices to be made and conflict. These people are put through the wringer and no one is safe. This series do not pull punches and is at times, truly heartbreaking. Read this series if you like superheroes: whose powers are often not a blessing but a curse, whose powers don’t magically solve their problems or the problems of the world. If you like people with powers and whose struggle to accept them, control them is a lifetime struggle. These people struggle to understand who they are with or without those powers. Read this if you like serious conflict: internal and external. The frame of the series is how an extrahuman who can predict the future contacts our characters from the past to let them know what they need to do to make a better future for everybody. Read this if you think this is fucked-up and unfair and how are these people NOT pawns on an already set course they cannot (can’t they?) alter. Read this if you like diversity in your stories: for there are people of many races and many sexual identities. In fact, one of the main characters is a transgender person. ***** The Spark is a patently mature work from this author. It is a rounded, polished work and and the ending, when it comes, is as bittersweet as it can be and a perfect fit to the overall feel of this series. It is an open ending, full of potential and hope – and I hope to gods that Susan Jane Bigelow goes back to this world one day and allow me to spend more time with these characters. I simply cannot recommend this series enough. The Spark is a serious contender for a top 10 spot this year. ...more |
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Aug 23, 2012
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Aug 23, 2012
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Paperback
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| 014240246X
| 9780142402467
| 014240246X
| 3.71
| 1,260
| 1998
| Nov 18, 2004
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liked it
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Thea’s Take: Joss Aaronson is a misfit and a maverick, and thanks to her famous reporter mother, Joss has been shipped off to more boarding schools tha Thea’s Take: Joss Aaronson is a misfit and a maverick, and thanks to her famous reporter mother, Joss has been shipped off to more boarding schools than she can count. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Joss is finally part of something that is passionate about. A first-year in the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies, and one of a very select few that will train to travel back in time, Joss is about to embark on an academic journey to study and observe first-hand the birth of soul music and its finest musicians and moments throughout history. The last thing that Joss – already branded a troublemaker that has caught the eye of the Center’s surly Director – needs is to be paired up with a high-profile alien teammate. But paired up with a high-profile alien Joss is, when Mavkel, the first Chorian student admitted to the Center, chooses her for his time-jumping partner. Joss doesn’t mind Mav (though its double features, retractable ears, and strange speaking and eating habits are…well, distracting), but she does mind all the extra attention that comes with him. Death threats, increased security, 24-hour surveillance – for Joss, all of this attention is a nightmare. Plus, Mav keeps insisting that Joss has some kind of mental/telepathic resonance, and when he falls ill, it is up to Joss to figure out just what lengths she will take to save her new friend. Even if it means traveling back in time. Singing the Dogstar Blues is Alison Goodman’s debut novel, rereleased this year (presumably based on the awesome success of Eon and Eona). I have heard nothing but good things about Dogstar Blues and was thrilled to see this new shiny repackaging of the book – having been a fan of Goodman’s fantasy, I could not wait to try her science fiction. And you know what? I quite enjoyed Joss and Mavkel. Singing the Dogstar Blues is an undeniably fun novel. Joss is a little prickly and predictable as a surly rich kid heroine, but her genuine hurt and feelings for her mother, for a lost maternal figure in her life, and for Mav are very nicely done. While Joss’s voice is the driving force behind the book, Mav is the TRUE standout character. I freaking love this weird, sad alien. The Chorians overall – asexual, telepathic, with sing-song way of vocalizing and healing – are an intriguing bunch. The most intriguing aspect of these aliens, and Mavkel most of all, is their deep-seeded need to be a part of a pair and to know their lineage. Every Chorian is born and forms a bond with another (not romantic, mind you), and the two are interlinked for the rest of their lives – when one dies, the other soon follows. In Mav’s case, his bondmate died and he is seen as a “freak” to his people – saved by the great doctors and healers of his planet, Mav may be alive but he is utterly, devastatingly alone. When Mav finds Joss, and feels an echo of a bond with her, he is overjoyed – but his hope is a fragile thing that is tested sorely in this book. Other than this fascinating dynamic and characterization, Singing the Dogstar Blues is just plain fun. There isn’t really much in terms of depth to the story, and I was actually quite surprised to see how little actual science or time travel is in this novel. The actual storyline, the mystery behind Joss’s past, is fairly predictable – but the writing is sure-footed and the plot zips along at a comfortable and engaging pace. All in all, I truly enjoyed The Dogstar Blues. It’s no Eon/Eona, but it’s fun and certainly worth a read, especially if you’re looking to change up your beach or poolside staples with some super soft scifi. Ana’s Take: I had never heard of Singing the Dogstar Blues but when we came across it and we saw the words “partners in time crime” we jumped on it so fast you wouldn’t believe. We were both extremely keen to read it as soon as possible so here we are. Overall, I will agree with Thea’s feelings about the book. The premise is fab: a time travel student and a musician herself, Joss is hoping to major in Music History and as such, she wants to travel back in time to see the birth of Blues. That premise is super fun in itself (and very similar to Connie Willis’ time travel books which also feature historians going back in time to observe important events in history). But Singing the Dogstar Blues is not only about time travel but also about a school where time travel is taught. Imagine my disappointment when it became clear that this premise was secondary at best and time travelling shenanigans happened only toward the end of the book. In all honesty, I believe this disappointment informed most of my reading of the book. Those feelings aside, Singing the Dogstar Blues is an undeniably fun read and one of those extremely rare examples of pure SciFi YA too. One that features a futuristic world with first encounters with aliens, time travel and no romantic subplot in sight. Although a little bit sketchy on the Hard Science side of SciFi (the whole thing with DNA and genetics begged for me to suspend disbelief) , I did love what the author did with the characters, with the interaction between Humans and Chorians as the latter were really and truly aliens. In that sense, the time travel might be the bait but what really hooks are the main themes of identity and friendship that permeate the story. I loved the differences between Joss and Mav as well as how they eventually came to be connected. Although I suspect that had I been on Joss’ shoes I would have gone off running in the other direction when asked to join my mind with an alien, I enjoyed reading about her conflicted thoughts about it and the eventual denouement worked for me because it took both characters’ needs into consideration. There is also a great, equally fun extra short story in this new edition of the book that continues their story after the events at the end of Singing the Dogstar Blues. Even though I can’t really say it is anything extraordinary, there are many things that commend Singing the Dogstar Blues: the characters (especially Mav), the fun times I had with it, the thematic core of the novel. Sometimes that is more than enough. ...more |
Notes are private!
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0
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Jun 13, 2012
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0670061565
| 9780670061563
| 0670061565
| 3.34
| 435
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it was amazing
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Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Let me preface this review with a warning: I loved this book. Intensely. Fangirlish gushing ahead. It is the Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers Let me preface this review with a warning: I loved this book. Intensely. Fangirlish gushing ahead. It is the year 2129, and Earth has changed. It is a peaceful place, without war or strife, and everyone lives a comfortable lifestyle of leisure thanks to a largely robotic workforce. While robots handle the bulk of humanity's needs, there are some very key professions that still require a human touch; namely the arts/entertainment, athletics, certain elements of science (especially manned space exploration), or teaching. As such, society has been rejiggered into three main classes: eenies, mineys, and meanies. The eenies sit atop the social pyramid - these are the celebrities, the uber-talented, and the super-geniuses. In order to become an eenie, one must pass a few incredibly difficult tests - they must excel in their studies and pass their culminating PotEval tests with flying colors; or they must be talented beyond compare in any entertainment field (sports, acting, singing, etc). Those that don't measure up become eenies are mineys, who comprise the majority of society as the plugged in middle class that is happy to consumer entertainment on a massive scale, and whose living is subsidized by the government (don't feel bad for the mineys - their yearly income is the equivalent of $2M in 2010). Those adults that do not fall into those two major classes of society (eenies or mineys) are meanies - convicted sociopaths, thieves, killers, and other assorted dangerous criminals. Susan and her friends are the teenage children of eenies - and due to the strict laws that govern this new Earth, even the children of the elite have to work for their inheritance. This motley crew call themselves moes, aka losers. They aren't talented enough or automatically famous enough to become eenies, and the deadline for them to make the jump to eenie status is rapidly approaching (i.e. if they don't achieve a high enough recognition score, maintained for a full month by the established age deadline, they are screwed and destined to be mineys). Instead of becoming eenie by way of exceptional talent, Susan decides to go along with her almost-boyfriend Derlock's get-famous-quick scheme - to stowe away aboard the Mars-bound ship Virgo, thereby breaking the law but instantly becoming so famous that she and her friends will be immune from any nasty consequences. Though the plan is dangerous and technically illegal, Susan and the rest of her moe friends know it will work. And everything goes basically according to plan...until Virgo is rocked by an unforeseen explosion, killing the crew and knocking the ship off course and out of orbit. With finite resources and slim chance of rescue in the cold vacuum of space, Susan and her friends struggle to survive aboard their crippled ship, and with each other. Dudes. DUDES. I freaking adored this book. Let me put it out there first by saying that I am an unabashed dork for exposition done well, and I love me some good hard science fiction. Losers In Space is predicated on the current laws of physics - in the words of author John Barnes as he explains his brand of SF, in our universe when Superman leaps over a building in a single bound, he must drill a hole into the sidewalk when he lands. In Losers In Space, the Virgo cannot be "rescued" by interplanetary rescue boats because there is no way for them to know where the ship is, and it would take months - even years - for a rescue ship to come from Earth or Mars to intercept Virgo in her off-kilter new orbit. (I hope I'm getting this right. I might love reading this stuff, but a scientist I most assuredly am not.) Guys, I freaking LOVE it when there are rule systems in place for speculative fiction - not that I don't love the Roddenberry brand of scifi, but it is infinitely cooler to read about space travel in the context of the actual laws of physics and plausible technologies. THIS is where Losers in Space excels. John Barnes not only creates a world that is plausible in terms of societal structure (albeit with cheesy nomenclature - eenie, meenie, miney, moe, anyone?) and space exploration, but also makes sure to explain the principles behind the technology and the rationale behind our intrepid heroes' plight. Don't let this talk of science and explanation turn you off, though. For those that are not interested in the principles of space travel, you'll be happy to learn that all of this explanation and exposition is not included in the story proper. Rather, Barnes allows the narrative to proceed with minimal science lecturing - those details and explanations are parsed out into separate sections ("Notes for the Interested") that are interspersed throughout the story. If you're interested in the blatantly infodump-y science lecture, you read the note. If not, you can move on and enjoy the overall story without being subjugated to a physics lesson. (I liked reading the notes, even if I had a hard time comprehending all of the principles. Your mileage may vary!) It's a very clever, elegant solution that should appeal to readers of all ranges of scientific expertise, and I really admire that. But enough of my babbling on incoherently about the virtues of footnotes and hard SF! What about the story and the characters? In these respects, Losers in Space also totally rocks. I love the concept of the world and the rationale behind these "losers" taking to a drastic scheme to get famous quickly by doing something very stupid - hey, these are celeb-brats trying to get on the "meeds" (think...TMZ/YouTube of the future) as quickly as possible, with the least amount of effort. I love the concept of this utopian - but really, ultimately dystopian in a sort of Eloi-ish way - world, where conflict has been eradicated at a fantastically high cost. Once the drama in space finally hits and Susan and her friends are struggling to stay alive and figure out their best chance for survival and rescue, I loved the tension that unfolds between the new crew members. This is where character comes in too, because while each of our protagonists starts out the book as decidedly UNlikable, they grow and change so dramatically when they are forced to take their lives into their own hands. Susan, our narrator heroine, in particular has an astonishing character arc, metamorphosing from apathetic hot brat chick to capable, brave, and keenly intelligent leader. Honestly, there's very little NOT to love with Losers In Space. There's a dramatic, action-packed plot, involving some truly great characters with their own flaws and strengths. There's the satirical quality of the book, explicating our own society's fascination with fame and infamy (and, though I don't agree with it, some not-so-subtle commentary regarding Intellectual Property and the current judicial system). Of course, there's the glorious plausible well-researched and impeccably explained science. Wrap that all together, and you get one hell of a book. I loved Losers In Space truly, deeply and passionately. Chalk it up to another book on my Top 10 of 2012 list. Absolutely recommended to readers of ALL ages. ...more |
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Jun 13, 2012
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Jun 25, 2018
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it was amazing
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Feb 06, 2015
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it was amazing
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it was amazing
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Dec 12, 2014
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Nov 19, 2014
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it was amazing
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Oct 06, 2014
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really liked it
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Aug 23, 2013
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it was amazing
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Mar 23, 2013
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Mar 15, 2013
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it was amazing
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really liked it
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really liked it
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really liked it
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really liked it
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Jan 20, 2013
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Aug 23, 2012
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it was amazing
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Aug 23, 2012
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Jun 13, 2012
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it was amazing
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Jun 13, 2012
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