This book is a pitch-perfect example of a boring dystopia. Its actual SF features literal dream police, making the Minority Report into a coasting midThis book is a pitch-perfect example of a boring dystopia. Its actual SF features literal dream police, making the Minority Report into a coasting middle-management nightmare. Social, credit scores are latched onto your literal dreams. Having issues? Are you cranky?
It can and will be used against you if you don't conform.
The problem with this is that it's OUR reality already. Digital surveillance, AI analysis, and systemic assholery makes us live this NOW.
It's a horrible novel because we're already living it. Or it's a great novel because we're already living it. Either way, it's rage-inducing.
And yes, it's an indictment of capitalism. Creating prisons and prisoners for the profit motive. Creating a rule system that can't be beaten, but can easily be abused to keep people in their place.
Again, we're already here. And it's pitch perfect for how it describes people's reactions, how they just want to get along, carry the burden because it can get so much worse if you don't, and how utterly cowed we are.
Bringing up a strike, and how effectively it is squashed, is also accurate to our lives.
I'm a lover of SF (duh) and I almost always appreciate it when the writing is as elevated as the concepts, pushing the genre to new heights.
This one I'm a lover of SF (duh) and I almost always appreciate it when the writing is as elevated as the concepts, pushing the genre to new heights.
This one attempts to do just that, focusing on beautiful language and complex themes surrounding relationships, death, memory, and obvious moral quandaries. As should be obvious for any novel dealing with robots and people.
However, while there is some mystery in this novel, it's not Asimov. And while there are some fairly big concepts being explored, they aren't precisely the focus of the tale. Indeed, there's quite a bit of circuitous plotting that, while jumping between PoVs, tends to laser in on bad choices and desires that ultimately conflict with happiness--and hell, isn't that just about everything in life?
So, yes, it is, absolutely, a decent Lit-SF entry. It checks all the boxes for a rich piece on perception and expectation and the injustices that come from both.
But did I fall in love with it?
No, unfortunately. Sometimes, less is more. And sometimes, more is more. And the balance in this one just feels off, even under-baked. If we're to come away with something more than, "oh, that's rather depressing," then it failed. Otherwise, well done. And, at least to me, that's not precisely well-done.
It's me, not you, Luminous. You tried hard to be my perfect significant other, but the failing is mine alone....more
Honestly, I have to admit that I almost bounced off this book twice. The first, time, I wanted to read it to simply get to the fourth book which was cHonestly, I have to admit that I almost bounced off this book twice. The first, time, I wanted to read it to simply get to the fourth book which was considered one of the great Golden Age of SF books. I DID bounce the first time. Instead, I just hopped ahead and read what I consider one of the best Buck Rogers books of Buck Rogers books.
Of course, I don't know, even now, whether that's a good thing or not. It's cowboy stuff in space, white hats and black hats and big explosions, derring-do, and swooning maidens. Where real men are real men.
In other words, the perfect stereotype of SF of yesteryear, well into the genre's infancy and teenage years.
Ah, but I kinda wished I had stuck it out. And so I returned to the first book and once I got through some rather heavy-handed exposition, I was able to enjoy some rather cool ancient and modern and then future action. Indeed, this volume is a pretty great INTRODUCTION to the universe. That is, if you can get over the handwaviums and obvious cultural BS of Real Men being Real Men. Then again, maybe that kind of thing will be a bonus in today's climate. Who knows?
My personal take:
I've always been a pretty big fan of the mythos of Green Lantern. Now, this pre-dates Green Lantern, to be sure, but DAMN, it's like I'm getting a whole mythos and setup FOR the Green Lantern and its Corps. Taking it this way, I'm actually really enthusiastic for the story. Show the heroes in their less-than-powered up states, give us a very solid grounding and showcase their actual heroism, and THEN give them the extra powers to deal with the truly bad baddies.
It's pretty classic storytelling, and it actually works.
Yes, this book is ACTUALLY pretty good. Science fantasy, to be sure, but FUN. And it's a bit more expansive and crossing much time and space than I gave it credit for. It's true space opera.
Color me impressed. I think I will go through the rest. It's very much on the same level as Conan, with the obvious differences. Solid and fun if not particularly sophisticated.
A beautiful, panoramic view of an extreme CCP, before, during, and long after it dominated the world. Complete with memories. Memories to record, memoA beautiful, panoramic view of an extreme CCP, before, during, and long after it dominated the world. Complete with memories. Memories to record, memories to pass down, memories to control, control, control.
And best of all, this novel illustrates something deeply subversive, hopeful, and rather desperate that should be true in all of us.
When society has taken everything from you, maybe it is time to resit.
"The Stone Played at Tengen" by R.H. Wesley -- (4*) Monolithic power and the importance of playing through -- life as Go. Interesting.
"Jade Fighter" b"The Stone Played at Tengen" by R.H. Wesley -- (4*) Monolithic power and the importance of playing through -- life as Go. Interesting.
"Jade Fighter" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires -- (5*) Honestly delightful friendship in unusual circumstances. I actually rather love this story.
"The Apologists" by Tade Thompson -- (5*) Tade rocks some wonderfully weird tales. Murder mystery gone hard SF. Totally my kind of mystery.
"Trees at Night" by Ramiro Sanchiz -- (4*) I got a very Roadside Picnic vibe from this one. Only for a librarian. :)
"Prerequisites for the Creation of a Possible Predicted World" by Chisom Umeh -- (5*) On-target tale of perception and reality-building. Doubly current for our own amusement park we call life.
"Ratlines" by Brent Baldwin - (3*) While I like the idea of a brain-in-a-box being forced as a starship getaway driver, I think I might have preferred a slower, more detailed story. Alas.
"The Fire Burns Anyway" by Kemi Ashing-Giwa -- (5*) This was a massive gut-punch to me. As a writer, myself, facing the same issues, it feels like death... and yet we all still keep going, if in despair.
Decent collection this month. I prefer Jade Fighter and Apologists the most, but The Fire Burns Anyway hit the hardest....more
I'm very impressed. Normally, when a series goes from small-time grounded to a valid and believable progression to all-out war, I tend to roll my eyesI'm very impressed. Normally, when a series goes from small-time grounded to a valid and believable progression to all-out war, I tend to roll my eyes a bit.
(Yes, I'm looking at you, Hunger Games.)
But in this case, there's not just valid cause, but the whole cast of characters and OP progression lends great justification AND realistic chances, not to mention the feel-good reasoning. And let's face it, a cyberpunk future REALLY deserves its rebellions. It always has.
And this book makes me feel it. Sure, it may be Cyberpunk 2077 fan-fiction, but it's GOOD. I wish there was a lot more like this.
I honestly didn't want her to get grimdark on us, so I'm happy to say that there's some light moments and friendships being formed in this one that siI honestly didn't want her to get grimdark on us, so I'm happy to say that there's some light moments and friendships being formed in this one that sits very, very well with the whole "I'm a killing machine" vibe.
You know, literally. Now mostly machine, cyborg implants, late-game Cyberpunk 2077 mythos fully intact. Hell, some of the names are the same and rich for evocation. And you know what? I don't mind in the slightest. This is fun shit.
What starts as an attempt to relax and train herself to be a pilot quickly devolves into a huge smash-up and nasty turn of events. It's also a chance What starts as an attempt to relax and train herself to be a pilot quickly devolves into a huge smash-up and nasty turn of events. It's also a chance for her to power up.
And she absolutely does.
It's still very Cyberpunk, but by now, late-game Cyberpunk, or what possibly could have happened had the game more scope. I'm really enjoying it. But by now, it's veered into Starfield territory, complete with the same cyberpunk elements, but also pirate infiltration and piloting. Quite good. Also starting to get rather disturbing when it comes to the psychological effects on our MC....more
I'm impressed how easily this moves from straight cyberpunk, to corporate espionage, to space adventure. It even feels like a natural progression, hopI'm impressed how easily this moves from straight cyberpunk, to corporate espionage, to space adventure. It even feels like a natural progression, hopping from job to job to dire request to following your heart.
And I think that's what I love most about it. It's just plain fun. A what-if Cyberpunk 2077 just opened up to brand new vistas, to the moon, to Saturn. I likey. I likey alot. And all the while, we've got that progression feel, with cybernetic upgrades and spunk.
Just when I thought I was getting a handle on where this story was going to take me, everything goes to shit in a highly interesting way--and it's allJust when I thought I was getting a handle on where this story was going to take me, everything goes to shit in a highly interesting way--and it's all undercover cyberpunk corpo shit. :)
Yes, it's just like I'm continuing in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe and it's delicious. I'm having a grand time.
As someone who has put in thousands of hours into Cyberpunk 2077, this book is simply a natural extension of the game. Let's ignore IPs for a moment aAs someone who has put in thousands of hours into Cyberpunk 2077, this book is simply a natural extension of the game. Let's ignore IPs for a moment and just head straight into the sheer fun of it. Some cheat mode is going to flavor the story, of course, but there's all the corpo sec goodness, the bio-mods, the jobs, and all the friendship side-quests.
In other words, this is scratching ALL those itches in the very best way. Of course, if you're looking for something else, then read something else.
For me, I loved every single second of it and feel like I've found my new favorite binge.
I've been a fan of this author for quite some time (and still love Fifteen Lives) and I just assumed this would be another quality read by someone whoI've been a fan of this author for quite some time (and still love Fifteen Lives) and I just assumed this would be another quality read by someone who is an automatic-buy in my head.
Instead, I was astonished. Not just happy--but astounded by how much I loved this book. Hell, it's been effortlessly catapulted to one of my all-time favorites. And it hasn't even officially been released yet. And I want a hardcover copy. Like--now. For my shelf of favorites. My pride shelf.
I only belatedly checked out the blurbs for it and the ideas behind it just doesn't do it justice. We can bandy the word 'monster' about all we like, but the proper theme of this novel ought to be love. It's a damn healing novel and a very curious one. And more than all the rest, it has a very deep heart. Heartbreaking, even. And heart-healing.
And that's about all I'm going to say without giving spoilers.
But I love this novel. More than words can say, I love its wisdom. Monstrous as this wisdom might be.
"Wire Mother" by Isabel J. Kim -- (4*) A brief glance at a possible surrogate-dominated future, a nice nod to PKD.
"The Cancer Wolves" by Fiona Moore "Wire Mother" by Isabel J. Kim -- (4*) A brief glance at a possible surrogate-dominated future, a nice nod to PKD.
"The Cancer Wolves" by Fiona Moore -- (4*) This is a continuation of a number of post-apoc nomad series. Just some slice of life between human and robot. It's kinda cozy.
"Crabs Don't Scream" by H.H. Pak -- (5*) Beautifully hard-core SF about an avoidant personality stuck in a bad job -- but dreaming about being a crab. :)
"Understudies" by Greg Egan" -- (5*) A very timely novella by Egan with his characteristic focus on the maths. Close to home, too, with AIs in conjunction with the nearly-screwed meat-minds of ourselves. It underscores a glimmer of hope in a nearly hopeless battle--of intelligence.
Giant Grandmother" by Liu Maijia -- (4*) Nice little story about change, and continuity and what it might mean to be post-human.
"The Job Interview" by Carrie Vaughn -- (4*) Tongue-in-cheek space adventure. Solid.
"In Luck's Panoply Clad, I Stand" by Phoebe Barton -- (5*) Take a hard stand for what you believe. Or rather, a heavy stand. I felt the vibe....more
The last book in the Canopus in Argos series may not be a traditionally good book in any sense of the word, but it has something many do not: a purposThe last book in the Canopus in Argos series may not be a traditionally good book in any sense of the word, but it has something many do not: a purpose that is both interesting, sharp, and as tragic as it is funny.
For the first four books, we always get oblique views of WHAT Canopus is, a force of good, of spiritualism in empire form, always being subverted by its evil counterpart. It's the spirit of cooperation and the rising tide against those who betray and twist for their own benefit.
This is obvious and simplistic, of course, and the books are rich and complicated and even rather natural in the evolution of all this, but that doesn't change the basic fact.
This last book focuses almost entirely on words, words, words. Good god, the words. How to completely destroy an empire using little more than words. But here's the good part: it may as well be us. Everyone seems to be going through quite a bit of all we see here, written timelessly.
How to turn words meaningless, how to reverse their meanings, how to turn vital services into caricatures, how to enslave people while making them clamor for it until it's too late. The propaganda.
The goddamn propaganda.
The endlesss goddamn propaganda.
You might say it's a sore spot with me. And perhaps this book hit harder than it should just because of how like a spear it is with the goddamn propaganda.
But just as it is asked in the book: "Just imagine what you'd be if you turned all that to better purposes?"
Fascinating and depressing. Depressing even though we knew what was coming, but almost exactly in the same tone of the doomed naval expedition to the Fascinating and depressing. Depressing even though we knew what was coming, but almost exactly in the same tone of the doomed naval expedition to the South Pole.
I bring that up specifically BECAUSE Lessing made a very strong point of it in her afterward of the novel. And fairly so.
As for the SF novel she wrote, I am, as I said, fascinated and horrified to see a wonderful people take a long, cold, horrible time to die. Slowly dying with their planet as it is overwhelmed with ice.
But there is hope. It is a Canopus novel, after all, despite the almost overwhelming oppression of reality. But HOW and WHY that hope even exists is probably the biggest mystery and concern throughout ALL of these novels.
I wholeheartedly enjoy these. They're nothing like a standard novels in any sense of the word, but written entirely out of the author's needs. In this case, the focus on dying well, of continuing on despite the knowledge of what will come, is of utmost importance.
Personal note: If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.
Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
My primary takeaway from this space opera is how much I appreciate the scope of the SF and the focus on characters. I get a very SF Paolini and ChambeMy primary takeaway from this space opera is how much I appreciate the scope of the SF and the focus on characters. I get a very SF Paolini and Chambers vibe, but more importantly, the SCOPE is quite excellent.
What is strangest to me is how few people make the DIRECT comparison to Mass Effect and its universe. Indeed, it feels like a complete fan-fiction treatment of Mass Effect.
Or perhaps the game franchise is now so old, that its players are getting so old, that this whole storyline is now ancient and unknown to modern story-consumers? Kinda like how Saberhagen was forgotten by the time Mass Effect came into being?
*sad, depressed noises*
But at least we DO have this, a revival of sorts, of a story that should be celebrated.
I MISS SF like this. There's so little of it out there, now.
Personal note: If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.
Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
There's a lot to love in this book. But first, the problem areas: I'm not sure whether this ought to be considered UF or SF, and that's specifically bThere's a lot to love in this book. But first, the problem areas: I'm not sure whether this ought to be considered UF or SF, and that's specifically because of the rug pull near the end that really irked me--but not enough to deal-break me. It righted itself and I was fully back on board, but I *ALMOST* got super pissed. And let me be clear: it's not because it was either UF or SF. I love both. I was pissed because the book came a hair's breadth away from committing an unforgivable story sin.
If you know, you know.
BUT, it didn't, and for that, I'm eternally grateful. Beyond that, I was merely slightly annoyed with a depiction of AI that might have been true for 2 minutes before AI (our modern AI) overcame the Strawberry idiocy. It dates this book almost to a month. And what about the whole Kurt Cobain stuff? It dates the author, too. :)
BUT. All that being said and done, it doesn't really matter, BECAUSE I LOVED THE CHARACTERS AND THE STORY. I had a great time. Good characters. Fun story. And lots of grey areas and toxicity handled well. And beyond that, heart. I love tales with heart.
This definitely has that. I hope there's more to come.
Personal note: If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.
Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.