This was fun, I don't really ever read series anymore, but if I did, I would read the next book in this one. I'm curious where it might go.This was fun, I don't really ever read series anymore, but if I did, I would read the next book in this one. I'm curious where it might go....more
An absolutely outstanding scifi TTRPG—but I'm biased.
(Just for fun, I set the "Date started" field in this review to the day the I first had the idea An absolutely outstanding scifi TTRPG—but I'm biased.
(Just for fun, I set the "Date started" field in this review to the day the I first had the idea for this book, and "Date finished" to the day I received the shipment of books from the factory.)...more
I usually reserve 5 stars for "literature" but I loved this book so much, fuck it, 5 stars.
This is a perfect book to know NOTHING about going in, so II usually reserve 5 stars for "literature" but I loved this book so much, fuck it, 5 stars.
This is a perfect book to know NOTHING about going in, so I'm going to put the rest of this review in spoilers. Like literally don't even read the back of the book, seriously. Just go read it.
(view spoiler)[ First off, I'd go out on a limb and classify this as "hard" sci-fi. I make this point because this is, by a seriously wide margin, the best hard SF I've ever read.
Hard SF is infamous for having nothing resembling a plot or characters, just big, interesting ideas. Project Hail Mary has it all: - A giant crunchy scifi invention so big and fascinating it should go in the annals of SF history: Astrophage. Even if it didn't have a lot of interesting scientific detail, it would still be one of the most memorable plot devices in scifi. But it has both!! - Actual characters: The Martian was a pretty classically-SF flat character. He was completely, and literally, indefatigable. To be clear, Grace is also The Martian, but evolved into a real person with flaws and fears. - An actual relationship: The Grace-Rocky friendship is instantly one of the greatest bromances in scifi history. When I thought Rocky died, I actually teared up. - A riveting story: I genuinely did not want to stop reading. Every night I had to force myself to stop. From page 1, I *had to know what happens next.* - SO MUCH PHYSICS! I fucking love physics, so this was just a garden of delights. And it's not just one field, it's astronomy, relativity, chemistry, orbital mechanics, and on and on. GAH I LOVE IT - A fleshed-out (so to speak) alien species: Radically different in enough ways to make the things we have in common feel real and convincing. And I *really* love the idea of a chord language.
Does PHM have weaknesses? Of course. There are definitely some big asks of your disbelief-suspension: Robotic arms that can keep a comatose human alive for 14 years. And freakin' Xenonite! *A 100% perfect magic substance!* In any other book Xenonite would have pissed me off and potentially even ruined a book for me. But PHM has SO MUCH going for it that it honestly balances out.
But even disregarding all of the above, the simple fact that the ending made me cry is all I need to give this 5 stars. That NEVER happens to me with scifi.
I know some people do not feel strongly about this book. A couple people I've talked to seemed "meh" about it, which I find interesting and surprising. So by all means leave a comment on this review and let me know what you think about the points above. (hide spoiler)]...more
It's completely absurd that the edition I have of this book is the promotional version for the embarrassing 2004 Will Smith movie. It features Will SmIt's completely absurd that the edition I have of this book is the promotional version for the embarrassing 2004 Will Smith movie. It features Will Smith on the cover with the tagline "One man saw it coming."
I say this is absurd because that movie has effectively nothing to do with this book except ripping off the title. It contains exactly 3 references to the book: the Laws of Robotics, the name of the company (nearly), and the idea of an AI that manages everything. That's it. The rest is completely made up and has absolutely nothing to do with the stories in this book.
Anyway, as for the book itself, it's historical scifi, which is subject to a certain number of modern criticisms (including some eye-rolling sexism). Most of the stories revolve around extrapolated effects of the Laws of Robotics, but it constantly stipulates that Robots definitely follow these laws without ever seriously delving into how that would even be possible.
It is admittedly interesting reading this in an age of burgeoning AI, because nobody today is even TRYING to come up with some kind of similar protections for humanity. Oh well!...more
I'm sympathetic, of course, to Fahrenheit 451's anti-anti-intellectual message. But jesus fuck the prose style is SO overloaded I found it hard to getI'm sympathetic, of course, to Fahrenheit 451's anti-anti-intellectual message. But jesus fuck the prose style is SO overloaded I found it hard to get into. Nearly every single paragraph is full of run-on-sentence metaphor and simile. Are all his books like this!?...more
Sci-fi from a certain historical time range tends to be big on ideas and small on story. Lem's "The Invincible" does fall into this category, though iSci-fi from a certain historical time range tends to be big on ideas and small on story. Lem's "The Invincible" does fall into this category, though it's plenty readable and not too slow. Still, though, there's just not really that much story, and halfway through the whole premise of the book is just handed to the reader in a giant infodump. It's all about the concept of autonomous machine evolution, which, if that doesn't feel groundbreaking now, it's because this is the book that broke that ground in 1963....more
I continue to be mildly obsessed with the question of why one book can be considered literature, and the next be little more than the pulp it's printeI continue to be mildly obsessed with the question of why one book can be considered literature, and the next be little more than the pulp it's printed on?
Slaughterhouse-Five is clearly the former, as in a work of literary art. It's not about the prose so much, in this case, but rather the vivid detail, startling creativity, and effortless storytelling....more
Well, I read the whole thing out of pure stubbornness. This book is... detailed. It lends the Commonwealth some realism, but for some reason I can't fWell, I read the whole thing out of pure stubbornness. This book is... detailed. It lends the Commonwealth some realism, but for some reason I can't find much reason to care. If there's one thing this author likes even more than putting words on paper, it's introducing new characters. Some of the storylines approached interesting and memorable, but... it was just too long and tedious. I won't be continuing on in the series....more
An incredibly prescient play for 1920 but also highly revealing of the times. Kind of a weird story overall and not honestly *great* by modern standarAn incredibly prescient play for 1920 but also highly revealing of the times. Kind of a weird story overall and not honestly *great* by modern standards, but an important piece of science fiction history....more
What a completely bizarre book. Unfortunately, bizarre doesn't always translate to "good." It's a series of mostly disconnected weird events in a weirWhat a completely bizarre book. Unfortunately, bizarre doesn't always translate to "good." It's a series of mostly disconnected weird events in a weird (though interesting) setting, featuring despicable, hateable main characters (Gren and the morel). It won a Hugo award, presumably due to the sheer level of creativity, but as a story it falls very flat....more
Well, this is definitely one of the more creative space operas I've read in a while, with enough unexplained neologisms to make Neal Stephenson bat anWell, this is definitely one of the more creative space operas I've read in a while, with enough unexplained neologisms to make Neal Stephenson bat an eyelash....more
I'm a big fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky, and "Doors of Eden" doesn't disappoint. It starts out very strong with a weird mystery and turns into a gripping I'm a big fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky, and "Doors of Eden" doesn't disappoint. It starts out very strong with a weird mystery and turns into a gripping and unusual adventure. My only complaints are that, as with many novels, once the secret of what's really going on is revealed, it loses a bit of mystique, and the climax is a little underwhelming....more
It's aggravating reading a book where you just don't understand why the characters are doing and saying the things they are. I honestly can't tell if It's aggravating reading a book where you just don't understand why the characters are doing and saying the things they are. I honestly can't tell if it's a cultural or time-period difference, or something lost in translation, but so much of the action and dialog seems strange and unmotivated, and it makes reading this tedious—not to mention that there's barely any action or story in the first place. Quite a bit of this is just an overdetailed history of the fictional academia that studies the eponymous planet. The only redeeming and memorable things about this book are the dramatic and vivid descriptions of the living architectures of the ocean. Very cool, but doesn't really balance out the rest of it....more
I know it's highly influential but it's still a weird book. Not as much great, cool weird (though the Zone does have plenty of that), but more of a "hI know it's highly influential but it's still a weird book. Not as much great, cool weird (though the Zone does have plenty of that), but more of a "huh?" at the end. There seems to be some kind of cultural commentary in there but I don't really get it. I wonder if you have to be Russian....more
I was a big fan of Station Eleven, and "Sea of Tranquility" starts with a totally gripping vibe, but in the end I feel like it lacks something. NonethI was a big fan of Station Eleven, and "Sea of Tranquility" starts with a totally gripping vibe, but in the end I feel like it lacks something. Nonetheless, it's a memorable story with an unexpected scifi skeleton that I can recommend for a quick read....more
NOW I see why the Culture books are revered. I'm fairly sure I read "Consider Phlebas" but for some reason I don't remember any of it.
But The Player oNOW I see why the Culture books are revered. I'm fairly sure I read "Consider Phlebas" but for some reason I don't remember any of it.
But The Player of Games is focussed, clear and well-paced, with a thrilling conclusion that I couldn't put down. It also paints a fascinating picture of the Culture by contrasting it with a power-hungry and ruthless empire that couldn't be more its opposite.
I really don't want to be an asshole, but... I found much of this book to be unreadably tedious. I'm interested in and familiar with the subject areasI really don't want to be an asshole, but... I found much of this book to be unreadably tedious. I'm interested in and familiar with the subject areas—simulation, uploaded consciousness, cellular automata, etc.—but I just can't stand a book with no story. I mean, there were hints or echos of a story: something about an insurance salesman with a crackpot theory about unlimited computing power, and then also something about building a new simulated cellular-automaton lifeform.
But jesus fucking christ, I had to FORCE myself to make it through this book. For the last 1/4 I was just skimming at a rate of a page a second just so it would be over already. 99% of it is descriptions of ideas or dialog of arguments about ideas. Very little actually *happens*. Is it anti-intellectual to expect things to happen in what is ostensibly a novel?...more
There are two ways to interpret the idea of "realistic:" "fictional but with believable foundations," or "written as though documenting real events." There are two ways to interpret the idea of "realistic:" "fictional but with believable foundations," or "written as though documenting real events." The problem with the second approach is that real life has lots of boring downtime, lots of minor and trivial events that don't relate directly (or at all) to the "story."
I get that not every book needs to be written the way a movie would be, but I still found the majority of Darwin's Radio to be shockingly tedious and boring. There is SO MUCH extraneous detail about phone calls, conversations, eating, etc. that really contributes little, if anything, to the actual plot. This is not a thriller. It's like a Michael Crichton book without the fast pacing and action.
That said, the premise is kind of interesting, though I'm still not sure I really understand what the premise is. Not sure I would recommend....more