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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was really into the worldbuilding that Tchaikovsky sets up here; for the first 40% of the book I was very invested and excited to see what happened next. But after that, I felt it really dragged and it was hard for me to keep going.
This book is actually quite funny and pointed - there’s some great one-liners and lots of lines I highlighted. I also quite liked some of the things that it says about politics and science. But those weren’t enough by themselves to make me want to keep reading.
I did finish this book and I thought it picked up at the ending and brought some very interesting concepts into play. But overall, I wasn’t as huge of a fan as I expected to be from the worldbuilding in the beginning.
(Also, I thought it was funny that spider-like creatures play an important role in this book too)
Alien Clay plays with the idea of evolution by cooperation rather than competition and it leads to a world of riotous life that works together to build complex organisms. In that setting he unfolds a tale of truth seeking scientists that are sentenced to work at an extrasolar camp by the autocratic mandate government. The mandate wants to bend science to their point of view and the scientist want to find truth because that is what science is meant to do. The truth and the mandate's view constantly clash as the politically dissident scientist gather data in a harsh environment in service of the mandate. It is a fight for freedom for both mind and body.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in strange biology or anti authoritarian sci-fi stories. Tchaikovsky always delivers a great story.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in strange biology or anti authoritarian sci-fi stories. Tchaikovsky always delivers a great story.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a great read- the world building is truly beautiful. The story starts really slowly but picks up in the third act and then is like a snowball towards the conclusion. Very inspiring and telling of our current time/ political climate while offering alternative approaches to organizing, resistance, and revolution.
Love love love eco-horror. Annihilation vibes on an alien planet, very good. Didn’t like the aggressive reverse dramatic irony though
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
god this was delightful. communist queer revolutionary metaphor through an alien fungal uprising. got a LITTLE cheesy and heavyhanded at points but I still loved it so hey. sci fi for 2025.
Really loved the first two segments, but the third was super not for me. I wasn't a huge fan of the protagonist either. Wonderful writing and hoping I'll love Tchaikovsky's other works.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No