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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Listened to the audiobook today and rather enjoyed it.. the narration was confusing to me at first with pauses and almost a choppiness to it, but as I got farther in it started making sense and seemed to be an interpretation of the character and how they would be thinking.
I am not much of a critic and usually enjoy anything I read so tough for me to come up with shortcomings. Well worth the time spent on it and would love to see the next steps that could be taken in this world Rwizi creates.
I am not much of a critic and usually enjoy anything I read so tough for me to come up with shortcomings. Well worth the time spent on it and would love to see the next steps that could be taken in this world Rwizi creates.
adventurous
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was nice reading sci fi that stro gly references and involves African culture and characters. I really liked that.
The ending with The Elders assimilating(?) Msizi's friend's digital consciousness/implant felt a little unlikely to me though. I mean,these beings taught the settlers advanced space travel and helped them invent advanced robots. I think that if they wanted to talk to the settlers with actual words,they would have decided to or figured out a way even before then. Plus,the main character's behavior felt a little(just a little) flat sometimes.
Even so,it was an enjoyable read 🌚
The ending with The Elders assimilating(?) Msizi's friend's digital consciousness/implant felt a little unlikely to me though. I mean,these beings taught the settlers advanced space travel and helped them invent advanced robots. I think that if they wanted to talk to the settlers with actual words,they would have decided to or figured out a way even before then. Plus,the main character's behavior felt a little(just a little) flat sometimes.
Even so,it was an enjoyable read 🌚
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
The author has created a brilliant, gorgeous world but has also somehow packed so much depth across such a vast range into such a short story. . . what it might mean to build a new world away from the devastations of racism, climate change, and capitalism and then consider diplomatic relations with the world left behind. But not the least of which is the author’s handling of grief and love and letting go. I still find myself wishing for the story to continue, but its end is also perfect as it is.
A snippet of the story:
“Being inside my head is erasing her. I’m holding on to her memory so tightly I’m warping it, distorting her from the person she was to a shallow counterfeit polluted by my own flawed thoughts and feelings.
She deserves better.”
A snippet of the story:
“Being inside my head is erasing her. I’m holding on to her memory so tightly I’m warping it, distorting her from the person she was to a shallow counterfeit polluted by my own flawed thoughts and feelings.
She deserves better.”
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An outstanding writer - I love his novels.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
Rwizi's contribution to the short story collection Black Stars was a commanding story, especially given its brevity. Here is what short stories should be (actually this whole collection pretty much does it right). What starts as something with all these feel of a buddy space-trip, ended with something so full of wonder and beauty that I had to continually adjust my assumptions of its direction while listening to it.
Yet another story from this collection that has all the brilliance and encapsulation of an episode of The Twilight Zone.
This series is easy to devour in one binge. I'm here for this.
Audiobook, as narrated by [a:Indya Moore|21801914|Indya Moore|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]: Moore has a wonderful reading voice — soft and subtle while still demanding attention and layering in the undercurrent of a wide net of emotions. Moore was a standout narrator for this surprisingly crescendoed short story.
Yet another story from this collection that has all the brilliance and encapsulation of an episode of The Twilight Zone.
This series is easy to devour in one binge. I'm here for this.
Audiobook, as narrated by [a:Indya Moore|21801914|Indya Moore|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]: Moore has a wonderful reading voice — soft and subtle while still demanding attention and layering in the undercurrent of a wide net of emotions. Moore was a standout narrator for this surprisingly crescendoed short story.
I don’t think I can adequately express how much I enjoyed this short story. Rwizi beautifully expressed the depths of grief and loneliness, while ushering in the layered arrangements of a new world. The story truly sat me on a wave of ups, downs, and all rounds. As the reader, I experienced the love between Msizi and Tariro without ever meeting her. With only the A.I version of Tariro, I still understood how valuable she was and is. What can I say? I’m a sucka for Black Romance in most forms. Beyond the love story, Rwizi’s focus on this completely established world is amazing. I’m not mad that the “alien” people didn’t people want anything to do with the old world people. Rwizi opened a conversation on what would be the appeal for other intellectuals interacting with each other if they pose a verifiable threat to each other.
There were some really interesting ideas (around what humanity carries with it, particularly) here but overall the plot/twist didn't work for me.
This short story made me cry. Not once. Twice! “When a person becomes so much of your identity, who are you without them?”
This is the first story I really loved in this collection! It is a touching space travel story on handling grief and loss. Beautifully executes and touching!