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willow1113's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual content
songwind's review against another edition
4.0
Glasshouse is an excellent novel about a future where identity is fluid, and your whole life can be backed up on a computer.
What kind of society do you get where people are taken apart and scanned into a computer, then transmitted over FTL links because it's easier than actually moving the mass?
What kind of society do you get when death just means reverting to backup? And what happens when you can request that your restore change hair color, skin color, sex, or even species?
What would happen to that society when a war is fought with computer viruses?
And what would happen to those people if they were forced into a single, unchangeable form and forced to live according to a historian's concept of the 20th century?
What kind of society do you get where people are taken apart and scanned into a computer, then transmitted over FTL links because it's easier than actually moving the mass?
What kind of society do you get when death just means reverting to backup? And what happens when you can request that your restore change hair color, skin color, sex, or even species?
What would happen to that society when a war is fought with computer viruses?
And what would happen to those people if they were forced into a single, unchangeable form and forced to live according to a historian's concept of the 20th century?
adastrame's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most imaginative sci-fi stories I have encountered. Similar to Cory Doctorow, Stross knows no boundaries when it comes to imagining the future.
The book is about a 27th century war veteran named Robin, wearing a male body (it is common to back yourself up and change bodies as desired). To deal with his past in the war, he underwent memory surgery and is now not entirely sure who exactly he is. But he soon finds out that his former self volunteered to take part in a "glasshouse", a closed experimental research society set in the "Dark Ages" (late 20th century). This is were he wakes up - confused, disoriented, and stuck in the body of a frail woman, assigned the name Reeve.
This book is one of the rare ones which kept me reading non-stop. Reeve's descriptions of the dark ages are very amusing, and as the conspiracy around the glasshouse unfolds, the book gets ever more captivating.
The book is about a 27th century war veteran named Robin, wearing a male body (it is common to back yourself up and change bodies as desired). To deal with his past in the war, he underwent memory surgery and is now not entirely sure who exactly he is. But he soon finds out that his former self volunteered to take part in a "glasshouse", a closed experimental research society set in the "Dark Ages" (late 20th century). This is were he wakes up - confused, disoriented, and stuck in the body of a frail woman, assigned the name Reeve.
This book is one of the rare ones which kept me reading non-stop. Reeve's descriptions of the dark ages are very amusing, and as the conspiracy around the glasshouse unfolds, the book gets ever more captivating.
dualmon's review against another edition
3.0
Set in the same universe as Accelerando. Interesting universe with a trite soap opera.
vandermeer's review against another edition
1.0
Komme nicht rein und besonders gut geschrieben ist es auch nicht.
nosebleedseeds's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book. It's been a while since I read it, I remember a lot of the plot points and some of the cool ideas but I feel like I kind of didn't care about the protagonist or any of the characters. I was interested in what was happening and why, but from what I remember I didn't really care if any of it worked out in the end. Basically, the details and concept were cool but the story itself was forgettable.
spitzig's review against another edition
5.0
AWESOME! I have a very short list of "A" authors. Every book I've read by Stross has been great. This might have been my favorite.
Revolution in a society where everything is watched.
The main character lives in a society where body modifications can be extreme. He's usually been male. He's been a regiment of tanks. The novel takes place in a manufactured society. It's an experiment(so he thinks) to research "the Dark Ages"(1950-2050), called dark because they don't know much about that time. He's given a female body. He has difficulty adapting to the imposed social morals of our time-they are an extreme version, with only heterosexual partners and execution for adultery.
His focus on gender identity/switching is also made stranger by the fact that I read this as an audiobook. The reader was male, reading as a female character most of the time.
At one point, he/she is made into a Stepford Wife, and it shows the perspective of the Stepford Wife.
The characters are well done, too.
Revolution in a society where everything is watched.
Spoiler
The main character lives in a society where body modifications can be extreme. He's usually been male. He's been a regiment of tanks. The novel takes place in a manufactured society. It's an experiment(so he thinks) to research "the Dark Ages"(1950-2050), called dark because they don't know much about that time. He's given a female body. He has difficulty adapting to the imposed social morals of our time-they are an extreme version, with only heterosexual partners and execution for adultery.
His focus on gender identity/switching is also made stranger by the fact that I read this as an audiobook. The reader was male, reading as a female character most of the time.
At one point, he/she is made into a Stepford Wife, and it shows the perspective of the Stepford Wife.
The characters are well done, too.
ultimatumman's review against another edition
3.0
Started off in a really cool way and kept my interest well for half of the book. Then it started to slow down quite a bit and get a little monotonous. To be fair I have to admit that I became extremely busy so my reading momentum was killed and I wasn't able to pick up the book for a couple months. That could partially be the reason it was hard to get into the second half. The events leading up to and including the ending were a little abrupt because the story dragged through the middle a little. Overall I enjoyed it. It was an interesting reflection of our society and our norms. I didn't agree entirely with the author on some points but the novel led to some really good thinking and reflecting.
serty406's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75