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bergha1998's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
“Know thyself, the wise man wrote, and yet I know myself, none better, and the knowledge gives me no power.”
“In my blackest pits of despair I always find God and call out for help, because only an omnipotent outside force could possibly move the stone that is pressing me down. And God walks away, single footsteps off into the collective unconscious. He doesn’t care.”
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
hanz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
nervesofscared's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
sarahweyand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Sometimes the pacing felt a little all over the place, and I wish the ending had provided more catharsis than it did. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the ending. I predicted the climax and enjoyed how it played out, and I understand that not every story has to have a happy ending, but I was hoping for a little more relief for our protagonists.
I'm glad I picked this one up and I would be interested in reading more from Tchaikovsky in the future.
Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, and Gore
Moderate: Death and Suicidal thoughts
porcinitortellini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
surdiablo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, and Mental illness
Moderate: Mental illness
lbelow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As for the things I did enjoy: the depiction of depression and how it isn't automatically cured by advanced technology, the alienness of the villainous alien, the intricacies of culture and language that even an anthropologist can't bypass.
Overall, this novella was fascinating but a bit shallow. I understand why it's gotten so many accolades, but I don't think it hit home for me in the same way it did for many others.
Graphic: Body horror and Mental illness
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Suicidal thoughts
leguinstan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The progression of Nyr's character arc, as his priorities shift and his relationship with the inhabitants of the planet evolves, is incredibly compelling. While Lynesse is also an interesting character, it's a bit of a shame that she is not as complex as Nyr and unlike him she barely has any character development. Regardless, I do like her as a character and I genuinely think the lack of her POV would've resulted in a much weaker novella overall.
In all honesty, I was a tad sad when I finished Elder Race because I wanted to spend more time in the setting. Throughout the novella Tchaikovsky would drop these interesting world-building tidbits that made the setting feel believably complex without ruining the story's tight pacing. As much as I like to nitpick, I want to emphasize the fact that the novella's ending did not disappoint me in the least. I feel the story ended in a very satisfying manner and I do not feel there were any annoying loose ends. It felt very complete and my statements about wanting to spend more time in the world are to be taken as a compliment. I think Tchaikovsky handled Elder Race's short page count really well!
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, and Gore
bluejayreads's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Animal death, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
gilnean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Moderate: Medical content, Death, and Animal death
Minor: Vomit, Classism, Colonisation, Rape, Infertility, Child abuse, War, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault