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wanderlustsleeping's review against another edition
Unfortunately, nothing about it was catching my interest.
dubiousbunny's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This book could have been trimmed down considerably. Most of the plot is moving characters from one place to the next due to outside forces that they can’t do anything about.
meemzter's review
4.0
This is my first Kim Stanley Robinson read! I’ve heard much about the celebrated New York 2140, and definitely plan to read it, but this was recommended to me by a friend, so I picked it up first.
This is speculative fiction, taking place just a few decades in the future. The story is mostly about China, its internal politics, its history, and its relationship with America. (oh, and of course, its colonization of the moon.) It makes for a very interesting story - filled with political theory, philosophy, poetry, and contemplation of Chinese society. But sometimes I found myself wondering if Robinson was fully equipped to be writing this story. It’s incredibly well-researched, that cannot be denied, but there were times where Chinese characters/ideas felt a little thinly drawn or stereotyped.
The complex political elements of this novel are the strongest aspect. From multiple perspectives, politics and governments and history are thoughtfully explored. The AI piece of this story felt a little less well done, although it started out really interesting. The moon? Was interesting, but not as interesting as I wanted it to be, and the book suffered a little because of it.
There was one chapter in particular where I felt like this story just completely went off the rails, but it was a stand-alone experience and things came back down. Basically that one Valerie chapter? Wow.
The plot and pacing of this novel is something of a mixed bag. It took me a long time to get into it, but I eventually became very engaged by all three of the main characters.
This book ended kind of abruptly. I think that could be intentional, emphasizing the ~unknown~, but I also think there could be a sequel. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out.
Overall a good experience, and I’ll be reading more KSR in the future.
This is speculative fiction, taking place just a few decades in the future. The story is mostly about China, its internal politics, its history, and its relationship with America. (oh, and of course, its colonization of the moon.) It makes for a very interesting story - filled with political theory, philosophy, poetry, and contemplation of Chinese society. But sometimes I found myself wondering if Robinson was fully equipped to be writing this story. It’s incredibly well-researched, that cannot be denied, but there were times where Chinese characters/ideas felt a little thinly drawn or stereotyped.
The complex political elements of this novel are the strongest aspect. From multiple perspectives, politics and governments and history are thoughtfully explored. The AI piece of this story felt a little less well done, although it started out really interesting. The moon? Was interesting, but not as interesting as I wanted it to be, and the book suffered a little because of it.
There was one chapter in particular where I felt like this story just completely went off the rails, but it was a stand-alone experience and things came back down. Basically that one Valerie chapter? Wow.
The plot and pacing of this novel is something of a mixed bag. It took me a long time to get into it, but I eventually became very engaged by all three of the main characters.
This book ended kind of abruptly. I think that could be intentional, emphasizing the ~unknown~, but I also think there could be a sequel. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out.
Overall a good experience, and I’ll be reading more KSR in the future.
iceberg0's review
1.0
An aging athlete trying to replay the games of his youth. Red Mars this isn't.
einnymydog's review
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
wannabekingpin's review
3.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About: One moment you can be a nobody. A worker in a new place on a job, possibly even enjoying it. Fred, for instance. It’s his first time on the Moon. His job here is to install a communication system of sorts. And as he shakes hands with someone important, next moment strikes. They both fall, one dead, the other’s very sick. From this moment on Fred is a fugitive accused of murder, and must run. Lucky for him, he won’t be alone. Chan Qi, a princeling, China Revolution symbol, and a woman who broke the law and got pregnant on the Moon, which is forbidden, is on the run too. Due to her status and connections, Fred will be as safe as someone in his position can be. But that, by far, doesn’t mean any comfort. His life has changed forever. He can’t contact his family, tell them he’s okay, and that he’s innocent. He must stay hidden in a little apartment in an unknown country, eating foods this stranger woman is making him, grateful for it, of course. And on moments notice, he must be prepared to hop back on a shuttle and go to the Moon or back. Surreal doesn’t cut it for Fred.
Mine: This book is very politically heavy. Two super-countries, China and America have colonized the moon and are experimenting on it, trying to make it nice and proper for life, see what use can be squeezed out of it. While revolution is breaking out. Have you ever head a saying “you vote every time you buy“? For instance, my friends in Germany have told me it’d be hard if not impossible to find scrubs with plastic microbeads in them, for people have “voted” them out. Something akin is happening here too, but on far greater, billions of people worth of scale. By the People, For the People, with a dash of Confucius and poems that help characters analize their situations and their feelings. It’s as strange a sci-fi book as one gets without anything alien or supernatural to it. It’s just people tired of oppression, poverty, struggling.
I give this book a 3 out of 5, because you could throw away half the damn book and not miss a thing. For through so many pages so very little to nothing happens, it’s amazing. Skip a page, they’re still in their same chairs, eating same meal, thinking the same things.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About: One moment you can be a nobody. A worker in a new place on a job, possibly even enjoying it. Fred, for instance. It’s his first time on the Moon. His job here is to install a communication system of sorts. And as he shakes hands with someone important, next moment strikes. They both fall, one dead, the other’s very sick. From this moment on Fred is a fugitive accused of murder, and must run. Lucky for him, he won’t be alone. Chan Qi, a princeling, China Revolution symbol, and a woman who broke the law and got pregnant on the Moon, which is forbidden, is on the run too. Due to her status and connections, Fred will be as safe as someone in his position can be. But that, by far, doesn’t mean any comfort. His life has changed forever. He can’t contact his family, tell them he’s okay, and that he’s innocent. He must stay hidden in a little apartment in an unknown country, eating foods this stranger woman is making him, grateful for it, of course. And on moments notice, he must be prepared to hop back on a shuttle and go to the Moon or back. Surreal doesn’t cut it for Fred.
Mine: This book is very politically heavy. Two super-countries, China and America have colonized the moon and are experimenting on it, trying to make it nice and proper for life, see what use can be squeezed out of it. While revolution is breaking out. Have you ever head a saying “you vote every time you buy“? For instance, my friends in Germany have told me it’d be hard if not impossible to find scrubs with plastic microbeads in them, for people have “voted” them out. Something akin is happening here too, but on far greater, billions of people worth of scale. By the People, For the People, with a dash of Confucius and poems that help characters analize their situations and their feelings. It’s as strange a sci-fi book as one gets without anything alien or supernatural to it. It’s just people tired of oppression, poverty, struggling.
I give this book a 3 out of 5, because you could throw away half the damn book and not miss a thing. For through so many pages so very little to nothing happens, it’s amazing. Skip a page, they’re still in their same chairs, eating same meal, thinking the same things.
avafritsch's review
This was a gift. I am not into sci fi or politics so it was struggle to get through what I got through.