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absolute_gemma's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
matheamae's review against another edition
5.0
Was pleasantly surprised how much I actually enjoyed this one!!! The first story was a little slow, but as we got into the second I was fully immersed in this universe!
weslaybookclub's review against another edition
2.75
Deborah: 3 stars
Kelly & Quandra: 2.5 stars
Even with the extra month to read this, the majority of the group didn't finish this. The ones who did agreed that there was great potential here, but it failed in its execution.
Kelly & Quandra: 2.5 stars
Even with the extra month to read this, the majority of the group didn't finish this. The ones who did agreed that there was great potential here, but it failed in its execution.
throwback682's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I sometimes found it difficult to follow the stories/all their characters but overall the stories were very good. The future described was very dark but that wasn’t the point; we got to see the characters fight for a better world. This book is about hope, not inevitable dystopia.
wheredotheducksgo's review against another edition
Sorry Mx. Monáe, I'm just not in the mood for this rn :(
incunabula_and_intercourse's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
After having loved Dirty Computer, both the album and the emotion picture, it was a real treat to return to the world that Janelle Monáe had crafted all these years ago. The overarching themes of strong hope for an uncertain future and love for each other despite the cruelty of the system resonated strongly with me—they're messages we need to hear more than ever.
Now, as for the stories themselves:
The Memory Librarian—5⭐. A very strong beginning, lush with prose and moral ambiguity and the futility of internal reform. You hate Seshet, and yet, you can't help but feel sorry for her. I've got to read more of Alaya Dawn Johnson's work; she tells fantastic stories and tells them fantastically. I can't wait to see what she does with wholly original ideas!
Nevermind—4.25⭐. It's nice to see Jane 57821 find healing and meaning after the events of Dirty Computer, and it's extra nice to see it in an environment full of sisterhood and genuine community effort. I like that they're still dealing with New Dawn to an extent, since running away is not enough—they're still here and they still need to be taken down at some point. This one's more about the necessity ofanarcho-communism solidarity and community and not letting infighting tear us apart, and I can appreciate that. The ending felt a bit weak; while I understand the points it made about how TERFism is ultimately working with the very system you swore to destroy, but it felt just a bit too heavy-handed, and I do feel some way about Rhapsody 's main targets being two genderfuck women rather than any explicit trans woman (though trans women do exist in this book). Still, a solid entry into the 'verse.
Timebox—5⭐*. This one's a complicated one. It's one of the better-written stories, and it's got solid themes of time-as-commodity under capitalism paired with the dangers of "champagne socialists" who wax philosophical about theory but can't even do the dishes. The way that Akilah and Raven's relationship was written honestly triggered a lot of anxiety in me as someone who, like Raven, has been in an emotionally abusive relationship (and Akilah's behavior is abusive, let's not mince words); it was well-done in an overwhelming way. Where I falter is how this fits into the lore. Aside from a few mentions of ComBands and TriCards and New Dawn being namedropped once, this felt more like a magical realist short story than something that belongs in a dystopian sci-fi anthology. 5 stars on its own, but probably lower when it comes to cohesiveness.
Save Changes—5⭐. Another really strong entry, this time about the surveillance state, the sins of the parents, and the ever-present struggle between a safe life and a meaningful one. Aside from a single research snafu (one character is "studying to be a doctor" while already in residency; residents are doctors, they're just in training for a specialty like surgery/internal medicine/pathology/etc), I really enjoyed this one! The twists make sense, the ever-present dread of the police state is ever-present, and the ending is ambiguous enough to leave room for tension yet emotionally conclusive enough to be satisfying. Even the quasi-magical elements with the larimar didn't bother me as much, since the aesthetic choices made it fit into this world fairly seamlessly anyhow. A really, really good story.
Timebox Altar(ed)—3.75⭐. A bit of an odd finale. It's very vibes-y, more an emotional journey through finding and building hope for the future and dreaming it into reality—which is fine and all, but it's not really Dirty Computer. There's more mention to drones and obelisks in this one than in Timebox, but the heavy reliance on magic somewhat weakened the cohesiveness of the overall book. Honestly, I would have swapped the placement of this and Save Changes; the latter is both stronger and punchier, and it still ends on that high note fraught with tension that serves perfectly to conclude both a story and a collection. Hell, I'd argue that SC's ending better mirrors the ending of the emotion picture than TA's! Overall not the worst thing I've ever read, but quite underwhelming.
ETA: I think one big issue here is just the order of the stories. Timebox Altar(ed) could be a fine story, but asking it to be a closer is too much. Plus, using Timebox as a tent-pole feels a bit out of left field when it's so different, and such a short story compared to the two novellas we just finished.
I'd order it thusly:
Now, as for the stories themselves:
The Memory Librarian—5⭐. A very strong beginning, lush with prose and moral ambiguity and the futility of internal reform. You hate Seshet, and yet, you can't help but feel sorry for her. I've got to read more of Alaya Dawn Johnson's work; she tells fantastic stories and tells them fantastically. I can't wait to see what she does with wholly original ideas!
Nevermind—4.25⭐. It's nice to see Jane 57821 find healing and meaning after the events of Dirty Computer, and it's extra nice to see it in an environment full of sisterhood and genuine community effort. I like that they're still dealing with New Dawn to an extent, since running away is not enough—they're still here and they still need to be taken down at some point. This one's more about the necessity of
Timebox—5⭐*. This one's a complicated one. It's one of the better-written stories, and it's got solid themes of time-as-commodity under capitalism paired with the dangers of "champagne socialists" who wax philosophical about theory but can't even do the dishes. The way that Akilah and Raven's relationship was written honestly triggered a lot of anxiety in me as someone who, like Raven, has been in an emotionally abusive relationship (and Akilah's behavior is abusive, let's not mince words); it was well-done in an overwhelming way. Where I falter is how this fits into the lore. Aside from a few mentions of ComBands and TriCards and New Dawn being namedropped once, this felt more like a magical realist short story than something that belongs in a dystopian sci-fi anthology. 5 stars on its own, but probably lower when it comes to cohesiveness.
Save Changes—5⭐. Another really strong entry, this time about the surveillance state, the sins of the parents, and the ever-present struggle between a safe life and a meaningful one. Aside from a single research snafu (one character is "studying to be a doctor" while already in residency; residents are doctors, they're just in training for a specialty like surgery/internal medicine/pathology/etc), I really enjoyed this one! The twists make sense, the ever-present dread of the police state is ever-present, and the ending is ambiguous enough to leave room for tension yet emotionally conclusive enough to be satisfying. Even the quasi-magical elements with the larimar didn't bother me as much, since the aesthetic choices made it fit into this world fairly seamlessly anyhow. A really, really good story.
Timebox Altar(ed)—3.75⭐. A bit of an odd finale. It's very vibes-y, more an emotional journey through finding and building hope for the future and dreaming it into reality—which is fine and all, but it's not really Dirty Computer. There's more mention to drones and obelisks in this one than in Timebox, but the heavy reliance on magic somewhat weakened the cohesiveness of the overall book. Honestly, I would have swapped the placement of this and Save Changes; the latter is both stronger and punchier, and it still ends on that high note fraught with tension that serves perfectly to conclude both a story and a collection. Hell, I'd argue that SC's ending better mirrors the ending of the emotion picture than TA's! Overall not the worst thing I've ever read, but quite underwhelming.
ETA: I think one big issue here is just the order of the stories. Timebox Altar(ed) could be a fine story, but asking it to be a closer is too much. Plus, using Timebox as a tent-pole feels a bit out of left field when it's so different, and such a short story compared to the two novellas we just finished.
I'd order it thusly:
- The Memory Librarian (title story and a strong, compelling beginning)
- Timebox (much shorter, bit of a breather, slowly setting up magic)
- Nevermind (longer and more lore-based, strong and cohesive enough to be a tent-pole, rewarding the reader's time with familiar characters)
- Timebox Altar(ed) (a reminder of the magic set up in Timebox, plus a gentle emotional vibes-based story that focuses on kids, letting its unique angle flourish as its own thing instead of demanding bombastic closer energy)
- Save Changes (bombastic and vibrant closer, paying off the magic set up in the Timebox duology with the Larimar necklace, parallels to the credits of Dirty Computer, high-emotional climax leaves readers with the desire to agitate and change!)
Taken as a whole, my average rating is a cool 4.5. Not perfect, but still great. Highly recommend for fans of sci-fi dystopia, Afrofuturism, and hopepunk, and anyone else who enjoys Janelle Monáe's work.
eleonora_s's review against another edition
5.0
Is there anything Janelle Monáe can’t do???? Incredible world building and character growth in every single story. I could really see the inspirations from Octavia Butler. I will also def check out her co-authors. Bravo!! <3
laurenmacphail's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ejulin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
3.0