Reviews

The Left Hand of Dog by Si Clarke

samilly's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

timinbc's review

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3.0

Neutral: It's silly. It SAID it was silly. We can't complain.

Boo: Henry was so annoying that I almost DNF'ed several times

Neutral: Lem is ace. Author is also nonmainstream, such authors have been suppressed, and they are telling stories from new angles, bring it on.

Boo: Lem is a nebbish. The plot is flimsier than flimsy.

Neutral: the many, many references to pop SF

Yay plus: the idea that the universal translator might as well operate in figurative mode, so if a ship runs on fictional fuel, "unobtainium" is in no way a worse name for it than grumdilp and "coffee: is distinctly better than kava or whatever.

I won't look for any sequels, but this was a nice palate cleanser.

a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 Stars

What would you do if you woke up after being abducted by adorable bunny bounty hunters who have charged your beloved dog with a crime and are bringing her and other accused aliens to be judged? Well, Lem is for sure in a pickle, but good thing alien tech allows her to not only communicate with her dog but forge bonds with her fellow inmates as well.

So yes, as per the blurb, Lem teams up with a humanoid horse, a parrot physician, a sentient gaseous entity, and a non stop swearing robot to get them out of their sticky situation and all safely home.

Slightly reminiscent in the spirit of Lyn Gala’s works in how human nature is dissected and commented on when contrasted with other alien species, this had some humor (FYI, there’s no romance) and great shoutouts to sci-fi pop culture that we all so lovingly love. Add a very diverse cast that is wholly representative and this was an entertaining space adventurous ride!

notesfromthebookdrop's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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? No

4.25

apatofuture's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

jmontg18's review against another edition

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funny relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

travellingkate's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A wonderfully funny, and slightly silly book. Peppered with sci-fi references that add flavor to the story, without being too obvious. As the cover says, fans of Pratchett and Adams take note! 

nnbb's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-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? No

3.0

gingerbread_void's review against another edition

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4.0

This was super weird but in a really fun way. This is a book that knows exactly what it is and who its audience is. It was wild and crazy and weird in place but as long as you just strap in and enjoy the ride you will love this. This is such a fun ride as long as you know what you are getting into so strap in and enjoy the ride!

malreynolds111's review against another edition

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4.0

Quirky perfectly sums up this book. Nods to my favorite Sci fi characters abound. Lem is a very likeable main character who questions what is going on around her while also managing to make friends with a motley bunch of aliens who were all kidnapped on the spaceship teapot.