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anastasiabookgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bookishsystem's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely Obsessed!
I’m a trans man myself and loved the representation in this book. The pacing to me was perfect and i loved the conversation about ai/android sentience!
Probably my new favorite book!
I’m a trans man myself and loved the representation in this book. The pacing to me was perfect and i loved the conversation about ai/android sentience!
Probably my new favorite book!
aspring's review against another edition
4.75
okay al hess… i was unfamiliar with your game
time to start on the backlist ig
time to start on the backlist ig
s_sheppard18's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.5
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
It is wonderful and refreshing to read a story centering on autonomy and personhood which is deeply interested in erring on the side of expanding those definitions. WORLD RUNNING DOWN is about a trans man with body dysphoria, and an AI with android dysphoria. Valentine is a salvager, working with a partner (Ace) to try and do enough jobs to have the money for citizenship in Salt Lake City, where he can medically transition at last. Osric is an AI who was placed in an android body against his will, sent by his new employer to give Valentine and Ace a job: track down some stolen merchandise. The problems begin in earnest when it turns out the "merchandise" are android sex workers. Just as Osric is starting to get used to having a body, and maybe not mind so much that people assume he's non-sentient like the rest of the androids... it starts to look like maybe that's not an accurate way to describe them either. It's becoming increasingly obvious that the some (or perhaps all) of the androids are sentient, and they don't want to go back to being used and abused.
I appreciate how it's acknowledge specifically that the humans are fine with non-corporeal AI, and corporeal non-sentient androids, but they've tried to dodge the issue of "is a sentient android worthy of basic rights of personhood" by trying very hard to insist that there's no way the programming would let them have independent thought. They've basically avoided the issue rather than dealing with what it would mean if that ever happened. It turns out that the time is now, with Ace and Valentine having to decide whether it makes a difference that the objects they were sent to retrieve have their own ideas about what happens next.
The romance between Osric and Valentine is great, it's intimate without getting explicit. I especially appreciate this dynamic as both characters have complicated feelings about their own bodies, and avoiding specifics about parts seems to be a good storytelling decision here.
Things I love, in no particular order: Valentine in his new clothes; Osric figuring out his body; how Ace's transphobia is handled; the AI Stewards; the pirates.
It is wonderful and refreshing to read a story centering on autonomy and personhood which is deeply interested in erring on the side of expanding those definitions. WORLD RUNNING DOWN is about a trans man with body dysphoria, and an AI with android dysphoria. Valentine is a salvager, working with a partner (Ace) to try and do enough jobs to have the money for citizenship in Salt Lake City, where he can medically transition at last. Osric is an AI who was placed in an android body against his will, sent by his new employer to give Valentine and Ace a job: track down some stolen merchandise. The problems begin in earnest when it turns out the "merchandise" are android sex workers. Just as Osric is starting to get used to having a body, and maybe not mind so much that people assume he's non-sentient like the rest of the androids... it starts to look like maybe that's not an accurate way to describe them either. It's becoming increasingly obvious that the some (or perhaps all) of the androids are sentient, and they don't want to go back to being used and abused.
I appreciate how it's acknowledge specifically that the humans are fine with non-corporeal AI, and corporeal non-sentient androids, but they've tried to dodge the issue of "is a sentient android worthy of basic rights of personhood" by trying very hard to insist that there's no way the programming would let them have independent thought. They've basically avoided the issue rather than dealing with what it would mean if that ever happened. It turns out that the time is now, with Ace and Valentine having to decide whether it makes a difference that the objects they were sent to retrieve have their own ideas about what happens next.
The romance between Osric and Valentine is great, it's intimate without getting explicit. I especially appreciate this dynamic as both characters have complicated feelings about their own bodies, and avoiding specifics about parts seems to be a good storytelling decision here.
Things I love, in no particular order: Valentine in his new clothes; Osric figuring out his body; how Ace's transphobia is handled; the AI Stewards; the pirates.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Abandonment, Slavery, Sexual content, Trafficking, Transphobia, Violence, Dysphoria, Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Deadnaming, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, and Animal death
stargoddess's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.75
I loved this book. I thought the characters were so specific and well-drawn. It is a really interesting take on the trans experience - how do you deal with gender after the end of the world - and also body dysmorphia in general - what if you don’t question your gender, but just know that your body is wrong. The romance was sweet, and the world at large was fascinating. My only complaint was that the ending seemed a bit rushed - it felt like things came together a little too neatly at a certain point. But overall this is a book that will stay imprinted on me for some time to come.
athan_kogaan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shksprsis's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-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? Yes
4.0
shottel's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.0
World Running Down isn’t innovating, but that’s okay. It’s solid fiction, set a couple generations after rich people jump ship to a new planet after deciding that earth is a lost cause. A few large cities remain the last bastions of prosperity, while outside their borders things somewhat resemble Mad Max. In this environment Valentine, a trans guy trying to scrape together enough money to buy a visa to one of the cities, takes a job that sends him down a path that involves a lot of reflection about what it means to be sentient and our duty to others and the environment. Less high-falutin, there’s also a lot of gay emotions and some sex. It’s a genuinely enjoyable novel, especially if you like more reflective fiction or trans or gay main characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Animal death, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide
helynalc's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I'm so happy this book caught my attention on twitter! The blurb sounded just like my kind of thing and after I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, the novel did not disappoint at all.
It's strange to say this about a book featuring a sort of dystopian future about the "leftovers" of humanity after the rich had ransacked the planet, gotten on their spaceships, and f*cked off to another star system, and which mostly plays out in a desert, neo-Salt Lake City and shows off salt pirates and AIs that look like giant eyeballs, but the novel is...cozy and cute. And hopeful. Not in a preachy or sugarcoating way, but in a very human manner. Valentine, the scavenger, was a character I immediately felt for, and rooted for. His wish was so simple and so complicated at the same time: to finally become who he wanted to be, to have enough money to get into a city where he would have the medical resources to make his transition. Throw in a romance with a gentle AI also trying to find his way, then a plotline about androids gaining sentience, and you have...something special. On this of ruined, abandoned Earth which still sports rough class differences, cruelty, and oppression (not humanity's best qualities), here is a tale of acceptance, kindness, and fighting for each other. And yes, it seems hopeless sometimes and not everything is so straightforward and we mess up all the time, even when we want the best for each other, but we have to try. Stay and grow and bloom among the desert ruins. And make mixtapes for each other and stuff.
If anything, I just wanted more. But the story was satisfying, the writing evocative, and the world of the book something that will stay with me for a long time.