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raix's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Any enjoyable read with some interesting world-building! I loved the comparisons between AI, mechanical bodies, and the experience of being transgender. Seeing Osric learn and come to terms with life in a human(ish) body was delightful, as well as seeing the other androids come into their sentience in various ways. I loved Valentine's big heart, too. I feel like there is recently a trend away from stories where trans people have transition as a goal, so it was nice to see this as a major aspect of his character as it's an experience I can relate to. The way that different ways of life were expanded upon, and neither the city or the people living outside it were presented as wholly good or bad, was nice to see. I really found it fascinating the gap of even basic world history between the people of Salt Lake and those living outside of it. Also, in the beginning I worried that Ace would be presented as a one-dimensional antagonist who clashes with Valentine (especially when compared with Osric who is more or less entirely on Valentine's side), and I'm glad that in the end her character had nuance too.
The romance didn't really do it for me, although maybe I was just too asexual to enjoy it. I found myself thinking "You're going to have this conversation NOW?" and "You're going to do that HERE?". I found the flirtations a little unrealistic in situations with more important things going on. For me, one of the selling points of an AI/human romance is the lack of a sexual aspect, so in this case it just wasn't to my tastes (the reasoning for bumping down my rating). Overall I would say that the romance and plot are somewhat balanced, with the romance maybe taking a little more precedence.
The romance didn't really do it for me, although maybe I was just too asexual to enjoy it. I found myself thinking "You're going to have this conversation NOW?" and "You're going to do that HERE?". I found the flirtations a little unrealistic in situations with more important things going on. For me, one of the selling points of an AI/human romance is the lack of a sexual aspect, so in this case it just wasn't to my tastes (the reasoning for bumping down my rating). Overall I would say that the romance and plot are somewhat balanced, with the romance maybe taking a little more precedence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Sexual content, Classism, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, and Physical abuse
meshell's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
World Running Down by Al Hess was such an interesting exploration of identity, friendship, artificial intelligence, and what a peri-apocalyptic future might look like, and left me with a lot to think about.
There is the archetype of the gated city of splendour and the surrounding communities of struggle and strife, but both are shown with care I think. On that note, I was intrigued by some of the settings of the story - and I thought the world building was brilliant:
- Salt Lake City as a gated city of plenty, run by artificial intelligences called Stewards, and a human council.
- Several outer communities in varied states of anti-technology, stealing from travellers, but in a way that was implied to be subsistence based rather than just based around cruelty like some of the city based "respectable" criminals. There is a designated queer community.
There is a love story, some unexpected allies, a mystery, ADHD rep, and queer, trans rep. It's got a great combination of cozy and adventure - and just some deep conversations. I think there is a lot going on in this book, and I think for the most part, it was really well done.
There is the archetype of the gated city of splendour and the surrounding communities of struggle and strife, but both are shown with care I think. On that note, I was intrigued by some of the settings of the story - and I thought the world building was brilliant:
- Salt Lake City as a gated city of plenty, run by artificial intelligences called Stewards, and a human council.
- Several outer communities in varied states of anti-technology, stealing from travellers, but in a way that was implied to be subsistence based rather than just based around cruelty like some of the city based "respectable" criminals. There is a designated queer community.
There is a love story, some unexpected allies, a mystery, ADHD rep, and queer, trans rep. It's got a great combination of cozy and adventure - and just some deep conversations. I think there is a lot going on in this book, and I think for the most part, it was really well done.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Homophobia, Transphobia, Classism, Violence, and Sexual content
brittni_in_ink's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
A hopeful take on the post-apocalyptic wasteland, this queer road trip is a wild ride that tugs at the heartstrings.
In the salt flats of near-future Utah, salvager Valentine and his van partner Ace take on jobs to save up for a visa to Salt Lake City. Valentine dreams of the benefits of a visa, which include access to testosterone and transition surgery. When Osric, a handsome A.I. trapped in an android body, shows up with a job offer, Valentine's dream is within reach - until it turns out that the job involves tracking down androids who may becoming self-aware...
There's so much to love about this book. From the dual POV format (alternating between Valentine and Osric) to the salt pirates, androids, and wastelanders who inhabit the book, there's a unique flavour to Hess's post-apocalyptic world. The book involves themes of personal autonomy and identity, which characters explore in different ways, giving the book a well-crafted sense of cohesion. The relationship between Valentine and Osric is the clear core of the story and the attention to the relationship dynamics gives the book a cosy tone.
However, there are some heavier instances in this sometimes harsh world. Relationships and friendships get messy and, as in real relationships, some problems get worked out, and some don't. That's what gives Hess's writing an edge - there's a vulnerability and authenticity in the characters' personalities, frustrations, and hard-won joy.
There were a couple of elements that could've used a bit more filling out, but by keeping the story focused on Valentine and Osric, there's room for suspension of disbelief. I mostly wanted to get to know more of the androids outside of their identity as a group earlier on.
It's also worth mentioning that the book also discusses big social problems - the excess of resources in the city and the scarcity in the wasteland communities, or the mistreatment of androids, as examples. It felt pretty relevant to our world today, along with the Teegardeners, who act as a metaphor as well as a worldbuilding note. World Running Down definitely feels of our time and asks some tough questions that the characters don't have solutions for.
I loved the little nods to Shakespeare throughout, and the importance of the arts throughout the story. I'd love to hear what a Gunman Gee record sounds like!
Overall, World Running Down was a read I'll be thinking about for a long while. Besides including a lot of my favourite sci-fi elements - androids becoming self-aware, robots (or A.I.) in love, and a hopeful future - the book is a reminder that kindness and generousity can make a real difference in a world running down.
In the salt flats of near-future Utah, salvager Valentine and his van partner Ace take on jobs to save up for a visa to Salt Lake City. Valentine dreams of the benefits of a visa, which include access to testosterone and transition surgery. When Osric, a handsome A.I. trapped in an android body, shows up with a job offer, Valentine's dream is within reach - until it turns out that the job involves tracking down androids who may becoming self-aware...
There's so much to love about this book. From the dual POV format (alternating between Valentine and Osric) to the salt pirates, androids, and wastelanders who inhabit the book, there's a unique flavour to Hess's post-apocalyptic world. The book involves themes of personal autonomy and identity, which characters explore in different ways, giving the book a well-crafted sense of cohesion. The relationship between Valentine and Osric is the clear core of the story and the attention to the relationship dynamics gives the book a cosy tone.
However, there are some heavier instances in this sometimes harsh world. Relationships and friendships get messy and, as in real relationships, some problems get worked out, and some don't. That's what gives Hess's writing an edge - there's a vulnerability and authenticity in the characters' personalities, frustrations, and hard-won joy.
There were a couple of elements that could've used a bit more filling out, but by keeping the story focused on Valentine and Osric, there's room for suspension of disbelief. I mostly wanted to get to know more of the androids outside of their identity as a group earlier on.
It's also worth mentioning that the book also discusses big social problems - the excess of resources in the city and the scarcity in the wasteland communities, or the mistreatment of androids, as examples. It felt pretty relevant to our world today, along with the Teegardeners, who act as a metaphor as well as a worldbuilding note. World Running Down definitely feels of our time and asks some tough questions that the characters don't have solutions for.
I loved the little nods to Shakespeare throughout, and the importance of the arts throughout the story. I'd love to hear what a Gunman Gee record sounds like!
Overall, World Running Down was a read I'll be thinking about for a long while. Besides including a lot of my favourite sci-fi elements - androids becoming self-aware, robots (or A.I.) in love, and a hopeful future - the book is a reminder that kindness and generousity can make a real difference in a world running down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Minor: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Classism, and Toxic friendship
ash_hernick's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Are you interested in reading about the philosophical debates around artificial sentience? Fights (and treaties!) with motorcycle-riding religious pirates? The desert wastes of an almost post-apocalyptic Utah? Maybe you're just looking for a sweet romance between a trans man and his AI boyfriend? If any of these piqued your interest, then "World Running Down" is perfect for you!
"World Running Down" by Al Hess is a lovely story about Valentine, a trans man, and Osric, an AI trapped in an android body, traveling together through the ruins of a run-down, near-future Utah. Valentine's a scavenger, trying to get together enough money from doing odd jobs to get a visa so that he can live in a city and finally transition the way he wants to. He's traveling with another scavenger, Ace, and together the two go from town-to-town picking up jobs and studying for the inevitable citizenship test they'll have to take if they get their visas. While stopping in a settlement one day, Valentine meets Osric, a person from the city sent as a messenger to tell the two scavengers about a job from a high-paying client. Oh, and Osric's also a Steward (one of the city's AI guardians) illegally trapped in an android body.
There was so much I loved about this book. I'm always a sucker for discussions of what qualifies as artificial intelligence and sentience, and "World Running Down" explored these ideas in a way that was thoughtful and felt natural. I loved the conversations between Valentine, Osric, and various androids and Stewards about sentience. This book was such a refreshing read and reminded me thematically of "A Psalm for the Wild-Built" (one of my favorite recent speculative releases) in a lot of ways, although the stories themselves are very different. I think it's that both books handle discussions of AI and sentience in similarly compelling ways.
I also thought the romance between Val and Osric was sweet and built up well within the narrative. It didn't feel instalovey at all to me, but it's also clear that a spark was there from the beginning, and Hess develops that attraction well. I also loved how the Valentine and Osric are able to connect to each other through the idea of both being "in the wrong body" in a sense - Val wishes he had a more traditionally cis masculine form, and Osric has never been in a humanoid body before. I wouldn't have made that connection on my own, but the way the two talked about their experiences felt natural and made a lot of sense with the internal logic of the world.
On the topic of Valentine's trans identity - sometimes Valentine experiences transphobic microaggressions, and there are references to explicit transphobia off-page, but I appreciated that Hess's depiction of both felt respectful and purposeful. Sometimes Valentine is misgendered on-page, but he always steps up and tries to shut it down as soon as he can, or another character steps forward to support him. Most people he encounters are actually accepting of his gender identity, and if they misgender him initially, it's an accident, and they switch to the correct pronouns and name for him as soon as they learn they've made a mistake. It's even a major plot point that the central city in the novel offers HRT and gender-affirming surgeries to its citizens, covered under the city's healthcare plans. Fair warning that Val does bind with bandages/tape sometimes in the novel, but I really can't blame him - man's essentially living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Overall, all of the author's choices around displaying the transphobia (or lack thereof) that Valentine experiences throughout the novel felt purposeful and realistic. Obviously, Utah as a futuristic desert wasteland full of wandering pirates and androids isn't exactly realistic - but each instance felt like it made sense within the greater understanding of the story.
In general, I was just ecstatic to see such a well-developed gay and trans character in a well-written romance with an equally well-developed gay character. They were wonderful.
With all my praise of it, you probably won't be surprised to here that there wasn't much I disliked about this novel. Mostly, I wished there'd been more of it! I did feel like there were some plot points that weren't fully resolved, or ideas that weren't wrapped up completely, but none of these were major in the grand scheme of the story. There were moments when I wished I'd gotten to learn a little more about the history of the futuristic world Valentine and Osric lived in, but again, this had no bearing on the main plot.
I'm definitely going to be recommending this book to friends! As I was reading it, I already had a mental list going of the people in my life who I thought would love it. Definitely pick it up if you're interested in reading a character study of a trans man doing what he can to transition in a falling-apart world, or if you're looking for a queer romance against a speculative near-futuristic setting. Even if you're just looking for another quick read about AI, this could be the book for you! I cannot recommend it enough.
Are you interested in reading about the philosophical debates around artificial sentience? Fights (and treaties!) with motorcycle-riding religious pirates? The desert wastes of an almost post-apocalyptic Utah? Maybe you're just looking for a sweet romance between a trans man and his AI boyfriend? If any of these piqued your interest, then "World Running Down" is perfect for you!
"World Running Down" by Al Hess is a lovely story about Valentine, a trans man, and Osric, an AI trapped in an android body, traveling together through the ruins of a run-down, near-future Utah. Valentine's a scavenger, trying to get together enough money from doing odd jobs to get a visa so that he can live in a city and finally transition the way he wants to. He's traveling with another scavenger, Ace, and together the two go from town-to-town picking up jobs and studying for the inevitable citizenship test they'll have to take if they get their visas. While stopping in a settlement one day, Valentine meets Osric, a person from the city sent as a messenger to tell the two scavengers about a job from a high-paying client. Oh, and Osric's also a Steward (one of the city's AI guardians) illegally trapped in an android body.
There was so much I loved about this book. I'm always a sucker for discussions of what qualifies as artificial intelligence and sentience, and "World Running Down" explored these ideas in a way that was thoughtful and felt natural. I loved the conversations between Valentine, Osric, and various androids and Stewards about sentience. This book was such a refreshing read and reminded me thematically of "A Psalm for the Wild-Built" (one of my favorite recent speculative releases) in a lot of ways, although the stories themselves are very different. I think it's that both books handle discussions of AI and sentience in similarly compelling ways.
I also thought the romance between Val and Osric was sweet and built up well within the narrative. It didn't feel instalovey at all to me, but it's also clear that a spark was there from the beginning, and Hess develops that attraction well. I also loved how the Valentine and Osric are able to connect to each other through the idea of both being "in the wrong body" in a sense - Val wishes he had a more traditionally cis masculine form, and Osric has never been in a humanoid body before. I wouldn't have made that connection on my own, but the way the two talked about their experiences felt natural and made a lot of sense with the internal logic of the world.
On the topic of Valentine's trans identity - sometimes Valentine experiences transphobic microaggressions, and there are references to explicit transphobia off-page, but I appreciated that Hess's depiction of both felt respectful and purposeful. Sometimes Valentine is misgendered on-page, but he always steps up and tries to shut it down as soon as he can, or another character steps forward to support him. Most people he encounters are actually accepting of his gender identity, and if they misgender him initially, it's an accident, and they switch to the correct pronouns and name for him as soon as they learn they've made a mistake. It's even a major plot point that the central city in the novel offers HRT and gender-affirming surgeries to its citizens, covered under the city's healthcare plans. Fair warning that Val does bind with bandages/tape sometimes in the novel, but I really can't blame him - man's essentially living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Overall, all of the author's choices around displaying the transphobia (or lack thereof) that Valentine experiences throughout the novel felt purposeful and realistic. Obviously, Utah as a futuristic desert wasteland full of wandering pirates and androids isn't exactly realistic - but each instance felt like it made sense within the greater understanding of the story.
In general, I was just ecstatic to see such a well-developed gay and trans character in a well-written romance with an equally well-developed gay character. They were wonderful.
With all my praise of it, you probably won't be surprised to here that there wasn't much I disliked about this novel. Mostly, I wished there'd been more of it! I did feel like there were some plot points that weren't fully resolved, or ideas that weren't wrapped up completely, but none of these were major in the grand scheme of the story. There were moments when I wished I'd gotten to learn a little more about the history of the futuristic world Valentine and Osric lived in, but again, this had no bearing on the main plot.
I'm definitely going to be recommending this book to friends! As I was reading it, I already had a mental list going of the people in my life who I thought would love it. Definitely pick it up if you're interested in reading a character study of a trans man doing what he can to transition in a falling-apart world, or if you're looking for a queer romance against a speculative near-futuristic setting. Even if you're just looking for another quick read about AI, this could be the book for you! I cannot recommend it enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Medical content
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexism, Classism, Religious bigotry, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Violence, and Homophobia
Minor: Kidnapping, Trafficking, and Sexual assault
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