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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
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
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
reading_rainbows's review
adventurous
inspiring
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Abandonment, Sexual content, Transphobia, Physical abuse, and Medical content
mxcaswell's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Transphobia
Minor: Physical abuse
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
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