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1.08k reviews for:

The Spare Man

Mary Robinette Kowal

3.75 AVERAGE


This is one of the best things I’ve read this year. A fun twist on the closed room murder mystery trope, set on a cruise liner to Mars in a lovely future where gender neutral language and courtesy masks are the standard.

The best part, though, was the cocktail recipes at the beginning of every chapter, including some really delicious sounding mocktails!
adventurous challenging funny mysterious tense 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

novknight's review


Was not connecting with the characters, and the mains name being Tesla's wasn't for me. A little too much about her service dog. Don't need a murder mystery in space when it bearly talks about space. 
clancydrools's profile picture

clancydrools's review

5.0

fun! going to try some of the drink recipes :)
adventurous emotional funny tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

It was a bit sloe going in the beginning with all the concepts being introduced, but once you get them all it’s a wonderful ride.
adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

rjs618's review

4.75
adventurous funny fast-paced

DNF at 45%. I didn't care about anything that's going on. The idea of a whodunnit mystery in space sounded so cool but unfortunately it wasn't so exciting. 
lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
adventurous medium-paced

quite fun, I recommend. Luxury space cruise. Doggy. Talented and accomplished disabled FMC. her and her spouse are pretty horny for each other, which was a bit uncomfy(for me), but I forgive them. The linguistic imaginings were kinda funny to me, but they feed well into the general camp vibe.

second sci-fi this year, where people don't eat cows not because it's wrong, but because it's a luxury. here we are imagining queer normative technologically advanced future, space travel, mind to mind communication, food and clothes being printed on demand, but animal liberation is apparently too much.