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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the stories that were more focused on what I expected out of a short story of post apocalyptic settings. I think the author does some interesting things by subverting expectations on what an apocalypse actually is, but it wasn't what I was expecting. I was hoping for more pulpy sci-fi rather than speculative fiction. I still liked what I read but most of the stories weren't matching my expectations.
What actually put me off is that this is a white author running through minority experiences like tomb raider. Yea, people can write what they want, but it was really obvious the author has no clue what she was talking about, which made me roll my eyes.
What actually put me off is that this is a white author running through minority experiences like tomb raider. Yea, people can write what they want, but it was really obvious the author has no clue what she was talking about, which made me roll my eyes.
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an interesting read. Some stories were much better than others, some I found boring or unpleasant, but some had a real flash of insight. I was particularly impress with the diversity of characters: the protagonists of each story were the sorts that I wish we had in popular culture more often, there were many people of colour, many women, different sizes, different sexualities. I particularly recommend persevering after the first few stories, which I thought were some of the weaker ones. My particular favourite was the one concerning a piece of software that appeared to have reached singularity.
A couple of stronger stories at the beginning and end but lost me through most of the middle.
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Short stories about the moment after the apocalypse. What kind of apocalypse? It varies, but some of them are pretty subtle. Maybe we're always in the middle of an apocalypse.
Some of these stories were pretty great; others felt more like sketches, and toward the end the stories could get kind of repetitive: something subtle and terrible has just happened/is now just happening, and the main character barely notices, or if they do, they don't notice exactly how bad the implications are. It's a pattern that works, though: in the one story where the character is struck by exactly how bad things are, the end fell flat. The endings are hit or miss--the story is wrapped up plotwise well enough, but some of the endings feel like they're missing a last line or two. A nitpick, but all together, enough to keep it from five stars. My favorite two stories are the first one, about zombies, and the one about taking AI for granted.
A solid, enjoyable read, recommended for horror and SF lovers, although don't expect a lot of splatter. When there IS splatter, it's horrible because it's so mundane, and the other characters' reactions to it are so petty, and so believable. That kind of book. But in a good way.
Some of these stories were pretty great; others felt more like sketches, and toward the end the stories could get kind of repetitive: something subtle and terrible has just happened/is now just happening, and the main character barely notices, or if they do, they don't notice exactly how bad the implications are. It's a pattern that works, though: in the one story where the character is struck by exactly how bad things are, the end fell flat. The endings are hit or miss--the story is wrapped up plotwise well enough, but some of the endings feel like they're missing a last line or two. A nitpick, but all together, enough to keep it from five stars. My favorite two stories are the first one, about zombies, and the one about taking AI for granted.
A solid, enjoyable read, recommended for horror and SF lovers, although don't expect a lot of splatter. When there IS splatter, it's horrible because it's so mundane, and the other characters' reactions to it are so petty, and so believable. That kind of book. But in a good way.
A zombie story, a burgeoning AI, a post-economic-collapse doll maker in the desert: these stories are quite interesting & very different from one another. Some are more surreal, while others are science fiction, some are more emotional while others are scary. A very quick, fun read, and a couple of the stories will stick in your head for a while.
I can't believe it was DOWNHILL from the zombie story! I hate zombie stories!