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emslash's review against another edition
4.0
Discusses vulnerability, personal freedom and how we anticipate and adapt to each other.
ikilegna's review
1.0
First of all, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?! What did I just read? This novel was incredibly hard to make sense of with all the different characters. Maybe it's my unability to unravel whatever happens to the plot about half-way through, when everything just starts being very cryptic. Maybe it's me not liking Natural History (the first book in the series) and being already biased. Maybe it's Maybelline.
I was also quite shocked about the rape scenes (yes, there is more than one!). I just didn't feel like they were necessary and I would've liked at least some kind of warning, because, to me, they basically came out of the blue.
I was also quite shocked about the rape scenes (yes, there is more than one!). I just didn't feel like they were necessary and I would've liked at least some kind of warning, because, to me, they basically came out of the blue.
nwhyte's review against another edition
http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2007/04/the_2007_philip.shtml[return][return]I had high hopes of this book. In its favour, Robson explores the questions of individual identity in a world where artificial intelligences are in charge of both the ordinary world and of various pocket universes which can be easily accessed, very much in the tradition of Philip K. Dick. The plot concerns the struggle for dominance between two god-like entities, Theo and Jalaeka, but one that is brought down to the level of their human friends and lovers, particularly through researcher Greg Saxton and runaway schoolgirl Francine, in a pocket universe called Sankhara.[return][return]Unfortunately I really had to struggle to finish this. Robson's high-risk strategy of jumping between eight different first-person narrators does not really pay off; I often had to flick back to the start of each chapter to remind myself who was speaking. This lack of signposting in the narrative was matched by an equally frustrating lack of signposting for the context; it is all very well to start a book with little idea of how this world works, but it seemed to take a very long time before the picture of what was and was not possible in it emerged. I found this frustrating. Robson is a good writer, and there are lots of good ideas here, but they are not laid out clearly enough. For almost the first time I can remember, I found myself wishing that the book had been equipped with a glossary and dramatis person
lottpoet's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
editor_b's review
2.0
The themes and concepts and world in this book seem mighty intriguing. I think I might have liked this book more if I'd understood what was going on. I think I might have understood what's going on if only I'd read [b:Natural History|735504|Natural History|Justina Robson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177828938s/735504.jpg|1125408], of which this is apparently a sequel of sorts. But I didn't so I didn't.
wyvernfriend's review
4.0
In this interwoven story that follows on from Natural History it tells of what happens to unity when it starts to fully interact with humanity and humanity's liking for individuality.
Unity is a fact, it's spreading, consciously and unconsciously. Jalaeka is a consciousness that has hived itself off from the unity and is trying to stay independent. Unity wants it back, but does it really and is it prepared for what will happen when two powerful entities go head to head.
Surreal and mythic it's a little too scattered for my taste but an interesting read all the same.
Unity is a fact, it's spreading, consciously and unconsciously. Jalaeka is a consciousness that has hived itself off from the unity and is trying to stay independent. Unity wants it back, but does it really and is it prepared for what will happen when two powerful entities go head to head.
Surreal and mythic it's a little too scattered for my taste but an interesting read all the same.
mckitterick's review
3.0
Once again, Justina Robson rocked my socks. Liked it immensely. I always very much appreciate her writing, and she doesn't let down the reader here, either.
hammard's review
2.0
This book is tough to review as it's hard to know what was actually happening most of the time. Therefore I apologise if any of the information I give is inaccurate or my opinions are coloured by this. I suppose it would be best to start with the basics:
Narrative structure: Robson went for the modern fashion of a fragmented first person narrative without a framing structure. For me this is the weakest style an author can choose as it simply serves to confuse the reader and shows the lack of distinctive character traits in the main cast. Given that she sometimes even swaps perspective mid-chapter for no reason other than to give a train of thought this would have been better served by a third person omniscient.
Main Characters:
Francine: Essentially acts the gateway character by running away from Earth. She has the most distinctive narrative voice but is largely just moved around by the other characters.
Greg: University professor with the personality of tissue paper. He mostly just moans about what's happening.
Jalaeka: The star of the story and romantic lead. He comes across as an asshole for most of the book but seems to develop more complex human traits as the story develops.
Damien: I honestly have trouble remembering who he was, confusing him with Greg or Jalaeka. Apart from being an Aelf he didn't seem to do much.
Valkyrie Skuld: The most descriptively interesting character but the one I found it hardest to get my head around for a long while.
Theo: The main antagonist, who often appears by taking over other people or them being part of him. He remains uninteresting as he doesn't really seem to have any shades of grey. We even get some sexual violence for no reason other than to show he is EVIL!
Rita: Theo's henchman but is she good or bad? She's artificial and a part of Theo but she also questions his choices. I felt however her conflicts were under-utilized.
The actual plot itself (that I understood) never seemed to be the real central driving force. Rather this is a book of ideas and world building:
Ideas: One thing you cannot claim Robson on is being short on ideas, in fact this is what kept me reading. She keeps throwing in questions of identity and how we connect with technology and what does that mean for our conception of reality. Whilst I would have hoped for more exploration of these themes they are what lifts the book up.
World Building: Unfortunately, this is what really drags it down. A lot of the book is wandering from place-to-place trying to discover an answers. However, these worlds areas insubstantial as smoke, so I cannot feel much connection to something or someone that will have completely changed 10 minutes later and we will never see again. At the same time we are bombarded with technobabble we have to be working out what it means and then applying it back to when we first heard people refer to in this way. It makes for a very unrewarding experience.
One final word, without spoiling it too much, I felt the ending was a cop-out. The book would have been improved without the final chapter.
Narrative structure: Robson went for the modern fashion of a fragmented first person narrative without a framing structure. For me this is the weakest style an author can choose as it simply serves to confuse the reader and shows the lack of distinctive character traits in the main cast. Given that she sometimes even swaps perspective mid-chapter for no reason other than to give a train of thought this would have been better served by a third person omniscient.
Main Characters:
Francine: Essentially acts the gateway character by running away from Earth. She has the most distinctive narrative voice but is largely just moved around by the other characters.
Greg: University professor with the personality of tissue paper. He mostly just moans about what's happening.
Jalaeka: The star of the story and romantic lead. He comes across as an asshole for most of the book but seems to develop more complex human traits as the story develops.
Damien: I honestly have trouble remembering who he was, confusing him with Greg or Jalaeka. Apart from being an Aelf he didn't seem to do much.
Valkyrie Skuld: The most descriptively interesting character but the one I found it hardest to get my head around for a long while.
Theo: The main antagonist, who often appears by taking over other people or them being part of him. He remains uninteresting as he doesn't really seem to have any shades of grey. We even get some sexual violence for no reason other than to show he is EVIL!
Rita: Theo's henchman but is she good or bad? She's artificial and a part of Theo but she also questions his choices. I felt however her conflicts were under-utilized.
The actual plot itself (that I understood) never seemed to be the real central driving force. Rather this is a book of ideas and world building:
Ideas: One thing you cannot claim Robson on is being short on ideas, in fact this is what kept me reading. She keeps throwing in questions of identity and how we connect with technology and what does that mean for our conception of reality. Whilst I would have hoped for more exploration of these themes they are what lifts the book up.
World Building: Unfortunately, this is what really drags it down. A lot of the book is wandering from place-to-place trying to discover an answers. However, these worlds areas insubstantial as smoke, so I cannot feel much connection to something or someone that will have completely changed 10 minutes later and we will never see again. At the same time we are bombarded with technobabble we have to be working out what it means and then applying it back to when we first heard people refer to in this way. It makes for a very unrewarding experience.
One final word, without spoiling it too much, I felt the ending was a cop-out. The book would have been improved without the final chapter.
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