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anticonnor's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sortabadass's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
wylsonated's review against another edition
3.0
A post-apocalyptic coming-of-age novel that's fairly entertaining, even when some of the exploratory action sections meander. The world where the plot occurs is fairly self-contained, though hints of the wider world are sprinkled throughout to provide some possibility for future development
reasie's review against another edition
3.0
It's a pretty good pulpy action story. I mean, it had me the moment they introduced a male love slave -- pity we didn't get more of him on camera. :D
*cough*
There were a few points that bothered me - overly repetitious sections, the fact that the main character is motivated by a dying addict brother who conveniently dies as soon as that motivation is no longer needed. The bad guys are all purely despicable. The good guys are all woefully tormented. The main character is astoundingly competent at everything and the only person in her radiated underground home whose mutations are wholly useful and non-disfiguring. (In a word, she's a bit of a Mary Sue.)
Still, as mindless entertainment goes, I liked it well enough to read to the end, eager and anxious that Madame should make it onto the ship outta town.
*cough*
There were a few points that bothered me - overly repetitious sections, the fact that the main character is motivated by a dying addict brother who conveniently dies as soon as that motivation is no longer needed. The bad guys are all purely despicable. The good guys are all woefully tormented. The main character is astoundingly competent at everything and the only person in her radiated underground home whose mutations are wholly useful and non-disfiguring. (In a word, she's a bit of a Mary Sue.)
Still, as mindless entertainment goes, I liked it well enough to read to the end, eager and anxious that Madame should make it onto the ship outta town.
hoppy500's review against another edition
5.0
The Exile Waiting by Vonda N. McIntyre
Like many good books, I think The Exile Waiting can be read on different levels. If I was still in my teens, I would probably feel that it is simply an engaging post-apocalyptic adventure story. More mature readers, though, will likely identify the complex web of dysfunctional and tragic relationships as what stands out most clearly. And it is these relationships which power much of the story.
The Exile Waiting (1975) is set in the same world as Dreamsnake (1978), but cannot really be considered a prequel. The characters are all different and the stories are unrelated, although there are points of convergence. In Dreamsnake, the people who have to fend for themselves in the outside world seem to imagine the inhabitants of Center (an enclosed enclave, and supposedly the last bastion of civilization remaining after a global nuclear war) as enjoying a high standard of living and technology, but in The Exile Waiting we see that in some ways they suffer more than their outdoor counterparts. In Dreamsnake, tunnels behind certain desert caves in which cave panthers dwell are thought to lead into Center, and these dark galleries beneath the city are the focus for some of the most important events in The Exile Waiting. Similar to Dreamsnake, this novel also features a strong female lead character, in this case a determined young girl named Mischa.
The overarching theme of the book seems to be how people react and behave under various forms of slavery. Some of the characters are bound in physical slavery, and some are controlled by manipulative individuals or by their own fears and vices. One is dependent on a certain kind of drug. Prejudice and mistreatment due to perceived differences or disabilities is another theme, and Mischa has to conceal carefully the way in which she is different from the others around her. Eventually, many of those who on the surface appear strongest prove to be weak, and those considered the weakest triumph through their reserves of inner strength and their willingness to learn and adapt.
The above description probably sounds somewhat grim and depressing, but I found the novel quite uplifting. Other reviewers have identified certain details they see as weaknesses in the plot, but I did not even notice these and they did not affect my enjoyment in any way. I think this work is at least as good as Dreamsnake, although I would not like to choose between the two books. After finishing The Exile Waiting, the reader can also ponder on the meaning of the title.
Like many good books, I think The Exile Waiting can be read on different levels. If I was still in my teens, I would probably feel that it is simply an engaging post-apocalyptic adventure story. More mature readers, though, will likely identify the complex web of dysfunctional and tragic relationships as what stands out most clearly. And it is these relationships which power much of the story.
The Exile Waiting (1975) is set in the same world as Dreamsnake (1978), but cannot really be considered a prequel. The characters are all different and the stories are unrelated, although there are points of convergence. In Dreamsnake, the people who have to fend for themselves in the outside world seem to imagine the inhabitants of Center (an enclosed enclave, and supposedly the last bastion of civilization remaining after a global nuclear war) as enjoying a high standard of living and technology, but in The Exile Waiting we see that in some ways they suffer more than their outdoor counterparts. In Dreamsnake, tunnels behind certain desert caves in which cave panthers dwell are thought to lead into Center, and these dark galleries beneath the city are the focus for some of the most important events in The Exile Waiting. Similar to Dreamsnake, this novel also features a strong female lead character, in this case a determined young girl named Mischa.
The overarching theme of the book seems to be how people react and behave under various forms of slavery. Some of the characters are bound in physical slavery, and some are controlled by manipulative individuals or by their own fears and vices. One is dependent on a certain kind of drug. Prejudice and mistreatment due to perceived differences or disabilities is another theme, and Mischa has to conceal carefully the way in which she is different from the others around her. Eventually, many of those who on the surface appear strongest prove to be weak, and those considered the weakest triumph through their reserves of inner strength and their willingness to learn and adapt.
The above description probably sounds somewhat grim and depressing, but I found the novel quite uplifting. Other reviewers have identified certain details they see as weaknesses in the plot, but I did not even notice these and they did not affect my enjoyment in any way. I think this work is at least as good as Dreamsnake, although I would not like to choose between the two books. After finishing The Exile Waiting, the reader can also ponder on the meaning of the title.
catapocalypse's review against another edition
3.0
I was recently gifted four Vonda McIntyre books by someone who had been acquainted with her; this was the first chronologically, so I started here. This one wasn't the sort of book I'd choose on my own, with tones that felt pulpy, slightly YA (I wouldn't classify it as YA, for some of the content). It may be unfair to compare a book from 1975 to my modern favorites, though! It was a short read and still entertaining, so I'm more than willing to read through the other three books.
This story is a good ol' fashioned sci-fi adventure, set on a post-post-apocalyptic, dystopian Earth. There are some very minor hints of early cyberpunk elements. It's brief at just over 250 pages and felt like it could have benefited from either more space to devote to everything it touched on, or some paring down. It had a lot of potential, but never quite stirred a "sensawunda," nor satisfactorily covered some of its philosophical points. I didn't care for how some of the ideas about disability and slavery were handled. Juxtapositions between disability and special abilities, and between slavery and free will/personal responsibility felt deeply uncomfortable and careless. Not certain how much, if any of the main issues the later revised edition addressed.
This story is a good ol' fashioned sci-fi adventure, set on a post-post-apocalyptic, dystopian Earth. There are some very minor hints of early cyberpunk elements. It's brief at just over 250 pages and felt like it could have benefited from either more space to devote to everything it touched on, or some paring down. It had a lot of potential, but never quite stirred a "sensawunda," nor satisfactorily covered some of its philosophical points. I didn't care for how some of the ideas about disability and slavery were handled. Juxtapositions between disability and special abilities, and between slavery and free will/personal responsibility felt deeply uncomfortable and careless. Not certain how much, if any of the main issues the later revised edition addressed.
myxomycetes's review against another edition
3.0
Telepathic girl living in the last city on a post-apocalyptic Earth wants to join the space pirates that decide to winter in the city. As one can guess, her plans go awry.
Some parts of this were good, some not so good, and much of the plot, surprisingly, spins on f'd-up family relationships. That's cool, except when it isn't and the family member is just a heap of annoying plot complications.
Some parts of this were good, some not so good, and much of the plot, surprisingly, spins on f'd-up family relationships. That's cool, except when it isn't and the family member is just a heap of annoying plot complications.
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