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2.75 AVERAGE
2.75 AVERAGE
slow-paced
What creates space for meaning isn’t the bright dots or the presence of light–for dark constellations, the light is the noise. What matters is the darkness.
This is the strange, slightly pale sibling to Savage Theories, which I liked more than this one. There is a mesh of measured similarities but this Dark Constellations offers more bluntly a thesis: ontology as code, hence the primacy of the hacker. Oloixarac explores the consequences of when actors or entities intrude upon one another, this violation whether-- sexualized, imperialistic or simply respiratory--has consequences -- which can be measured, predicted and even altered. It is a mental miscegenation.
This is the strange, slightly pale sibling to Savage Theories, which I liked more than this one. There is a mesh of measured similarities but this Dark Constellations offers more bluntly a thesis: ontology as code, hence the primacy of the hacker. Oloixarac explores the consequences of when actors or entities intrude upon one another, this violation whether-- sexualized, imperialistic or simply respiratory--has consequences -- which can be measured, predicted and even altered. It is a mental miscegenation.
Idk if the translation is just especially icky, but “their meat cylinders hardened at the thought of potentially spread buttocks” should never be used when speaking about a bus full of 12 year olds. I get that the book is about the transfer of genetic data or whatever but have some decency bro
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
A lot of really gross and uncalled for descriptions that ruined it for me. Nothing insanely graphic or triggering, just nasty
I really liked getting lost in this, but half the time I didn’t really know exactly what was going on. I felt it ended very abruptly, and I have to admit, I’m not sure what happened. But, I really liked the writing. There were some themes in there that would be cool to explore further, I think.
This book is baffling. There are some compelling ideas here, but none of them ever come to the surface. It wants to evoke this sense that there are dark and mysterious forces and processes happening, and it does, but it doesn't do anything with that sense it creates. The characters are all flat and detestable and a good half of the sentences feel like they've been run through a thesaurus with the pretentious setting cranked up. I could've gotten through all that without too much ill will, but the constant return to maximally gross sexual content and metaphor pushes it over the edge. I'm resorting to a star rating because I dislike this book that much.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I picked this book up because it seemed similar to Labatut's The MANIAC, which I loved. Both are about three mad/playful geniuses, one in the late 1800's, another in the mid- or late-1900's, and the last in the modern day, albeit taking place in the southern hemisphere rather than the northern.
Beyond that, however, this book was not really what I was expecting. It was a bit too weird for me, confusing me often, with far too much sex and drugs. Admittedly, it was still fascinating and hard to put down, and it did feel like a finished novel. I suppose I would've preferred a number of revisions to make it more readily comprehensible, although I also suppose that the message shouldn't have to be tailored to the point where the message itself is altered to appease the reader.
Overall, not quite my style, so 3.5 stars for me. As another reviewer said though, in relation to the titular concept of dark constellations, the stars don't need to be the important part.
Beyond that, however, this book was not really what I was expecting. It was a bit too weird for me, confusing me often, with far too much sex and drugs. Admittedly, it was still fascinating and hard to put down, and it did feel like a finished novel. I suppose I would've preferred a number of revisions to make it more readily comprehensible, although I also suppose that the message shouldn't have to be tailored to the point where the message itself is altered to appease the reader.
Overall, not quite my style, so 3.5 stars for me. As another reviewer said though, in relation to the titular concept of dark constellations, the stars don't need to be the important part.
I wanted to like this, but I have no idea what I just read. Maybe something is lost in translation.
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
biopunk made in latam atiborrado de referencias para el nerd promedio y no tan promedio que se merecía POR LO MENOS 300 páginas más. el nombre proyecto de reorganización regional es excelente btw
Oloixarac did something very interesting here. An investigation on humanity’s obsessive compulsion to classify and study everything. Everything as data. I really like this. book*. This is a novel of idea: our manias driven by ideas. And of language: the different ways language is employed for different means. Jargons, terminologies, etc.
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The Inca looked at the sky and the stars quite distinctly from how other cultures do/did. They focus more on the dark blotches between stars, these Dark Constellations, that for them represented animals, forms, concepts drinking from the life-giving waters of the Milky Way. It’s this inversion which is I think (I could be wrong) the central theme of the novel.
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I actually don’t really pay too much attention on how books are received (i.e. awards, etc.). That being said, I am baffled as to why people who love giving stars to books give this such few stars. I guess people who were expecting a traditional sci-fi/cyberpunk romp instead got something odd. That’s okay. As with the Inca, it’s not stars that are important.
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The Inca looked at the sky and the stars quite distinctly from how other cultures do/did. They focus more on the dark blotches between stars, these Dark Constellations, that for them represented animals, forms, concepts drinking from the life-giving waters of the Milky Way. It’s this inversion which is I think (I could be wrong) the central theme of the novel.
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I actually don’t really pay too much attention on how books are received (i.e. awards, etc.). That being said, I am baffled as to why people who love giving stars to books give this such few stars. I guess people who were expecting a traditional sci-fi/cyberpunk romp instead got something odd. That’s okay. As with the Inca, it’s not stars that are important.