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lovelyday2day's review against another edition
4.0
I would not consider myself a science fiction reader but enjoyed some of these stories very much. I will be thinking about “Liking what you see: a documentary” and “tower of babylon” for a long time.
namrata_jain's review against another edition
5.0
Short stories are incredibly difficult. You have to deliver so much in such a few pages- the reader knows it about to end soon and expects so much and there’s no space for red herrings or misdirection. Everything must work together and in some cases deliver more than a novel can. I’ve always enjoyed short stories since childhood- for their instant gratification and their creativity. This one is a spectacular collection of stories- more so because each and every one of them is so unique and inventive. I had to take a break after each story- they left so much for me to ponder over and take in. Being sci-fi, it was already at an advantage in my opinion, but I found that this book literally amazed and enthralled. Highly recommend!
bibi_lotta101's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
amun_quoi's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lusea_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
ruin_and_ending's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
bbqxaxiu's review against another edition
2.0
this was ok, I give it 2.5 stars. his short stories could definitely be made into black mirror or love, death + robots episodes. my favorites were, in order, 1) story of your life, 2) tower of babylon, and 3) seventy-two letters.
for all his creativity, I have to admit he didn't make it easy to read a lot of his stuff. I understand that the "sci" in "sci fi" means I'll be coming face to face with some technical concepts, but there were many times I felt he used an obscure ass word just for kicks, when something more simple would've sufficed and been more tasteful, or he explained a scientific concept in a way that made made me so confused I had to go back and reread multiple times before eventually giving up and hoping it wouldn't appear again in the story.
this is because I think Ted falls into the trap of equating "good" writing with "confusing" writing—as if the more inaccessible something is, the more worth it has. I get that he has a cs background, but shit, I do too, and his good ideas are no use if—contrary to what he'll have you believe—he doesn't understand them enough to make others understand them too. he reminds me of many of the white and/or male teaching assistants of my cs classes, who were always too pretentious to be helpful to anyone, and while I think he has promise, at the moment I can't say I'm particularly impressed.
for all his creativity, I have to admit he didn't make it easy to read a lot of his stuff. I understand that the "sci" in "sci fi" means I'll be coming face to face with some technical concepts, but there were many times I felt he used an obscure ass word just for kicks, when something more simple would've sufficed and been more tasteful, or he explained a scientific concept in a way that made made me so confused I had to go back and reread multiple times before eventually giving up and hoping it wouldn't appear again in the story.
this is because I think Ted falls into the trap of equating "good" writing with "confusing" writing—as if the more inaccessible something is, the more worth it has. I get that he has a cs background, but shit, I do too, and his good ideas are no use if—contrary to what he'll have you believe—he doesn't understand them enough to make others understand them too. he reminds me of many of the white and/or male teaching assistants of my cs classes, who were always too pretentious to be helpful to anyone, and while I think he has promise, at the moment I can't say I'm particularly impressed.
rozwei3's review against another edition
5.0
Some really interesting philosophies and lots more adaptation on than just arrival
sam_t1027's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
pinkchickie's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I think I read this at a time that was not meant for me. I probably will return to this book in the future with more life experience.