You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
There was plenty to be frustrated by in this book, but it was a compelling read and I could sense that it was animated by joy. Recommended to those who enjoy SFF but aren't too picky
This idea was so cool to me. And I was so excited for it. But I guess it wasn't for me.
I heard about it because I have been reading IO9 for years, so I am happy to see Charlie Jane Anders writing and doing what she loves!
This didn't have much happen for my taste. It started OK. Kinda like a fairy tale with bad parents. But it just kept going.
Then the story of them meeting later was very mundane. Like, a lot of daily stuff just happened. Without anything really happening.
Every idea felt like a B plot, but no major A plot was present.
There wasn't much to the characters to make me care about their love story.
The science part was cool, but never explained. The magic ideas were cool, but never explained. There wasn't any reason for anything. Just a smattering of cool ideas, but no depth to any of them.
Everything fell flat for me.
Especially the end. That wasn't much of a resolution for me. It just happened. Again, without much reason behind it.
Like Patricia holding guilt from the school thing. She made it sound like she did terrible things all the time. But a dumb accident happened. I understand having guilt. But telling people that "if you knew what I did, you wouldn't look at me the same way."
That didn't seem likely. I was underwhelmed when I found out the truth.
So, I wish the author the best. And I hope you like the book! But I could not get into it.
I heard about it because I have been reading IO9 for years, so I am happy to see Charlie Jane Anders writing and doing what she loves!
This didn't have much happen for my taste. It started OK. Kinda like a fairy tale with bad parents. But it just kept going.
Then the story of them meeting later was very mundane. Like, a lot of daily stuff just happened. Without anything really happening.
Every idea felt like a B plot, but no major A plot was present.
There wasn't much to the characters to make me care about their love story.
The science part was cool, but never explained. The magic ideas were cool, but never explained. There wasn't any reason for anything. Just a smattering of cool ideas, but no depth to any of them.
Everything fell flat for me.
Especially the end. That wasn't much of a resolution for me. It just happened. Again, without much reason behind it.
Like Patricia holding guilt from the school thing. She made it sound like she did terrible things all the time. But a dumb accident happened. I understand having guilt. But telling people that "if you knew what I did, you wouldn't look at me the same way."
That didn't seem likely. I was underwhelmed when I found out the truth.
So, I wish the author the best. And I hope you like the book! But I could not get into it.
All the Birds in the Sky is my favorite recently published sci-fi/fantasy book (and high on my list regardless). I'm not quite sure how to articulate why.
As to what it's about, it's a hodge-podge (that makes it sound like a bad thing... it's a masterful conjoining) of science-fiction and fantasy. Two weird, lonely children: a witch and a computer geek. Both are smothered by their humdrum lives and manage to escape, pursue their interests, and reconnect as weird adults living in San Francisco. Throughout the story, there are clear connections between "magic" and "technology" despite how disparate they seem to be, not the least of which is the connection between Patricia and Laurence, and as things fall to pieces, this becomes crucial.
As to why I liked it... First all, Charlie Jane Anders is incredibly clever and witty, and I really enjoyed her syntax. The way she put her sentences together, tacking on humorous bits at the end or sticking them in the middle as errant thoughts, reminded me of the style of some classic British authors I enjoy but more modern (and perhaps more inappropriate than some). One example:
“I am unflappable,” Laurence told the bus driver. Who shrugged, as if he’d thought so too, once upon a time, until someone had flapped him.
I love humor as a vehicle for human-isms: things that ring true to me about the Human Experience. Humor is the best way to deliver these sorts of insights (to me) because life is short and we do stupid things and you have to laugh about it (or otherwise what's the point?). Charlie Jane Anders sees deeply into the human condition and pokes fun at it, as well as abandoning humor in a few spots to really hammer the point home:
"My every nightmare, every one, is about turning into a complacent failure like you both. You don’t even remember the dreams you threw away to sink into this hole."
(or)
"One day the Singularity would elevate humans to cybernetic superbeings, and maybe then people would say what they meant. Probably not, though."
I'm not sure what else to say. The characters were well-written and authentic; I always appreciate authentic depictions of relationships, good or bad. As a lover of both science-fiction and fantasy, All the Birds in the Sky was unique in my experience in the way it seamlessly incorporates both. (Reviews from more insightful people than me suggest that this shows how the two genres are intertwined. Intentional or not, I like that idea.)
I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
As to what it's about, it's a hodge-podge (that makes it sound like a bad thing... it's a masterful conjoining) of science-fiction and fantasy. Two weird, lonely children: a witch and a computer geek. Both are smothered by their humdrum lives and manage to escape, pursue their interests, and reconnect as weird adults living in San Francisco. Throughout the story, there are clear connections between "magic" and "technology" despite how disparate they seem to be, not the least of which is the connection between Patricia and Laurence, and as things fall to pieces, this becomes crucial.
As to why I liked it... First all, Charlie Jane Anders is incredibly clever and witty, and I really enjoyed her syntax. The way she put her sentences together, tacking on humorous bits at the end or sticking them in the middle as errant thoughts, reminded me of the style of some classic British authors I enjoy but more modern (and perhaps more inappropriate than some). One example:
“I am unflappable,” Laurence told the bus driver. Who shrugged, as if he’d thought so too, once upon a time, until someone had flapped him.
I love humor as a vehicle for human-isms: things that ring true to me about the Human Experience. Humor is the best way to deliver these sorts of insights (to me) because life is short and we do stupid things and you have to laugh about it (or otherwise what's the point?). Charlie Jane Anders sees deeply into the human condition and pokes fun at it, as well as abandoning humor in a few spots to really hammer the point home:
"My every nightmare, every one, is about turning into a complacent failure like you both. You don’t even remember the dreams you threw away to sink into this hole."
(or)
"One day the Singularity would elevate humans to cybernetic superbeings, and maybe then people would say what they meant. Probably not, though."
I'm not sure what else to say. The characters were well-written and authentic; I always appreciate authentic depictions of relationships, good or bad. As a lover of both science-fiction and fantasy, All the Birds in the Sky was unique in my experience in the way it seamlessly incorporates both. (Reviews from more insightful people than me suggest that this shows how the two genres are intertwined. Intentional or not, I like that idea.)
I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Diferente, raro, cambiante. Empieza siendo una novela infantil con toques de fantasía que podrían recordar muy sutilmente a Neil Gaiman, para pasar a ser una novela juvenil de ciencia ficción climatológica con conceptos millenials por aquí y por allí, con un ritmo extraño y con sensación de que te estás perdiendo partes de la trama en más de una ocasión. La puntuación sería más un 2'5 que un 3.
I've never read anything like this book before. Memorable and bittersweet, with several poignant moments. I found myself laughing at loud at moments, and cringing with the characters at others.
A wonderful mash up of Lev Grossman's The Magicians trilogy and Margaret Atwood's Maddadam trilogy, self contained and with a sprinkle of The Night Circus. Entertaining even as it asks complicated questions about technology and the human condition.
This was a really nice story. A lot of bad things happen, but it's still kind of a nice story about how good humans can be to each other even in the middle of all the badness. I liked the mingling of high-tech and magic.
All the Birds in the Sky è una lettura insolita che sfida a farsi etichettare. Appassiona, diverte e commuove, il tutto senza prendersi troppo sul serio.
Recensione completa qui: https://eustachio.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/all-the-birds-in-the-sky-generi-e-personaggi-diversi-si-incontrano/
Recensione completa qui: https://eustachio.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/all-the-birds-in-the-sky-generi-e-personaggi-diversi-si-incontrano/
I'm giving this 5 stars with no reservations. What a beautiful and special book, with themes around the conflicts and potential synergy of technology and magic.
Anybody who was an outsider or picked on in junior high can relate to the main characters, Patricia and Laurence, and how good it is to find a friend who really "gets" you. Patricia is a witch who can talk to animals. Laurence is a technology genius who just may have created the first artificial intelligence while still in high school.
They are parted shortly after becoming friends and run into each other over the years as society and the environment slide into chaos. Will they stay friends or become mortal enemies? Will witches or scientists tear the world apart? Can Patricia and Laurence change the fate of the world?
Read this book and find out...
Anybody who was an outsider or picked on in junior high can relate to the main characters, Patricia and Laurence, and how good it is to find a friend who really "gets" you. Patricia is a witch who can talk to animals. Laurence is a technology genius who just may have created the first artificial intelligence while still in high school.
They are parted shortly after becoming friends and run into each other over the years as society and the environment slide into chaos. Will they stay friends or become mortal enemies? Will witches or scientists tear the world apart? Can Patricia and Laurence change the fate of the world?
Read this book and find out...
This was really quite good at first, but then it kind of fell apart for me in the last 100 pages. Though I also wasn't in the mood for "total destruction of coastal cities and the world is ending" vibes. So that could have been part of it.