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hookineye's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
sarracenia's review against another edition
2.0
The Ship Who Sang is about a spaceship with a brain called Helva and parts of her life running intergalactic missions. These brain ships are made from deformed foetuses so they are like a human brain connected to a spaceship. In Helva's case she has a strong interest in music and the arts, and this is unusual among brain ships. The relationship between the brain ship and their human "brawn" companion was interesting, and could have been examined in more depth. I was disappointed by this novel which did not have the same flow as The Crystal Singer. Each chapter describes a separate episode and I found this quite disjointed. I considered giving up reading but as it's a short novel I pushed through and actually enjoyed the final chapters most.
kiiouex's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this one up thinking it must be precursor to Ancillary Justice, and that as long as we were in the wonderful world of sentient spaceships, we couldn't really go wrong.
It's... a little bit dated, but most of the it holds up well enough. I was expecting it to be very feminist, and maybe it was at the time, but reading it now I find all the female characters very tiresome - all of them are completely besides themselves over men. There are three women in this book who have tried to kill themselves, or are still trying to kill themselves, because their male partners died. There aren't any men in an equivalent situation, so we can't see if this is how all grief is expected to function, or just female grief. It's not great reading, at any rate. And that's before we get to Ansra, the deranged, contemptible spurned lover, or the way Parollan talks to Helva which certainly crosses a line for me though it seems to be his way of 'getting through to her' and it's not really... remarked on.
Well, those are the worse parts; the better parts are Helva when she's not being talked down to by Parollan, because sentient spaceships are still the shit, and the framework she lives in - working off the debt of her expenses - is quite cool and well done. I read somewhere else on goodreads that this book was originally short stories, which makes so much sense for the abruptness between chapters, how quickly her partners are picked up and put down, and how fast some Stuff happens, particularly the Thing Near The Start. Very strange pacing for a novel.
You know, I thought I liked this book, but writing this all out, maybe I didn't. Maybe I just like human brains piloting spaceships, and for that there's Ancillary Justice now. Maybe it's unfair to rate a 50 year old book against my modern sensibilities, especially comparing it to refined descendants. But my ratings are just how much I like things, so. Sorry.
It's... a little bit dated, but most of the it holds up well enough. I was expecting it to be very feminist, and maybe it was at the time, but reading it now I find all the female characters very tiresome - all of them are completely besides themselves over men. There are three women in this book who have tried to kill themselves, or are still trying to kill themselves, because their male partners died. There aren't any men in an equivalent situation, so we can't see if this is how all grief is expected to function, or just female grief. It's not great reading, at any rate. And that's before we get to Ansra, the deranged, contemptible spurned lover, or the way Parollan talks to Helva which certainly crosses a line for me though it seems to be his way of 'getting through to her' and it's not really... remarked on.
Well, those are the worse parts; the better parts are Helva when she's not being talked down to by Parollan, because sentient spaceships are still the shit, and the framework she lives in - working off the debt of her expenses - is quite cool and well done. I read somewhere else on goodreads that this book was originally short stories, which makes so much sense for the abruptness between chapters, how quickly her partners are picked up and put down, and how fast some Stuff happens, particularly the Thing Near The Start. Very strange pacing for a novel.
You know, I thought I liked this book, but writing this all out, maybe I didn't. Maybe I just like human brains piloting spaceships, and for that there's Ancillary Justice now. Maybe it's unfair to rate a 50 year old book against my modern sensibilities, especially comparing it to refined descendants. But my ratings are just how much I like things, so. Sorry.
shoffschwelle's review against another edition
5.0
An intriguing piece of science/ speculative fiction with surprising insights into grief, humanity, and relationships.
cassiea22's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
iamgriffin's review against another edition
4.0
It was almost 5 stars from me, which is rare. But I didn't like the ending.
folly_problem's review
4.0
A fun, reflective romp through worlds simultaneously foreign yet understandable. The commentary on disability used to justify the ships does not read well in modern times, but it makes only a small stain on the beginning of what is a classic old-fashioned sci-fi romp through an intriguing fictional universe. But it would feel disingenuous not to mention it.
I breezed through it in a day and barely noticed, recommended for those who enjoy old-fashioned sci-fi, but with perhaps more character depth than found in the characters of Clarke or Asimov. Some of the ideas present make one wonder if this wasn't an influence on Ann Mackie's excellent Ancillary Trilogy. Regardless, I feel it is worth the time of most sci-fi fans.
I breezed through it in a day and barely noticed, recommended for those who enjoy old-fashioned sci-fi, but with perhaps more character depth than found in the characters of Clarke or Asimov. Some of the ideas present make one wonder if this wasn't an influence on Ann Mackie's excellent Ancillary Trilogy. Regardless, I feel it is worth the time of most sci-fi fans.
lonecayt's review against another edition
4.0
In general, I really enjoyed this book. The world building was interesting and entertaining, if slightly dystopian, and the main character was strong and delightfully fleshed out (if not literally). I was a bit on the fence about the last 50 pages, but oh, well. Can't have everything. Though I think what I most appreciated about the book was the emphasis on mental health in interpersonal relationship.
tarana's review against another edition
4.0
I was actually surprised that I enjoyed this book. Gave it a 3.5, but found it worthy enough to up to a 4.