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taaya's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
While the style itself is easy to read, the book has so many problems.
Let's start with the major one, that kept me reading in the hopes that at some point the social commentary will focus on that:
THIS BOOK DESCRIBES GENOCIDE ON DISABLED PEOPLE LIKE THAT'S A RATIONAL THING TO DO!
Great, they wanted to have diversity, they have queer people (though only binaries?), they have a multitude of ethnicities. As long as they're the leading experts in something, they're welcome.
Except for disabled people??? Suddenly, with disability, it's irrelevant what a person could do or be. They're not chosen for the mission. And worse, if a disability, a mental or chronic physical illness is found in one of the clones, their lines are being discontinued. And a person who gets disabled or chronically ill during their life is murdered even earlier than usual - because EVERYONE gets murdered before they get old. No retirement, nothing.
They are being bred to work, nothing else. This society is the wet dream of an ultra-capitalist. And still they all like it? Yes, because they're brainwashed into liking it, but in so many generations nobody breaks free of the brainwashing process on a societal basis and not just "Oh no, you killed my found family-grandpa"?
This is so BEYOND dystopian, and still we are supposed to be sympathetic towards the crew?
Okay, but on to other issues: No redundancies. They have separate ships for separate departments - but only one of each? Wtf?!
And then the cloning thing. How the hell did that work? Like... The clones have different personalities, love different people than their former or later iterations. And still they are supposed to not only like the same job, but also have the same talents, for 10+ iterations? A job isn't a genetical thing!
And then the mission itself. They knew it would take them two thousand earth years. The roman empire is closer to us than that. What the hell did they expect would happen during that time? That the earth would stagnate? We even lack historical documents to help understand people only two hundred years ago. How did they not consider what might happen on earth while the mission was on their way, BEFORE starting the mission?
None of this makes any sense!
(Which kinda makes it human, I guess. It sounds like something as ignorant as what our species likes to do. But if you wanna portray how bullshitty of a species we are, at least make clear that you are criticising it, and not actually think what your characters do makes any sense.)
Let's start with the major one, that kept me reading in the hopes that at some point the social commentary will focus on that:
THIS BOOK DESCRIBES GENOCIDE ON DISABLED PEOPLE LIKE THAT'S A RATIONAL THING TO DO!
Great, they wanted to have diversity, they have queer people (though only binaries?), they have a multitude of ethnicities. As long as they're the leading experts in something, they're welcome.
Except for disabled people??? Suddenly, with disability, it's irrelevant what a person could do or be. They're not chosen for the mission. And worse, if a disability, a mental or chronic physical illness is found in one of the clones, their lines are being discontinued. And a person who gets disabled or chronically ill during their life is murdered even earlier than usual - because EVERYONE gets murdered before they get old. No retirement, nothing.
They are being bred to work, nothing else. This society is the wet dream of an ultra-capitalist. And still they all like it? Yes, because they're brainwashed into liking it, but in so many generations nobody breaks free of the brainwashing process on a societal basis and not just "Oh no, you killed my found family-grandpa"?
This is so BEYOND dystopian, and still we are supposed to be sympathetic towards the crew?
Okay, but on to other issues: No redundancies. They have separate ships for separate departments - but only one of each? Wtf?!
And then the cloning thing. How the hell did that work? Like... The clones have different personalities, love different people than their former or later iterations. And still they are supposed to not only like the same job, but also have the same talents, for 10+ iterations? A job isn't a genetical thing!
And then the mission itself. They knew it would take them two thousand earth years. The roman empire is closer to us than that. What the hell did they expect would happen during that time? That the earth would stagnate? We even lack historical documents to help understand people only two hundred years ago. How did they not consider what might happen on earth while the mission was on their way, BEFORE starting the mission?
None of this makes any sense!
(Which kinda makes it human, I guess. It sounds like something as ignorant as what our species likes to do. But if you wanna portray how bullshitty of a species we are, at least make clear that you are criticising it, and not actually think what your characters do makes any sense.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Genocide, Suicide, Ableism, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Alcohol, Violence, Torture, and Classism
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