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archergal's review against another edition
4.0
Boy howdy, you can't do better than these Adrian Tchaikowsky books for Big-Ass Ideas! I've found the books I've read by him fascinating.
This one covers alternate worlds. There have been many, many alternate universes. And we hear a little about many of them. But there's a problem: they're all gonna collapse into some kind of historical singularity if Our Intrepid Heroes can't figure out how to stop it.
For me, it took a little while to figure out exactly what was going on. The storytelling has lots of interludes/asides where we find out about those alternate earths, and which species predominated in it. And there's a (figuratively) mustache-twirling villain, embodying the worst of 2020's bad cultural viewpoints. He was almost a little OTT for me.
The diverse characters are just presented as... characters. This is so welcome. And there are Neanderthal characters.
I just thought it was a lot of fun, with a lot of cool ideas. That's my kind of SF. Recommended, if you like that sort of thing.
This one covers alternate worlds. There have been many, many alternate universes. And we hear a little about many of them. But there's a problem: they're all gonna collapse into some kind of historical singularity if Our Intrepid Heroes can't figure out how to stop it.
For me, it took a little while to figure out exactly what was going on. The storytelling has lots of interludes/asides where we find out about those alternate earths, and which species predominated in it. And there's a (figuratively) mustache-twirling villain, embodying the worst of 2020's bad cultural viewpoints. He was almost a little OTT for me.
The diverse characters are just presented as... characters. This is so welcome. And there are Neanderthal characters.
I just thought it was a lot of fun, with a lot of cool ideas. That's my kind of SF. Recommended, if you like that sort of thing.
joannethefairy's review against another edition
1.0
DNF - at Chapter 8 (out of 17).
I was very confused by almost everything in this book. The science/parallel worlds stuff flew straight over my head. The only storyline I was able to follow was about Lee and her girlfriend, Mel - but only until Mel returned from wherever she had been and then even that storyline lost me. At this point I was just completely lost - up a creek with no paddles in sight!
I persevered for a bit longer but soon decided to DNF. No point to continuing if I don’t have a clue what is happening!
Admittedly some fault may lie with me for attempting to listen to this on audiobook. Although I have read other AT books this way and followed along ok. I really enjoyed CHILDREN OF TIME by this author but this one was just not for me.
1 Star - DNF and Donate
I was very confused by almost everything in this book. The science/parallel worlds stuff flew straight over my head. The only storyline I was able to follow was about Lee and her girlfriend, Mel - but only until Mel returned from wherever she had been and then even that storyline lost me. At this point I was just completely lost - up a creek with no paddles in sight!
I persevered for a bit longer but soon decided to DNF. No point to continuing if I don’t have a clue what is happening!
Admittedly some fault may lie with me for attempting to listen to this on audiobook. Although I have read other AT books this way and followed along ok. I really enjoyed CHILDREN OF TIME by this author but this one was just not for me.
1 Star - DNF and Donate
saraubs's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
This was fascinating, even if it did run a bit too long for the story it intended to tell. Characterization was somewhat weak, but the ideas were mind-boggling! I particularly liked the structure and the "interludes" that split the narrative. Adrian Tchaikovsky is such an imaginative writer and I'm looking forward to exploring more of his work.
This was fascinating, even if it did run a bit too long for the story it intended to tell. Characterization was somewhat weak, but the ideas were mind-boggling! I particularly liked the structure and the "interludes" that split the narrative. Adrian Tchaikovsky is such an imaginative writer and I'm looking forward to exploring more of his work.
gaulien's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
quercus707's review against another edition
3.0
4 stars for the super cool evolutionary speculation, 3 stars for the plot + characters. The evolutionary interludes were awesome. The story and characters were fine, but got tedious, particularly at the end with the repeated multiverse looping. Neat idea, but kind of tedious to read.
trumpeta19's review
4.0
The book took a bit to find a coherent plot but once things started sorting themselves out, it’s a really good book. It’s a very unique book and really makes you think.
athryn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was a lot of fun! I wanted to get a stand alone book from Tchaikovsky before I dove into a series, and this was a great place to start. I really enjoyed the whole tone of the book, and the science and ideas being explored in it. I thought that the ending was a little bit anticlimactic, but overall I really enjoyed this!
aristhought's review against another edition
4.0
I am constantly amazed by Adrian Tchaikovsky’s ability to spin whole fantastical worlds from the roots of real life biology/ecology/palaeontology, and craft whole epics in those worlds at an astonishing rate. The Doors of Eden is one of those epics in worldbuilding that, along with being a gripping story about empathy, communication, and diversity, taught me new things about biology and evolution.
As a queer/trans person I also appreciated how he handled one of the main characters who is a trans woman. Admittedly it wasn’t perfect, but I was pleasantly surprised and touched how he wrote her with great empathy and respect. 2 of the main characters are also lesbians, and it was wonderful to read. These characters are just as human and real as any of the others. Queer representation - especially done well - is still rare in science fiction, and it is greatly meaningful how his stories feature representation in realistic ways without resorting to tokenism or harmful tropes.
As a queer/trans person I also appreciated how he handled one of the main characters who is a trans woman. Admittedly it wasn’t perfect, but I was pleasantly surprised and touched how he wrote her with great empathy and respect. 2 of the main characters are also lesbians, and it was wonderful to read. These characters are just as human and real as any of the others. Queer representation - especially done well - is still rare in science fiction, and it is greatly meaningful how his stories feature representation in realistic ways without resorting to tokenism or harmful tropes.
ophel_arka's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jameshaus's review against another edition
5.0
Really, really enjoyed this one. Tchaikovsky fast becoming on of my favorite writers. Really devoted to the idea of cooperation and mutualism and I am delighted to have someone champion it so fearlessly with style and imagination.