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nielsm's review
1.0
This seems to be written by someone who figured out the rough shape of PKD novels, but doesn't have the first clue about what really makes them good books.
In the future, everyone randomly loses all their hair... and apparently the sum total effect on the world is that haircare product companies fall apart and toupee companies flourish. Some toupee factory owner drives his fancy sports car into into a wall to save his factory workers, there's some pointless and pointlessly gratuitous torture, and then there's a tryhard enigmatic finale.
Reading this is like watching someone smash a block of butter onto an egg, expecting a fountain of hollandaise.
No.
In the future, everyone randomly loses all their hair... and apparently the sum total effect on the world is that haircare product companies fall apart and toupee companies flourish. Some toupee factory owner drives his fancy sports car into into a wall to save his factory workers, there's some pointless and pointlessly gratuitous torture, and then there's a tryhard enigmatic finale.
Reading this is like watching someone smash a block of butter onto an egg, expecting a fountain of hollandaise.
No.
purplcrosswords's review
3.0
This ARC was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What you might expect to find if you read this:
1. Bald people (duh);
2. North-Korean sexy spies;
3. The best bromance in the history of bromances;
4. Bizarre religious cults;
5. Crickets;
6. A bloodshed or two;
7. A great futuristic scenario!
This reminded me of William Gibson in certain bits... I almost mistakenly shelved this “cyberpunk”. Not because it has weird robots having sex all the time – in fact, there is none of that, sadly – but because there’s always a lot going on. I think that’s the thing about the future, most times you imagine it as this frantic entity that takes form in a super-Beijing, or a super-Shanghai, or maybe a super-L.A. This book is full of panic, mostly because the main character is always in trouble, but also because you cannot not wear a bullet proof vest outside if you live in Los Angeles, because factories often blow up as a result of unhealthy competition, and there are people that are faceless as a result of plastic surgery. And those are only three examples. Who would think that such a short book would be so full of excitement? Fun, fun, fun.
But it ain’t simply a fun book. It warns against a vanity-centred societal progression, about the solitude and loss of identity created by technological development and the need to remain free in such a world. I highly recommend it if after reading this short review you feel this is the kind of story you would enjoy.
What you might expect to find if you read this:
1. Bald people (duh);
2. North-Korean sexy spies;
3. The best bromance in the history of bromances;
4. Bizarre religious cults;
5. Crickets;
6. A bloodshed or two;
7. A great futuristic scenario!
This reminded me of William Gibson in certain bits... I almost mistakenly shelved this “cyberpunk”. Not because it has weird robots having sex all the time – in fact, there is none of that, sadly – but because there’s always a lot going on. I think that’s the thing about the future, most times you imagine it as this frantic entity that takes form in a super-Beijing, or a super-Shanghai, or maybe a super-L.A. This book is full of panic, mostly because the main character is always in trouble, but also because you cannot not wear a bullet proof vest outside if you live in Los Angeles, because factories often blow up as a result of unhealthy competition, and there are people that are faceless as a result of plastic surgery. And those are only three examples. Who would think that such a short book would be so full of excitement? Fun, fun, fun.
But it ain’t simply a fun book. It warns against a vanity-centred societal progression, about the solitude and loss of identity created by technological development and the need to remain free in such a world. I highly recommend it if after reading this short review you feel this is the kind of story you would enjoy.
giantarms's review
3.0
No, I did not read this book because of the state of my haircut, much to my husband's dismay. I saw it offered on the Goodreads Giveaways and it was too ridiculous a title to pass up. All the other things I entered for were for your hoity and toity books. But THIS is the one I won and thank heavens. I may not remember what [b:A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian|828387|A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian|Marina Lewycka|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327935785s/828387.jpg|4240781] was about or whether [b:The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad|385483|The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad|Minister Faust|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389549931s/385483.jpg|375196] was any good, but I read them cover to cover based only their names. Authors of the world: MORE RIDICULOUS BOOK TITLES PLEASE.
Moving on.
What if one day, everybodyturned to woooooood was bald? The cannabis smoke having cleared, the author presents us with an otherwise kind of boring dystopia to set his story in. Take all your current stereotypes -- America is rife with gun violence, Shanghai is wealthy but polluted, the masses are more obsessed with celebrity and image than anything else -- and draw them to your predictable extremes and you've got Earth circa some time in the vague future.
In short, Tieryas is not a subtle writer. But then again, why would I expect that?
Oh. The blurbs.
Guys. Never read blurbs. Blurbs are terrible. In this case, there was a lot of talk of the mashing up of things like Blade Runner and, I don't know, [b:1984|5470|1984|George Orwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348990566s/5470.jpg|153313] into something new and, uh, I think one guy said "hypnotic."* I'm sure guy who wrote a book I never heard of** was trying to be helpful here by whipping the potential reader into a frenzy of psychedelic excitement, but, having become the actual reader, I was disappointed by the decidedly mundane writing.
Which is a real shame because this book was an entertaining read. You start out with some outsized buddy nonsense involving a couple of movie makers and a couple of North Korean cuties (who are spies, naturally). You roll your eyes a little at the seemingly bullet proof main characters, but then, about halfway through the book, things go wrong, get weird and then worse before wrapping up in a fairly tidy ending. The part of me that reads for fun and diversion was more than satisfied at having stumbled upon this novel.
But my Serious Reader*** parts are left unimpressed. Like I mentioned before, the book lacks subtlety and surprise. The major plot points may be initially exciting, but once revealed they go more or less where you'd expect. Though the world is gritty and difficult, the major characters don't actually seem to be affected by it. They jet off here and there as they please except when being actively hunted by one another. When the main character does get into serious trouble he is twice in a row delivered by chance.
Even the tidy ending bothers me. In the last chapter or two, the explanations come rushing in from nowhere in the form of avenging angels whose characteristics would seem to make them stand out despite their secrets while how they came into their capabilities is glossed over. I don't want to give too much away, but imagine if one day you had a chihuahua and the next day when you have fallen into a well, your dog suddenly transforms into a collie and you are rescued with great skill and aplomb. While terribly dramatic, this is not terribly believable.
People die and bad things happen, but you don't get a sense of the consequences because the action just keeps bouncing along to the extent that the characters feel a little flat. This is a first person narrative told from the perspective of the protagonist. Every so often he finds the time to go off on some tangent about his past and why he became an emotional basketcase incapable of giving or receiving love, but we don't really see the consequences of those traumas in his decision making. He seems like a great guy, no problem, happy to meet you. So he doesn't jump the bones of everything with boobs; that's a sign of maturity and good sense in a world where your waitress is very clearly a North Korean spy, not brokenness.
Anyway. The second half of the book is better than the first. So, if you get that far, I recommend finishing it. Despite its flaws, it was a pretty good time.
--------------
*I could go get the book and do some actual quoting of the quotes, but the baby's asleep and I'm typing in the dark.
**I sound pretty arrogant here, but really I'm just alerting you to my taste in books so you will know whether or not to care what I think. Probably you shouldn't?
***Who can be a real jerk so feel free to skip the rest of this review except maybe the last paragraph.
Moving on.
What if one day, everybody
In short, Tieryas is not a subtle writer. But then again, why would I expect that?
Oh. The blurbs.
Guys. Never read blurbs. Blurbs are terrible. In this case, there was a lot of talk of the mashing up of things like Blade Runner and, I don't know, [b:1984|5470|1984|George Orwell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348990566s/5470.jpg|153313] into something new and, uh, I think one guy said "hypnotic."* I'm sure guy who wrote a book I never heard of** was trying to be helpful here by whipping the potential reader into a frenzy of psychedelic excitement, but, having become the actual reader, I was disappointed by the decidedly mundane writing.
Which is a real shame because this book was an entertaining read. You start out with some outsized buddy nonsense involving a couple of movie makers and a couple of North Korean cuties (who are spies, naturally). You roll your eyes a little at the seemingly bullet proof main characters, but then, about halfway through the book, things go wrong, get weird and then worse before wrapping up in a fairly tidy ending. The part of me that reads for fun and diversion was more than satisfied at having stumbled upon this novel.
But my Serious Reader*** parts are left unimpressed. Like I mentioned before, the book lacks subtlety and surprise. The major plot points may be initially exciting, but once revealed they go more or less where you'd expect. Though the world is gritty and difficult, the major characters don't actually seem to be affected by it. They jet off here and there as they please except when being actively hunted by one another. When the main character does get into serious trouble he is twice in a row delivered by chance.
Even the tidy ending bothers me. In the last chapter or two, the explanations come rushing in from nowhere in the form of avenging angels whose characteristics would seem to make them stand out despite their secrets while how they came into their capabilities is glossed over. I don't want to give too much away, but imagine if one day you had a chihuahua and the next day when you have fallen into a well, your dog suddenly transforms into a collie and you are rescued with great skill and aplomb. While terribly dramatic, this is not terribly believable.
People die and bad things happen, but you don't get a sense of the consequences because the action just keeps bouncing along to the extent that the characters feel a little flat. This is a first person narrative told from the perspective of the protagonist. Every so often he finds the time to go off on some tangent about his past and why he became an emotional basketcase incapable of giving or receiving love, but we don't really see the consequences of those traumas in his decision making. He seems like a great guy, no problem, happy to meet you. So he doesn't jump the bones of everything with boobs; that's a sign of maturity and good sense in a world where your waitress is very clearly a North Korean spy, not brokenness.
Anyway. The second half of the book is better than the first. So, if you get that far, I recommend finishing it. Despite its flaws, it was a pretty good time.
--------------
*I could go get the book and do some actual quoting of the quotes, but the baby's asleep and I'm typing in the dark.
**I sound pretty arrogant here, but really I'm just alerting you to my taste in books so you will know whether or not to care what I think. Probably you shouldn't?
***Who can be a real jerk so feel free to skip the rest of this review except maybe the last paragraph.
meganmilks's review
5.0
I have not added this book to any shelves because I have no categories for it! It's entirely its own thing, imagining a world where everyone has lost their hair due to an inexplicable event known as Great Baldification. But that's only the start of the weirdness here--everything's just a little bit off, a satire that hits on everything, the humor deadpan and covered by layers of grief and disaffection. My favorite scenes involved cricket fighting, where humans dive into cricket psyches to operate their bodies, resulting in a blurring of human-cricket boundaries--with a gambling subculture emerging around it. Then there's hair farming, spies, and wig moguls--terrorism at the wig factory--weird, wild, fun struck through with social commentary.
erudani's review
4.0
Entretenido y de lectura super ligera, algunos detalles que podrían mejorar, pero bastante bien. De todas manera toca temas culturales profundos aunque pareciera que de forma superficial.
3.5 pero redondeo para arriba por ser de lectura amena.
3.5 pero redondeo para arriba por ser de lectura amena.
holliereadsbooks's review
4.0
I am hideously behind in reading and reviewing this book, I know. Reading hasn’t really been a priority for me these past few months, but I opened this book up on my Kindle one lunchtime and here I am now writing my review. If you’re looking for a book that’s quirky, different and all kinds of bizarre, well, Bald New World is definitely for you.
Bald New World was incredibly easy for me to read and get lost in – the plot is totally different to what I’m used to, but I liked that. It made me want to read it, a feeling I hadn’t had in a long time. I found myself reading in every spare minute I had, and quickly devoured the book. I can’t really talk about the plot as it won’t make much sense to you unless you read it, but there was one scene involving the main character carrying a rock between his teeth that still makes my mouth physically hurt if I think about it now.
I loved Tieryas’ writing. I knew I would, I enjoyed it when I read Watering Heaven, so Bald New World was always going to be a winner for me. I’m kicking myself for not picking it up sooner because I honestly haven’t devoured a book in a long, long time.
Not the most descriptive review in the world, I know, but that’s partly because I can’t talk about the plot as it honestly won’t make much sense until you’re reading the book yourself, and also because my review writing skills are incredibly rusty at the moment. But if you’re looking for a totally unique book that’s a little bit out there, give this one a go. You never know, you might just find yourself hooked.
Bald New World was incredibly easy for me to read and get lost in – the plot is totally different to what I’m used to, but I liked that. It made me want to read it, a feeling I hadn’t had in a long time. I found myself reading in every spare minute I had, and quickly devoured the book. I can’t really talk about the plot as it won’t make much sense to you unless you read it, but there was one scene involving the main character carrying a rock between his teeth that still makes my mouth physically hurt if I think about it now.
I loved Tieryas’ writing. I knew I would, I enjoyed it when I read Watering Heaven, so Bald New World was always going to be a winner for me. I’m kicking myself for not picking it up sooner because I honestly haven’t devoured a book in a long, long time.
Not the most descriptive review in the world, I know, but that’s partly because I can’t talk about the plot as it honestly won’t make much sense until you’re reading the book yourself, and also because my review writing skills are incredibly rusty at the moment. But if you’re looking for a totally unique book that’s a little bit out there, give this one a go. You never know, you might just find yourself hooked.
melanie_page's review
5.0
Nick Guan remembers the Great Baldification, the day everyone’s hair--all of it--fell out. Eleven years old and alone, he remembers recording the mass chaos and rioting outside his family’s apartment and using his cell phone to capture footage of a dead man on the street. Fast forward to his adulthood: Nick meets Larry Chao in the army during the African Wars, a man who becomes Nick’s best friend and employer. Larry recruits Nick to shoot movies, and they become more like brothers than friends. Another thing about Larry: his family owns the most profitable wig factory in the world. Twenty-five years after the Great Baldification and everyone is just as vain about hair as they were when they had it. There is great money to be made in the creation of realistic hair, and Larry’s is the only company has the recipe, making for it dangerous for him and those close to him...
Bald New World employs wacky, outrageous antics seen in comic books, adding a playful goofiness to situations. When two “thugs” bust in a room, they try to enter at the same time and get stuck in the door together. Instead of your typical cock or dog fighting in the ghetto, we get crickets--yes, crickets. Players must sync up with the cricket’s brain to fight, a game that proves dangerous when Nick’s brain is trapped in the cricket’s for too long and he tries to fly and chirp his legs to get attention.
The seriousness of the novel comes from Peter Tieryas Liu’s predictions for the future based on threats to humankind today. Behind a camera, life doesn’t seem like it’s happening to Nick, and why would he want to experience it? Instead of gun control, Americans are all heavily armed; the FDA is owned by a fast-food company that sells what passes for cow because they say it does; white bread, carbs, and sweets are the evils in society, not poverty and starvation; people’s faces are so modified from extensive plastic surgery that magazines must claim their models are not changed; advertisements flood the characters, even in dreams, but to make them stop a person has to pay a fee; fear abounds, so there are cameras everywhere at the insistence of citizens, creating a lack of privacy; and employees are seen as worthless, so they are threatened with the claim that there are others willing to replace them for any infraction. Liu’s predictions are so close to what Americans debate today that the novel leaves behind a smudge of fear and depression from the thought of said predictions becoming the reality. The author knows what scares us and creates a world from our fears.
While Nick races around the globe (travel is much faster now) trying to survive and understand the mystery of Larry and his wig factory, readers also learn about Nick’s past. His parents were horrible people who unpredictably used violence to control others, a trait that Nick learns and unknowingly uses against his wife--that is, until she divorces him. It is for this reason Nick feels that Larry is his whole family. This plot thread adds a sense of humanity to the story, creating emotions on a personal, rather than global or national, scale.
One point of contention in the novel is Liu’s treatment of female characters; nearly every one of them “simpers.” Early on, a women is described as “coquettish, biting her lips, demurely watching [Larry and Nick].” Another “looked like a doll as she regarded [Nick] with plaintive eyes.” It’s important to pay attention, though. Notice that Nick is against plastic surgery and favors traditional beauty. Also, he’s a follower; the only way he can take the world is behind the “safety” of a camera lens, putting him in a less commanding role that many female characters. Overall, women could have been handled with more care, as they changed their appearances, not their brains. Surely, Nick must perceive this.
More careful treatment of female characters would have made Bald New World a more savory book, but the overall characterization of disasters waiting to happen in the United States, ones that we’re happy to ignore until they’re upon us, is frightening, making the reader want to know how it turns out and if all is hopeless.
Bald New World employs wacky, outrageous antics seen in comic books, adding a playful goofiness to situations. When two “thugs” bust in a room, they try to enter at the same time and get stuck in the door together. Instead of your typical cock or dog fighting in the ghetto, we get crickets--yes, crickets. Players must sync up with the cricket’s brain to fight, a game that proves dangerous when Nick’s brain is trapped in the cricket’s for too long and he tries to fly and chirp his legs to get attention.
The seriousness of the novel comes from Peter Tieryas Liu’s predictions for the future based on threats to humankind today. Behind a camera, life doesn’t seem like it’s happening to Nick, and why would he want to experience it? Instead of gun control, Americans are all heavily armed; the FDA is owned by a fast-food company that sells what passes for cow because they say it does; white bread, carbs, and sweets are the evils in society, not poverty and starvation; people’s faces are so modified from extensive plastic surgery that magazines must claim their models are not changed; advertisements flood the characters, even in dreams, but to make them stop a person has to pay a fee; fear abounds, so there are cameras everywhere at the insistence of citizens, creating a lack of privacy; and employees are seen as worthless, so they are threatened with the claim that there are others willing to replace them for any infraction. Liu’s predictions are so close to what Americans debate today that the novel leaves behind a smudge of fear and depression from the thought of said predictions becoming the reality. The author knows what scares us and creates a world from our fears.
While Nick races around the globe (travel is much faster now) trying to survive and understand the mystery of Larry and his wig factory, readers also learn about Nick’s past. His parents were horrible people who unpredictably used violence to control others, a trait that Nick learns and unknowingly uses against his wife--that is, until she divorces him. It is for this reason Nick feels that Larry is his whole family. This plot thread adds a sense of humanity to the story, creating emotions on a personal, rather than global or national, scale.
One point of contention in the novel is Liu’s treatment of female characters; nearly every one of them “simpers.” Early on, a women is described as “coquettish, biting her lips, demurely watching [Larry and Nick].” Another “looked like a doll as she regarded [Nick] with plaintive eyes.” It’s important to pay attention, though. Notice that Nick is against plastic surgery and favors traditional beauty. Also, he’s a follower; the only way he can take the world is behind the “safety” of a camera lens, putting him in a less commanding role that many female characters. Overall, women could have been handled with more care, as they changed their appearances, not their brains. Surely, Nick must perceive this.
More careful treatment of female characters would have made Bald New World a more savory book, but the overall characterization of disasters waiting to happen in the United States, ones that we’re happy to ignore until they’re upon us, is frightening, making the reader want to know how it turns out and if all is hopeless.
mervlution's review
4.0
*I received a copy of this book through a goodreads giveaway*
This book was darker and weirder than I expected. I enjoyed it, but I had been hoping for a little more quirk. It's an interesting idea, and I think there's a lot that could be done with this kind of book.
This book was darker and weirder than I expected. I enjoyed it, but I had been hoping for a little more quirk. It's an interesting idea, and I think there's a lot that could be done with this kind of book.
thesffreader's review
4.0
Full review to come but
-What did I just read?
-*That's* the ending?
- I would probably class this as "crazy, bloody and completely absurd dytopian that still manages to be funny"
-This book is about the aftermath of the Great Baldification and if this does not make you want to read it, I don't know what is wrong with you :P
-What did I just read?
-*That's* the ending?
- I would probably class this as "crazy, bloody and completely absurd dytopian that still manages to be funny"
-This book is about the aftermath of the Great Baldification and if this does not make you want to read it, I don't know what is wrong with you :P