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8bitreader's review against another edition
5.0
N.K. Jemisin is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
Each one of her short stories covers such breathtaking concepts, and so much ground is covered in little more than 20 pages. Every concept is as imaginative as it is fascinating, and each one left me clamoring for a full novel based off of each one. Jemisin has a mastery of brevity and wit that makes the pages fly by.
One of my favorite things to witness was her experimentation with style. A standout example--and my personal favorite--is “The Evaluators” where the narrative is told through a series of emails, transcriptions, and message boards. But even in the more traditionally-written works, you can still see her playing with things. “The Storyteller’s Replacement” (another personal favorite of mine) uses its framing device, a narrator, and crafts a story outside of the main story. This one in particular wowed me with how subtly and cleverly this frame narrative incorporated themes from the main narrative.
In conclusion, Jemisin's work is stunning and I can't wait to read more of her work.
Each one of her short stories covers such breathtaking concepts, and so much ground is covered in little more than 20 pages. Every concept is as imaginative as it is fascinating, and each one left me clamoring for a full novel based off of each one. Jemisin has a mastery of brevity and wit that makes the pages fly by.
One of my favorite things to witness was her experimentation with style. A standout example--and my personal favorite--is “The Evaluators” where the narrative is told through a series of emails, transcriptions, and message boards. But even in the more traditionally-written works, you can still see her playing with things. “The Storyteller’s Replacement” (another personal favorite of mine) uses its framing device, a narrator, and crafts a story outside of the main story. This one in particular wowed me with how subtly and cleverly this frame narrative incorporated themes from the main narrative.
In conclusion, Jemisin's work is stunning and I can't wait to read more of her work.
eunicek82's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
4.5
I love the way Jemisin thinks and writes. These stories feel like a playground for her ideas and I loved them. Some were dreamy/ethereal and some were downright horrific. Her range is impressive.
ebeth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
favorite stories include:
l'alchemista
valedictorian
the effluent engine
the storyteller's replacement
the evaluators
walking awake
on the banks of the river lex
the narcomancer
sinners, saints, dragons, and haints, in the city beneath still waters
l'alchemista
valedictorian
the effluent engine
the storyteller's replacement
the evaluators
walking awake
on the banks of the river lex
the narcomancer
sinners, saints, dragons, and haints, in the city beneath still waters
iffer's review against another edition
4.0
Like any collection of short stories, this is a mixed bag. That said, the average level of them in terms of writing quality, character development, and originality is very high. As the author writes in the forward, these short stories are an exploration of big ideas, and some represent a finished story or exploration, whereas others have been, or will become, part of longer works.
nutmeag's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tessaract's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kswhite's review against another edition
Great book, but my library loan ended before I could get through all stories in the anthology (and there’s not-surprisingly a long wait for it!) Plan to finish some day when I find a printed copy.