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jonmhansen's review
4.0
It's pretty good for an almost 40-year-old fixup novel.
It's also an interesting read for me personally. Longyear's book on writing was a book I read pretty early on in my writing life, and a lot of the stories that were used in this novel were also used as writing examples. Made for a lot of "Oh, so that's how that story went" (the rest of those tales show up in It Came from Schenectady, btw).
It's also an interesting read for me personally. Longyear's book on writing was a book I read pretty early on in my writing life, and a lot of the stories that were used in this novel were also used as writing examples. Made for a lot of "Oh, so that's how that story went" (the rest of those tales show up in It Came from Schenectady, btw).
alice_horoshev's review
5.0
Unique ideas of interactions in society and beautiful part about boat cruise. Some parts vivdly reminded me of Kvothe journey.
jokoloyo's review
5.0
I was still trembling when I wrote this review, just a few minutes after finished the book.
It is a collection of linked seven short stories. Some stories has humor and hilarious moments and, surprisingly some stories makes me emotional. Despite the good storytelling, this story has fresh idea: story of a world settled by the survivors of a crashed travelling circus starship.
I admit I had underestimated this book in general. I even underestimated the last story after I had enjoyed 6 earlier stories. I love the last story the most, it is a perfect conclusive story of this collection. I appreciate the last story so much because I had read the previous stories.
It is a collection of linked seven short stories. Some stories has humor and hilarious moments and, surprisingly some stories makes me emotional. Despite the good storytelling, this story has fresh idea: story of a world settled by the survivors of a crashed travelling circus starship.
I admit I had underestimated this book in general. I even underestimated the last story after I had enjoyed 6 earlier stories. I love the last story the most, it is a perfect conclusive story of this collection. I appreciate the last story so much because I had read the previous stories.
sisyphus_dreams's review
4.0
Now this is what science fiction is supposed to be. Funny, clever, intelligent stories. They're all too rare these days!
Circus World is a collection of linked short stories in the classic SF style. They share the setting of [b:City of Baraboo|1009457|City of Baraboo|Barry B. Longyear|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180202545s/1009457.jpg|995583] and [b:Elephant Song|95242|Elephant Song|Wilbur Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171299520s/95242.jpg|91830], which were published after it but are set before. This is vintage Longyear, light, amusing, clever, and very enjoyable.
It's the story of a world settled by the survivors of a crashed traveling circus starship. As such, it's particularly recommended for science fiction fans and those who love circuses.
In general, Circus World is somewhat reminiscent of the Hoka stories by Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson - the humor is nowhere near as broad, but the tone, theme, and styles are somewhat similar. If you like Circus World, you'll probably also like the Hoka books (which I'll review later).
The mystery and science fiction writer Fredric Brown also included old-time carny (carnival) themes in some of his stories in both genres (he worked as a carny for a while), so fans of Circus World are likely to enjoy his books as well.
Circus World is a collection of linked short stories in the classic SF style. They share the setting of [b:City of Baraboo|1009457|City of Baraboo|Barry B. Longyear|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180202545s/1009457.jpg|995583] and [b:Elephant Song|95242|Elephant Song|Wilbur Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171299520s/95242.jpg|91830], which were published after it but are set before. This is vintage Longyear, light, amusing, clever, and very enjoyable.
It's the story of a world settled by the survivors of a crashed traveling circus starship. As such, it's particularly recommended for science fiction fans and those who love circuses.
In general, Circus World is somewhat reminiscent of the Hoka stories by Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson - the humor is nowhere near as broad, but the tone, theme, and styles are somewhat similar. If you like Circus World, you'll probably also like the Hoka books (which I'll review later).
The mystery and science fiction writer Fredric Brown also included old-time carny (carnival) themes in some of his stories in both genres (he worked as a carny for a while), so fans of Circus World are likely to enjoy his books as well.
kesterbird's review
4.0
This was a shockingly good read. It's only four stars; it's not an exceptionally good book, but by all rights it shoulda been awful and it was, truly, quite good.
The thing that sci-fi can do, where it looks at reality sidewise and in so doing makes room to be a real thought experiment on how things COULD be different; it does that. There's a genuinely interesting exploration of how a consensus based government could work on a planet-wide scale.
Also: well done on the timing. 200 years isn't that long. The crash landing on the planet is recent enough that it makes sense that the humans would still be using, and working out the changes neededto keep using, the organization system of the original circus. It makes sense that all these people still value their arts so highly. It makes sense that they are still all circus people. A few more generations and that might change, but for now we have this glorious art based economy and I love it.
The thing that sci-fi can do, where it looks at reality sidewise and in so doing makes room to be a real thought experiment on how things COULD be different; it does that. There's a genuinely interesting exploration of how a consensus based government could work on a planet-wide scale.
Also: well done on the timing. 200 years isn't that long. The crash landing on the planet is recent enough that it makes sense that the humans would still be using, and working out the changes neededto keep using, the organization system of the original circus. It makes sense that all these people still value their arts so highly. It makes sense that they are still all circus people. A few more generations and that might change, but for now we have this glorious art based economy and I love it.
lordofthemoon's review
4.0
Two hundred years ago, a circus ship crash-landed on the planet Momus and was unable to escape. Its star-travelling circus had to forge a new life and build a new society for themselves. Now, galactic politics infringe on the Moman way of life: with the 10th Quadrant about to invade, the 9th Quadrant sends an ambassador, Lord Allenby, to the world to plead with them to allow them to send their own fleet to defend the world.
This book is similar to Longyear's [b:Manifest Destiny|468667|Manifest Your Destiny|dR. Wayne W. Dyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175021893s/468667.jpg|1546407] in that it is composed of a collection of linked short stories that together tell a single story and it's just as good. I wasn't entirely impressed with the opening story, The Tryouts, as it felt a little meta-fictional, with the protagonist, a Newsteller, telling the background to Allenby's arrival on the planet to a group of travellers. The issue I had with this story was that the listeners kept interrupting and commenting on both the story and style of telling, offering critique and comment to the Newsteller that stopped me getting involved with the story he was telling. But as you read further, this, and the rest of the strange society that the Momans have built for themselves, is explained and I think that on a re-read, I'd find this much less of an issue.
The other story that didn't work for me was a short one called Dueling Clowns, which mostly revolved around trading puns and a punchline that I didn't get. But mostly I found myself caring for the society that the circus had build on Momus, the clowns and fortune tellers, the magicians and storytellers and acrobats, and wanted to see their world preserved against the external threats.
Longyear is a writer whose writing is warm and friendly and easily draws you into the story and makes you care about his characters and settings. He's definitely joined the list of authors for whom I'll pick up any of their work on byline alone.
This book is similar to Longyear's [b:Manifest Destiny|468667|Manifest Your Destiny|dR. Wayne W. Dyer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175021893s/468667.jpg|1546407] in that it is composed of a collection of linked short stories that together tell a single story and it's just as good. I wasn't entirely impressed with the opening story, The Tryouts, as it felt a little meta-fictional, with the protagonist, a Newsteller, telling the background to Allenby's arrival on the planet to a group of travellers. The issue I had with this story was that the listeners kept interrupting and commenting on both the story and style of telling, offering critique and comment to the Newsteller that stopped me getting involved with the story he was telling. But as you read further, this, and the rest of the strange society that the Momans have built for themselves, is explained and I think that on a re-read, I'd find this much less of an issue.
The other story that didn't work for me was a short one called Dueling Clowns, which mostly revolved around trading puns and a punchline that I didn't get. But mostly I found myself caring for the society that the circus had build on Momus, the clowns and fortune tellers, the magicians and storytellers and acrobats, and wanted to see their world preserved against the external threats.
Longyear is a writer whose writing is warm and friendly and easily draws you into the story and makes you care about his characters and settings. He's definitely joined the list of authors for whom I'll pick up any of their work on byline alone.
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