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vkadic's review
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
Reading this book was and interesting and informative experience, if not all enjoyable. Also the book itself is so gorgeous to look at and to go trough. Sci-fi and fantasy are two of my favourite and most read genres so it was interesting seeing how they developed and what ideas were going around 150ish years ago. I also liked the stories were ordered by publication date because it made it much clearer to see the writing trends change and evolve over the years. Also examining them through a modern lens, it is heartening to observe the significant strides we have made in diminishing the prevalence of racism and sexism in literature. Some of the stories I have read before but when I was much younger and much less red in the genre so it is also fun to see how my tastes changed over time.
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O'Brian (1858): - 2.75
This story was okay, I don't remember much about it except that the protagonist was an unlikable foolish person and that it just ends abruptly, all in all nothing special.
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864): 3
This is one of the ones I remember reading and loving as a child. Eight year old me was really into Jules Verne and I remember this being a very fun adventure. Sadly as an adult I did not enjoy it that much. The idea was okayish and interesting although looking at it from a modern day view very outlandish and the adventure got tiring at some poing.
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888): 3
This one did stick out to me more, it was fun to see how the author envisioned life in the year 2000 and all the ways in which it was wrong. I wished it was written differently, it is more conversation between two men about the world and those envisioned changes, more telling and ideas than seeing. Also it is "interesting", in the lack of the better world to see ,how the role of women in society was perceived and imagined even when writing a sci-fi, time travel story.
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (1897):3.5
This one is definitely a classic for a reason, very interesting premise. The only thing holding it back is that I found it a bit hard to get into the bit arhaic language and I wished it was longer, I wished we learned more about the world and the martians.
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912): 4
This one I also liked a lot (also very implausible from a modern viewpoint) but very, very interesting, imaginative, filled with action and interesting characters. Also wished it was longer and we learned more about the world on Mars but overall very enjoyable.
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912): 2.75
This one also barely stuck with me, not sure why but I found it very hard to get trough.
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915): 3.25
This one is very short and I did kind of liked it, it reminded me of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower a bit.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915): 4.5
This one I definitely liked because I read it inside this collection so reading it I was much more aware of the context in which was written, if not for that I might not have liked it. The utopian world of women that self reproduce is of course not very realistic but I do not think it was meant to be. I saw it more of a response to the stories of that time, and the way women were written in them, but also the way they were treated by the society around them. And looking at it trough that lense I really liked it.
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928): 3
This was okay. Women do exist and have functional roles in society in this imagined future. It is entertaining but did not leave an impact.
The Dunwich Horror by HP Lovecraft (1928): 3
This one is also okay, creepy, all you would expect from HP Lovecraft and I kind of get some of Stephen King's inspirations a bit better now.
The Diamond Lens by Fitz James O'Brian (1858): - 2.75
This story was okay, I don't remember much about it except that the protagonist was an unlikable foolish person and that it just ends abruptly, all in all nothing special.
A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864): 3
This is one of the ones I remember reading and loving as a child. Eight year old me was really into Jules Verne and I remember this being a very fun adventure. Sadly as an adult I did not enjoy it that much. The idea was okayish and interesting although looking at it from a modern day view very outlandish and the adventure got tiring at some poing.
Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy (1888): 3
This one did stick out to me more, it was fun to see how the author envisioned life in the year 2000 and all the ways in which it was wrong. I wished it was written differently, it is more conversation between two men about the world and those envisioned changes, more telling and ideas than seeing. Also it is "interesting", in the lack of the better world to see ,how the role of women in society was perceived and imagined even when writing a sci-fi, time travel story.
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells (1897):3.5
This one is definitely a classic for a reason, very interesting premise. The only thing holding it back is that I found it a bit hard to get into the bit arhaic language and I wished it was longer, I wished we learned more about the world and the martians.
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912): 4
This one I also liked a lot (also very implausible from a modern viewpoint) but very, very interesting, imaginative, filled with action and interesting characters. Also wished it was longer and we learned more about the world on Mars but overall very enjoyable.
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (1912): 2.75
This one also barely stuck with me, not sure why but I found it very hard to get trough.
The Scarlet Plague by Jack London (1915): 3.25
This one is very short and I did kind of liked it, it reminded me of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower a bit.
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915): 4.5
This one I definitely liked because I read it inside this collection so reading it I was much more aware of the context in which was written, if not for that I might not have liked it. The utopian world of women that self reproduce is of course not very realistic but I do not think it was meant to be. I saw it more of a response to the stories of that time, and the way women were written in them, but also the way they were treated by the society around them. And looking at it trough that lense I really liked it.
Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan (1928): 3
This was okay. Women do exist and have functional roles in society in this imagined future. It is entertaining but did not leave an impact.
The Dunwich Horror by HP Lovecraft (1928): 3
This one is also okay, creepy, all you would expect from HP Lovecraft and I kind of get some of Stephen King's inspirations a bit better now.
deanagrummons's review
3.0
Really enjoyed The Scarlet Plague and The Dunwich Horror from this collection.
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