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midici's review against another edition
4.0
This book somewhat defies explanation. Is it a story about Swan, her life as a Spacer, and the complicated dynamics and politics between the various planets, terrariums, asteroids and Earth? Is it about Swan and Wahram's romance? Is it about terrorism on a planetary scale? Is it about the limitations of intelligence in AIs - or lack thereof - or what it means to be sentient? Who knows; it's all of that and more at once.
The lack of coherency is addressed by separating chapters by who is in them or by what they contain. The extracts provided interesting information about how this future was made, how it works, and what the intellectuals of this future have to say about themselves. The Lists are more ambiguous, listing actions or examples that relate at least somewhat to what is happening to the characters. Some chapters just describe certain planets, or moons, or places. The Quantum Walks (I correctly guessed!) were a sort of stream of consciousness from one of the huminoid qubes, a quantum AI in bipedal form.
There was a lot I liked about this book. The vivid descriptions of the landscapes and cities that were created in space was one of them. The fantastically weird ways people chose to bioengineer themselves and small worlds, contained in terrariums, and the sort of culture that springs up when people now live for up to 200 years and can change virtually anything about themselves that they want. The decision to bomb Earth with all the species that had gone extinct there hundres of years before without asking for permission or planning - and wathcing people argue if it was a gift or a curse or just chaos.
Things I disliked - Swan and her most pointedly annoying, some of the disturbing things Swan did (to herself and to others), Wahram when he comes off as being superior to others, all the loose ends (though they were clearly on purpose), and the way I don't have an satisfactory sense that Swan learned anything from her misadventures at all. She comes across as very immature for someone who is 137 and a parent twice over. The sort of spacer lif she describes herself as living is one without any sense of responsibility and that dosn't really change at all.
This is a book that makes me think - about my own assumptions and culture for one, about future possibilities for another. I think that's what pushed it up to a four for me, rather than the plot itself. If it wasn't a library book and I had more time with it I might have started googling all of the numerous references to all sorts of things that were sort of brought together and swirled around in the mess of science, technology, and humanity that makes up this book.
The lack of coherency is addressed by separating chapters by who is in them or by what they contain. The extracts provided interesting information about how this future was made, how it works, and what the intellectuals of this future have to say about themselves. The Lists are more ambiguous, listing actions or examples that relate at least somewhat to what is happening to the characters. Some chapters just describe certain planets, or moons, or places. The Quantum Walks (I correctly guessed!) were a sort of stream of consciousness from one of the huminoid qubes, a quantum AI in bipedal form.
There was a lot I liked about this book. The vivid descriptions of the landscapes and cities that were created in space was one of them. The fantastically weird ways people chose to bioengineer themselves and small worlds, contained in terrariums, and the sort of culture that springs up when people now live for up to 200 years and can change virtually anything about themselves that they want. The decision to bomb Earth with all the species that had gone extinct there hundres of years before without asking for permission or planning - and wathcing people argue if it was a gift or a curse or just chaos.
Things I disliked - Swan and her most pointedly annoying, some of the disturbing things Swan did (to herself and to others), Wahram when he comes off as being superior to others, all the loose ends (though they were clearly on purpose), and the way I don't have an satisfactory sense that Swan learned anything from her misadventures at all. She comes across as very immature for someone who is 137 and a parent twice over. The sort of spacer lif she describes herself as living is one without any sense of responsibility and that dosn't really change at all.
This is a book that makes me think - about my own assumptions and culture for one, about future possibilities for another. I think that's what pushed it up to a four for me, rather than the plot itself. If it wasn't a library book and I had more time with it I might have started googling all of the numerous references to all sorts of things that were sort of brought together and swirled around in the mess of science, technology, and humanity that makes up this book.
booksbooksbooks42's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ohclaire's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the lists and excerpts, but honestly did not care about anyone or anything in this book. Also love how it's 10 years old and already feels almost outdated lol
samuelantonym's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
caressemh90's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zmull's review against another edition
3.0
Kim Stanley Robinson's spiritual sequel to his Mars Trilogy has just enough plot to move his characters from one setting to another. The settings, of course, are all KSR really cares about. There are intriguing bits of futurism, but the book only really comes to life in a long chapter set under the surface of Mercury that forces the characters themselves to the forefront.
drblockbooks's review against another edition
5.0
A great conceptual book. The world-building in the book was first rate. Robinson has a detailed, (mostly) believable vision of what humanity might be like in 300 years. This book is NOT a page-turner, but it interesting and thought-provoking. It seems to be grounded in science as opposed to some fantastical space opera.
jacksontibet's review against another edition
2.0
Enjoyed it less and less as it went on. Kinda aimless, I wasn't even sure what the whole point was, lacked a sufficient dramatic rise. Characters a bit too underdeveloped as well.
megadeathvsbooks's review against another edition
2.0
This is nominated for a lot of awards. So I read it. But it seems like in a lot of pages not much happened that I really grew to care about.