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ana_az_books's review
1.0
This was just... not for me. The "humor" in the book just rubs me the wrong way...
hartd's review
4.0
The problem with this style of writing is that feels dated five minutes after it's published (and this is two years old). But it's an interesting story. I'm sure I'll remember it, and I'm glad I read it.
villyidol's review
4.0
After a long long time in cryosleep Charlie finds himself in a completely changed world.
There he meets our narrator and his Tour Guide To The Future, the cheerful Kit/dinaround. Emphasis on the "/". Naturally.
Things have changed quite a bit. And "Post-Singularity humanity now exists entirely as uploaded consciousnesses in distributed Matryoshka brains, living in trillions of universes presided over by our Friendly AI, Allocator."
I think that's pretty clear.
Anyways, now our trio of protagonists is complete and after the inconvenience of Charlie's terminal health status is taken care of, there's a decision to make. Where in all the trillions of universes do you want to spend your time? Well, Charlie goes for Middle Earth. Naturally.
But that's only the beginning of the end. After a lot of laugh-out-loud humor (the author actually was pretty accurate with this stupid-ass title) the second half adds some much needed depth to the story. And the conclusion gives the reader enough food for thought.
In the end this was not only great fun, but also something more.
4.5 stars
You can read it here. For free! Naturally!
2017 Nebula Award nominee for Best Short Story.
Now that I'm done with reading all the nominees for Best Short Story, is this my favorite then?
Well, for sheer fun and entertainment I would say so, yes.
But Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim gave me all the feels. And I'm giving it the slight edge over this one. It's really a close call, though.
___________________
Best Novel
• [b: Amberlough|29939270|Amberlough (The Amberlough Dossier, #1)|Lara Elena Donnelly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462547662l/29939270._SY75_.jpg|50329881] by Lara Elena Donnelly (Tor)
• [b: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter|34728925|The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter|Theodora Goss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490794116l/34728925._SY75_.jpg|45924715] by Theodora Goss (Saga)
• [b: Spoonbenders|32827398|Spoonbenders|Daryl Gregory|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492697004l/32827398._SX50_.jpg|53428144] by Daryl Gregory (Knopf; riverrun)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit US)
• [b: Jade City|34606064|Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513357590l/34606064._SY75_.jpg|55755047] by Fonda Lee (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• [b: Autonomous|28209634|Autonomous|Annalee Newitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484305104l/28209634._SY75_.jpg|48237590] by Annalee Newitz (Tor; Orbit UK 2018)
Best Novella
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Passing Strange|31372178|Passing Strange|Ellen Klages|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474584923l/31372178._SY75_.jpg|52061084] by Ellen Klages (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17)
• [b: Barry’s Deal|36547519|Barry's Deal|Lawrence M. Schoen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509995034l/36547519._SY75_.jpg|58279170] by Lawrence M. Schoen (NobleFusion Press)
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|J.Y. Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485291538l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Dirty Old Town by Richard Bowes (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 5-6/17)
• [b: Weaponized Math|40167436|Weaponized Math|Jonathan P. Brazee|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|62309691] by Jonathan P. Brazee (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|38251695|Wind Will Rove|Sarah Pinsker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523111341l/38251695._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s 9-10/17)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld 1/17)
• A Human Stain by Kelly Robson (Tor.com 1/4/17)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17)
Best Short Story
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex 8/17)
• Utopia, LOL? by Jamie Wahls (Strange Horizons 6/5/17)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in the Yard) by Matthew Kressel (Tor.com 3/15/17)
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17)
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
• [b: Exo|26532931|Exo (Exo #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464719345l/26532931._SY75_.jpg|46532697] by Fonda Lee (Scholastic Press)
• [b: Weave a Circle Round|33517568|Weave a Circle Round|Kari Maaren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494982657l/33517568._SY75_.jpg|47855559] by Kari Maaren (Tor)
• [b: The Art of Starving|25978892|The Art of Starving|Sam J. Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494950656l/25978892._SY75_.jpg|45888872] by Sam J. Miller (HarperTeen)
• Want by Cindy Pon (Simon Pulse)
There he meets our narrator and his Tour Guide To The Future, the cheerful Kit/dinaround. Emphasis on the "/". Naturally.
Things have changed quite a bit. And "Post-Singularity humanity now exists entirely as uploaded consciousnesses in distributed Matryoshka brains, living in trillions of universes presided over by our Friendly AI, Allocator."
I think that's pretty clear.
Anyways, now our trio of protagonists is complete and after the inconvenience of Charlie's terminal health status is taken care of, there's a decision to make. Where in all the trillions of universes do you want to spend your time? Well, Charlie goes for Middle Earth. Naturally.
But that's only the beginning of the end. After a lot of laugh-out-loud humor (the author actually was pretty accurate with this stupid-ass title) the second half adds some much needed depth to the story. And the conclusion gives the reader enough food for thought.
In the end this was not only great fun, but also something more.
4.5 stars
You can read it here. For free! Naturally!
2017 Nebula Award nominee for Best Short Story.
Now that I'm done with reading all the nominees for Best Short Story, is this my favorite then?
Well, for sheer fun and entertainment I would say so, yes.
But Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim gave me all the feels. And I'm giving it the slight edge over this one. It's really a close call, though.
___________________
2017 Nebula Award Nominees
Best Novel
• [b: Amberlough|29939270|Amberlough (The Amberlough Dossier, #1)|Lara Elena Donnelly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462547662l/29939270._SY75_.jpg|50329881] by Lara Elena Donnelly (Tor)
• [b: The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter|34728925|The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter|Theodora Goss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490794116l/34728925._SY75_.jpg|45924715] by Theodora Goss (Saga)
• [b: Spoonbenders|32827398|Spoonbenders|Daryl Gregory|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492697004l/32827398._SX50_.jpg|53428144] by Daryl Gregory (Knopf; riverrun)
• [b: The Stone Sky|31817749|The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478547421l/31817749._SY75_.jpg|52472813] by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty (Orbit US)
• [b: Jade City|34606064|Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1513357590l/34606064._SY75_.jpg|55755047] by Fonda Lee (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• [b: Autonomous|28209634|Autonomous|Annalee Newitz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484305104l/28209634._SY75_.jpg|48237590] by Annalee Newitz (Tor; Orbit UK 2018)
Best Novella
• [b: River of Teeth|31445891|River of Teeth (River of Teeth, #1)|Sarah Gailey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484234556l/31445891._SY75_.jpg|52146842] by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: Passing Strange|31372178|Passing Strange|Ellen Klages|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474584923l/31372178._SY75_.jpg|52061084] by Ellen Klages (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: And Then There Were (N-One)|34505565|Uncanny Magazine Issue 15 March/April 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488924699l/34505565._SY75_.jpg|59931968] by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 3-4/17)
• [b: Barry’s Deal|36547519|Barry's Deal|Lawrence M. Schoen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509995034l/36547519._SY75_.jpg|58279170] by Lawrence M. Schoen (NobleFusion Press)
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
• [b: The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|J.Y. Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485291538l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Best Novelette
• Dirty Old Town by Richard Bowes (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction 5-6/17)
• [b: Weaponized Math|40167436|Weaponized Math|Jonathan P. Brazee|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|62309691] by Jonathan P. Brazee (The Expanding Universe, Vol. 3)
• [b: Wind Will Rove|38251695|Wind Will Rove|Sarah Pinsker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523111341l/38251695._SX50_.jpg|59932502] by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s 9-10/17)
• A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld 1/17)
• A Human Stain by Kelly Robson (Tor.com 1/4/17)
• [b: Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time|35051890|Uncanny Magazine Issue 16 May/June 2017|Lynne M. Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493742742l/35051890._SY75_.jpg|60092968] by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny 5-6/17)
Best Short Story
• Fandom for Robots by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™ by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex 8/17)
• Utopia, LOL? by Jamie Wahls (Strange Horizons 6/5/17)
• Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand by Fran Wilde (Uncanny 9-10/17)
• The Last Novelist (or A Dead Lizard in the Yard) by Matthew Kressel (Tor.com 3/15/17)
• Carnival Nine by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 5/11/17)
Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
• [b: Exo|26532931|Exo (Exo #1)|Fonda Lee|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464719345l/26532931._SY75_.jpg|46532697] by Fonda Lee (Scholastic Press)
• [b: Weave a Circle Round|33517568|Weave a Circle Round|Kari Maaren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494982657l/33517568._SY75_.jpg|47855559] by Kari Maaren (Tor)
• [b: The Art of Starving|25978892|The Art of Starving|Sam J. Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494950656l/25978892._SY75_.jpg|45888872] by Sam J. Miller (HarperTeen)
• Want by Cindy Pon (Simon Pulse)
oleksandr's review
4.0
This short story was nominated for Nebula Award in 2018, but hasn't won it.
The story starts with a man, recently restored from cryo-sleep in post-singularity future. His guide to the future, from POV the story is told is a product of the era with attention span shorter than that of a guppy and enthusiasm of a puppy :)
Easy and fun read, in my view better that this year Nebula winner
The story starts with a man, recently restored from cryo-sleep in post-singularity future. His guide to the future, from POV the story is told is a product of the era with attention span shorter than that of a guppy and enthusiasm of a puppy :)
Easy and fun read, in my view better that this year Nebula winner
mountainblue's review
5.0
5 stars ++
This was one of the funniest, most entertaining and best short SF stories I've ever listened to. I'm going to read the ebook and probably listen to the podcast once again, because it's that good.
***Full RTC***
This was one of the funniest, most entertaining and best short SF stories I've ever listened to. I'm going to read the ebook and probably listen to the podcast once again, because it's that good.
***Full RTC***
quynh23's review
funny
medium-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
The context of "human went to live in virtual reality, leaving everything to AI to manage" is not bad, too bad I can't vibe with the story. It's hard to give a high score to jokes that don't make you laugh, right?
The story's humor is heavy in pop culture (if you haven't guessed from the title "Utopia, LOL?"), a pair of AI with opposite characters. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by its storyline and lackluster characters, along with message-style dialogue, emojis, Middle Earth, Bird Simulator, VR Being-walk-on.
The only part that I found funny was when the tour guide enthusiastically asked Charlie to cosplay the floor tile: "I'm really underselling it. The sensation of being edged where your body has stark boundaries and stillness inside, no little fluttering feelings like a bird heart thub-thubbing away, no squashy boobs or butts or venom sacs to bump or sit on. Everything is rocky and stark and permanent, even your own mind."
The story's humor is heavy in pop culture (if you haven't guessed from the title "Utopia, LOL?"), a pair of AI with opposite characters. Unfortunately, I was not impressed by its storyline and lackluster characters, along with message-style dialogue, emojis, Middle Earth, Bird Simulator, VR Being-walk-on.
The only part that I found funny was when the tour guide enthusiastically asked Charlie to cosplay the floor tile: "I'm really underselling it. The sensation of being edged where your body has stark boundaries and stillness inside, no little fluttering feelings like a bird heart thub-thubbing away, no squashy boobs or butts or venom sacs to bump or sit on. Everything is rocky and stark and permanent, even your own mind."
stillreadingat4am's review
5.0
I don't wanna spoil anything about this short story but as someone with ADHD, I absolutely vibed with Kit!
The "world-building" is pretty cool and I liked the kinda emotional ending.
The "world-building" is pretty cool and I liked the kinda emotional ending.
montyskid's review
3.0
Kit is one of the most annoying characters I've had the displeasure of reading. I understand, to a point, why Wahls wrote her that way but she was still pretty damn annoying. The ending was a redeeming factor for my rating b I really liked that ending.