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raptorq's review
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, and Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Futuristic sci-fi meets multi-generational family-ish saga meets climate crisis, with a three-part plot tracing three different generations of terraforming Environmental Rescue Team (ERT) engineers as they fight their planet's corporate owner and its greedy colonizing violence. A few key things that worked really well for me:
1) The structure. Short, fast-paced chapters within a clearly defined three-part story. This seems trivial, but I honestly felt like this accessible structure made it easy to follow the characters and the action and kept the plot moving. In each of the three parts we have a core cast (with connections between each generation) and an evolving picture of Sask-E, and because each generation has its own corporate obstacles, there is always a clear (and unique) central conflict.
2) The world-building. For as many creatures and constructs of human-level intelligence as there are in this story, it's surprisingly easy to get acclimated. A world in which "The Great Bargain" has determined which creatures can participate as equals in self-governance means a world in which a moose or a cow or an earthworm may be your partner in the field. I loved our wacky cast of characters, and appreciated that the moments of levity are counterbalanced with moments of uncomfortable reflection. Ideas of defining personhood and measuring intelligence reminded me of Martha Wells' Murderbot universe, as did the futuristic corporate-colonizing space-race.
3) The audio! There are so many implied/described sound effects in the story that are brought to life in the audiobook - Crisp and Hellfire's doubled speech, our various bots' conversational sound effects, the train song in part three (perhaps my favorite part of the entire story!). This narration elevated the reading experience for me (and I say this as a reader who generally has not enjoyed Graphic Audio productions that include sound effects).
I wouldn't consider this a sci-fi entry point for newer readers to the genre, but it is a thought-provoking and unique read for sci-fi fans!
1) The structure. Short, fast-paced chapters within a clearly defined three-part story. This seems trivial, but I honestly felt like this accessible structure made it easy to follow the characters and the action and kept the plot moving. In each of the three parts we have a core cast (with connections between each generation) and an evolving picture of Sask-E, and because each generation has its own corporate obstacles, there is always a clear (and unique) central conflict.
2) The world-building. For as many creatures and constructs of human-level intelligence as there are in this story, it's surprisingly easy to get acclimated. A world in which "The Great Bargain" has determined which creatures can participate as equals in self-governance means a world in which a moose or a cow or an earthworm may be your partner in the field. I loved our wacky cast of characters, and appreciated that the moments of levity are counterbalanced with moments of uncomfortable reflection. Ideas of defining personhood and measuring intelligence reminded me of Martha Wells' Murderbot universe, as did the futuristic corporate-colonizing space-race.
3) The audio! There are so many implied/described sound effects in the story that are brought to life in the audiobook - Crisp and Hellfire's doubled speech, our various bots' conversational sound effects, the train song in part three (perhaps my favorite part of the entire story!). This narration elevated the reading experience for me (and I say this as a reader who generally has not enjoyed Graphic Audio productions that include sound effects).
I wouldn't consider this a sci-fi entry point for newer readers to the genre, but it is a thought-provoking and unique read for sci-fi fans!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Colonisation, Death, Classism, and Police brutality
Moderate: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Animal death
Minor: Sexual content
karlawaddles's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was riveting. It was not what I expected but the story was engaging and the multiple points of view were cleverly done. The world building was clearly intently researched (most of the acknowledgments were thanking various experts in a variety of fields). Probably could have been 3 books with how much went on, but it was satisfying to see the storyline build on each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Colonisation
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Sexual content, Classism, and Police brutality
Minor: War and Violence
squidbillyinvictus's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Classism, and Slavery
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love Annalee Newitz’s books and will always want to read their novels. However, I found this one disappointing because it was overly didactic. It’s a transparent diatribe against the rich, big corporations, the destruction of the environment, forced labor, and racism. I’m very left-wing and agree with everything Newitz is saying, but I don’t want to be hit over the head with her arguments.
I liked the characters and I thought the plot was interesting. It was fun to think that every thing, not just humans and robots, could be autonomous from earthworms to trains. I liked the way each section was about a thousand years later than the one before so we could see how much had changed. That reminded me of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy but much smaller.
Overall I thought this had great potential but it was just TOO much.
I liked the characters and I thought the plot was interesting. It was fun to think that every thing, not just humans and robots, could be autonomous from earthworms to trains. I liked the way each section was about a thousand years later than the one before so we could see how much had changed. That reminded me of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy but much smaller.
Overall I thought this had great potential but it was just TOO much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Body horror, Classism, and Slavery
schnaucl's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This wasn't really what I was expecting. For some reason I was expecting a book about climate change (which is on me). Instead, this was a story about terraforming (...hence the title), colonialism, gentrification, class solidarity and the ravages of capitalism.
The most horrifying part to me was the constraints the corporations put on creatures with a low intelligence assessment except what a low rating really meant was that their brains were designed so that they physically couldn't verbalize other than what they were allowed. In the case of a mount, the limitation was polysyllabic words, in the case of a cook, it was anything not related to her job. They can still understand other words and concepts, but they couldn't verbalize them. It's discovered in the first book what the limitation does, and that it can be at least partially reversed and then it just...isn't? I get that it was possible because the mount was injured and in the course of treating him they were able to mitigate the limitation. But there's no real discussion about whether it might be possible to use the same technology even in the absence of a severe wound. The people with the artificial limiters can and do find ways around the limitation but it's exhausting.
I did like the concept of the minority getting one concession from the majority that the minority gets to specify when a vote is taken, although I feel like that only really works if there's agreement on why the minority is voting against the majority. And if everyone is operating in good faith, of course.
I did like the concept of the minority getting one concession from the majority that the minority gets to specify when a vote is taken, although I feel like that only really works if there's agreement on why the minority is voting against the majority. And if everyone is operating in good faith, of course.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Colonisation, and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Death of parent, and Animal death
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
The Terraformers is a story told in three parts, set years apart with only the slightest overlap in characters. The plot is set on Sask-E, a planet being terraformed to resemble a Pleistocene era Earth; it begins with the Environmental Rescue Team, whose members are working on the terraforming project. The second section follows a character trained by the protagonist of section one who is on a team strategizing for the development of inter-city transportation. The final section follows one of the sentient flying trains developed by this team as they and their allies work in hopes of creating a Sask-E for everyone rather than just for wealthy H sapiens.
What I liked: I quite liked the incorporation of multiple POVs using jumps in time period, and the incorporation of items like reports and transmissions into the text. I liked the exploration of speciesism & the world-building in which animals of all types are, in at least some contexts, meaningfully conceived of as persons. I like SFF that contrasts societies with dramatically different worldviews and that look at political decision-making as a process, and felt like this was handled well.
What I didn't love: I feel like there was very little ethical ambiguity in the characters, and that many (most) of the characters read as rather immature despite their lengthy lifespans. The antagonists at times felt like cartoon villains. Of the three, I found the middle section dragged on a bit and was less compelling than the other two.
Content warnings: violence, murder, animal death, human death, slavery, classism, war
What I liked: I quite liked the incorporation of multiple POVs using jumps in time period, and the incorporation of items like reports and transmissions into the text. I liked the exploration of speciesism & the world-building in which animals of all types are, in at least some contexts, meaningfully conceived of as persons. I like SFF that contrasts societies with dramatically different worldviews and that look at political decision-making as a process, and felt like this was handled well.
What I didn't love: I feel like there was very little ethical ambiguity in the characters, and that many (most) of the characters read as rather immature despite their lengthy lifespans. The antagonists at times felt like cartoon villains. Of the three, I found the middle section dragged on a bit and was less compelling than the other two.
Content warnings: violence, murder, animal death, human death, slavery, classism, war
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Classism, War, Violence, Murder, and Animal death
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
'The Terraformers' by Annalee Newitz is a novel in three parts that follows three connected characters living on the planet of Sask-E and dealing with issues of terraforming, governance, and autonomy.
The first part follows Destry, a member of the Environmental Rescue Team on Sask-E, who stumbles upon a secret city and learns about a civilization that defies what she believed about the planet. Part two follows Sulfur, an engineer who is part of a survey team hoping to discover what type of transportation would work best to connect cities on Sask-E. Finally, part three follows Scrubjay, a sentient train who is caught up in growing unrest over housing in one of Sask-E's largest cities and how it creates new possible futures for the planet.
Newitz creates a fascinating set of characters that work incredibly well to pull the dispersed story together. With three distinct parts, it would be easy for each to feel disconnected from the others but Newitz does an excellent job of making one cohesive story that just so happens to be broken out across three different perspectives and timelines. Part of why this is so successful is the sense of place. So much of this story is centered on the planet itself and Newitz creates Sask-E into its own character. We spend so much time learning about the planet and how it has been influenced by different people that it's hard to not get attached. Add to that a great cast of characters who are complex but easy to care for and it's easy to be absorbed into this narrative.
Newitz touches on a lot of important topics in 'Terraformers' including bodily autonomy, democracy, colonization, and what it means to be a 'person.' They put forward a lot to think about when it comes to what a potential future could look like, especially with the increase in use of AI.
All in all an excellent blend of great characters, evocative worldbuilding, and thoughtful conversations about systemic issues.
The first part follows Destry, a member of the Environmental Rescue Team on Sask-E, who stumbles upon a secret city and learns about a civilization that defies what she believed about the planet. Part two follows Sulfur, an engineer who is part of a survey team hoping to discover what type of transportation would work best to connect cities on Sask-E. Finally, part three follows Scrubjay, a sentient train who is caught up in growing unrest over housing in one of Sask-E's largest cities and how it creates new possible futures for the planet.
Newitz creates a fascinating set of characters that work incredibly well to pull the dispersed story together. With three distinct parts, it would be easy for each to feel disconnected from the others but Newitz does an excellent job of making one cohesive story that just so happens to be broken out across three different perspectives and timelines. Part of why this is so successful is the sense of place. So much of this story is centered on the planet itself and Newitz creates Sask-E into its own character. We spend so much time learning about the planet and how it has been influenced by different people that it's hard to not get attached. Add to that a great cast of characters who are complex but easy to care for and it's easy to be absorbed into this narrative.
Newitz touches on a lot of important topics in 'Terraformers' including bodily autonomy, democracy, colonization, and what it means to be a 'person.' They put forward a lot to think about when it comes to what a potential future could look like, especially with the increase in use of AI.
All in all an excellent blend of great characters, evocative worldbuilding, and thoughtful conversations about systemic issues.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Slavery
meat_muffin's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
sad
medium-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? No
3.75
I am… torn. Was this book well-written? Yes. Was the author very skilled at condensing insanely complicated subjects down to comprehensible concepts? Also yes. But do I kind of feel like flinging myself (and humanity) into the sun after reading it? Also yes.
Listen. It’s a good book! But this has totally ruined my faith in the future of humanity. (They’re not wrong, though! I fully believe this whole thing could come true in a few thousand years. I just… hate that!)
Listen. It’s a good book! But this has totally ruined my faith in the future of humanity. (They’re not wrong, though! I fully believe this whole thing could come true in a few thousand years. I just… hate that!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Classism, Deportation, and Slavery
Moderate: Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Cursing, War, Death of parent, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content, Animal death, and Police brutality
mandkips's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, and Slavery
Moderate: Classism, Sexual content, and Ableism
Minor: Death of parent and Violence