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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This book started out with a very western vibe or maybe like a mystery. Think Joe Pickett on another planet. And then it changes. At another point I'd liken it to the Devil Wears Prada but in space. This is, of course, complete with the brow-beaten assistant and the number 2 in command who's evil and driven enough to be number 1 but not quite smart enough to actually be number 1. Newitz uses this newly terraformed planet to challenge concepts regarding what is considered personhood, community, home. Should planets be considered corporate or public entities. I love the character of Whistle, there's ample naked mole rat representation, but the planet, Sask-E, is the central character. This is really well done, highly recommended. . .
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
I finally understand why the reviews are so divisive on this book. I was sold on the description, but it's a little misleading. This book is effectively 3 novellas that are loosely connected by characters but separated by centuries. One is really good, one is not, and one is kind of in the middle. Also, let's be honest, it's pretty weird.
The characters are great, especially in the first part, and I like the concept. I get hints of Dune (extremely far future, people genetically engineered for specific purposes, commentary on power and capitalism), Brave New World (genetic engineering, no natural birth among sentient species), and Star Trek (super advanced technology, everything feels incredibly alien). But the writing just doesn't back it up, and the slump in the middle kills the momentum.
Another nitpick is the fact that this story spans over a millennium, but things feel very similar across the different eras. But maybe in a future where people commonly live for centuries, progress and change slow down.
Also, keep this book away from the tech bros. They do not need more ideas for making life miserable for other people.
The characters are great, especially in the first part, and I like the concept. I get hints of Dune (extremely far future, people genetically engineered for specific purposes, commentary on power and capitalism), Brave New World (genetic engineering, no natural birth among sentient species), and Star Trek (super advanced technology, everything feels incredibly alien). But the writing just doesn't back it up, and the slump in the middle kills the momentum.
Another nitpick is the fact that this story spans over a millennium, but things feel very similar across the different eras. But maybe in a future where people commonly live for centuries, progress and change slow down.
Also, keep this book away from the tech bros. They do not need more ideas for making life miserable for other people.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm not quite sure how to rate this. There are parts of this book I really enjoyed, but I struggled with the pacing and story progression quite a bit. If you're looking for unusual and original sci fi, this definitely fits the bill.
hopeful
reflective
medium-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:
No
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is actually made up of 3 loosely (as far as I could tell) connected novellas. Each is set in the same world, but several hundreds years apart. I gave up after the first chapter of the 3rd section.
While I agree with the messages in this book (Unbridled capitalism is bad. Racism is bad.) The way these were told didn't work for me. It did't seem like there was a single, overarching plot thread. Instead, I felt like there were 3 standalone stories telling me the same thing. Perhaps if I had persisted to the end I would have felt differently, but I just didn't care to keep going.
Also, I had a lot of questions about how the world worked. People were grown in vats and decanted as adults, with an entire childhood's worth of education. Sexual reproduction and childhood are no more. How does that work? Also, while people could be killed, nobody aged and died. For a story all about sustainable ecosystems that raises all sorts of questions.
In addition, some breeds of animals have had their intelligence increased (the Great Bargain) so they now count as people. One consequence of this is that all people (regardless of species apparently) are vegan. Even obligate carnivores like cats. How do you have a sustainable ecosystem without any predator species?
Who choose which animals to made into people and why were some species chosen and not others? The big bad guy, Verdance, is all about profit but it wasn't clear why they created some intelligent animals. The main character is the first section, Destry, has an intelligent companion who also functions as her means of transport and haulage. OK, that makes sense. But Whistle was a moose. Why a moose and not a horse? A sentence or two explaining perhaps that moose are hardier and better suited to the terrain than a horse could have been an idea.
I finally gave up in the 3rd section as it featured an intelligent cat. Now, I'm a card-carrying crazy cat lady but what possible profit motive is there in making an intelligent cat? This cat is also described as having a backpack with all its belongings which it takes off and on. I'm looking at my fat, overfed cat and I can't imagine it being able to carry any amount of items. Even if it was the size of a mountain lion, how would it pack anything? They don't have opposable thumbs!
While I agree with the messages in this book (Unbridled capitalism is bad. Racism is bad.) The way these were told didn't work for me. It did't seem like there was a single, overarching plot thread. Instead, I felt like there were 3 standalone stories telling me the same thing. Perhaps if I had persisted to the end I would have felt differently, but I just didn't care to keep going.
Also, I had a lot of questions about how the world worked. People were grown in vats and decanted as adults, with an entire childhood's worth of education. Sexual reproduction and childhood are no more. How does that work? Also, while people could be killed, nobody aged and died. For a story all about sustainable ecosystems that raises all sorts of questions.
In addition, some breeds of animals have had their intelligence increased (the Great Bargain) so they now count as people. One consequence of this is that all people (regardless of species apparently) are vegan. Even obligate carnivores like cats. How do you have a sustainable ecosystem without any predator species?
Who choose which animals to made into people and why were some species chosen and not others? The big bad guy, Verdance, is all about profit but it wasn't clear why they created some intelligent animals. The main character is the first section, Destry, has an intelligent companion who also functions as her means of transport and haulage. OK, that makes sense. But Whistle was a moose. Why a moose and not a horse? A sentence or two explaining perhaps that moose are hardier and better suited to the terrain than a horse could have been an idea.
I finally gave up in the 3rd section as it featured an intelligent cat. Now, I'm a card-carrying crazy cat lady but what possible profit motive is there in making an intelligent cat? This cat is also described as having a backpack with all its belongings which it takes off and on. I'm looking at my fat, overfed cat and I can't imagine it being able to carry any amount of items. Even if it was the size of a mountain lion, how would it pack anything? They don't have opposable thumbs!
Some good ideas but they don't come across as very well thought-out.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i really, really wanted to enjoy this. and, to a degree, i did. the overarching ideas of creating workforces to build you a planet, the concept of what ‘people’ are, and how governing bodies work and can work, was incredibly articulate and intense. but the plot meandered, and for a while, i wasn’t entirely sure where it was going.
it’s very densely scientific, and my brain spent a fair few pages trying to wrap my head around incredibly foreign concepts, which ultimately took me out of the narrative.
it’s very densely scientific, and my brain spent a fair few pages trying to wrap my head around incredibly foreign concepts, which ultimately took me out of the narrative.