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tricapra's review against another edition
5.0
Such an interesting novella. A very unique setting, with great worldbuilding that perfectly suited the introspective focus of the story. Osaji was a very, very relatable protagonist: caught between her desires for a different life, and the crushing societal pressures that they conflict with them. Definitely recommend.
mrswythe89's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended by Ann Leckie. I loved it -- loved Osaji and her conflicted relationship with Mota, loved the strangeness of their underwater world. I wondered a bit about the implications of having the very circuitous culture of Ben represented via characters of (apparently) Japanese heritage ... also I thought the American Wild Wild West guy was incongruous. Americans always gotta have Americans in their stories! Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, of course, but it's a bit odd when they're all in outer space, that space cowboys should be similar to actual (or at least one's idea of actual) cowboys.
calvinrain's review against another edition
5.0
Arkfall is a surprisingly brilliant 5-star novella. The story centers on a group of three people who are set adrift in an underwater alien world. The peculiarity of the underwater world is fun, and interesting concepts are introduced to explain how humans can adapt to living in the environment. The driving force of Arkfall though is the great character development from beginning to end.
elusivity's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most literary, yet also firmly science fictional, work I have read yet... Highly recommended!
par3's review against another edition
5.0
5 Stars! Wow! I didn’t understand the first few pages; didn’t know what was going on. But then after that, I was blown away. The story just kept getting better and better. Loved it! Such a cool exploration underseas in such a different culture. Enjoy!
Quotes:
- “It’s antisocial to make one’s personal problems into everyone’s problems.” (p21)
- “A dark illimitable ocean without bound, where length, breadth, time and place are lost.” (p29)
- “It’s a belligerent little vintage with a sarcastic attitude. I like it very much.” (p35)
- “If everyone has forgotten us, do you suppose we’ll still exist?” (p36)
- “You don’t have enough to forget. Try living a life like mine. You’ll know then, memory’s a disease… Forgetting is what nature does best. The universe is a huge forgetting machine. It erases information no matter how hard we try to hang onto it. How could it be any different? What if the memory of everything that ever happened still existed? The universe would be clogged with information, so packed with it we couldn’t move. We’d be paralyzed, because every moment we ever lived would still be with us. It would be hell.” (p36)
- “They were all swimming temporarily in a sea of darkness, and then they would be gone.” (p36)
- “Permeable membranes, that’s the key: a constant exchange between outside and in. You’ve got to let the world leak in, and let yourself flow out into the nutrient bath around you. You’ve got to let in ideas, and observations, and… well, affection… or you become hard and dead inside. Life is all about having a permeable self—not so you’re unclear who you are, but so you overlap a little with the others on the edges.” (p45)
- “Some people are too permeable. They spend their lives trying to flow out, and never take in nutrient for themselves. They end up thin and empty inside.” (p45)
Quotes:
- “It’s antisocial to make one’s personal problems into everyone’s problems.” (p21)
- “A dark illimitable ocean without bound, where length, breadth, time and place are lost.” (p29)
- “It’s a belligerent little vintage with a sarcastic attitude. I like it very much.” (p35)
- “If everyone has forgotten us, do you suppose we’ll still exist?” (p36)
- “You don’t have enough to forget. Try living a life like mine. You’ll know then, memory’s a disease… Forgetting is what nature does best. The universe is a huge forgetting machine. It erases information no matter how hard we try to hang onto it. How could it be any different? What if the memory of everything that ever happened still existed? The universe would be clogged with information, so packed with it we couldn’t move. We’d be paralyzed, because every moment we ever lived would still be with us. It would be hell.” (p36)
- “They were all swimming temporarily in a sea of darkness, and then they would be gone.” (p36)
- “Permeable membranes, that’s the key: a constant exchange between outside and in. You’ve got to let the world leak in, and let yourself flow out into the nutrient bath around you. You’ve got to let in ideas, and observations, and… well, affection… or you become hard and dead inside. Life is all about having a permeable self—not so you’re unclear who you are, but so you overlap a little with the others on the edges.” (p45)
- “Some people are too permeable. They spend their lives trying to flow out, and never take in nutrient for themselves. They end up thin and empty inside.” (p45)
erichart's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed "Dark Orbit" so much, I started looking for Gilman's previous work. In Nebula-nominated "Arkfall", she tackles personal issues dealing with deciding what path to take in life, and how much say you have in how you live, from the point of view of a character trapped in a ship which can only follow currents, with little ability to change direction. The ending is a little bit too much on the nose, but not enough to spoil the overall effect.
elusivity's review
5.0
This is one of the most literary, yet also firmly science fictional, work I have read yet... Highly recommended!
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