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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
My thoughts of some of the stories:
Mountain - loved this one - just like Liu to think of something so creative. I won't say much here - it's best going in blind!
Sun of China - this hit close to home. Up til now most of Singapore's infrastructure is built by immigrants from China and other parts of Asia. The hard work and long hours they put in, together with their constant refrain of making enough money for their family is admirable and touching. I wish the nation would do more for them.
The Wages of Humanity - Very Black Mirror-esque and an enjoyable story about capitalism gone too far.
Taking Care of Gods - nicely-tied together story about the origin of life on Earth.
The Longest Fall & With Her Eyes - I love the continuity of these two stories. A touching story about science and humanity.
Mountain - loved this one - just like Liu to think of something so creative. I won't say much here - it's best going in blind!
Sun of China - this hit close to home. Up til now most of Singapore's infrastructure is built by immigrants from China and other parts of Asia. The hard work and long hours they put in, together with their constant refrain of making enough money for their family is admirable and touching. I wish the nation would do more for them.
The Wages of Humanity - Very Black Mirror-esque and an enjoyable story about capitalism gone too far.
Taking Care of Gods - nicely-tied together story about the origin of life on Earth.
The Longest Fall & With Her Eyes - I love the continuity of these two stories. A touching story about science and humanity.
I really liked the movie, the concept is great but unlike the movie the characters are not likeable and that put me off.
adventurous
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I watched the movie The Wandering Earth and adored it, so I sought out the source material. This is perhaps not normally the kind of book I prefer, but I ended up really enjoying it. The Wandering Earth story didn't even make my top 3! Devourer, For the Benefit of Mankind, and With Her Eyes/Cannonball were my favorites. Some really interesting concepts in all of the short stories - definitely not a character focused collection if that's what you're after.
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought the Wandering Earth film was a classic boring action film and I was not expecting much from this either.
It turned out that this is not a novel of Wandering Earth but a collection of short stories instead. I thought they were all very enjoyable and interesting and I liked the way they each tought a moral message.
It turned out that this is not a novel of Wandering Earth but a collection of short stories instead. I thought they were all very enjoyable and interesting and I liked the way they each tought a moral message.
Excellent collection – very interesting to see Cixin Liu exploring many ideas that play meaningful roles in his acclaimed Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy.
adventurous
challenging
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Probably one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. Having just finished it I could EASILY turn this round and start again right now. I passionately loved this book.
I'm fascinated by some of Cixin's ideas, like the planet Earth converted into a spaceship to escape the soon-to-explode Sun. But every single character is a paper cut out, without an interior life or any real challenges. They are like marionettes doing what the author wants, without doubt or growth. The mechanics, too, bothered me. Cixin has the grand idea, but the minutae of what would really happen say, if a planet went hurtling through space, are of no interest. So the lead story here comes off as a thought experiment -- ultimately without emotion. DNF.
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Cixin Liu has a very grim view of the universe and our place in it. No matter what of his story you're reading, that view is abundantly clear. Even the stories that seem to be relatively light-hearted, end up becoming twisted by some solar system- or universe-wide threat. That said all the stories are fantastic, and the ideas in the stories are fascinating. I particularly enjoyed The Micro-Era and Devourer.