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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
Excellent first novel / short story collection.
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This review does not take into account the related album or the short film, as I did not watch or listen to these.
Overall, I liked this set of stories, but I wasn't sure how the first Timebox story fit in. It didn't seem as connected to the world of New Dawn and its outskirts as the other stories. I thought the strongest story was the title one, but I was left a little confused at times about how New Dawn and the memory collection and such worked. An infodump is not the way, of course, but in some instances, a little more detail would have been helpful.
I think the themes are definitely on point and I liked the article from wired that was appended to the edition I read, which discussed Afrofuturism and what Monae was trying to do with this collection.
Overall, I liked this set of stories, but I wasn't sure how the first Timebox story fit in. It didn't seem as connected to the world of New Dawn and its outskirts as the other stories. I thought the strongest story was the title one, but I was left a little confused at times about how New Dawn and the memory collection and such worked. An infodump is not the way, of course, but in some instances, a little more detail would have been helpful.
I think the themes are definitely on point and I liked the article from wired that was appended to the edition I read, which discussed Afrofuturism and what Monae was trying to do with this collection.
The first two (very long) stories had me wanting to give up. They were very heavy-handed and clunky in their allusions to Janelle Monae’s music (calling people dirty/clean computers felt so forced and a women’s only commune called the Pynk Hotel just felt so obvious). But I did enjoy some of the stories in the last half of the book, some enough to bring a 2 star review up to a weak 3.
Interesting scifi concepts, especially the ways they connect to Monae's music, but very uneven execution. Some of the dialogue is just painfully bad. I read this partially in print and partially on audio and the the audio version is also poorly executed - stilted and flat. Bummer.
adventurous
dark
inspiring
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:
Complicated
An absolute masterpiece! I want a whole series in the world of New Dawn. Janelle Monáe did an amazing job building this world and creating characters that I fell in love with even in their short stories.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
This book was a treat. I usually find books that take place in dystopian situations to be a terrible drag, as they spend so much time on the dread of the now, and nothing upon the power of what might yet be. This book, by contrast, is very forward looking, and the dread is tempered by joy; the joy of defiance, and the joy of what we might build in a brighter future. I loved it.
‘The Memory Librarian’ explores the lives of people in a future version of America, in which an oppression of the collective mind has been instituted via the oppression, and suppression, of memories. It would be nice if we could avoid such oppression in the future, but it might take a miracle… The first story, really a novella, takes on the perspective of power in this twisted society, and the subsequent tales show the perspective of the people living outside the glaring light of this false dawn. A few plot points will probably anger some who wish to exclude certain people from femininity, but I found them to be delightful. Artistic subtly is truly an act of cowardice, in times of strife.
The book has themes exploring racism, sexism and other-phobia, so TW there. And boy, does it explore the realm of the queer and the other with tremendous enthusiasm. I can’t recall a book that wore its pearls with such pride, while getting this much publicity… basically in my entire life? I’m extremely impressed. I was advised to self publish my own book, because books as queer as mine just don’t get signed. It was good advice. But, perhaps the times are changing, and it’s great to see this kind of star power being used to change things for the better.
For a book with many collaborators, I’m surprised by how cohesive the voice is between each story. I would guess that credit goes to Janelle for managing the team so well. I enjoyed the flow of each story, and the way that a few magical moments transcended the normal boundaries of science fiction. Some people might find the large cast at the Pynk Hotel to be hard to wrap their minds around, but each character was sufficiently distinguished for my tastes, and I had no trouble there. The final act is a surprising bit of childlike magical realism that somehow bookended the tale perfectly, and I will give no spoilers.
I must note, I have been a fan of Janelle Monáe’s music for a while now, and I tend to love short story collections with a strong theme, so these biases definitely figure into my rating. But, if you have similar biases, I’m sure you will love this book.
I was gifted this book by a dear friend; thanks for letting me be one of the first to enjoy this, Marc.
‘The Memory Librarian’ explores the lives of people in a future version of America, in which an oppression of the collective mind has been instituted via the oppression, and suppression, of memories. It would be nice if we could avoid such oppression in the future, but it might take a miracle… The first story, really a novella, takes on the perspective of power in this twisted society, and the subsequent tales show the perspective of the people living outside the glaring light of this false dawn. A few plot points will probably anger some who wish to exclude certain people from femininity, but I found them to be delightful. Artistic subtly is truly an act of cowardice, in times of strife.
The book has themes exploring racism, sexism and other-phobia, so TW there. And boy, does it explore the realm of the queer and the other with tremendous enthusiasm. I can’t recall a book that wore its pearls with such pride, while getting this much publicity… basically in my entire life? I’m extremely impressed. I was advised to self publish my own book, because books as queer as mine just don’t get signed. It was good advice. But, perhaps the times are changing, and it’s great to see this kind of star power being used to change things for the better.
For a book with many collaborators, I’m surprised by how cohesive the voice is between each story. I would guess that credit goes to Janelle for managing the team so well. I enjoyed the flow of each story, and the way that a few magical moments transcended the normal boundaries of science fiction. Some people might find the large cast at the Pynk Hotel to be hard to wrap their minds around, but each character was sufficiently distinguished for my tastes, and I had no trouble there. The final act is a surprising bit of childlike magical realism that somehow bookended the tale perfectly, and I will give no spoilers.
I must note, I have been a fan of Janelle Monáe’s music for a while now, and I tend to love short story collections with a strong theme, so these biases definitely figure into my rating. But, if you have similar biases, I’m sure you will love this book.
I was gifted this book by a dear friend; thanks for letting me be one of the first to enjoy this, Marc.
This collection of short stories is not too be missed. Science fiction and social commentary that will break your heart and remind you to hope.