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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Listen I love Janelle Monae and I like the world building she does here, but it's time to confess that this collection of short stories just does not grab me.
I'd probably watch them as a Black Mirror-esque mini series but her prose just doesn't do it for me.
I'd probably watch them as a Black Mirror-esque mini series but her prose just doesn't do it for me.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Nice anthology of dystopian/sci-fi/fantasy in a universe that seems shared with that of the Dirty Computer album with help from some incredible authors. Some of the stories worked better than others, some of the metaphors a little too direct to feel like fiction, but altogether a beautiful and inspiring collection.
Great premise but it was a bit slow at points. Solid 3.5*
Short stories are difficult for me as is Sci-Fi in literary form so this book was a challenge for me but I have to say that the diversity and inclusion made it worth it. Monet collaborated with writers to create stories about Black and brown characters that landed all over the LGBTQI+ community. It was beautifully written because the characters were fully developed in a way that while their sexual orientations and gender identities most definitely affected their lives within their world, it wasn't the defining factor of who they were as people. Loved that.
I will say, because it was several stories by several different collaborators, world building (for me) suffered a bit. They had to connect within the Dirty Computer universe, which they did, but not as seamlessly as I wish it had. Some terms took me two stories to understand, with others it was the time jumps. Overall, however, I'm glad I read it.
I will say, because it was several stories by several different collaborators, world building (for me) suffered a bit. They had to connect within the Dirty Computer universe, which they did, but not as seamlessly as I wish it had. Some terms took me two stories to understand, with others it was the time jumps. Overall, however, I'm glad I read it.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
For short stories riffing on a theme, and inhabiting the same world, these stories are not very short! This is probably a good thing, because it allows time to express ideas of marginalised identity, community, art, hope and collaborative vision, which is what the best of speculative fiction has to offer.
If you like this you should check out the music by the author as this is really a multimedia event, and a big performative piece.
In a future where tech is used to create a unified vision of one size fits most, these are the stories of the people who are suppressed ... the bits of dough that are tossed out by cookie cutter thinking, and that the society hopes to remould into the shapes they find pleasing. Here we see all sorts of people trying to live their best life as Black, queer, gender non-conforming, and of different abilities, health, and ways of thinking.
I really like the last story as it has a whole ritual magic feel to it. It uses collaborative art and the serious work of childhood play in a feel that reminds me of art festivals. It then culminates in a sweat-lodge vision-quest feel to it that combines Euro-Pagan, North American First-Nations, and what I assume is some Yoruba(?) tradition woven in. I do love the idea of the non-binary elder Mx Tangee and I note the use of the gender neutral honorific pronoun Baba. Though the story has whimsy it is also loaded with realistic struggles that everyday people have to surmount.
The stories are told artistically but in some parts it's not always clear what is going on. and it's a little clunky to read. Once you get used to the style of it, and understand the ideas and tech in this world a bit better, the collection ends on a high note to inspire hope and vision for positive change.
If you like this you should check out the music by the author as this is really a multimedia event, and a big performative piece.
In a future where tech is used to create a unified vision of one size fits most, these are the stories of the people who are suppressed ... the bits of dough that are tossed out by cookie cutter thinking, and that the society hopes to remould into the shapes they find pleasing. Here we see all sorts of people trying to live their best life as Black, queer, gender non-conforming, and of different abilities, health, and ways of thinking.
I really like the last story as it has a whole ritual magic feel to it. It uses collaborative art and the serious work of childhood play in a feel that reminds me of art festivals. It then culminates in a sweat-lodge vision-quest feel to it that combines Euro-Pagan, North American First-Nations, and what I assume is some Yoruba(?) tradition woven in. I do love the idea of the non-binary elder Mx Tangee and I note the use of the gender neutral honorific pronoun Baba. Though the story has whimsy it is also loaded with realistic struggles that everyday people have to surmount.
The stories are told artistically but in some parts it's not always clear what is going on. and it's a little clunky to read. Once you get used to the style of it, and understand the ideas and tech in this world a bit better, the collection ends on a high note to inspire hope and vision for positive change.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
medium-paced
I loved this book so much. This collection of stories is vibrant, creative, and visionary. Reading this book will leave you without any doubts that Janelle Monae has inherited Octavia Butler’s legacy and done that legacy justice.