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morcades's review
1.0
Anodino, supongo que me habría gustado más y costado menos si conociera el juego y me gustara.
jaironside's review
4.0
ARC copy given in exchange for an honest review.
A great selection of sci-fi short stories, all of which are set within the same universe and influenced by the same massive upheaval in the social and economic structure - the disappearance of the Zyxler 'over lords'. While we never quite get to find out who the Zyxler really are, we can gauge their impact on other species and are left very much to make up our own minds. Of the other sentients, there is the usual motley crew but all treated in prose in a way that made them if not sympathetic at lest understandable. There's the sycophantic Vilicus - self styled high priests of the 'holy' Zyxler; Saurians - think dinosaurs with opposable thumbs living Klingon culture and you won't go far wrong; Terrans - of course, us comparatively weak little earthlings, Chitters - large, intelligent insectile species, both possessed of individuality and a hive mind (interesting choice), Silicates - er...rock people is a bit simplistic but you get what I mean, Kanzai - aquatic, tentacled telepaths and various other little critters.
The interaction between what is inherently a series of rich and well built worlds and cultures is both fascinating and enjoyable. Overall the writing was sound and in many places, extremely accomplished. I think this has more to do with subjectivity on my part, but a couple of the stories seemed dry, and devoid of the necessary emotional depth and connectivity with the characters. Other readers may well love those ones and dislike my favourites. There was only one story I just could not finish - got halfway through and had to give up. It may well really work for some one else. I found the present tense actually impeded the action rather than made it more immediate and got in the way of sympathizing with the character. This may well be someone else's favourite story, it just wasn't for me.
Ok, favourites; The Ten Suns - Ken Liu ; This had a wonderful future legend feel to it. An interesting MC and some great world building.
Betrayal, clear as Kanzai glass - Deborah Walker ; I won't say this held any narrative surprises for me but I didn't care. It was entertaining, fabulously well built world and an MC you grow to care about. Also some rather nasty cultural habits.
The Price of Escape - David Walton ; This managed to just stay on the right side of sentimental. I think the ending was perhaps a bit too much about 'wish fulfilment' but it was a really 'feel-good', intelligently written story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
They cannot Scare me with their empty spaces - Deborah Walker (I seem to be a fan of this author); loved the MC in this story. Not an academic thinker, naive, well intentioned, probably in the wrong job but ultimately not as stupid as he says. The Voice was bang on. This was definitely number two in my top three stories.
Escape from Planet Error - Michael Greenhut; This is my number one favorite. It had pretty much everything I look for in good sci-fi - humour, cholor, great characters, excellent world building, antagonists that are fully fleshed and believe in what they're doing and successful end with a dark underbelly. Definitely one to read.
Gorlack the Destroyer's all you can eat adventure - Robert Lowell Russell; this gets the number three spot in my top three. Very funny with a gentle satire prodding at genre sci-fi tropes and mores. Unfortunately I caused a disturbance on the plane, as I was reading this while travelling, and forgot where I was, laughing rather raucously at the bit with the heads.
The quiet intelligence of A small and secret freedom and Fires of night also intrigued me. And I couldn't help smiling at the slightly sappy but very enjoyable Lightspeed, back to you.
Overall, a great selection of short stories - well worth the price of admission. Highly recommend this to all sci-fi/ spec fans.
A great selection of sci-fi short stories, all of which are set within the same universe and influenced by the same massive upheaval in the social and economic structure - the disappearance of the Zyxler 'over lords'. While we never quite get to find out who the Zyxler really are, we can gauge their impact on other species and are left very much to make up our own minds. Of the other sentients, there is the usual motley crew but all treated in prose in a way that made them if not sympathetic at lest understandable. There's the sycophantic Vilicus - self styled high priests of the 'holy' Zyxler; Saurians - think dinosaurs with opposable thumbs living Klingon culture and you won't go far wrong; Terrans - of course, us comparatively weak little earthlings, Chitters - large, intelligent insectile species, both possessed of individuality and a hive mind (interesting choice), Silicates - er...rock people is a bit simplistic but you get what I mean, Kanzai - aquatic, tentacled telepaths and various other little critters.
The interaction between what is inherently a series of rich and well built worlds and cultures is both fascinating and enjoyable. Overall the writing was sound and in many places, extremely accomplished. I think this has more to do with subjectivity on my part, but a couple of the stories seemed dry, and devoid of the necessary emotional depth and connectivity with the characters. Other readers may well love those ones and dislike my favourites. There was only one story I just could not finish - got halfway through and had to give up. It may well really work for some one else. I found the present tense actually impeded the action rather than made it more immediate and got in the way of sympathizing with the character. This may well be someone else's favourite story, it just wasn't for me.
Ok, favourites; The Ten Suns - Ken Liu ; This had a wonderful future legend feel to it. An interesting MC and some great world building.
Betrayal, clear as Kanzai glass - Deborah Walker ; I won't say this held any narrative surprises for me but I didn't care. It was entertaining, fabulously well built world and an MC you grow to care about. Also some rather nasty cultural habits.
The Price of Escape - David Walton ; This managed to just stay on the right side of sentimental. I think the ending was perhaps a bit too much about 'wish fulfilment' but it was a really 'feel-good', intelligently written story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
They cannot Scare me with their empty spaces - Deborah Walker (I seem to be a fan of this author); loved the MC in this story. Not an academic thinker, naive, well intentioned, probably in the wrong job but ultimately not as stupid as he says. The Voice was bang on. This was definitely number two in my top three stories.
Escape from Planet Error - Michael Greenhut; This is my number one favorite. It had pretty much everything I look for in good sci-fi - humour, cholor, great characters, excellent world building, antagonists that are fully fleshed and believe in what they're doing and successful end with a dark underbelly. Definitely one to read.
Gorlack the Destroyer's all you can eat adventure - Robert Lowell Russell; this gets the number three spot in my top three. Very funny with a gentle satire prodding at genre sci-fi tropes and mores. Unfortunately I caused a disturbance on the plane, as I was reading this while travelling, and forgot where I was, laughing rather raucously at the bit with the heads.
The quiet intelligence of A small and secret freedom and Fires of night also intrigued me. And I couldn't help smiling at the slightly sappy but very enjoyable Lightspeed, back to you.
Overall, a great selection of short stories - well worth the price of admission. Highly recommend this to all sci-fi/ spec fans.
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