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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this was two short stories in one book. The first, the beauty, was a dystopian world where all of the women have died due to a weird fungus. None of the men were affected though and have created a new civilization amongst themselves. THEN mushrooms start growing to the size of human women and start portraying all of the function of women. Then men are torn on how to deal with this. Love them or Kill them?
The 2nd book i didnt really care about lol
The 2nd book i didnt really care about lol
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
So good!!! This edition contains two novellas - "The Beauty" and "Peace, Pipe" - both of which are nearly perfect. Why not 5 stars then? Because I wanted MORE!!!
In gender-bending "The Beauty," we're asked to contemplate, what is woman and her many roles (lover, wife, mother, sister, teacher, storyteller)? It's not the first story to suggest that in the absence of cisgender women, their male counterparts would adapt, both emotionally and physically. But it's the first story I've read that felt true - deeply, painfully human... in a world with creepy mushroom people.
"Peace, Pipe" explores the power of words and language as a tool to bridge gaps or wage wars.
4.5 stars
(And I will read whatever Aliya Whiteley publishes next.)
"If they were at war with their emotions, thinking was the best weapon they possessed."
"But what is more universal than time? Every creature marks it, in one way or another. I've yet to find one who doesn't age."
"The higher up you go, the less you need to express regret. Instead you simply rewrite to suit."
"They pillaged each language and concept that appealed. A large language, containing over one million words, will hold so many corpses within it. In the process of ingestion many original meanings will be lost, and new ones will be born."
"In a world of so many beings, these descriptions only serve the purpose of telling others how I fit amongst them. How I can be separated, and picked out from the crowd. They matter only when I'm amongst others who are so similar in form and function that we are all desperate to find the delineations."
In gender-bending "The Beauty," we're asked to contemplate, what is woman and her many roles (lover, wife, mother, sister, teacher, storyteller)? It's not the first story to suggest that in the absence of cisgender women, their male counterparts would adapt, both emotionally and physically. But it's the first story I've read that felt true - deeply, painfully human... in a world with creepy mushroom people.
"Peace, Pipe" explores the power of words and language as a tool to bridge gaps or wage wars.
4.5 stars
(And I will read whatever Aliya Whiteley publishes next.)
"If they were at war with their emotions, thinking was the best weapon they possessed."
"But what is more universal than time? Every creature marks it, in one way or another. I've yet to find one who doesn't age."
"The higher up you go, the less you need to express regret. Instead you simply rewrite to suit."
"They pillaged each language and concept that appealed. A large language, containing over one million words, will hold so many corpses within it. In the process of ingestion many original meanings will be lost, and new ones will be born."
"In a world of so many beings, these descriptions only serve the purpose of telling others how I fit amongst them. How I can be separated, and picked out from the crowd. They matter only when I'm amongst others who are so similar in form and function that we are all desperate to find the delineations."
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This was a viscerally, horrifically, fucking terrifying allegory and I can’t quite figure out what for. The images in this story will, unfortunately, stick with me. It is graphic body horror but all of the viscera was not for show— all of the horrific imagery is so well placed and meaningful in the context of the story’s larger mission. I can say with great certainty I’ve never read anything like this and am in awe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Sexual content, Pregnancy
Moderate: Incest, Sexism
Minor: Transphobia, Vomit
This reminded me of all the weirdest parts of Lilith's brood, in a good way.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was unnerving and upsetting. I'm not sure if this was trying to set a message about how women and men need each other or what but any moral of the story, in my opinion, was lost. To anybody saying this is only scary if you're a man, you have some reflecting to do.
It's a good idea, just could have been executed better.
It's a good idea, just could have been executed better.
3.5 stars
Disturbing, interesting, alarming, and fascinating.
But really Paul Tremblay describes it best:
“... brilliant gender-binding, post-apocalyptic horror...”
It is exactly that.
Disturbing, interesting, alarming, and fascinating.
But really Paul Tremblay describes it best:
“... brilliant gender-binding, post-apocalyptic horror...”
It is exactly that.