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nancyotoole's review against another edition
3.0
During a fifteen year journey away from earth, Isol makes two startling discoveries: alien technology that can transport her across the galaxy in the blink of the eye, and an abandoned planet that can still support life. Isol wants this planet to be a new home for her and the other Forged, the half-human/half-machine individuals who live an oppressed existence on earth. Before they can settle, the unevolved have called upon Zephyr Duquesne, a cultural archeologist, to examine the planet and hopefully determine the truth behind the beings that once lived there.
Natural History is a title that's a bit outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I enjoy sci-fi, but Natural History is a bit harder on the science than I'm used to. To be perfectly honest some of the sections involving technology went a bit over my head. Despite my inability to fully comprehend some of the nuts and bolts of the book, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the overall world presented in this selection. The idea of the forged is something completely alien and new to me, and once I got over the concept of someone being human while also being a ship, or something equally lacking a human shape, I found it quite fascinating. I also felt that picking the all-human Zephyr as a major player was a great way of drawing readers into the novel. We may struggle to relate well to creatures who at first seem more machine than human, but Zephyr, who doesn't even have any mechanical upgrades, is a character who is easy to connect to, and through her we're able to learn quite a lot about this world, as she grows and evolves as a character.
Natural History is a very complex book, filled with tons of characters, tons of science, tons of politics, and tons of concepts that may be hard to digest at first. A few times, I found I had to place the book down to think a little more about the information I had been presented. The upside of this complexity, is that Natural History is a very rich novel. The downside is that it can be very difficult to keep up with every individual character's storyline on top of the overarching themes of the novel. This wasn't too much of a big deal for me at the beginning, or the end of the book, but wading through the big swampy the middle was occasionally dizzying to me. I often found myself wishing the author had placed a dictionary in the back so I could have a quick reference for information on the different types of forged, and other concepts presented. Perhaps the books biggest drawback is the fact that some of the characters aren't quite as interesting as others. As mentioned before, I connected well to Zephyr. I also enjoyed the characters if Isol and Abacand. Others such as Trini, seemed undeveloped, and Gritter was just annoying. Perhaps my complaint is due to the fact that I typically read more character driven fiction, and as a result wish that more time was spent on character development.
Natural History is not a beach read. It's filled with a large cast, complex worldbuilding, and concepts that are probably going to be hard for a reader to digest. It ends with many characters having to make a difficult choice. I'm not sure if that choice is a good thing, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Although it has it's faults, and can be difficult to swallow at times, there's no denying that Natural History is interesting little book that I liked.
Natural History is a title that's a bit outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I enjoy sci-fi, but Natural History is a bit harder on the science than I'm used to. To be perfectly honest some of the sections involving technology went a bit over my head. Despite my inability to fully comprehend some of the nuts and bolts of the book, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the overall world presented in this selection. The idea of the forged is something completely alien and new to me, and once I got over the concept of someone being human while also being a ship, or something equally lacking a human shape, I found it quite fascinating. I also felt that picking the all-human Zephyr as a major player was a great way of drawing readers into the novel. We may struggle to relate well to creatures who at first seem more machine than human, but Zephyr, who doesn't even have any mechanical upgrades, is a character who is easy to connect to, and through her we're able to learn quite a lot about this world, as she grows and evolves as a character.
Natural History is a very complex book, filled with tons of characters, tons of science, tons of politics, and tons of concepts that may be hard to digest at first. A few times, I found I had to place the book down to think a little more about the information I had been presented. The upside of this complexity, is that Natural History is a very rich novel. The downside is that it can be very difficult to keep up with every individual character's storyline on top of the overarching themes of the novel. This wasn't too much of a big deal for me at the beginning, or the end of the book, but wading through the big swampy the middle was occasionally dizzying to me. I often found myself wishing the author had placed a dictionary in the back so I could have a quick reference for information on the different types of forged, and other concepts presented. Perhaps the books biggest drawback is the fact that some of the characters aren't quite as interesting as others. As mentioned before, I connected well to Zephyr. I also enjoyed the characters if Isol and Abacand. Others such as Trini, seemed undeveloped, and Gritter was just annoying. Perhaps my complaint is due to the fact that I typically read more character driven fiction, and as a result wish that more time was spent on character development.
Natural History is not a beach read. It's filled with a large cast, complex worldbuilding, and concepts that are probably going to be hard for a reader to digest. It ends with many characters having to make a difficult choice. I'm not sure if that choice is a good thing, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Although it has it's faults, and can be difficult to swallow at times, there's no denying that Natural History is interesting little book that I liked.
seamyst's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
xdroot's review against another edition
4.0
an interesting thought experiment in what makes a human, human.
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
I like the concept and the questions asked but the execution just didn't work for me.
http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2014/comments_02/natural_history.html
http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2014/comments_02/natural_history.html
saskia_slottje's review
4.0
In this original piece of sci-fi, humanity has split into two distinct species. The Unevolved retain the original human DNA while augmenting others and fit them with technical devices to adapt them to whatever job they want them to perform.
When a new star system is found, containing an Earth-like world, full of abandoned alien cities, but devoid of intelligent life, the Augmented want to claim it as a home world, separate from Earth and their Unevolved masters.
The book is an evocative read with memorable characters and an engaging mystery at its heart.
When a new star system is found, containing an Earth-like world, full of abandoned alien cities, but devoid of intelligent life, the Augmented want to claim it as a home world, separate from Earth and their Unevolved masters.
The book is an evocative read with memorable characters and an engaging mystery at its heart.
smcleish's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog here in February 2004.
While [a:Alastair Reynolds|51204|Alastair Reynolds|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1244781695p2/51204.jpg] and [a:Richard K. Morgan|16496|Richard K. Morgan|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1175224722p2/16496.jpg] seem to have become established as forming the vanguard of a new school of British science fiction writers, Justina Robson has yet to gain such a level of recognition. Perhaps her novels, while sharing many of the concerns of these writers, have so far proved just a little less inventive.
Natural History is her third novel, and is her take on the ancient science fiction plot of the first alien contact. This pivotal event happens in an unusual and, as far as I know, an unprecedented way: the discovery of alien technology is made by an interstellar probe which is a combination of human and machine consciousness. The human background to the discovery is that large numbers of such human/machine hybrids (the "Forged") exist, mainly engineered for environments which are not suitable for basic human beings, who are disparaged as the "Unevolved". Many of them have been seeking freedom from the demands put upon them by the human race, and the being who discovers the alien technology is one of them. The discovery suggests to her the possibility of independence for the Forged, with their own planetary system far away from Earth; the technology she discovers turns out to be in part an instantaneous transport mechanism, which she uses accidentally to go to what is presumably the home planet of the aliens who built it. The problem is, this planet seems now to be devoid of life, though full of signs of recent occupation - oxygen in the atmosphere, and so on. The rest of the novel is about investigating this planet in the face of the complications provided by the different ideas of the Forged about how to go about becoming independent.
There are many nods to the classics of the science fiction genre, from the name Tanelorn given to a citylike structure on the new planet (see [a:Michael Moorcock|16939|Michael Moorcock|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1222901251p2/16939.jpg]), to Star Trek, to clear influences from [a:Iain M. Banks|5807106|Iain M. Banks|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1352410520p2/5807106.jpg], and even to Casper the Friendly Ghost. There are also names adapted from those associated with real life SETI projects. This is one of the many reasons why this particular novel fits in better with those of writers like Reynolds and Morgan than Robson's earlier ones.
There are two sides to this novel - the quest to find out about th vanished aliens and their technology, and the relationship between the Forged and the Unevolved. Though the first of these strands is what brings on the crisis in the second, the two are not really as integrated as they could be. Towards the end, chapters set on the eerie alien planet - which is really well done - are more or less alternated with ones set back on Earth where no one has any idea what is happening to the explorers. This means that there are constant, abrupt changes in atmosphere, and this is Natural History's biggest flaw.
The whole novel works up to the revelation of what the alien material - which becomes known as "Stuff" - actually is. This sort of climax is quite common in the science fiction genre; since many of its stories revolve around strange objects, the discovery of their true nature is often the most important moment. However, it is often poorly handled technically; such a climax needs careful preparation, with tantalising hints to hold the reader's interest along the way which don't let slip too much of the answer, which must still be novel and surprising when it is revealed. (This is basically the same kind of construction as is involved in revealing the identity of the killer in a murder mystery.) Here, it is handled superbly well, and the answer is a fascinating one that I would like to discuss but won't because it would ruin the novel for anyone who wants to read it.
Natural History is a fascinating, well thought out piece of science fiction, and it's about time that Justina Robson got some of the wider recognition that she deserves.
While [a:Alastair Reynolds|51204|Alastair Reynolds|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1244781695p2/51204.jpg] and [a:Richard K. Morgan|16496|Richard K. Morgan|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1175224722p2/16496.jpg] seem to have become established as forming the vanguard of a new school of British science fiction writers, Justina Robson has yet to gain such a level of recognition. Perhaps her novels, while sharing many of the concerns of these writers, have so far proved just a little less inventive.
Natural History is her third novel, and is her take on the ancient science fiction plot of the first alien contact. This pivotal event happens in an unusual and, as far as I know, an unprecedented way: the discovery of alien technology is made by an interstellar probe which is a combination of human and machine consciousness. The human background to the discovery is that large numbers of such human/machine hybrids (the "Forged") exist, mainly engineered for environments which are not suitable for basic human beings, who are disparaged as the "Unevolved". Many of them have been seeking freedom from the demands put upon them by the human race, and the being who discovers the alien technology is one of them. The discovery suggests to her the possibility of independence for the Forged, with their own planetary system far away from Earth; the technology she discovers turns out to be in part an instantaneous transport mechanism, which she uses accidentally to go to what is presumably the home planet of the aliens who built it. The problem is, this planet seems now to be devoid of life, though full of signs of recent occupation - oxygen in the atmosphere, and so on. The rest of the novel is about investigating this planet in the face of the complications provided by the different ideas of the Forged about how to go about becoming independent.
There are many nods to the classics of the science fiction genre, from the name Tanelorn given to a citylike structure on the new planet (see [a:Michael Moorcock|16939|Michael Moorcock|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1222901251p2/16939.jpg]), to Star Trek, to clear influences from [a:Iain M. Banks|5807106|Iain M. Banks|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1352410520p2/5807106.jpg], and even to Casper the Friendly Ghost. There are also names adapted from those associated with real life SETI projects. This is one of the many reasons why this particular novel fits in better with those of writers like Reynolds and Morgan than Robson's earlier ones.
There are two sides to this novel - the quest to find out about th vanished aliens and their technology, and the relationship between the Forged and the Unevolved. Though the first of these strands is what brings on the crisis in the second, the two are not really as integrated as they could be. Towards the end, chapters set on the eerie alien planet - which is really well done - are more or less alternated with ones set back on Earth where no one has any idea what is happening to the explorers. This means that there are constant, abrupt changes in atmosphere, and this is Natural History's biggest flaw.
The whole novel works up to the revelation of what the alien material - which becomes known as "Stuff" - actually is. This sort of climax is quite common in the science fiction genre; since many of its stories revolve around strange objects, the discovery of their true nature is often the most important moment. However, it is often poorly handled technically; such a climax needs careful preparation, with tantalising hints to hold the reader's interest along the way which don't let slip too much of the answer, which must still be novel and surprising when it is revealed. (This is basically the same kind of construction as is involved in revealing the identity of the killer in a murder mystery.) Here, it is handled superbly well, and the answer is a fascinating one that I would like to discuss but won't because it would ruin the novel for anyone who wants to read it.
Natural History is a fascinating, well thought out piece of science fiction, and it's about time that Justina Robson got some of the wider recognition that she deserves.
wyvernfriend's review
4.0
This is an interesting read. The concepts are hardly new, humans adapted to be the brains behind machines, several writers have done it before. Alien Tech that wants to absorb humanity. What is different is Robson's own vision of this. The choices people make and have made for them, the scary logic involved in the choices and the sheer humanity of the characters.
I was sucked in by the characters, the way they came to life off the page. I really did care for them and wanted to see what happened, even if it was flagged and inevitable.
And that was part of the problem with the book, the sheer number of characters involved in the story, it was almost overwhelming sometimes to keep track of what was going on and the politics involved.
It was amusing to read a book where some of the earthbound scenes were in the UK and UK slang was involved. It was actually quite amusing to mentally have to make that leap to accept SF written by a UK author that wasn't from 50 years ago.
I'm so glad I intercepted one of her later works a few months ago and found myself immersed in the works of Justina Robson, I have yet to actively dislike any of her books.
I was sucked in by the characters, the way they came to life off the page. I really did care for them and wanted to see what happened, even if it was flagged and inevitable.
And that was part of the problem with the book, the sheer number of characters involved in the story, it was almost overwhelming sometimes to keep track of what was going on and the politics involved.
It was amusing to read a book where some of the earthbound scenes were in the UK and UK slang was involved. It was actually quite amusing to mentally have to make that leap to accept SF written by a UK author that wasn't from 50 years ago.
I'm so glad I intercepted one of her later works a few months ago and found myself immersed in the works of Justina Robson, I have yet to actively dislike any of her books.
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