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elxa's review against another edition
3.0
Sequoia Nagamatsu through a series of interconnected stories try to explain survival and humanity in the aftermath of a deadly virus that almost destroys life on earth.
I have high hopes for dystopian sci-fi and i have high hopes for asian authors so this was supposed to be right up my alley but the book somehow falls short. While the stories are deeply compassionate and moving at the core, you can't help wondering if some of these might have simply worked as standalones rather than in a novel. This is a shame because despite having a promising start, after the 100 page mark you are left wary with the recurring, monotonous themes of capitalism, grief and human relationships which works miracles individually but looses it's relevance in a book filled with 15 other similar stories.
However, despite everything nothing beats the fact that Nagamatsu is a talented author and i would really wait for whatever he puts forth next.
Favourite stories:
1. 30,000 years beneath eulogy
2. City of Laughter
3.A gallery, a century, a cry, a millenium
I have high hopes for dystopian sci-fi and i have high hopes for asian authors so this was supposed to be right up my alley but the book somehow falls short. While the stories are deeply compassionate and moving at the core, you can't help wondering if some of these might have simply worked as standalones rather than in a novel. This is a shame because despite having a promising start, after the 100 page mark you are left wary with the recurring, monotonous themes of capitalism, grief and human relationships which works miracles individually but looses it's relevance in a book filled with 15 other similar stories.
However, despite everything nothing beats the fact that Nagamatsu is a talented author and i would really wait for whatever he puts forth next.
Favourite stories:
1. 30,000 years beneath eulogy
2. City of Laughter
3.A gallery, a century, a cry, a millenium
cassiafied's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tried not to cry in college bc of this bookđđđ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Terminal illness
brittanynhicks8's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
moreilly1917's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
mrangelmarino's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
thechanelmuse's review against another edition
4.0
"Finally, the priest rang a bell and called the ceremony to order, telling the crowd how a worldwide tragedy many generations ago had brought our country closer together. In suffering, he said, we found our heart. In suffering, we found new traditions, a way forward." (from "Grave Friends")
Beginning in the Arctic Circle in the year 2030 after a Neanderthal-Homo sapien hybrid named "Annie" is discovered in the permafrosts of Siberia and largely set in Japan thereafter, the speculative world of How High We Go In the Dark has befallen to calamity of mass deaths due to a global climate change virus.
The predicaments that follow includes a scientist conducting trials of growing human organs in an engineered pig that can speak and possess human consciousness ("Pig Son"); a comatose patient interacting with other patients in a purgatory-like liminal space ("Through the Garden of Memory"); the discovery of a black hole in a man's head ("Life Around the Event Horizon"); an interstellar travel ("A Gallery a Century, a Cry a Millennium"); and an exploration of post-plague unemployment, illusion of connections in cyber culture, depression, and suicide partners ("Melancholy Nights in a Tokyo Virtual Cafe").
The commercialization of honoring those on the verge of dying or already dead introduces new norms into this futuristic, dystopian society like shared urns ("Grave Friends"), liquified human sculptures ("Before You Melt Into the Sea"), and robotic dogs with programmed voices of lost loved ones that play on command ("Speak, Fetch, Say I Love You").
Although the 14 interconnected short stories are certainly gloomy, especially the idea alone of reading about a pandemic, illness and death while in the midst of it all, they exhibit a creative and ambitious take on dealing with loss and grief. I havenât read/watched The Cloud Atlas nor Dr. Who yet (stop judging me
Beginning in the Arctic Circle in the year 2030 after a Neanderthal-Homo sapien hybrid named "Annie" is discovered in the permafrosts of Siberia and largely set in Japan thereafter, the speculative world of How High We Go In the Dark has befallen to calamity of mass deaths due to a global climate change virus.
The predicaments that follow includes a scientist conducting trials of growing human organs in an engineered pig that can speak and possess human consciousness ("Pig Son"); a comatose patient interacting with other patients in a purgatory-like liminal space ("Through the Garden of Memory"); the discovery of a black hole in a man's head ("Life Around the Event Horizon"); an interstellar travel ("A Gallery a Century, a Cry a Millennium"); and an exploration of post-plague unemployment, illusion of connections in cyber culture, depression, and suicide partners ("Melancholy Nights in a Tokyo Virtual Cafe").
The commercialization of honoring those on the verge of dying or already dead introduces new norms into this futuristic, dystopian society like shared urns ("Grave Friends"), liquified human sculptures ("Before You Melt Into the Sea"), and robotic dogs with programmed voices of lost loved ones that play on command ("Speak, Fetch, Say I Love You").
Although the 14 interconnected short stories are certainly gloomy, especially the idea alone of reading about a pandemic, illness and death while in the midst of it all, they exhibit a creative and ambitious take on dealing with loss and grief. I havenât read/watched The Cloud Atlas nor Dr. Who yet (stop judging me
izzylashley's review against another edition
3.0
Tbh I know I read this book rly fast but idk how I feel about it, some parts were a little weird and I didnât exactly understand them, but the idea of the book was good
sararose_cozy's review against another edition
3.0
Haunting and interesting. My intrigue lessened in the middle and kind of jumped back up towards the end. Each chapter felt like an episode of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone but they were all interconnected and yet different. I was a bit bummed about some unexplained scenarios but the interview with the author that was in the book gave me some answersâŚ
Scary because itâs close to reality and could possibly be in our future with climate change. Definitely odd after coming out the other end of a pandemic.
Scary because itâs close to reality and could possibly be in our future with climate change. Definitely odd after coming out the other end of a pandemic.
kiwi47's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0