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leesarpel's review
5.0
Summary:
Jyothi Agarwal left her love behind to work on a research team out in space, feeling she could help out humanity. The team determined the proto-colony was habitable, but war broke out before further preparations could be made. The others on the team returned home for war, taking their ship with them, and they haven't reported back. She's been alone on the station for nine years, making daily logs and surveying the land. One day, during her terrain survey, she finds an injured man on the barren planet. Where did he come from and what shall she do with him?
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Older people with older bodies find love, too. They don't cease to love uncomfortably, to be free of sharp, ugly feelings. This is the first love story I can remember reading with a sixty-plus year old human as a protagonist. Jyothi is something of a paragon and has most of her act together by her age. When her age becomes an issue for her, Ash resolves this in a way that I appreciated because it wasn't the glamorous ending.
The writing felt gentle, the prose almost Impressionist: even scientific reports, first aid, cargo bays, and speeders became muted and softened. The story gave me a hug. Loneliness is a powerful theme for me. Most of the books I've read that touched me in the amygdala reference loneliness and how we cope with it. I bawled for a while afterwards because Luminous made me feel things that swept me in with the tide.
This is a quick read. It made me feel warm and hopeful inside. Possibly also luminous. I shall reread it whenever I want to evoke that mood.
Jyothi Agarwal left her love behind to work on a research team out in space, feeling she could help out humanity. The team determined the proto-colony was habitable, but war broke out before further preparations could be made. The others on the team returned home for war, taking their ship with them, and they haven't reported back. She's been alone on the station for nine years, making daily logs and surveying the land. One day, during her terrain survey, she finds an injured man on the barren planet. Where did he come from and what shall she do with him?
-----
Older people with older bodies find love, too. They don't cease to love uncomfortably, to be free of sharp, ugly feelings. This is the first love story I can remember reading with a sixty-plus year old human as a protagonist. Jyothi is something of a paragon and has most of her act together by her age. When her age becomes an issue for her, Ash resolves this in a way that I appreciated because it wasn't the glamorous ending.
The writing felt gentle, the prose almost Impressionist: even scientific reports, first aid, cargo bays, and speeders became muted and softened. The story gave me a hug. Loneliness is a powerful theme for me. Most of the books I've read that touched me in the amygdala reference loneliness and how we cope with it. I bawled for a while afterwards because Luminous made me feel things that swept me in with the tide.
This is a quick read. It made me feel warm and hopeful inside. Possibly also luminous. I shall reread it whenever I want to evoke that mood.
bananatricky's review
3.0
I got a free copy of this novella from the Book Smuggler (I think, it was a while ago) and finally got around to reading it.
I have to say whilst I liked it, I don't get the adoration that it has received from other reviewers. It reminded me in some ways of some of Robert E Heinlein's short stories.
Jyoti is alone on the planet Hestia, the last member of the exploration team. Every day she performs the same tasks, sending her reports on the flora, fauna and planet into the ether not knowing if anyone hears it. The rest of the team left the planet nine years ago when they were recalled to fight in the war.
One day a strange dream leads her to a canyon where she finds a naked man ...
As I said, I liked this, it didn't follow the usual formula and for a short story it packed in a hell of a lot of detail.
I have to say whilst I liked it, I don't get the adoration that it has received from other reviewers. It reminded me in some ways of some of Robert E Heinlein's short stories.
Jyoti is alone on the planet Hestia, the last member of the exploration team. Every day she performs the same tasks, sending her reports on the flora, fauna and planet into the ether not knowing if anyone hears it. The rest of the team left the planet nine years ago when they were recalled to fight in the war.
One day a strange dream leads her to a canyon where she finds a naked man ...
As I said, I liked this, it didn't follow the usual formula and for a short story it packed in a hell of a lot of detail.
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