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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Larry Niven's hard sci-fi novel is a classic, hands down. I'm sure it has all the ingredients to be considered a masterpiece for many people, which is why I get this bitter feeling of disappointment after hearing how amazing this book was and having finished it without that "wow" feeling. Don't get me wrong, I liked it. All in all, it was a fun and exciting read full of thought-provoking ideas, the worldbuilding and the science behind it are great, but I couldn't connect with the story and didn't give a damn about the characters. There are other things worth mentioning like selective breeding based on psychic luck, that was awesome, and so as the exploration part that reminded me of Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama".
This officially becomes the weakest joint Hugo, Locus and Nebula award winner I've read: ⠀
⠀
— The Forever War (5⭐)⠀
— Gateway (5⭐)⠀
— The Gods Themselves(4⭐)⠀
— Rendezvous with Rama (4⭐)⠀
— The Stone Sky (5⭐)
This officially becomes the weakest joint Hugo, Locus and Nebula award winner I've read: ⠀
⠀
— The Forever War (5⭐)⠀
— Gateway (5⭐)⠀
— The Gods Themselves(4⭐)⠀
— Rendezvous with Rama (4⭐)⠀
— The Stone Sky (5⭐)
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Descriptions of the ring and its size were amazing. The rest is trash.
adventurous
lighthearted
I definitely recommend it, but I didn't really manage to get my teeth into it for some reason. It seemed insubstantial, but I'm probably missing something. I really, really want to like this book more than I do. Maybe a re-read is in order.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There is no reason to read this book in the 21st century (or beyond). SFF has come so far, society has come so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism
Couldn't follow the science at all, wouldn't have a clue if it's accurate or not. Ignoring that aspect, very entertaining. Not the most elegant or skillful writing by any means, but full of amusingly conceived characters - giant death-dealing cat, anyone? - and sci-fi fun.
My biggest quibble: why is the main character always laughing at people at the most inopportune times? He's meant to be the diplomatic member of the crew yet he's always offending people by guffawing at their misconceptions. If I'd been that death-dealing cat I'd have decapitated him tout suite.
My biggest quibble: why is the main character always laughing at people at the most inopportune times? He's meant to be the diplomatic member of the crew yet he's always offending people by guffawing at their misconceptions. If I'd been that death-dealing cat I'd have decapitated him tout suite.
This was an interesting read for a good chunk of the book. I love a lot of the world building.
But bloody hell is it if it’s time. The only female character for 80% of the book is so much the hopelessly naive, damsel-in-distress that she’s a legitimate danger to herself and everyone around.
Not to mention the horrible implications of at least one (and it seems like both) of the other two main alien races have non sentient/sapient females. Which is beyond awful.
The world was fascinating, the story was okay, the way Niven wrote female characters was icky.
But bloody hell is it if it’s time. The only female character for 80% of the book is so much the hopelessly naive, damsel-in-distress that she’s a legitimate danger to herself and everyone around.
Not to mention the horrible implications of at least one (and it seems like both) of the other two main alien races have non sentient/sapient females. Which is beyond awful.
The world was fascinating, the story was okay, the way Niven wrote female characters was icky.