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ctaymor's review
3.0
I had a hard time rating an anthology so good in parts, and so awful in parts. Ultimately, I highly recommend reading most of this book, and skipping a few stories. While there were a few awful stories, the vast majority were lovely, and the book is worth reading for the many many beautiful stories.
Must Read:
There were so many great stories in this book. The vast majority of the rest of the stories, I adored. That said, here's a few favorites. They are truly inventive, beautiful stories.
- The Future is Blue by Catherynne M. Valente
Everything I read by Valente is so inventive and creative. I love this exploration of coping in a world destroyed by climate change. It's a wildly interesting world she has created.
- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
It's so rare to have a fantasy world or sci-fi world that envisions Jews as part of their fantastic or their future! A delight of a story
- Everyone from Themis Sends Letters Home by Genevieve Valentine
This subject matter should be boring by now, done to death (not going to say what, so as not to spoil it the twist). Yet someone, Valentine presents a new, emotional twist.
- Red Dirt Witch by N.K. Jemisin
I don't have words. This was such a beautifully written story. What it means to come of age, dealing with racism and a crappy world, the meaning of hope, and family.
Skip:
- You Make Pattaya by Rich Larson
A mediocre story which is transphobic and extremely objectifying of women.
- Those Shadows Laugh by Geoff Ryman
This story is trash. Terrible writing, sexual assault that several characters immediately write off as "not actually assault", abuse of the racist trope of sexy, exotic "generic tropical indigenous women", a white author writing people of color as "not quiet human". No redeeming qualities.
Maybe Skip:
-Mika Model by Paolo Bacigalupi
I think explorations of "is the AI a person" are really interesting. However, I'm tired of "is the female sex-bot a person". It's fairly well written, it's just a trope I'm bored of.
The world often treats human women like sex-bots, and so it always feels to me a bit like a story using this trope is passing judgement on the humanity of women. Why is the story of "is the female sex-bot a person" separate from "is the AI a person" necessary? Why is it a story only men write? As a trope, it always feels objectifying, and this instance of the trope was no better (or worse) than any other of its type.
Must Read:
There were so many great stories in this book. The vast majority of the rest of the stories, I adored. That said, here's a few favorites. They are truly inventive, beautiful stories.
- The Future is Blue by Catherynne M. Valente
Everything I read by Valente is so inventive and creative. I love this exploration of coping in a world destroyed by climate change. It's a wildly interesting world she has created.
- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
It's so rare to have a fantasy world or sci-fi world that envisions Jews as part of their fantastic or their future! A delight of a story
- Everyone from Themis Sends Letters Home by Genevieve Valentine
This subject matter should be boring by now, done to death (not going to say what, so as not to spoil it the twist). Yet someone, Valentine presents a new, emotional twist.
- Red Dirt Witch by N.K. Jemisin
I don't have words. This was such a beautifully written story. What it means to come of age, dealing with racism and a crappy world, the meaning of hope, and family.
Skip:
- You Make Pattaya by Rich Larson
A mediocre story which is transphobic and extremely objectifying of women.
- Those Shadows Laugh by Geoff Ryman
This story is trash. Terrible writing, sexual assault that several characters immediately write off as "not actually assault", abuse of the racist trope of sexy, exotic "generic tropical indigenous women", a white author writing people of color as "not quiet human". No redeeming qualities.
Maybe Skip:
-Mika Model by Paolo Bacigalupi
I think explorations of "is the AI a person" are really interesting. However, I'm tired of "is the female sex-bot a person". It's fairly well written, it's just a trope I'm bored of.
The world often treats human women like sex-bots, and so it always feels to me a bit like a story using this trope is passing judgement on the humanity of women. Why is the story of "is the female sex-bot a person" separate from "is the AI a person" necessary? Why is it a story only men write? As a trope, it always feels objectifying, and this instance of the trope was no better (or worse) than any other of its type.
shelbycat's review
4.0
Some excellent stories in here, some more patchy ones but that's always the way with short story collections.
flaviaaalouise's review
3.0
1 The Future is Blue: 3.75 stars
2 Mika Model: 3 stars
3 Spinning Silver: 4.5 stars
4 Two's Company: 2.5 stars
5 You Make Pattaya: 3.25 stars
6 You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay: 2 stars
7 A Salvaging of Ghosts: 3 stars
8 Even the Crumbs were delicious: 3.5 stars
9 Number Nine Moon: 3 stars
10 Things With Beards: 2.25 stars
11 Successor, Usurper, Replacement: 3.25 stars
12 Laws of Night and Silk: 4.25 stars
13 Touring with the Alien: 5 stars
14 The Great Detective: 2.5 stars
15 Everyone from Themis sends letters home: 3.5 stars
16 Those Shadows laugh: 2.25 stars
17 Seasons of Glass and Iron: 4.5 stars
18 The Art of Space Travel: 4.25 stars
19 Whisper Road(Murder Ballad No. 9): 2.5 stars
20 Red Dirt Witch: 4 stars
21 Red as Blood and White as Bone: 3.75 stars
22 Terminal: 2.75 stars
23 Foxfire, Foxfire: 3 stars
24 Elves of Antartica: 3.25 stars
25 The Witch of Orion Waste and the Boy Knight: 3 stars
26 Seven Birthdays: 3.75 stars
27 The Visitor from Taured: 4.25 stars
28 Fable: 4.25 stars
Average: 3.38 stars
2 Mika Model: 3 stars
3 Spinning Silver: 4.5 stars
4 Two's Company: 2.5 stars
5 You Make Pattaya: 3.25 stars
6 You'll Surely Drown Here If You Stay: 2 stars
7 A Salvaging of Ghosts: 3 stars
8 Even the Crumbs were delicious: 3.5 stars
9 Number Nine Moon: 3 stars
10 Things With Beards: 2.25 stars
11 Successor, Usurper, Replacement: 3.25 stars
12 Laws of Night and Silk: 4.25 stars
13 Touring with the Alien: 5 stars
14 The Great Detective: 2.5 stars
15 Everyone from Themis sends letters home: 3.5 stars
16 Those Shadows laugh: 2.25 stars
17 Seasons of Glass and Iron: 4.5 stars
18 The Art of Space Travel: 4.25 stars
19 Whisper Road(Murder Ballad No. 9): 2.5 stars
20 Red Dirt Witch: 4 stars
21 Red as Blood and White as Bone: 3.75 stars
22 Terminal: 2.75 stars
23 Foxfire, Foxfire: 3 stars
24 Elves of Antartica: 3.25 stars
25 The Witch of Orion Waste and the Boy Knight: 3 stars
26 Seven Birthdays: 3.75 stars
27 The Visitor from Taured: 4.25 stars
28 Fable: 4.25 stars
Average: 3.38 stars
readingthroughthelists's review
3.0
The stories I liked and the stories I didn't balance this anthology out to 3 stars. Maybe 3.5, because the audio version from Recorded Books had such excellent readers.
Favorite stories:
'Laws of Night and Silk'-Seth Dickinson
'Spinning Silver'-Naomi Novik (how have I not read any of her books before?!)
'A Salvaging of Ghosts'-Aliette de Bodard
'The Great Detective'-Delia Sherman
'Fable'-Charles Yu (I'm not crying, you're crying)
Least favorite:
'The Art of Space Travel'-Nina Allan (boooringgg)
'Those Shadows Laugh'- Geoff Ryman (everything about this story was terrible)
'Things With Beards'-Sam J. Miller (didn't get it at all)
Favorite stories:
'Laws of Night and Silk'-Seth Dickinson
'Spinning Silver'-Naomi Novik (how have I not read any of her books before?!)
'A Salvaging of Ghosts'-Aliette de Bodard
'The Great Detective'-Delia Sherman
'Fable'-Charles Yu (I'm not crying, you're crying)
Least favorite:
'The Art of Space Travel'-Nina Allan (boooringgg)
'Those Shadows Laugh'- Geoff Ryman (everything about this story was terrible)
'Things With Beards'-Sam J. Miller (didn't get it at all)
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