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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fantastic. Not as edgy (perhaps?) as [b:Dhalgren|85867|Dhalgren|Samuel R. Delany|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320531180s/85867.jpg|873021], but experimental at enough points, while still retaining a more/less linear superstructure to keep it accessible. Gets a bit G.E.B.-ish at the end there, but it's a satisfying space romp (even if Rydra comes off as a bit Mary-Sue-ish in the depth and breadth of her abilities, though not at all Mary-Sue-ish w/r/t/ her being an authorial wish-fulfillment and/or personal insertion (though I'd stand by assessments that Dhalgren's "The Kid" is such a character))
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Beautifully written mostly but at times this book is so impenetrable it becomes almost non-sensical. Ultimately a let-down with an ending that just sort of goes nowhere after a fascinating start and some wonderful world-building.
This was my first Delany book, and aside from the parts that didn’t age well (terms like “Orientals” , the way female characters are objectified, etc), I enjoyed this. I love linguistics and I thought some of the ideas the book explored were interesting. I also appreciate the way the worldbuilding is slipped in simply via character observations and conversations.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is another book I found through Jo Walton's [b:What Makes This Book So Great|17910076|What Makes This Book So Great|Jo Walton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1370009391s/17910076.jpg|25095529]. It was original, interesting, and completely different from what I've read lately. It reminds me of the way I felt about science fiction back when I was a teenager. It's full of interesting ideas, concepts, and perspectives. Not everything in it was successful, but I'm giving it credit for its ambition and creativity.
Chip Delaney is smarter than I am, or will ever dream to be. This was amazing.
I had a hard time coping with the lack of setting detail, until I went, "Oh, this is more like a radio drama," and things clicked into place. But really, it could have just been that the author didn't give a damn whether I suspended disbelief or not--and, because I just assume that writers are supposed to suspend their readers' disbelief, it felt awkward. A translation issue :)
I had a hard time coping with the lack of setting detail, until I went, "Oh, this is more like a radio drama," and things clicked into place. But really, it could have just been that the author didn't give a damn whether I suspended disbelief or not--and, because I just assume that writers are supposed to suspend their readers' disbelief, it felt awkward. A translation issue :)
The writing style wasn’t for me. If you like Ted Chiang’s Story of My Life, you might like this.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs