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quietjenn's review against another edition
2.0
The older I get, the less patience I have for post-modern (or post-post-modern at this point?), experimental b.s. There were a few stories here I thought were solid, but they are far outweighed by "clever," pretentious sludge.
thursamaday's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this collection of short - sci-fi stories. This really reminds me of Philip K. Dick, but his voice is so much more personal. I got this book at a book-reading he did in New York. Some stories are completely heart-breaking in just a few pages.
cheezh8er's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely love Charles Yu! I read Standard Loneliness Package in a sci-fi journal years ago, was enamored by the emotional depth and finally got around to reading the entire collection. Yu really shows the range of what science fiction can be, and how fantastical it can be to search your soul.
shanbro's review against another edition
4.0
I rarely read through an entire short story collection, but I enjoyed this one. It jumped genre and form often enough to keep me engaged. I loved "Standard Loneliness Package," "Inventory" and "Yeoman." "Hero Absorbs Major Damage" also deserves an honorable mention because it is one of the funniest in the collection! Many of the stories are not particularly funny - dealing with identity and emotional integrity within the alienation of consumer/popular culture. There were a couple of stories I didn't care as much for, but even those have grown on me, this is especially true of "The Book of Categories" which you could easily pass right by.
mintymintyminty's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
anatomydetective's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
rosemary_quintet's review against another edition
3.0
A mix of fantastic and thoroughly confusing short stories. The first section, "Sorry" is definitely worth reading, although you won't be missing much if you choose to stop after that.
mustardseed's review against another edition
4.0
Dear Sorry Please Thank You,
I'm a bit ambivalent with this rating - I think 3.5 is slightly closer to the truth. But what are ratings anyway? The thing about you is that it's so different that I don't know where to start.
You're extremely experimental in your writing forms, and that's what I like and don't like about you. One of/the only stories written in standard prose - Standard Loneliness Package - is my favourite; most other stories are those I wish I had the courage and the ingenuity to write. Not all the short stories really made an impact on me (in terms of emotion / thinking) but they were certainly interesting. Certainly I can see that your author genuinely had fun writing you. And I'm glad I read you, because you really pushed me to explore beyond the standard writing forms that's everywhere - and I had fun, too.
(Sorry for playing favourites but I love your sibling/author's other book, Interior Chinatown. Would recommend checking that novel out for the same kind of experimentalistic writing but consistently brilliantly executed and thought provoking throughout.)
Your's faithfully
I'm a bit ambivalent with this rating - I think 3.5 is slightly closer to the truth. But what are ratings anyway? The thing about you is that it's so different that I don't know where to start.
You're extremely experimental in your writing forms, and that's what I like and don't like about you. One of/the only stories written in standard prose - Standard Loneliness Package - is my favourite; most other stories are those I wish I had the courage and the ingenuity to write. Not all the short stories really made an impact on me (in terms of emotion / thinking) but they were certainly interesting. Certainly I can see that your author genuinely had fun writing you. And I'm glad I read you, because you really pushed me to explore beyond the standard writing forms that's everywhere - and I had fun, too.
(Sorry for playing favourites but I love your sibling/author's other book, Interior Chinatown. Would recommend checking that novel out for the same kind of experimentalistic writing but consistently brilliantly executed and thought provoking throughout.)
Your's faithfully
theblisstour's review against another edition
3.0
Incredibly inventive. Humans as computer programs, hardware, software, needing a reboot or a new harddrive or maybe a memory stick that can feel my emotions for me.
Troubleshooting is my favorite story. #40. It's gets 4 stars just for that.
Troubleshooting is my favorite story. #40. It's gets 4 stars just for that.