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kellswitch's review
3.0
A science fiction convention is abducted by time traveling androids.
My initial response to this book might seem like an insult to some but I don't mean it in a negative way at all. This feels like fanfiction for science fiction conventions, well written fanfiction, by someone who has a love for the workings and culture of the cons.
The concept is fun and intriguing and most of the main characters had depth and felt real, a few fell flat for me or didn't seem realistic, but they weren 19t usually the focus so it wasn't to distracting. I really enjoyed the all to brief behind the scenes look at the start and running of a con, I almost would have preferred to have skipped the android story altogether and just experienced the con from their point of view.
I did find the constant use of genre quotes a bit off putting, I've been to several cons myself and I've never heard anyone, never mind EVERYONE reeling off so many cliched TV and movie quotes, but then I've never worked a con so perhaps the staff are more prone to this than the guests? It was only a minor distraction and it's not as though the author didn't warn you ahead of time this was likely to happen. And I did get them all so....
This was a fun, light read that made me even more curious as to the behind the scenes working of science fiction cons.
My initial response to this book might seem like an insult to some but I don't mean it in a negative way at all. This feels like fanfiction for science fiction conventions, well written fanfiction, by someone who has a love for the workings and culture of the cons.
The concept is fun and intriguing and most of the main characters had depth and felt real, a few fell flat for me or didn't seem realistic, but they weren 19t usually the focus so it wasn't to distracting. I really enjoyed the all to brief behind the scenes look at the start and running of a con, I almost would have preferred to have skipped the android story altogether and just experienced the con from their point of view.
I did find the constant use of genre quotes a bit off putting, I've been to several cons myself and I've never heard anyone, never mind EVERYONE reeling off so many cliched TV and movie quotes, but then I've never worked a con so perhaps the staff are more prone to this than the guests? It was only a minor distraction and it's not as though the author didn't warn you ahead of time this was likely to happen. And I did get them all so....
This was a fun, light read that made me even more curious as to the behind the scenes working of science fiction cons.
tsana's review
4.0
Abducticon by Alma Alexander is a book that tickled my fancy when I first read the blurb. What's not to like about the idea of a science fiction convention that gets abducted by aliens?
This book was pretty much what I expected it to be. It's a fun and very, very geeky story about some of the people who attended a small, local (US) spec fic convention, a few innocent by-standers and the handful of aliens that throw their weekend into disarray.
There are several point of view characters and the story is split between them, depending on who is in the right place at the right time. A few notable characters are the con chair, a few others of the con committee — including one that got left behind, much to his confusion — and a few guests. There are also the aliens, of course, but they are never point of view characters. Their role is mainly to instigate events and be mysterious. They do have an agenda, but it takes a back-seat to the humans simply trying to cope with the situation, until near the end.
I would say if the premise tickles your fancy, then definitely pick this book up. If you have little to no interest in SFF fandom or conventions, then this is probably not for you. I enjoyed it and I think it was a good book to read while travelling.
4 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
This book was pretty much what I expected it to be. It's a fun and very, very geeky story about some of the people who attended a small, local (US) spec fic convention, a few innocent by-standers and the handful of aliens that throw their weekend into disarray.
There are several point of view characters and the story is split between them, depending on who is in the right place at the right time. A few notable characters are the con chair, a few others of the con committee — including one that got left behind, much to his confusion — and a few guests. There are also the aliens, of course, but they are never point of view characters. Their role is mainly to instigate events and be mysterious. They do have an agenda, but it takes a back-seat to the humans simply trying to cope with the situation, until near the end.
I would say if the premise tickles your fancy, then definitely pick this book up. If you have little to no interest in SFF fandom or conventions, then this is probably not for you. I enjoyed it and I think it was a good book to read while travelling.
4 / 5 stars
Read more reviews on my blog.
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