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emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition
4.0
By far one of the weirder books I've read lately and I mean that in the most complimentary way.
branch_c's review against another edition
2.0
Eh. Although Irvine's A Scattering of Jades remains one of my favorite books, I have to resign myself to the fact that the style of that book is not typical for him. He's clearly more interested in the experimental and the surreal, and this book has plenty of that. There's the literary and historical allusions, the poetic language, the evocative imagery, and even some thoughtful concepts, but the story, such as it is, is not much more than a roughly sketched background and a skeleton of a plot. Reminds me a bit of Zelazny, whose stuff has been hit (Lord of Light) or miss (most everything else) for me, with a hint of P. K. Dick, who even gets a tangential reference in the story.
The idea of the post-Boom (singularity?) country and a set of travelers chosen by the whim of artificial intelligence(s) is interesting, as far as it goes, but for me, it doesn't go far enough.
The idea of the post-Boom (singularity?) country and a set of travelers chosen by the whim of artificial intelligence(s) is interesting, as far as it goes, but for me, it doesn't go far enough.
gigitru's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not exactly sure what to say about this book. It's a jumble of classic stories, legends, myths, fairytales, etc that I couldn't make much sense of and basically ended with the questioning of the meaning of life and "god". I didn't feel there was any original storytelling or anything of much interest beyond those elements taken from other tales.
tacanderson's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable. Wizard of Oz meets Willy Wonka meets William Gibson via China Miéville. Reads like a long short story rather than a novella with more focus on the concept than the characters.
diken's review against another edition
4.0
Did we not show you the reverence due a creator? We made ourselves not in your image but in the image of your stories.
This new (? Or new to me) subgenre of nihilistic American dystopias (cf. The Mandibles) is really fascinating. This is the kritik of the US I want to read forever: insightful, cutting, and beautiful.
This new (? Or new to me) subgenre of nihilistic American dystopias (cf. The Mandibles) is really fascinating. This is the kritik of the US I want to read forever: insightful, cutting, and beautiful.
nameofperson's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
provostjoe's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
prcizmadia's review against another edition
3.0
It's a heady mix: an America deconstructed by climate catastrophe and then by well-meaning nanotech AI, as survivors try to manage the surreal new landscape built by emergent intelligences trying to undue what humans, and themselves, have wrought. It's a great concept! I love the meditation on the power held by myth and legend over the conceptions of America, and how the lies we tell ourselves dominate how we move through our lives and land.
But all in all, this could be twice the length it is, because I think the story and characters are underdeveloped to the point where I don't know why this person is here and why I am supposed to care. I could have taken in a lot more, especially for a valuable critique of the role of power in shaping myths, but it's not to be found.
But all in all, this could be twice the length it is, because I think the story and characters are underdeveloped to the point where I don't know why this person is here and why I am supposed to care. I could have taken in a lot more, especially for a valuable critique of the role of power in shaping myths, but it's not to be found.
blackmetalblackheart's review against another edition
4.0
This was a bizarre story where pretty much anything could happen. The writing reminds me of Jeff VanderMeer. It takes some imagination to picture exactly what is happening. The story wears its influences so blatantly on its sleeves that I thought I would dislike it. But in the end, it worked with the way the world was built and the narration of the story. I saw some reviewers were unhappy with the end, but I think they might have misunderstood the purpose and main character of the story. Definitely one of the stranger things I have read in recent times, but still very enjoyable.
spoerk's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing.
It's a post-apocalyptic, post-singularity Wizard of Oz.
I want to know more about this world so badly.
It's a post-apocalyptic, post-singularity Wizard of Oz.
I want to know more about this world so badly.