Scan barcode
geekwayne's review
4.0
'Fool's War' by Sarah Zettel is a space adventure, a mystery, and a conspiracy plot.
Katmer Al Shei is captain of the Pasadena, at least part of the time. She's on a delivery run and has hired a fool, Evelyn Dobbs, because that improves morale but also this improves the value of the cargo. What she doesn't know is what was left on board by the last crew. She also is not aware of what her fool is capable of, and those things just might start a war.
I really liked this story, the plot and the characters. I liked the journey the story took and that the characters were fairly complex in motive and background.
Katmer Al Shei is captain of the Pasadena, at least part of the time. She's on a delivery run and has hired a fool, Evelyn Dobbs, because that improves morale but also this improves the value of the cargo. What she doesn't know is what was left on board by the last crew. She also is not aware of what her fool is capable of, and those things just might start a war.
I really liked this story, the plot and the characters. I liked the journey the story took and that the characters were fairly complex in motive and background.
tessisreading2's review
5.0
So many science fiction novels of my childhood haven't held up over the years - I'm very pleased this one was an exception. Great characters, tight plotting, and a ton of action.
cdeane61's review
5.0
What a great read. So many times I thought I new what was going on, only t0 encounter a jaw dropping revelation.
The inclusion of Muslin practices in space was new to me, and I enjoyed the treatment.
The "Freer" concept was also somewhat new.
A real page turner and finely wrought tale for me.
Will definitely search out her other works.
The inclusion of Muslin practices in space was new to me, and I enjoyed the treatment.
The "Freer" concept was also somewhat new.
A real page turner and finely wrought tale for me.
Will definitely search out her other works.
moirwyn's review
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/03/13/fools-war-sarah-zettel/
I had been meaning to read Fool’s War ever since Andrea reviewed it back in 2012. I enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy with a diverse cast of characters, and the protagonist of Fool’s War, a woman named Katmer Al Shei, is a devout Muslim. She wears the hijab and prays facing Mecca, but she’s also the captain of a ship called the Pasadena, which she operates on a timeshare system with her brother-in-law. She’s saving up money to buy her own ship, which will be much larger, so that her husband and children can come with her on her journeys. The only problem is that Al Shei’s brother-in-law is up to no good and gets involved with some shady business deals that end up coming back to haunt Al Shei on her final voyage aboard the Pasadena.
You see, this is a world where artificial intelligence is a major tool, but sometimes, an AI can gain consciousness. When an AI becomes sentient, it is generally scared, upset, and dangerous. A rogue AI could wipe out an entire settlement without even trying. It’s happened before, and it can happen again. And the problems on board the Pasadena can be traced to an AI that’s gotten out of control.
Some people are suspicious of AIs, and some people embrace them. My favorite character in the book is a Freer named Jemima Yerusha. The Freers are a cult that believe that the AIs should become sentient, and that only when humans can live in worlds of their own creation can they truly be free. This means the Freers don’t generally land on planets and prefer to live in space. They think that AIs become sentient because they capture the souls of freshly departed humans. One of the things that I wished when reading Fool’s War was that the Freers could have played a greater role in the plot; they were such fascinating characters that I was sad to spend so little time with them.
Fool’s War begins as a typical space opera, but then it becomes so much more. It’s hard to describe without descending into major spoilers, but I’ll do my best. It is a mark of prestige for a ship to have a Fool on board. The Fool helps keep the peace between crew members during long journeys in confined spaces, but the Fools have a secret that would make conspiracy theorists shit their pants. So, when things begin to go wrong on the Pasadena, the ship’s Fool, a woman named Evelyn Dobbs, becomes the secondary protagonist, and she plays a major role in trying to make things right. If you read the book, keep an eye on her character. Pay attention to her, and wait for it.
Fool’s War starts out slowly, but as the plot builds it turns into a total mindfuck that makes the characters think of the world they thought they knew in a completely different way. It’s glorious.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/03/13/fools-war-sarah-zettel/
I had been meaning to read Fool’s War ever since Andrea reviewed it back in 2012. I enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy with a diverse cast of characters, and the protagonist of Fool’s War, a woman named Katmer Al Shei, is a devout Muslim. She wears the hijab and prays facing Mecca, but she’s also the captain of a ship called the Pasadena, which she operates on a timeshare system with her brother-in-law. She’s saving up money to buy her own ship, which will be much larger, so that her husband and children can come with her on her journeys. The only problem is that Al Shei’s brother-in-law is up to no good and gets involved with some shady business deals that end up coming back to haunt Al Shei on her final voyage aboard the Pasadena.
You see, this is a world where artificial intelligence is a major tool, but sometimes, an AI can gain consciousness. When an AI becomes sentient, it is generally scared, upset, and dangerous. A rogue AI could wipe out an entire settlement without even trying. It’s happened before, and it can happen again. And the problems on board the Pasadena can be traced to an AI that’s gotten out of control.
Some people are suspicious of AIs, and some people embrace them. My favorite character in the book is a Freer named Jemima Yerusha. The Freers are a cult that believe that the AIs should become sentient, and that only when humans can live in worlds of their own creation can they truly be free. This means the Freers don’t generally land on planets and prefer to live in space. They think that AIs become sentient because they capture the souls of freshly departed humans. One of the things that I wished when reading Fool’s War was that the Freers could have played a greater role in the plot; they were such fascinating characters that I was sad to spend so little time with them.
Fool’s War begins as a typical space opera, but then it becomes so much more. It’s hard to describe without descending into major spoilers, but I’ll do my best. It is a mark of prestige for a ship to have a Fool on board. The Fool helps keep the peace between crew members during long journeys in confined spaces, but the Fools have a secret that would make conspiracy theorists shit their pants. So, when things begin to go wrong on the Pasadena, the ship’s Fool, a woman named Evelyn Dobbs, becomes the secondary protagonist, and she plays a major role in trying to make things right. If you read the book, keep an eye on her character. Pay attention to her, and wait for it.
Fool’s War starts out slowly, but as the plot builds it turns into a total mindfuck that makes the characters think of the world they thought they knew in a completely different way. It’s glorious.
breq's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Very enjoyable, with a super interesting and well-thought-out plot. Had a lot of typos. Note that I can't speak to how well the Muslim characters are written--nothing jumped out at me as horribly wrong.
sonofthe's review
4.0
What starts out as a normal run for the crew of the Pasadena turns into something much bigger.
First published in 1997, I kept asking myself if this book was written in the 70s or 80s. There are great characters and compelling plot, but the portrayal of the internet and artificial intelligence seems out of joint with the reality of those things in the 90s. Still, that's the only real weakness of the story, and I know not everyone cares about that sort of thing.
What makes Fool's War shine is the diversity of characters. The cast is a bit broader than some stories I'm used to, but probably what stands out are the two Muslim main characters.
As far as I can tell, this book is a stand-alone, but I'd read more in the setting. There's potential for good stories either way down the time-line.
One other negative bit: the book could have used another copy-edit pass.
First published in 1997, I kept asking myself if this book was written in the 70s or 80s. There are great characters and compelling plot, but the portrayal of the internet and artificial intelligence seems out of joint with the reality of those things in the 90s. Still, that's the only real weakness of the story, and I know not everyone cares about that sort of thing.
What makes Fool's War shine is the diversity of characters. The cast is a bit broader than some stories I'm used to, but probably what stands out are the two Muslim main characters.
As far as I can tell, this book is a stand-alone, but I'd read more in the setting. There's potential for good stories either way down the time-line.
One other negative bit: the book could have used another copy-edit pass.
old_tim's review
4.0
There’s been quite a bit of talk in the last few years about the gender imbalance in SF. It can be difficult to find quality books written by women. If you’re short on reading material, Open Road Media has recently republished Sarah Zettel’s Fool’s War as an ebook. Fool’s War was originally published in 1997, and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Initially, Fool’s War seems to be space opera. We meet Katmer Al-Shei, owner of a small freighter, who is struggling to earn the necessary cash so her family’s dream of a large ship (where they can be together) can be realized. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the real story is not about moving interstellar freight and data, but rather about the emergence of artificial intelligences, and how that will impact all of known space. It’s really impossible to discuss plot specifics without massive spoilers, so just rest assured that Fool’s War is tightly plotted, with plenty of twists and turns that are both exciting and surprising.
One of the major themes of the book is prejudice and persecution. We’re presented with three different groups who have to deal with this: the Muslims, the Freers, and the AIs. The Muslims are disliked because of a major bombing some 500 years in the past. The Freers face prejudice because of their philosophical/religious beliefs that humans should live in artificial environments and their pro-AI stance. Artificial intelligences are hated and feared because the damage that they have caused on becoming emergent in existing networks.
It’s refreshing to see Zettel’s portrayal of people of faith. So often SFF depicts character’s religious beliefs as some sort of personal flaw at best, or blind fanaticism at worst. Katmer and the other Muslim crew members are portrayed as complex individuals, whose beliefs are simply one aspect of their personalities. It’s part of their daily lives, just as it is for millions IRL.
Fool’s War was an exciting space based SF adventure with strong female characterization. While some of the AI storyline read as a bit dated, so much of the characters resonate more strongly now than they did in 1997 when this novel was first published.
Initially, Fool’s War seems to be space opera. We meet Katmer Al-Shei, owner of a small freighter, who is struggling to earn the necessary cash so her family’s dream of a large ship (where they can be together) can be realized. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the real story is not about moving interstellar freight and data, but rather about the emergence of artificial intelligences, and how that will impact all of known space. It’s really impossible to discuss plot specifics without massive spoilers, so just rest assured that Fool’s War is tightly plotted, with plenty of twists and turns that are both exciting and surprising.
One of the major themes of the book is prejudice and persecution. We’re presented with three different groups who have to deal with this: the Muslims, the Freers, and the AIs. The Muslims are disliked because of a major bombing some 500 years in the past. The Freers face prejudice because of their philosophical/religious beliefs that humans should live in artificial environments and their pro-AI stance. Artificial intelligences are hated and feared because the damage that they have caused on becoming emergent in existing networks.
It’s refreshing to see Zettel’s portrayal of people of faith. So often SFF depicts character’s religious beliefs as some sort of personal flaw at best, or blind fanaticism at worst. Katmer and the other Muslim crew members are portrayed as complex individuals, whose beliefs are simply one aspect of their personalities. It’s part of their daily lives, just as it is for millions IRL.
Fool’s War was an exciting space based SF adventure with strong female characterization. While some of the AI storyline read as a bit dated, so much of the characters resonate more strongly now than they did in 1997 when this novel was first published.
katmarhan's review against another edition
5.0
10/10
Wow! I didn’t really know what to expect, and what few expectations I developed were upended over and over. Such great characters, interesting concepts, and truths about humans (and other sentient beings) that are both sad and reassuring. Highly recommended!
Wow! I didn’t really know what to expect, and what few expectations I developed were upended over and over. Such great characters, interesting concepts, and truths about humans (and other sentient beings) that are both sad and reassuring. Highly recommended!
vasha's review
adventurous
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
krayfish1's review
4.0
Holds up very well for a 24 year old book. A little unbalanced in pacing -- the "war" is only chapter 14 out of 15 total. But setting up how AI's work and how the network of colonies works takes a fair amount of time and is worth it. I liked each of the characters individually. I wasn't so sure about the group dynamics, but each person was pretty cool.
They (author+editors) mess up the names of the veils -- I think? They use hijab for one that covers the nose & mouth as well as hair/ears/neck and kijab for one that only covers hair/ears/neck.
But I like that she wrote a story about a hijabi spaceship captain. That's neat.
They (author+editors) mess up the names of the veils -- I think? They use hijab for one that covers the nose & mouth as well as hair/ears/neck and kijab for one that only covers hair/ears/neck.
But I like that she wrote a story about a hijabi spaceship captain. That's neat.