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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Vaster than Empires and More Slow is the story of 10 people from a variety of backgrounds within the 'League of Worlds', each with their own specialties and abilities. These people are brought together when they all volunteer to travel to the outer expanse of known space, losing 1000+ years of time debt, to gather research on as of yet unknown planet called "World 4470".
Key to this group is Osden, a man who has an extraordinary and uncontrollable capacity for empathy, this is thought to be due to his treatment for (and subsequent curing of) infantile autism. Osden can feel all life around him and is constantly struggling with picking up on his teammates emotions towards him, and often expresses those same emotions outwardly towards the others as a kind of self-defense. It is due to these tensions that Osden is sent to do his surveys alone in the forest of World 4470...
I shan't go into spoiler territory story-wise - its less than 50 pages but it's a great little tale. Read it if you get the chance.
Other than the discussion regarding autism and empathy, a primary theme of VtEaMS is how a species interacts with a planet as a whole - a study of a relationship between a people and a world. This really gripped me, and I read the story through again straight away, just to really take it all in and appreciate everything it has to offer.
I can't help but adore these utopia-fringed, philosophical, space opera stories. The content, as well as Le Guin's incredible writing ability has me very pleased to be, at long last, submerging myself in her Hainish Universe. Either 'Planet Of Exile' or 'The Matter of Seggri' will be up next for me Hainish-wise and I cannot wait.
Thank you for reading my review!
Key to this group is Osden, a man who has an extraordinary and uncontrollable capacity for empathy, this is thought to be due to his treatment for (and subsequent curing of) infantile autism. Osden can feel all life around him and is constantly struggling with picking up on his teammates emotions towards him, and often expresses those same emotions outwardly towards the others as a kind of self-defense. It is due to these tensions that Osden is sent to do his surveys alone in the forest of World 4470...
I shan't go into spoiler territory story-wise - its less than 50 pages but it's a great little tale. Read it if you get the chance.
Other than the discussion regarding autism and empathy, a primary theme of VtEaMS is how a species interacts with a planet as a whole - a study of a relationship between a people and a world. This really gripped me, and I read the story through again straight away, just to really take it all in and appreciate everything it has to offer.
'We all have forests in our minds. Forests unexplored, unending. Each of us gets lost in the forest, every night, alone.'
I can't help but adore these utopia-fringed, philosophical, space opera stories. The content, as well as Le Guin's incredible writing ability has me very pleased to be, at long last, submerging myself in her Hainish Universe. Either 'Planet Of Exile' or 'The Matter of Seggri' will be up next for me Hainish-wise and I cannot wait.
Thank you for reading my review!
A colony scout ship story. Normally I'd expect a carefully chosen crew that would somehow integrate well together. In this book it is almost the opposite, a band of misfits that could never integrate. And a world with a sentient plant network maybe? Reads as real science fiction, but prettier, but not in a way that put me to sleep. I wish it had gone just a little deeper into the characters. But a very different kind of empathy.
thought this was actually very beautiful
a good quote: "In the long night Haito Tomiko listened. She lay still and heard the blood in her arteries, the breathing of sleepers, the wind blowing, the dark veins running, the dreams advancing, the vast static of stars increasing as the universe died slowly, the sound of death walking."
a good quote: "In the long night Haito Tomiko listened. She lay still and heard the blood in her arteries, the breathing of sleepers, the wind blowing, the dark veins running, the dreams advancing, the vast static of stars increasing as the universe died slowly, the sound of death walking."
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Great short, not much to say that wouldn't spoil the joy of reading it~
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Colonisation
Minor: Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry
Eugenics
Puh ... This is a bit of a tough one. Some questionable choices in a cool thought experiment.
- person gets "cured" from autism, becomes an empath
- empath can only send back the emotions he received until he can do more (because the plot demands it?)
- person who got "cured" from autism and became an empath cannot live with society and needs to be in isolation
- the flat characterization of the remaining characters didn't really save these issues
The cool though experiment: a planet with one connected biomass as the single living, sentient being
- person gets "cured" from autism, becomes an empath
- empath can only send back the emotions he received until he can do more (because the plot demands it?)
- person who got "cured" from autism and became an empath cannot live with society and needs to be in isolation
Spoiler
not just during the story but also at the end?!- the flat characterization of the remaining characters didn't really save these issues
The cool though experiment: a planet with one connected biomass as the single living, sentient being
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail