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A review by abrittlebee
You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
3.0
While not exactly my particular cup of tea, I can’t deny that You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo was a fun ride. Aliens, prophecies, spaceships, and a crew just trying not to die—this was a story made to welcome the wary into the fold of science fiction.
This is not high scifi. That is to say you wouldn’t classify this alongside works like Neuromancer or Brave New World, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As amazing as high science fiction can be, it’s not exactly accessible for many readers. You Sexy Thing, however, is. In practical terms, it is character focussed as opposed to environmentally focussed. So, you don’t end up reading long lines of dry text laying out political structures or theology. Instead, you learn about the world as the characters experience and explain it to the best of their knowledge. For some readers, this makes the extensive world building of science fiction and fantasy narratives a lot easier to swallow.
With all that being said, it would be all for naught if the characters themselves weren’t likable. Don’t worry, they are. I was really happy to see an older protagonist in Niko. It was refreshing and her sarcasm fueled ex-pat personality was the cherry on top of the sundae. She was fun, and made me want to read on just to see where she’d end up next and what she’d have to say about it.
For me, the only real downside to this novel is the language. It is very plain and simplistic, making the scifi elements seem superficial at times. Beyond a few complicated names and the fact there was space outside, this didn’t necessarily feel as “science fiction” as I would have liked it to. The cultures of the alien races and the descriptions of things were a little too close to contemporary for me, but that is a matter of personal preference.
This is not high scifi. That is to say you wouldn’t classify this alongside works like Neuromancer or Brave New World, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As amazing as high science fiction can be, it’s not exactly accessible for many readers. You Sexy Thing, however, is. In practical terms, it is character focussed as opposed to environmentally focussed. So, you don’t end up reading long lines of dry text laying out political structures or theology. Instead, you learn about the world as the characters experience and explain it to the best of their knowledge. For some readers, this makes the extensive world building of science fiction and fantasy narratives a lot easier to swallow.
With all that being said, it would be all for naught if the characters themselves weren’t likable. Don’t worry, they are. I was really happy to see an older protagonist in Niko. It was refreshing and her sarcasm fueled ex-pat personality was the cherry on top of the sundae. She was fun, and made me want to read on just to see where she’d end up next and what she’d have to say about it.
For me, the only real downside to this novel is the language. It is very plain and simplistic, making the scifi elements seem superficial at times. Beyond a few complicated names and the fact there was space outside, this didn’t necessarily feel as “science fiction” as I would have liked it to. The cultures of the alien races and the descriptions of things were a little too close to contemporary for me, but that is a matter of personal preference.