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A review by nini23
Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
1.0
Another white male fulfillment novel, disguised as creative dystopian world. Instead, it's cliche, racist and follows the standard male hero trajectory.
The neighbourhoods and setup are somewhat interesting - with names like Sounds, Stable, Color neighbourhood with their inherent characteristics and regulations. There are some satirical shades of Douglas Adams and Vonnegut with elevators that converse with their riders and tech gadgets like CloazValet and gravity changers.
The main protagonist is a gigantic jerk, although I have a distinct feeling the author wrote him sincerely as someone to be admired. He is a braggadocio, 'I've been around the block' self taught autodidact who grew up in the school of hard knocks & is so much smarter and cynical than anyone else. Just listening to this narcissist cataloguing his thoughts and clues on this big conspiracy is painful. 'I had this thought, I have a feeling it's important, oops the thought is gone but it'll be super important for later and I'm so smart for recognizing that.' When he performs a task or emotional labor eg. comforts his charge, he points it out and self congratulates himself for being such a great human being. Sounds like the orange clown currently in office.
This type of character is a liability to society with his sense of entitlement and 'nobody understands me' syndrome. Sees himself as an outlaw who can break rules with impunity, disregards convention. He imagines himself to be a lone swashbuckling wolf and adopts a disdainful sneering tone to everything. He especially takes digs at go getters, perfectionists, organized have-it-all-togethers; in other words, people who actually have knowledge, expertise and education. Again, sound like anyone familiar?
Michael Smith has a soft spot for our guy though. He deftly navigates dangerous neighbourhoods, knows Asian ganglords, has a 'history' with his female supervisor who collapses into a puddle of tears on his shoulder when scared & is really a 'little girl' inside, a rich young woman in another neighborhood of 'lawyers, doctors and accountants' (cue the sneering tone) swoops in with a helicopter to save his sorry ass.
Surprise, he turns out to have a Special Gift. One oh so rare. Sigh, cue the Chosen One a la Matrix who can save the whole of humankind from our illusory dreamworld.
The plot relies on deux ex machina way too many times to save him from sticky spots. There is a lot of walking and adventuring from spot to spot (forest, defeat monster, castle), much like those dated fantasy games.
This book relies on racist stereotypes of Asian crime ridden neighbourhoods and psychotic Asian ganglords. Ji and Hu, really?
And Jeamland. Not Dreamland, mind you. Could the author not rouse himself to come up with a better name? At this point, I felt like I was a reading a middle grade adventure book.
For a much better nuanced protrayal of a dreamworld, I recomment Ishiguro's The Unconsoled.
Ji & Hu racist- psychotic ganglord, crime ridden
The neighbourhoods and setup are somewhat interesting - with names like Sounds, Stable, Color neighbourhood with their inherent characteristics and regulations. There are some satirical shades of Douglas Adams and Vonnegut with elevators that converse with their riders and tech gadgets like CloazValet and gravity changers.
The main protagonist is a gigantic jerk, although I have a distinct feeling the author wrote him sincerely as someone to be admired. He is a braggadocio, 'I've been around the block' self taught autodidact who grew up in the school of hard knocks & is so much smarter and cynical than anyone else. Just listening to this narcissist cataloguing his thoughts and clues on this big conspiracy is painful. 'I had this thought, I have a feeling it's important, oops the thought is gone but it'll be super important for later and I'm so smart for recognizing that.' When he performs a task or emotional labor eg. comforts his charge, he points it out and self congratulates himself for being such a great human being. Sounds like the orange clown currently in office.
This type of character is a liability to society with his sense of entitlement and 'nobody understands me' syndrome. Sees himself as an outlaw who can break rules with impunity, disregards convention. He imagines himself to be a lone swashbuckling wolf and adopts a disdainful sneering tone to everything. He especially takes digs at go getters, perfectionists, organized have-it-all-togethers; in other words, people who actually have knowledge, expertise and education. Again, sound like anyone familiar?
Michael Smith has a soft spot for our guy though. He deftly navigates dangerous neighbourhoods, knows Asian ganglords, has a 'history' with his female supervisor who collapses into a puddle of tears on his shoulder when scared & is really a 'little girl' inside, a rich young woman in another neighborhood of 'lawyers, doctors and accountants' (cue the sneering tone) swoops in with a helicopter to save his sorry ass.
Surprise, he turns out to have a Special Gift. One oh so rare. Sigh, cue the Chosen One a la Matrix who can save the whole of humankind from our illusory dreamworld.
The plot relies on deux ex machina way too many times to save him from sticky spots. There is a lot of walking and adventuring from spot to spot (forest, defeat monster, castle), much like those dated fantasy games.
This book relies on racist stereotypes of Asian crime ridden neighbourhoods and psychotic Asian ganglords. Ji and Hu, really?
And Jeamland. Not Dreamland, mind you. Could the author not rouse himself to come up with a better name? At this point, I felt like I was a reading a middle grade adventure book.
For a much better nuanced protrayal of a dreamworld, I recomment Ishiguro's The Unconsoled.
Ji & Hu racist- psychotic ganglord, crime ridden