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A review by misstwosense
Warchild by Karin Lowachee
5.0
Unbelievably sad, this is a science fiction novel about a futuristic war with aliens that is one of the realest depictions of actual wear that I've ever read.
I think it has some fascinating things to say about masculinity, childhood, and the nature of trauma. Every part of it feels real and authentic, as far as the character work goes.
It's a little dated at this point I will say (the sort of 3d hacking stuff feels even more dated than the actual release date of the book would indicate, in fact), but any awkwardness there or in the somewhat cliche at times description of the aliens is made up for by the depth of the characters and the tight plotting. The language itself is quite moving as well.
This is not the easiest read, content wise, but I found the often extremely delicate subject matter handled with nuance, dignity, and respect for the characters and the suffering they endure. This book isn't about shock value. It's not gratuitous in the delicate subject matter it explores. But its honest, and that may be hard for most people to read. There's no distance here for the reader to protect themselves with. But I found it worth the emotional difficulty. Some things we shouldn't look away from and sci-fi is always at its best when, underneath the trappings of the genre, something relevant to our own life and times still exists underneath. This 18 year old novel still feels relevant to me.
I think it has some fascinating things to say about masculinity, childhood, and the nature of trauma. Every part of it feels real and authentic, as far as the character work goes.
It's a little dated at this point I will say (the sort of 3d hacking stuff feels even more dated than the actual release date of the book would indicate, in fact), but any awkwardness there or in the somewhat cliche at times description of the aliens is made up for by the depth of the characters and the tight plotting. The language itself is quite moving as well.
This is not the easiest read, content wise, but I found the often extremely delicate subject matter handled with nuance, dignity, and respect for the characters and the suffering they endure. This book isn't about shock value. It's not gratuitous in the delicate subject matter it explores. But its honest, and that may be hard for most people to read. There's no distance here for the reader to protect themselves with. But I found it worth the emotional difficulty. Some things we shouldn't look away from and sci-fi is always at its best when, underneath the trappings of the genre, something relevant to our own life and times still exists underneath. This 18 year old novel still feels relevant to me.