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A review by zephonsacriel
Oshibana Complex by Craig Hallam
4.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
Before I review the story itself, I must comment on the ebook format. I had to send a PDF version of the book to my kindle, which I didn't know you could do, so the following format problems could be entirely my fault or the PDF and/or kindle's. Anyway, the beginnings of chapters and new paragraphs are clumped together. It was like this on my kindle:
1
Chapter 1
T
he...
Additionally, there are no paragraphs indents. Sometimes the dialogue lines of different characters would been in the same paragraph and sometimes one dialogue lines would break at the end with the ending at the beginning of another paragraph. I cannot speak for the final version of the ebook version, but I would've liked a physical copy a bit more in this case.
Now on the review of this interesting novella
All the formatting issues aside, this is a neat little cyberpunk novella. Oshibana Complex takes place in a far post-apocalyptic future in a protected dome called Shika-One, ruled by the Corp and the AI Euripedes. Procreation is no longer possible, so everyone is synthesized--they're all called synths--so everyone looks similar to every other person (I believe there were four people who were the original templates so not everyone looks exactly alike) and everyone has an Access implnated into eir heads that allows em to hook-up to online things and work certain machines. We follow Xev who works at a burger joint during the "day" and at "night" plays an online video game with eir friend Marsh. There is no currency in this world, at least no physical money. Everyone uses xp, gained from working or playing the aforementioned video game, to buy things. One day Xev is tasked with taking in and teaching a new synth. But one day, everyone in Shika-One sees footage sent into eir Access by the Corp of a synth in another dome trying to run away only to be vaporized by the harsh environmental conditions and shout by Corp Wards.
After seeing this, Xev's new synth tries to run after a customer abuses them. Xev witnesses the new synth's death and loses eir job and then spirals into depression. While trying to maintain eir xp in the online game, Xev questions if anything is worth it.
First off, I applaud that gender is no longer a problem in this world, but I have questions. Everyone in this novella--and I do mean EVERYONE--uses the pronouns E/eir/em. I know non-binary and genderqueer people use a variety of gender neutral pronouns, everyone using the same one got kind of confusing. I wish Craig Hallam used more pronouns. Second, is this a world where everyone is non-binary or genderqueer? If so, YAY! Or is this just a world where people, regardless of gender, are really indifferent to gender and are comfortable with a non-gendered pronoun? Gender no longer being an issue is more than just using a gender neutral pronoun. However, I am cisgender so I may be completely wrong about that.
That issue aside, I really did like this novella. The world was interesting with the usage of xp. This may be one of the few stories using an online video game that isn't awkward and is fun. Xev was such an interesting character. Eir descent into depression and questioning of the purpose of the cyclical life in Shika-One was well done and nuanced. The author himself is familiar with mental issues on a personal level. I also enjoyed Xev's friend Marsh, eir were a good foil to Xev. I am a touch made Xev went for Vee romantically (somewhat) rather than Marsh. Vee isn't a bad character, eir very important in reminding Xev about the old world; I just liked Marsh more.
I also enjoyed the small amount of Japanese influence in the world. Japanese cyberpunk, like Ghost in the Shell, has extremely influenced Western sci-fi and I'm glad to see a Western author to acknowledge that.
This cyberpunk world is well crafted, but the story is more than its world and aesthetic. This is one of those emotional and psychological stories and I believe it used its cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic backdrop well to show how people will still try to escape and and make themselves feel better in a different world. Ultimately, it ends up being a discussion of the mind and body, a transhumanist discussion in the face of depression. Hallam had a story to tell and used most of his tools appropriately to tell it.
4/5 stars.
Before I review the story itself, I must comment on the ebook format. I had to send a PDF version of the book to my kindle, which I didn't know you could do, so the following format problems could be entirely my fault or the PDF and/or kindle's. Anyway, the beginnings of chapters and new paragraphs are clumped together. It was like this on my kindle:
1
Chapter 1
T
he...
Additionally, there are no paragraphs indents. Sometimes the dialogue lines of different characters would been in the same paragraph and sometimes one dialogue lines would break at the end with the ending at the beginning of another paragraph. I cannot speak for the final version of the ebook version, but I would've liked a physical copy a bit more in this case.
Now on the review of this interesting novella
All the formatting issues aside, this is a neat little cyberpunk novella. Oshibana Complex takes place in a far post-apocalyptic future in a protected dome called Shika-One, ruled by the Corp and the AI Euripedes. Procreation is no longer possible, so everyone is synthesized--they're all called synths--so everyone looks similar to every other person (I believe there were four people who were the original templates so not everyone looks exactly alike) and everyone has an Access implnated into eir heads that allows em to hook-up to online things and work certain machines. We follow Xev who works at a burger joint during the "day" and at "night" plays an online video game with eir friend Marsh. There is no currency in this world, at least no physical money. Everyone uses xp, gained from working or playing the aforementioned video game, to buy things. One day Xev is tasked with taking in and teaching a new synth. But one day, everyone in Shika-One sees footage sent into eir Access by the Corp of a synth in another dome trying to run away only to be vaporized by the harsh environmental conditions and shout by Corp Wards.
After seeing this, Xev's new synth tries to run after a customer abuses them. Xev witnesses the new synth's death and loses eir job and then spirals into depression. While trying to maintain eir xp in the online game, Xev questions if anything is worth it.
First off, I applaud that gender is no longer a problem in this world, but I have questions. Everyone in this novella--and I do mean EVERYONE--uses the pronouns E/eir/em. I know non-binary and genderqueer people use a variety of gender neutral pronouns, everyone using the same one got kind of confusing. I wish Craig Hallam used more pronouns. Second, is this a world where everyone is non-binary or genderqueer? If so, YAY! Or is this just a world where people, regardless of gender, are really indifferent to gender and are comfortable with a non-gendered pronoun? Gender no longer being an issue is more than just using a gender neutral pronoun. However, I am cisgender so I may be completely wrong about that.
That issue aside, I really did like this novella. The world was interesting with the usage of xp. This may be one of the few stories using an online video game that isn't awkward and is fun. Xev was such an interesting character. Eir descent into depression and questioning of the purpose of the cyclical life in Shika-One was well done and nuanced. The author himself is familiar with mental issues on a personal level. I also enjoyed Xev's friend Marsh, eir were a good foil to Xev. I am a touch made Xev went for Vee romantically (somewhat) rather than Marsh. Vee isn't a bad character, eir very important in reminding Xev about the old world; I just liked Marsh more.
I also enjoyed the small amount of Japanese influence in the world. Japanese cyberpunk, like Ghost in the Shell, has extremely influenced Western sci-fi and I'm glad to see a Western author to acknowledge that.
This cyberpunk world is well crafted, but the story is more than its world and aesthetic. This is one of those emotional and psychological stories and I believe it used its cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic backdrop well to show how people will still try to escape and and make themselves feel better in a different world. Ultimately, it ends up being a discussion of the mind and body, a transhumanist discussion in the face of depression. Hallam had a story to tell and used most of his tools appropriately to tell it.
4/5 stars.