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A review by latad_books
Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction by Gu Shi, Ma Boyong, Zhao Haihong, Wang Jinkang, Tang Fei, Han Song, Anna Wu, Nian Yu, Hao Jingfang
4.0
I generally prefer novels to short stories, but was intrigued by the possibility of reading works by authors whose work I have not heard of before. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed most of the stories in here:
The Last Save -by Gu Shi
-3.5 stars. An interesting take on opting out of a commonly used technology which has effects on people's relationships and to the wider society. The main character chooses not to constantly reset his life when he discovers his wife, who up till now has opted out, had signed them up for the "family" account.
Tombs of the Universe -by Han Song
-4 stars. The images of countless gravestones on different planets and moons from the first wave of spacefaring by humans into the solar system had such a melancholic and lonely feel. Coupled with the account within the story of someone dealing with the dead, as well as the changing attitudes of people as humans travelled in space, made this a thought-provoking story.
Qiankun and Alex -by Hao Jingfang
-4.5 stars. I really liked this story about AI, and how one very powerful AI managing many systems must also learn how to interact with people, and the person it does interact with is a curious three-year old. There’s learning and attachment on both sides.
Cat’s Chance in Hell -by Nian Yu
-4 stars. Great action and ethical questions raised by a soldier returned to active duty because of a new war.
The Return of Adam -by Wang Jinkang
-2 stars. My least favourite in this collection. An astronaut is awakened back on Earth after his cryosleep of many years.
Rendevous: 1937 -by Zhao Haihong
-4 stars. The author shows how a person from the future is anxious to capture part of the horrific history in Nanjing, but not the atrocities. Rather, the strength of the people in the city, and their will to oppose the Japanese soldiers’ horrific behaviour.
The Heart of the Museum -by Tang Fei
-3.5 stars. Interesting, in how an alien might view time and the endeavours of one individual’s efforts to create a revolutionary structure for a museum with an unusual approach for displaying its objects. I had a little trouble understanding the end of this story.
The Great Migration -by Ma Boyong
-4 stars. A bit male-gazey, but otherwise quite enjoyable. In China thousands of people currently travel from their work locations home for family and festivals. The idea that this would continue into the far future if people worked off planet makes sense. I liked how the author portrayed the crushing difficulties of procuring a prized ticket on a ship back home to Earth—I could really get the sense of desperation and frustration the characters experienced.
Meisje met de Parel -by Anna Wu
-3 stars.I had a hard time understanding this one; there were individual moments of startling beauty (the descriptions of food prep, and the ocean), but I only sort of got the point the author was making about Art and its lasting impact through time.
Flowers of the Other Shore - by A Que
-4 stars. A sensitive and quietly funny take on the zombie story, with the main zombie character, a “Stiff”, and his zombie pal discussing the mundane and philosophical while wandering around looking for their next human snack. Then, a flower and a relationship with a still human woman offer a possibility of hope for the remaining humans.
The Absolution Experiment -by Bao Shu
-3.5 stars. Talk about getting one’s revenge! A chilling option to a question about appropriate punishment for heinous actions.
The Tide of Moon City -by Regina Kanyu Wang
-4 stars. A story of two planets and two scientists, each from one of the planets, and all separated by politics. I liked the use of a legend to illustrate the way the two people cannot be together.
Starship: Library -by Jiang Bo
-4 stars. As a huge fan of libraries, this story about a woman advocating for the existence of the library she managed, as she travelled through space, was satisfying. I loved how relevant all those books became….
Overall: 3.7 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for this ARC in exchange for my review.
The Last Save -by Gu Shi
-3.5 stars. An interesting take on opting out of a commonly used technology which has effects on people's relationships and to the wider society. The main character chooses not to constantly reset his life when he discovers his wife, who up till now has opted out, had signed them up for the "family" account.
Tombs of the Universe -by Han Song
-4 stars. The images of countless gravestones on different planets and moons from the first wave of spacefaring by humans into the solar system had such a melancholic and lonely feel. Coupled with the account within the story of someone dealing with the dead, as well as the changing attitudes of people as humans travelled in space, made this a thought-provoking story.
Qiankun and Alex -by Hao Jingfang
-4.5 stars. I really liked this story about AI, and how one very powerful AI managing many systems must also learn how to interact with people, and the person it does interact with is a curious three-year old. There’s learning and attachment on both sides.
Cat’s Chance in Hell -by Nian Yu
-4 stars. Great action and ethical questions raised by a soldier returned to active duty because of a new war.
The Return of Adam -by Wang Jinkang
-2 stars. My least favourite in this collection. An astronaut is awakened back on Earth after his cryosleep of many years.
Rendevous: 1937 -by Zhao Haihong
-4 stars. The author shows how a person from the future is anxious to capture part of the horrific history in Nanjing, but not the atrocities. Rather, the strength of the people in the city, and their will to oppose the Japanese soldiers’ horrific behaviour.
The Heart of the Museum -by Tang Fei
-3.5 stars. Interesting, in how an alien might view time and the endeavours of one individual’s efforts to create a revolutionary structure for a museum with an unusual approach for displaying its objects. I had a little trouble understanding the end of this story.
The Great Migration -by Ma Boyong
-4 stars. A bit male-gazey, but otherwise quite enjoyable. In China thousands of people currently travel from their work locations home for family and festivals. The idea that this would continue into the far future if people worked off planet makes sense. I liked how the author portrayed the crushing difficulties of procuring a prized ticket on a ship back home to Earth—I could really get the sense of desperation and frustration the characters experienced.
Meisje met de Parel -by Anna Wu
-3 stars.I had a hard time understanding this one; there were individual moments of startling beauty (the descriptions of food prep, and the ocean), but I only sort of got the point the author was making about Art and its lasting impact through time.
Flowers of the Other Shore - by A Que
-4 stars. A sensitive and quietly funny take on the zombie story, with the main zombie character, a “Stiff”, and his zombie pal discussing the mundane and philosophical while wandering around looking for their next human snack. Then, a flower and a relationship with a still human woman offer a possibility of hope for the remaining humans.
The Absolution Experiment -by Bao Shu
-3.5 stars. Talk about getting one’s revenge! A chilling option to a question about appropriate punishment for heinous actions.
The Tide of Moon City -by Regina Kanyu Wang
-4 stars. A story of two planets and two scientists, each from one of the planets, and all separated by politics. I liked the use of a legend to illustrate the way the two people cannot be together.
Starship: Library -by Jiang Bo
-4 stars. As a huge fan of libraries, this story about a woman advocating for the existence of the library she managed, as she travelled through space, was satisfying. I loved how relevant all those books became….
Overall: 3.7 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for this ARC in exchange for my review.