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A review by shell_s
Genrenauts: The Complete Season One Collection by Michael R. Underwood
5.0
The only thing I don't love about this utterly original series is having to wait for Season Two, instead of being able to binge it right away.
This series asks "What if you could travel into a story and become part of its solution?" (Who hasn't fantasized about that?) But then it asks "What if once the story has its 'hooks' in you, you might get drawn in too deep to leave?"
This series rewards you with pay-offs for every science fiction/epic fantasy/western/romantic comedy/detective procedural you ever read or watched, by exploring tropes and what disasters might befall the story's inhabitants if they broke down. And stakes are raised in the real world because what happens in fictional stories creates shockwaves in our 'adjacent' world. As a worldbuilding device I found this simple (in its clarity) yet brilliant.
And top priority for me is always the characters. I was immediately drawn in by quippy and resilient Leah Tang, whose reading savvy turns out to be great not only for discouraging drunk fratboys at her open mic stand-up show, but also for her new dream job as a Genrenaut alongside a team of elite agents.
Snarky Asian-American nerd Leah asks a very good question at the beginning of the book, which I will paraphrase as "Why can't someone like me be the hero, why do orphan farm boys like Luke Skywalker get all the fun?!" (This idea is also excellently explored in the farcical Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne by the way.)
As I got to know them I enjoyed the other Genrenauts (her mentors and teammates) and their struggles as well. There are nuanced backgrounds and backstories that I don't want to spoil here with details. And perhaps most of all I loved the teammates' interactions--there are such honest moments to be found here that the relationships deeply resonated with me.
And, though their appearances are briefer and generally one-offs, I likewise appreciated the "NPCs" in the book world. Many are very archetypal but that's how they are intended to be, and more often than not they still surprised me with their quirks or depth.
Though episodic by genre, Season One does have its own dramatic through-arcs, and sets up plenty of intrigue and obstacles and enemies for Season Two.
I'd say I can't wait, but what I really mean is it will be worth any wait to me. The author has other fun and creative series to read/review in the meantime, like Geekomancy and (maybe a series?) Shield and Crocus. As I've said before...
WHEN YOU LOVE A STORY, SPEAK UP--BOOST THE SIGNAL!
This series asks "What if you could travel into a story and become part of its solution?" (Who hasn't fantasized about that?) But then it asks "What if once the story has its 'hooks' in you, you might get drawn in too deep to leave?"
This series rewards you with pay-offs for every science fiction/epic fantasy/western/romantic comedy/detective procedural you ever read or watched, by exploring tropes and what disasters might befall the story's inhabitants if they broke down. And stakes are raised in the real world because what happens in fictional stories creates shockwaves in our 'adjacent' world. As a worldbuilding device I found this simple (in its clarity) yet brilliant.
And top priority for me is always the characters. I was immediately drawn in by quippy and resilient Leah Tang, whose reading savvy turns out to be great not only for discouraging drunk fratboys at her open mic stand-up show, but also for her new dream job as a Genrenaut alongside a team of elite agents.
Snarky Asian-American nerd Leah asks a very good question at the beginning of the book, which I will paraphrase as "Why can't someone like me be the hero, why do orphan farm boys like Luke Skywalker get all the fun?!" (This idea is also excellently explored in the farcical Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne by the way.)
As I got to know them I enjoyed the other Genrenauts (her mentors and teammates) and their struggles as well. There are nuanced backgrounds and backstories that I don't want to spoil here with details. And perhaps most of all I loved the teammates' interactions--there are such honest moments to be found here that the relationships deeply resonated with me.
And, though their appearances are briefer and generally one-offs, I likewise appreciated the "NPCs" in the book world. Many are very archetypal but that's how they are intended to be, and more often than not they still surprised me with their quirks or depth.
Though episodic by genre, Season One does have its own dramatic through-arcs, and sets up plenty of intrigue and obstacles and enemies for Season Two.
I'd say I can't wait, but what I really mean is it will be worth any wait to me. The author has other fun and creative series to read/review in the meantime, like Geekomancy and (maybe a series?) Shield and Crocus. As I've said before...
WHEN YOU LOVE A STORY, SPEAK UP--BOOST THE SIGNAL!