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A review by hank
China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh
4.0
These are the slices of "normal" life that I like. Usually when I read non sci-fi literature relating to the human condition and pieces of everyday life, is either too much like what I see all the time and I am bored or I can't actually relate at all. For some reason the blend with clearly fantastical backdrops give me enough interest or wonder to keep me engaged.
China Mountain Zhang is really just a glimpse of an everyday life, someone who is trying to figure out where he fits in the world, along with some other characters and events to fill everything out. The kite flyers could be any sort of modern day daredevil racers, motocross, cliff divers, etc. why I am more interested when it is a futuristic flight structure? I am not sure but I am. The communistic colonization of Mars could be something else found on Earth now but the fact that it is on Mars and fantastical, allows me the possibility of hope instead of focusing on all of the sure to doom issues I can think of happening right now.
The job search, the repression of gays, the finding and losing of friends are all easily written about in normal literature but it never has the same pull as if you add a bit of unreality to it. Zhang's path towards finding how he wants to live his life looked good at the end, my path in discovering why I like (to read), what I like (to read) has also taken one more tiny step.
4.5 stars rounded down for no real good reason
China Mountain Zhang is really just a glimpse of an everyday life, someone who is trying to figure out where he fits in the world, along with some other characters and events to fill everything out. The kite flyers could be any sort of modern day daredevil racers, motocross, cliff divers, etc. why I am more interested when it is a futuristic flight structure? I am not sure but I am. The communistic colonization of Mars could be something else found on Earth now but the fact that it is on Mars and fantastical, allows me the possibility of hope instead of focusing on all of the sure to doom issues I can think of happening right now.
The job search, the repression of gays, the finding and losing of friends are all easily written about in normal literature but it never has the same pull as if you add a bit of unreality to it. Zhang's path towards finding how he wants to live his life looked good at the end, my path in discovering why I like (to read), what I like (to read) has also taken one more tiny step.
4.5 stars rounded down for no real good reason