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A review by rorikae
Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
'Jumpnauts' by Hao Jingfang and translated by Ken Liu is a first contact story steeped in Chinese legends and history.
Jiang Liu and Qi Fei are brought together by their fascination with Yun Fan, who works at a museum. She has the interesting hypothesis that aliens have been visiting Earth for years and that many of the important legends in their history are actually based on encounters with aliens. Looking further into this line of thinking, the group begins to find further evidence and sets out to see if they can make contact and potentially change the course of fraught political tensions on Earth.
I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book. I really liked the characters and how Jingfang incorporates alien technology into past legends. It has a really interesting concept but ultimately, I found it a little bit strangely paced. The first section, as we're starting to get to know our characters, felt well paced and really interesting. The worldbuilding was engaging and I really enjoyed getting to learn about our characters through how they interacted with each other. The introduction of an alien element was great but after that the story felt a little bit rushed and as if it wasn't given enough time to breathe. After such careful time at the beginning, I would have liked some more time spent on the political aspects and fully incorporating the two.
Jiang Liu and Qi Fei are brought together by their fascination with Yun Fan, who works at a museum. She has the interesting hypothesis that aliens have been visiting Earth for years and that many of the important legends in their history are actually based on encounters with aliens. Looking further into this line of thinking, the group begins to find further evidence and sets out to see if they can make contact and potentially change the course of fraught political tensions on Earth.
I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book. I really liked the characters and how Jingfang incorporates alien technology into past legends. It has a really interesting concept but ultimately, I found it a little bit strangely paced. The first section, as we're starting to get to know our characters, felt well paced and really interesting. The worldbuilding was engaging and I really enjoyed getting to learn about our characters through how they interacted with each other. The introduction of an alien element was great but after that the story felt a little bit rushed and as if it wasn't given enough time to breathe. After such careful time at the beginning, I would have liked some more time spent on the political aspects and fully incorporating the two.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Toxic friendship
Minor: War