A review by dejahentendu
Polostan by Neal Stephenson

adventurous mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

4.0

Stephenson returns to historical fiction and the rise of new discoveries in science in Polostan. Set (for now) in the 1920s & 1930s in both the Soviet Union and the U.S., it digs into politics, famine, science, and cultural happenings of the era. The primary lens is through the eyes of a young woman who has lived in both locales and sees through some of the BS on both sides. If you like the tapestries Stephenson weaves, this is a pretty solid start.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Torture, Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail