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whatdotheyknowaboutfriends 's review for:
Shadow & Claw
by Gene Wolfe
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rambling, incoherent plot makes for low stakes. Worldbuilding is purely additive, to the point where nothing feels like it connects. There are some reveals that maybe we’re meant to be impactful, but they didn’t advance my understanding of the world.
The notion of a high-technology world that has decayed back to the middle ages is neat, but it’s not enough to sustain something so long. The main character makes much of his eidetic memory, but I don’t really understand how memory plays in as a theme here. This was written in the 80s, and it feels like a throwback to an earlier form of sci-fi, and in fact, ancient epics, where emotions are recorded as a series of announcements that person X has emotion Y now. The story is not interested in constructing a coherent, continuous internal state.
This story is also pretty shit on gender. That might be appropriate for the society, but it’s still unpleasant to read some dude’s rape fantasies. Combine this with weak characterization in general and it just feels like this story is an excuse to write a series of dark vignettes about a cool sword and a brooding guy who feels a little bad but mostly proud about torture, and also likes having sex with women who can’t really say no. Yaaaaaay.
The notion of a high-technology world that has decayed back to the middle ages is neat, but it’s not enough to sustain something so long. The main character makes much of his eidetic memory, but I don’t really understand how memory plays in as a theme here. This was written in the 80s, and it feels like a throwback to an earlier form of sci-fi, and in fact, ancient epics, where emotions are recorded as a series of announcements that person X has emotion Y now. The story is not interested in constructing a coherent, continuous internal state.
This story is also pretty shit on gender. That might be appropriate for the society, but it’s still unpleasant to read some dude’s rape fantasies. Combine this with weak characterization in general and it just feels like this story is an excuse to write a series of dark vignettes about a cool sword and a brooding guy who feels a little bad but mostly proud about torture, and also likes having sex with women who can’t really say no. Yaaaaaay.