benji_dw's reviews
28 reviews

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Hyperion is a classic my friends and family evoke. So I read it. It hasn’t aged gracefully and frankly modern sci-fi’s sensibilities lead to better fiction. 

The book is broken up to tell the stories of seven people on a journey to the ‘time tombs’. Of the seven there is only one woman, and that attitude to gender pervades the entire narrative.

It is interesting and different. I thought of totally new things. Full points for novelty. 

I am docking points because when it was good it was good (albeit problematic), but when it was bad, it was actually unforgivable. I didn’t find the manic pixie dream girl list quest or self insert sad-boi poet whining compelling at all. The racist language around Indigenous people is extremely gross. 

Maybe this book was good for its time. But modern sci fi is better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Violence, Racism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Colonisation

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Maté is a great author and thinker. He has revolutionized the discourse around care and trauma. 

He has also written better books. This felt very much aligned with his other work. It’s fine. It’s good even. It’s not a bad starting place in his cannon. 

I wish the thesis was said at the beginning and not buried after the middle. It’s a great thesis that would have been better explicitly woven throughout the book.

Translation State by Ann Leckie

adventurous hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Lovely book with cool ideas. Felt a bit more predictable than I’d have loved but a sweet story overall 

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Amazing start to a series you can skip. Book one and two have a plot. Book three had the editor’s contract run out.

Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Amazing space opera with military elements with a fascinating universe and plot. Highly recommend!

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Heartstopper Volume 2 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design by Roman Mars, Kurt Kohlstedt

informative relaxing fast-paced

4.5

Does what you want a non-fiction to do -- takes everyday things and tells you great stories about them.