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cayenne503's Reviews (227)
[b:The Mote in God's Eye|100365|The Mote in God's Eye (Moties, #1)|Larry Niven|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1399490037l/100365._SY75_.jpg|2190500] is the story of first contact between humans and aliens. It does not seem to have a one main character but is told through a revolving set of viewpoints. Captain Rod Blaine of the Imperial Navy is probably the closest thing we get to a "main" character, but plenty of the book is told from other perspectives.
The story starts off slow for the first couple of chapters but gets exciting after that. I'd say the middle 50% of the book is incredibly interesting story-telling. Unfortunately, the book seems to hit its climax early and then just peters along until the end. I really struggled to get through the last bit of the book, which has a much more political tone than the adventurous first part.
There are some aspects of the book that left me uncomfortable and unsatisfied. The author's use of the word "rape" as an expletive was shocking to me, but the book was written before I was born and maybe it was more acceptable at the time. The portrayal of the only female character (well only human female) was exhausting. She first appears after being rescued from a prison camp, and seems to suffer no ill-effects as a result. She immediately returns to her life as a scholar and then winds up marrying Captain Blaine...it is implied that they were pining for each other all along but I think it really falls into the realm of the author telling us it is so, rather than showing.
There's a fair amount of technical jargon that was beyond my ability to comprehend so I can't speak to its accuracy. Members of the military and/or physics-minded readers might enjoy those aspects more.
The resolutions that the characters have to come up with after the exciting climax of the story are unfulfilling in my opinion. There did not seem to be much in the way of character development, except the previously mentioned newlyweds, and in that case the difference of pre-marriage and post-marriage personality was incredibly jarring, at least in the case of the Captain. It really feels like the author was telling a completely different story once they were out of the alien star system. I did not feel convinced by the threats perceived by the humans or that they fully explored all of their options for solutions.
Overall, a decent sci-fi story but I will most likely not seek out any other books in this series.
The story starts off slow for the first couple of chapters but gets exciting after that. I'd say the middle 50% of the book is incredibly interesting story-telling. Unfortunately, the book seems to hit its climax early and then just peters along until the end. I really struggled to get through the last bit of the book, which has a much more political tone than the adventurous first part.
There are some aspects of the book that left me uncomfortable and unsatisfied. The author's use of the word "rape" as an expletive was shocking to me, but the book was written before I was born and maybe it was more acceptable at the time. The portrayal of the only female character (well only human female) was exhausting. She first appears after being rescued from a prison camp, and seems to suffer no ill-effects as a result. She immediately returns to her life as a scholar and then winds up marrying Captain Blaine...it is implied that they were pining for each other all along but I think it really falls into the realm of the author telling us it is so, rather than showing.
There's a fair amount of technical jargon that was beyond my ability to comprehend so I can't speak to its accuracy. Members of the military and/or physics-minded readers might enjoy those aspects more.
The resolutions that the characters have to come up with after the exciting climax of the story are unfulfilling in my opinion. There did not seem to be much in the way of character development, except the previously mentioned newlyweds, and in that case the difference of pre-marriage and post-marriage personality was incredibly jarring, at least in the case of the Captain. It really feels like the author was telling a completely different story once they were out of the alien star system. I did not feel convinced by the threats perceived by the humans or that they fully explored all of their options for solutions.
Overall, a decent sci-fi story but I will most likely not seek out any other books in this series.
I finished reading this book in eight hours and it was worth every second.
The Calculating Stars is an alternate history tale of the space race on an Earth devastated by natural disaster. In response, an international team decides that the best course of action is to work toward escaping the planet before it’s too late. Though fictional in plot, it has plenty of healthy doses that force the reader to consider questions of gender equality, racial equality, climate change, and more—and does so without being heavy handed or preachy. Truly, you have to stop and think to break the fourth wall at these moments. It is really wonderful writing.
Speaking of which, the plot is endlessly engaging and the characters are believable and interesting. Just when things seem to be approaching a level of “normal” in the story the author drops another dramatic piece in your lap and keeps you turning the pages. 5 stars, anyone wanting to read adventures, sci fi, historical fiction, or stories about badass women should read this one.
The Calculating Stars is an alternate history tale of the space race on an Earth devastated by natural disaster. In response, an international team decides that the best course of action is to work toward escaping the planet before it’s too late. Though fictional in plot, it has plenty of healthy doses that force the reader to consider questions of gender equality, racial equality, climate change, and more—and does so without being heavy handed or preachy. Truly, you have to stop and think to break the fourth wall at these moments. It is really wonderful writing.
Speaking of which, the plot is endlessly engaging and the characters are believable and interesting. Just when things seem to be approaching a level of “normal” in the story the author drops another dramatic piece in your lap and keeps you turning the pages. 5 stars, anyone wanting to read adventures, sci fi, historical fiction, or stories about badass women should read this one.
